Origins and Development of Judaism: A Timeline, Study notes of History

Download Origins and Development of Judaism: A Timeline and more Study notes History in PDF only on Docsity! Judaism: A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective 15 Origins of Judaism The origins of Judaism date back more than 3500 years. This religion is rooted in the ancient near eastern region of Canaan (which today constitutes Israel and the Palestinian territories). Judaism emerged from the beliefs and practices of the people known as “Israel”. What is considered classical, or rabbinical, Judaism did not emerge until the 1st century CE. Judaism traces its origins to the covenant God made with Abraham and his lineage—that God would make them a sacred people and give them a land. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share this Abrahamic heritage and are often referred to as being Abrahamic religions. In other words, they all claim descent from the practices of the ancient Israelites and the worship of the “God of Abraham”. The primary figures of Israelite culture include the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophet Moses, who received God’s Torah at Mount Sinai. Historically, Judaism went from being a religion practiced primarily in and around the lands that are modern Israel up to the year 70 CE to one practiced in lands beyond due to the exile and forced dispersal of Jews. It also evolved from a religion centered in religious practice in the two great temples, to rabbinic Judaism and religious worship and education in synagogues. Rabbinic Judaism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 1st century. It is based on the belief that Moses received God’s Torah in two forms; the Written Torah (Pentateuch) and an oral explanation, known as the Oral Torah, that Moses transmitted to the people. Rabbinic Judaism contrasts with Sadducees, Karaite Judaism, and Samaritanism, which do not recognize the oral law as a divine authority nor the rabbinic procedures used to interpret Jewish scripture. Judaism is a tradition grounded in the religious, ethical, and social laws as they are articulated in the Torah—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Jews refer to the Bible as the Tanakh, an acronym for the texts of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Other sacred texts include the Talmud and Midrash: the rabbinic, legal, and narrative interpretations of the Torah. Rabbinic Judaism is also based on the emergence of rabbi’s as leaders, the study of the Torah, and thrice daily prayer. 16 Judaism: A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective Development of Judaism Timeline Chart * References and resources used to compile the following timeline chart include • Jewish Virtual Library History: Timeline for the History of Judaism: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ timeline-for-the-history-of-judaism# • Judaism: SoftSchools.com: www.softschools.com/timelines/judaism_timeline/377/ • Timeline NSW: www.ijs.org.au/chronology/default.aspx Judaism Timeline 2016 CE Growing Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Israel In 2016, the Israeli population totals 8,585,000. Q 74.8% Jews Q 20.8% Arabs Q 4.4% “others” (non-Arab Christians, non-Arab Muslims, and no ethnic or religious classification) 2012 CE First Same -Sex Marriage in a Conservative Synagogue in Manitoba In 2012, Arthur Blankstein and Ken Ure were married at Shaarey Zedek synagogue in Winnipeg. 2008 CE Growing Jewish Diversity in lsrael In 2008, 75.6% of the Israeli population is comprised of Jews of various backgrounds. Q 70.3% were Sabra (born in Israel) Q 29.7% Olim (Jewish immigrants to Israel) Q 20.5% were from Europe and the Americas Q 9.2% were from Asia and Africa 2005 CE Chinese Jewish Immigration In 2005, a privately funded conservative religious organization, began assisting Chinese decedents of Jews from the Ka Ifeng area. Because most were patrilineal decedents of Jews, in order to legally qualify to remain in Israel under the Law of Return, they were required to undergo Orthodox conversions. 2000 CE Oabru Emet Statement: A New Era in Christian/Jewish Relationships For almost 2 millennia, Christians have had a sometimes negative and antagonistic perspective towards the Jewish faith and peoples. Since the Holocaust, there has been a dramatic shift in perspective within Christianity. Similarly, within Judaism, there is a new perspective on relationships between the two faiths. Oabru Emet consists of 8 statements about how Jews and Christians may relate to one another and is signed by over 150 rabbis and Jewish scholars from the U.S., Canada, UK, and Israel. Judaism: A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective 19 Judaism Timeline 1492 CE Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition The Inquisition spread to Spain and Portugal and eventually led to mass persecution and expulsion of Jews in both countries. In 1492, Spain expelled all Jews from its borders as part of the inquisition. In 1536, the Portuguese Inquisition was launched in Portugal and led to persecution and difficult times for Jews in Portugal. By 1821, when the Portuguese inquisition was ended, most Portuguese Jews had fled Portugal. 1231 CE Start of the lnquisition and Jewish Persecution The official start is usually given as 1231 CE although it was actually instituted by Pope Innocent Ill (1198–1216) in Rome. In 1231, the pope appointed the first “inquisitors of heretical depravity.” At first, it dealt only with Christian heretics and did not interfere with Jews; however, disputes about Maimonides’ books provided a pretext for harassing Jews. In 1242, the Inquisition condemned the Talmud and burned thousands of volumes. In 1288, the first mass burning of Jews on the stake took place in France. 1200 CE Creation of the 13 Principles Maimonides Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides or ”The Rambam”) (1135–1204 CE). The Rambam's 13 principles of faith were formulated in his commentary on the Mishna. His was one of several efforts by Jewish theologians in the Middle Ages to create such a list. Maimonides’ 13 principles were controversial when first proposed but eventually were recognized by many Jewish groups. 1096 CE European Massacre of Jews—First Crusade After experiencing a golden age in European cities, Jews began experiencing persecution in Europe. The Crusaders, which attempted to regain control of Christian landmarks in the Holy Land, massacred Jewish citizens of European cities. This is the beginning of centuries of pogroms and persecution of Jews in Europe. 426 CE Babylonian Talmud Completed The Mishna was studied by generations of rabbis. These rabbis wrote down their discussions and commentaries on the Mishna's laws in a series of books known as the Talmud around the year 368 CE. Later Babylonian rabbis compiled another version of the Mishna in 426 CE. The Babylon edition was more extensive than the Palestinian Talmud (Talmud Bavli) and became the most authoritative compilation of the Oral Law. 20 Judaism: A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective Judaism Timeline 200 CE Mishna Compiled and Codified under Judah the Prince The history of tragedies and persecution led Jewish academics to focus on compiling and codifying the teachings of the rabbis. About this time, the Mishna (collection of rabbinic teachings, sayings, and interpretations) is compiled. This is followed 300 years later by the compilation of the Gemara. Together, they comprise the Talmud (the transcription of Oral Law). 70 CE Rabbinic Judaism After the fall of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, Rabbinic Judaism began to emerge as the dominant form of Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism has its roots in the work of the Pharisaic rabbis and is based on the Talmud. Rabbinic Judaism established a mode of worship and a life discipline that was and is still practiced by Jews worldwide. 66 CE Revolts Against Rome Jews launched the Great Revolt against Roman rulers in response to years of cruelty. The revolt culminated in a siege of Jerusalem. In 70 CE, the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem, destroyed the second Temple, and killed an estimated one million Jews as they reasserted authority. A second revolt in 132 CE resulted in the Jews being banned from Jerusalem. 164 BCE The Maccabees Regain Control of Jerusalem The death of Alexander the Great led to a fight for control of Jewish lands by his successors. In 198 BCE, the Seleucids gained control. They wished to assimilate the Jews and saw their religion as an obstacle. Therefore, they banned the teaching and practice of Judaism and converted the Second Temple of Jerusalem into a temple dedicated to the Greek god Zeus. The brutal persecution of the Jews by the Seleucids triggered a revolt. The Maccabees fought successfully to regain control of Jerusalem and purify the temple. This event is celebrated today as Hanukkah. 246 BCE Septuagint—First Known Translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek The Torah (Pentateuch, Five Books of Moses) or Hebrew Bible, which was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic was translated to Koine Greek during this period. At this time, Koine Greek was the dominant language of Alexandra, Egypt, and the Eastern Mediterranean. There were up to 7 later translations at different points of which only fragments survive. Judaism: A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective 21 Judaism Timeline 329 BCE Alexander the Great Rules lsrael Alexander, a Greek King, created an empire that stretched from Egypt to India. During his campaign against Persia, Alexander conquered Tyre and then Egypt via what is today Israel in the south. Alexander was respectful of the Jewish faith and thus spared Jerusalem. He reached an agreement with the Jews, that as long as they would be his loyal vassals and pay their taxes, they could remain autonomous. Israel was rather peacefully absorbed into his growing empire. 516 BCE Second Temple Built In 539 BCE, the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great made the re- establishment of the city of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple possible. When the Jewish exiles were allowed to return to Jerusalem by Cyrus the Great, construction began on the original site of Solomon's Temple. and was completed in 516 BCE. 587 BCE First Temple Destroyed (aka Solomon's Temple) Babylonians invaded and destroyed the First Temple (Solomon's) when they sacked the city of Jerusalem. About 90% of the Jewish population was forced into exile. 722 BCE The Assyrians Conquer lsrael The Assyrians conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel. They forced the lO tribes of Israel that live there to resettle in other parts of the empire, as is Assyrian custom. This scattering of these 10 tribes was the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora, or living away from Israel, which characterizes much of Jewish history. The 10 tribes are lost to history, and they are now known as the Ten Lost Tribes. Later, the Babylonians forced the Judeans to leave the southern Kingdom of Judah. 920 BCE lsrael Split into Two Kingdoms King Solomon died and the northern Hebrew tribes revolted, resulting in two Kingdoms: the kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judah in the south. They remained separate for over two hundred years. 970 BCE First Temple Built Under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon, a united kingdom of Israel was formed and maintained. King Solomon of Israel built the First Temple on Mount Moriah. The temple is home to the Ark of the Covenant, a holy relic that contains the Commandments.