World Religions Chart

Characteristic | Judaism | Beginning Time Period | Around 1900-1300 BCE. | Founder | Judaism is believed to descend from patriarchs Abraham, Moses, Isaac and Jacob. It was found in Israel. | Story of religion’s creation | * There was early journey or exodus from Mesopotamia to Palestine under the guidance of Abraham. * People later escaped to Egypt, where they were first imprisoned and then miraculously fled to rejoin their family in Palestine. * Moses became a leader to guide the Jews out of imprisonment and back to the promised land that had been taken over by Canaanites * At Mount Sinai, he climbed to the top of the mountain to meet with God, who initiated a covenant with the Jewish people that consisted of the Ten Commandments. * In 1000 B.C.E., the Jews created a small state, which later split into a northern state called Israel and a southern state called Judah. * In 586 B.C.E., the state of Judah was under Babylonian control, and its elite class was sent off to exile. In Babylon, these people now Jews recollected their cultural identity * This recollecting of cultural identity and religious tradition created Judaism. | Religious Text(s) | * The Hebrew Bible, known the Tenach, is the key text in Judaism. The Tenach is divided into three parts: Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. * The Torah is divided into five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It the text that is studied weekly by Jews. * The Nevi'im (Prophets) initiates after the death of Moses, from the start of the leadership of Yehoshusa, disciple of Moses, and is divided into two parts: Nevi'im Rishonim and Nevi'im Aharonim. * The Ketuvim (Writings) is consists of three groups: Group 1: The Three Poetic Books, Group II: The Five Scrolls, and Group III: Other Historical Books. * Mishnah, which is mostly simple laws with many arguments * The Talmud is a deep explanation of the Mishnah that will explain it in depth and adds understanding with