Jewish Religion Research Paper

Mark Twain posed a good question, while in history other ethnic groups and religions that were heavily persecuted were wiped out, converted or assimilated, the Hebrews and their religion survived. So we must ask ourselves, what has been their driving force for survival unlike any other ethnic group or religion? In order to formulate a possible answer, we must go back in history and begin by examining the evolution of the Jewish religion.

Judaism origins dates back to nearly four thousand years rooted in the ancient times near the eastern regions of 2Canaan (which is now Israel and Palestine territories). Originating as the beliefs and practices of the people known as “Israel” or rabbinic, Judaism did not emerge until the 1st century C.E.
After Moses’ prophecies were validated; the Pharaoh ordered the Hebrews out of Egypt, this period was known as the Exodus. Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt into the desert in search of the Promised Land. After three months, 5Moses took the Hebrews to Mount Sinai where he had been summons by the Hebrew God. The Hebrew God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Torah (the collective body of Jewish teaching embodied in the Hebrew Bible) and the Talmud (book of Jewish law). The Torah formed the foundation of Judaism, containing detailed instructions on day-to-day living, rules by which Hebrews still live today. Thus, Moses is revered as the most significant Hebrew prophet, and the Exodus as the most significant event in Jewish
The one and only common factor which has accompanied the Hebrews throughout the ages in all lands and under all circumstances is the Torah and its mitzvoth (religious duty), which Hebrews have observed persistently in their daily life. In a practical sense, the upkeep of the Torah prevented the eradication of the Hebrews. In a spiritual sense, it continually demonstrated and reinforced the relationship between God and Israel. Mark Twain posed the question about the secret to the immortality of the Jews and it can be best answered by 6Mordecai M. Kaplan in her book, The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion, “The Torah thus became for the Jewish people a gospel of salvation, which they not only retain for themselves but for mankind as a