ROOTS OF JUDAISM. Many Theories All have their critics

ROOTS OF JUDAISM

Many TheoriesAll have their critics

Habiru (Hittite)Habiru (Hittite)Apiru (Egyptian)Apiru (Egyptian)

They live in tents, travel about as they will, not abiding by my kings laws. They rob and plunder villages, they are outlaws and mercenaries for your enemies. When will my Pharaoh do something about them? - appointed Egyptian governor of Mesopotamia

Amarna Letters

Shasu

Tribes of the Middle East – god was YHW

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu

Three main reasons:– Yhw is similar to Yahweh

the covenant name ,(יהוה)of God in Judaism

– Both groups came from Canaan and migrated to Egypt

– Association of Yahweh with Seir (Shasu S’rr) Deuteronomy 33:2

Born in Ur – Southern Mesopotamia

Moved to Northern Mesopotamiaescaping Babylonian Empire rule?

AbrahamAbraham

Monotheist or Henotheist?

Psalm 82:1 - "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty [the hall of Canaanite pantheon]; he judgeth among the gods...“

Is Psalm saying there is more gods than one? We do know that the Levant (Canaan) was a Polytheistic world…Abrams father was a Polytheist

Abraham

The break from other Canaanite religions and

a common practice of sacrificing the first born for the good of the rest of the family.

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Hagar - Ishmael

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Hebrews

Hagar - Ishmael

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Hebrews

Moses –

Mosaic Law

Judaism

Hagar - Ishmael

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Hebrews

Moses –

Mosaic Law

Judaism

Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi

Hagar - Ishmael

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Judaism

Moses –

Mosaic Law

Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi

Christianity (33 AD)

Hagar - Ishmael

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Judaism

Moses –

Mosaic Law

Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi

Christianity (33 AD)

Hagar - Ishmael

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Judaism

Moses –

Mosaic Law

Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi

Christianity (33 AD)

Hagar - Ishmael

Muhammad (b. 570 AD)Arab monotheist

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

Sarah - Isaac

Judaism

Moses –

Mosaic Law

Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi

Christianity (33 AD)

Hagar - Ishmael

MuhammadArab monotheist

Islam (610 AD)

AbrahamFather of 3 Major Religions

MosesMoses- Exodus -- Exodus -

Led Hebrews out of Egyptian Slavery

Historically…

Why did the Hebrews put Blood on their doorway the evening before Death came to Egypt?

To whom was it a sign? G-d?

PesachPesach – Passover – Passover

MosesMoses- Exodus -- Exodus -

• Turned the River to Blood

• Took food, gold, goods from Egyptians as they left Egypt

• Chased by military to Red Sea (or sea of reeds)

MosesMoses- Exodus -- Exodus -

Led Hebrews out of Egyptian Slavery

10 commandments10 commandments

MosesMoses- Exodus -- Exodus -

Led Hebrews out of Egyptian Slavery

10 commandments

G-d gave Moses the TORAHTORAH– First five books of Old Testament

MosesMoses- Exodus -- Exodus -

King SaulKing Saul seems to have been largely a military leader.

There are no accounts of him exercising monarchical power outside of military exploits. The Hebrews, after all, were still tribal people, so the transition to a

monarchy was slow.

Early Israelite GovernmentEarly Israelite GovernmentTribal Tribal JudgesJudges were in ineffective when were in ineffective when

they were confronted with enemies with more centralized they were confronted with enemies with more centralized GovernmentsGovernments

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/monarchy.html

The Hebrew people began to desire more permanent solutions to their political - military troubles.

The Hebrew tribes began agitating for a king.

Samuel (a well known Judge) formally anointed this new king…

King DavidKing DavidUnited the Hebrew Tribes into a single Nation

SolomonSolomonDavid’s Son

• Built the first Temple• Treaties with Assyrians and Egyptians

Solomon Dies

• North– Tribes of Israel

– Conquered by Assyrians

– Killed, Relocated, Assimilated?

Solomon Dies

• North– Tribes of Israel

– Conquered by Assyrians

– Killed, Relocated, Assimilated?

• South – Babylonian Exile– Tribes of Judah conquered by Nebuchadnezzar

– Become known as “Jews”

589 BCE - Nebuchadnezza- Nebuchadnezzarr, the king of the Babylonian Chaldeans, only deported the most prominent citizens of Judah: professionals, priests, craftsmen, and the wealthy. The "people of the land" (am-hares ) were allowed to stay. So Jewish history, then, has two poles during the exile: the Jew in Babylon and the Jews who remain in Judah.

Babylonian ExileBabylonian Exile

Hebrew Bible was organized onto scrollsAn oral history was preserved and would come to shape the western world

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Exile.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVzl_eQjIAE

Persians conquer BabylonPersians conquer Babylon

Jews set free of the Babylonian Exile

Persians seen as LiberatorsPersians seen as Liberators –

Illusion of freedom – Just pay your taxes!

Moses

Survival of a People - CultureSurvival of a People - Culture

• Egyptian slavery 400 years• Destruction by the Assyrians• Babylonian Exile - Slavery• Seleucid Empire - Hellenization was enforced by law (167 BCE)• Roman Domination and destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE)• Diaspora• Middle Ages – “Christ killers” led to massacres and forced conversion• 1300’s and 1400 – expulsion from European countries (to Poland)• Black Death persecutions• Muslim and Arab anti-Semitism• Nazis and the Holocaust• Czarist Russia – Pale of Settlement – Pograms

Israeli – Arab ConflictIsraeli – Arab Conflict

• 1948 – Israel created– Immediately forced to fight off Arab attacks

• 1967 – Israel / Palestinian war– Palestine attacks Israel and Israel responds by taking border

lands

• 1973 – Yom Kippur War– Followed Olympic Terrorist attack– Pre-cursor to OPEC Oil Crisis

• Today – Threats from Iran– Nuclear armament around Middle East

Israeli – Arab ConflictIsraeli – Arab Conflict

• Gave the world the Bible (Old Testament)• Jewish converts to Christianity (New Testament)

• Three world religions, thus impact on world cultures and law