Judaism A to Z (ePub)

Judaism is originally from Hebrew, Yehudah,"Judah". Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational text, 5 books (part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible, 24 books) and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and the Talmud. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenantal relationship that God established with the Children of Israel. Within Judaism holds that God revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of both the Written and Oral Torah.

Orthodox Judaism maintains that the Torah and Jewish law are divine in origin, eternal and unalterable, and that they should be strictly followed. Conservative and Reform Judaism are more liberal, with Conservative Judaism generally obligations whose observance is required of all Jews. The history of Judaism spans more than 3,000 years. Judaism has its roots as a structured religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions. The Hebrews and Israelites were already referred to as "Children of Israel". In 2012, the world Jewish population was estimated at about 14 million, or roughly 0.2% of the total world population. About 42% of all Jews reside in Israel and another 42% reside in North America.

Defining characteristics

Unlike other ancient Near Eastern gods, the Hebrew God is portrayed as unitary and solitary; consequently, the Hebrew God's principal relationships are not with other gods, but with the world, and more specifically, with the people he created. The belief that god is one and is concerned with the actions of humankind. God promised Abraham to make of his offspring a great nation. He also commanded the Jewish people to love one another; that is, Jews are to imitate God's love for people. Whereas Jewish philosophers often debate whether God is immanent or transcendent, and whether people have free will or their lives are determined. Halakha is a system through which any Jew acts to bring God into the world. Ethical Monotheism is central in all sacred or normative texts of Judaism.