Judaism: Patriarchs, Exile, and the Emergence of Monotheism - Prof. M. Yadlapati, Study notes of Anthropology of religion

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Misconceptions  Not religion that is practiced in the Old Testament  Seeing Judaism as obsessed with law
Biblical Judaism  Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) o Abraham (1900-1700 BCE) o Moses (1250 BCE)  1st Temple (950-586 BCE) o During rule of Solomon o Destroyed in 586  Exile (586-515 BCE) o Babylonian Exile  2nd Temple (515 BCE-70 CE)
Rabbinic Judaism (70 CE – present)  Rabbinic (70-600 CE)  Medieval (600-1800 CE)  Modern Reform (1800-present)
Polytheism  Early cultures look to many different gods for answers and order to chaotic world  Gods have limited and special powers limited to their region  Monotheism roots begin in Canaan
Abraham  Began life as a polytheistic following Canaan beliefs o Believed other gods existed but devoted himself to one god  Traditionally the first monotheist  Still participated fire sacrifices o Stressed relationship between god and human beings o Asked to sacrifice his son  Common in the era
Jacob  Last patriarch  Renamed Israel after struggling with angel all night o When the god does not tell Jacob his name, Jacob commits himself to the new god  Represents people struggle with god because of the love for each other
Moses  Liberated Jewish people from Egyptian slavery after 400 years  First time god is called Yahweh  Not the friendly god of Abraham and Jacob o Released 10 plagues on Egypt o Israelites are released o God is now a liberating god who loves humans  Israelites still have trouble releasing from god because the new god does not want to have a personal relationship o No sculptures, pictures, or idols o 2nd Commandment  God is mysterious and overwhelming
Prophets
Exile  If our god is true and theirs is fault, how could we go conquered? o Punishment o Controls everything, not just our tribe or our era  After exile is when Judaism is officially monotheism  Satan  Distant future redemption  Goal is something to work for in the linear timeline
2nd Temple Period (515 BCE-70 CE)  Judea vs. Diaspora o Only a small group of people return to Judea  Many people have already settled down o Diaspora influenced by other cultures  Greek, Hellenism  Temple, priesthood o Hereditary priesthood  Becomes very powerful  Compiling Tanakh (200 BCE) o Rest of Hebrew Bible o Torah (430 BCE)  Hellenization o Clash between traditional and Hellenized Jews  Maccabean Revolt o Hasmonean Dynasty (164-63 BCE)  Last period of Jewish self rule (until Israel) o Romans take over after  Apocalypticism  End of the world is coming  Messianic hopes  Belief that someone would come to liberate them  Political savior  Three Sects  Sadducees  Priests and rich people  Conservative faction  Pharisees  Liberal priests in favor of applying Torah to certain circumstances  Essenes  Priests who live in communes  Focused on ritual purity  Qumran sect o The Dead Sea Scrolls Chapter 8 – Judaism 03/05/2010
Two main sects  Rabbinic o Biggest following  Kaballah o Mysticism  Goal: direct experience with god o Luria – teacher whose teachings are most well known o Tikkun Olam – repairing the world  Community service  Both influenced the following leaders
Baal Shem Tov  1700-1760 BCE (Ukraine)  Takes mystical teachings, simplifies them, and makes them approachable  Devotional movement  Populist o Interpretation that doesn’t require learning and only devotion o Popular for poor people  Hasidism (path of ecstatic piety) o Highest goal – Devekut  Clinging to God  Worship God in ordinary acts
Jew = “Observer of commandments”  No abstract affirmation of faith  One performs halakhah and through it affirms Jewish values and ideals
Values of Religious Practices  Recognition of God’s presence o Religious attentiveness to all life as divine gifts  Sanctification of human life, a holy life, set apart o All actions should remind us that life is not meant to be profane and meaningless, but sacred  Human responsibility to manifest divine characteristics in world o Medieval view: God can initiate messianic era and restore Israel only when all Israel is full, observant of halakhah
Shabbat  “Time out” from everyday world that sanctifies the whole week o Enjoined to make a joyous , special, set apart  Creation of beautiful temple in time o Eternity > worldly time o Recall beginning of creation and contemplate its fulfillment to come in messianic era  Sabbath is welcomed to bid farewell (Havdalah)  Lighting candles, blessing, time of leisure and joy, not solemnity  Challah  Blessing the children  White  “Shabbat Shalom”  Synagogue service – Torah reading
Ritual Practices of Jewish Identity  Bris – circumcision as external sign of covenant  Bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah  Sabbath  Daily prayer – three times a day (t’fillin, talit)  Mezuzah – scripture by door  Niddah – monthly off-limits  Mikva – ritual purification  Kosher o Ultimate meaning of these practices = “setting part” o A holy life is not one’s own, but belongs to God
High Holy Days, “Days of Awe”  Rosh Hashanah o New year o Blowing of shofar  100 times o Somber self-scrutiny, acts of repentance o Apples dipped in honey = hopes for good and sweet year  Yom Kippur o Day of Atonement o Most sacred day of year o Prayer, strct fasting, seeking God’s forgiveness, considering one’s obligations and how to life better o Private, inner reflection
Other Holidays  Sukkot o Harvest celebration o Shelters, booths o Sleep outdoors in temporary shelter or sukkah o Reminder of human vulnerability , dependence on God  Simhat Torah o Cycle of Torah Reading  Hanukkah o 8 day festival of lights o 9 branched menorah  Purim o Reading Book of Esther, parties, costumes  Pesach – Passover o Themes  Slavery and freedom  Four cups of wine  Seder plate  Focus on children  Contemporary spiritual interpretations