teaches that there is only one God and
that God created the world. God
The distance between the
beginning and end of the
Jordan River is less than 124
miles (200 kilometers). Because
the river winds a lot, however,
its length is more than 223
miles (360 kilometers).
36 Jordan River BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
expressed what he expects of people in
the Ten Commandments and other
laws.
Jews believe that God chose them to
have a special relationship with him.
They must devote themselves to God
and love one another because God
selected them to bring knowledge of
him to the rest of the world. They
believe that, in return, God has promised
to make the Jews (Israel) a great
nation that will eventually draw other
nations together in a worldwide community
of justice and peace.
The sacred book of Judaism is the
Hebrew Bible. Particularly important to
Judaism are the first five books, which
are known as the Torah. These writings
explain and interpret God’s laws. The
Talmud is a collection of traditional
Jewish laws along with stories and comments
about those laws.
Practices
In Judaism the lives of individuals are
closely connected to the larger community.
The Jewish house of worship, called
a synagogue, also serves as a community
gathering place. Its leader is known as a
rabbi. At the heart of synagogue worship
is the public reading of the Torah.
An important time during each week is
the Sabbath. Jews observe this period of
Jewish children study the teachings of their
religion. Jews sometimes wear skullcaps
called yarmulkes.
Some Important Jewish Holidays
Holiday Meaning Date
Passover remembrance of the early Jews’ escape March/April
from slavery in Egypt
Purim celebration of the survival of early Jews usually in March
living under the rule of the Persians
Shavuot remembrance of the day that God gave 50 days after Passover
the Ten Commandments to Moses
Rosh Hashana Jewish new year September/October
Yom Kippur day of asking forgiveness for sins eight days after Rosh Hashana
Sukkot festival of thanksgiving September/October
Hanukkah celebration of a miracle at the Second usually in December
Temple of Jerusalem
Note: Actual dates depend on the Jewish calendar.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Judaism 37
holiness and rest from sunset on Friday
to nightfall on Saturday.
Divisions
Judaism has three main divisions. The
most traditional is Orthodox. Orthodox
Jews believe that Judaism today should
be practiced just as it was in ancient
times. In the 1800s two groups broke
away. They believed that Judaism should
adapt to new situations. Reform Jews
made the most changes. They do not
participate in all the ceremonies that are
observed by Orthodox Jews. Conservative
Jews uphold many ancient traditions
but have made some changes in
their religious practices.
History
Abraham
Judaism is thought to trace back to
about 2000 BC. A man named Abraham
is considered the founder. According to
the Torah, God told Abraham to leave
his home in Mesopotamia (now Iraq)
and take his people to Canaan (Palestine).
God promised that if Abraham
obeyed, he and his offspring would
become a great nation in this new land.
This is the first covenant, or agreement,
that God made with the Jews.
Moses
Long after the days of Abraham, a famine
caused the Israelites to move to
Egypt. They were later turned into slaves
there. After more than 400 years, the
Jews were freed from slavery under the
leadership of Moses in about the 1200s
BC. As instructed by God, Moses led the
Israelites back to Canaan. Jews believe
that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments
and promised that if the
Israelites followed these rules, he would
look after them.
Rise and Fall of Israel
Over the next several centuries, Israel
became a fairly powerful nation in the
Middle East, particularly under its first
three kings—Saul, David, and Solomon.
David conquered Jerusalem and established
it as the capital city. His son,
Solomon, built the first great Temple of
Jerusalem in the 900s BC.
In the 700s BC the Assyrian Empire captured
northern Israel. Early in the 500s
BC, Babylonians conquered southern
Israel, destroyed the Temple, and sent
some of the Jews away into slavery. This
event marked the beginning of the
Diaspora, which means “scattering.”
From then on, the Jewish people were
no longer together in one place.
A Jewish service takes place inside a synagogue.
38 Judaism BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Some Jews later returned to their homeland
and rebuilt the Temple. But the
region remained under the control of
one foreign power after another. The
Roman Empire took control of the area
in the 1st century BC. Jewish revolts
against the Roman Empire in the 1st
and 2nd centuries AD were unsuccessful.
During this period the Romans
destroyed the second Temple. Many
Jewish people moved away and eventually
settled in other countries.
Establishment of Modern Israel
In the late 1800s a movement called
Zionism began in Europe. It was named
for Mount Zion, a hill in Jerusalem. The
Zionists wanted to create a new Jewish
country in Palestine. In the early 1900s
many Zionists moved to Palestine to
escape harsh conditions in Europe. By
