Major Events in Judaism
– 1900 – 1700 BC -Abraham first practiced monotheism (Belief in one single God)
- God told Abraham to leave his home and live in a region called Israel (Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria).
- Code of Laws later introduced to the Jewish; a promise to be part of the covenant (Bind between the people and God) was a reward for following the laws.
- Abraham and wife Sarah have son , Isaac, at age 100
- When God put Abraham to the test and asked him to sacrifice his son, God rewarded Abraham for withholding his son, saying he is loyal to his God; known as the “Binding of Isaac”
- After Abraham, Ishmael continued to rule Israel
- 1200 BC -To control the Hebrew population, The Egyptian Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew children to be killed. One woman defied the Pharaoh and sent her child down the Nile River in a wooden basket.
- The Pharaoh’s daughter found the child, and named him Moses.
- When Moses was older, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and killed the Egyptian, saying he felt a connection to his own people.
- Moses fled Egypt when the Pharaoh sentenced him to death
- God spoke to Moses for first time, telling him to lead the Hebrew people to Canaan
- God set 10 plagues on Egypt when the Pharaoh denied Moses permission to leave with his people.
- The meal that took place after the 10th plague is now celebrated as “Passover”
- On the way back to Canaan, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai where God gave Moses the “Torah’s” (a.k.a the Ten Commandments) and the first five Jewish scriptures.
- By 507 BC David had taken over Saul’s army and united the 12 Jewish tribes to call it Israel
- David also rebuilt the capital of Israel – Jerusalem, and brought the ark of covenant there.
- Solomon, David’s son, built the 1st Jewish Temple in Jerusalem; Jerusalem is still considered a sacred place today.
Institutions & Demographics
- Synagogues are a place of worship, prayer, and study for Jewish people
- Memories of suffering and anti – Semitism that occurred during the middle ages influences the Religion today
- The holocaust is the most important event in Jewish history. During the holocaust, 6 million Jews were killed by German leaders. Part of Europe became anti-Semitism. Nov 9 - 10 is known as Kristallnacht (The night of the broken Glass), when synagogues and Jewish businesses throughout Germany were destroyed. The holocaust is commemorated each year on holocaust remembrance day; the 27th day of Nissan, the first month of the Jewish calendar. The holocaust continues to effect politics in Israel today.
Timeline of Jewish History
1900 - 1700 BC Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; descent into Egypt
1300 – 1220 BC Exodus from Egypt
1000 - 900 BC the United Kingdom: David and Solomon
721 BC – Northern kingdom of Israel destroyed by the Assyrians
587 – 536 BC Destruction of Jerusalem Temple by Babylonians, and Exile
500 – 400 BC Return from Exile, Building of the 2nd Temple
400 – 100 BC Hellenistic Era: The Rabbinical Era
63 BC – AD 565 Roman Era: Conquest of Judaea
AD 630 – 1095 Islamic rule in Israel
1095 – 1199 Crusades period
1200 – 1917 Return of Israel to Islamic rule
1942 Expulsion of Jews from Spain
1948 Creation of Israel
1967 Six – Day War
1994 Peace treaty between Israel and Jordan
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