Module 4: Judaism & Christianity Flashcards
M4:1
.
From whence does the term Judaism come from?
Judaism is named after Judah, the southern of the two Hebrew Kingdoms
How does the Hebrew Bible relate to the Christian Bible?
- Hebrew wrote down religious beliefs gathered to form the Hebrew Bible.
- Christians later turned these to the “Old Testament,” and these became the center of Judaism’s main values.
Yahweh
An all-powerful god of the Hebrews and the basis of the traditions of Judaism
Saul
A leader who fought the Philistines for the Hebrews
- established a monarchy over the Hebrew tribes, whose work was carried on by David
Which leader saved the Hebrews from the Egyptian slavery? (in the bible)
Moses
David
captured the city of Jerusalem, making it the religious and political center of the realm
- his success enlarged the kingdom and his reign was a period of “vitality”
Solomon
the son of David, launched a building program that the biblical narrative describes as including cities, palaces, fortresses, and roads.
What was the most symbolic building built by Solomon?
The Temple of Jerusalem, symbolizes Hebrew Unit and the approval of Yahweh on the Hebrew people
- home of the Ark of the Covenant
What was the name of the region which the Hebrews settled to between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River?
Canaan, migrated from Nile Delta
What was the name of the chest that contained the holiest Hebrew religious articles?
Ark of the Covenant
Covenant
An agreement that people believed to exist between themselves and Yahweh, where if the Hebrews worshipped Yahweh as their only god, he would consider them as chosen people and protect them from their enemies.
What was the foundational event in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam according to the Hebrew Scriptures?
Yahweh appeared to the tribal leader Abraham, promising him that he would be blessed, as would his descendants if they followed Yahweh.
prophets
People who acted as ‘intermediaries’ or connectors between Yahweh and the Hebrew people.
Ex: Moses, Abraham
Compare Hebrew monotheism to the religious outlook of the Mesopotamians.
The Hebrews later believed in ethical monotheism, where goodness was understood to come from a single god. Mesopotamian societies held a more polytheistic belief.
What was more important than kings and priests in the Jewish religion?
Individuals and religious leaders who followed the instructions of Yahweh was the central task for observant Jews to keep the religion .
Which group caused the biggest threat to the Hebrews?
Philistines
- their superior technology and military organization at first made them invincible until the Hebrews found Saul
Baal
fertility god represented as a golden calf
What did Yahweh give to Moses?
the Ten Commandments
When did the kingdom of Jerusalem break into two political halves?
at Solomon’s death
Name the two political halves of Jerusalem
North: Israel, capital Samaria
South: Judah, Jerusalem center
When was the northern kingdom wiped out? By who?
The Assyrians wiped out the northen kingdom in 722 BCE. Judah survived numerous invasions until the Babylonians crushed it in 587 BCE.
Cyrus the Great
a Persian King who conquered the Babylonians and permitted exiles to return to Jerusalem
What is similar about Mesopotamian deities and the Hebrew religion?
Like Mesopotamian deities, Yahweh punished people, but the Hebrews also believed he would protect them all, and make them prosper if they obeyed his commandments.
What eventually gave the way to family or private ownership for Hebrews?
communal use of land, eventually traditions of Judaism replaced tribal identities
Explain the importance of marriage in Jewish life.
Marriage and family were generally important in Jewish life.
Sex was viewed as part of Yahweh’s creation, and the bearing of children was seen as a religious function.
Sons were especially desired because they maintained the family bloodline. A firstborn son became the head of the household upon his father’s death. Mothers oversaw the early education of their children, but fathers provided their education as they got older.
M4:2
.
What led to the eventual success of the Assyrians?
The eventual success of the Assyrians came from constant warfare, their army size and organization.
What was the Assyrian base?
northern Mesopotamia in the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys
- now Southern Iran
Name an invention of the Assyrians
the invention of the concept of a corps of engineers who bridged rivers with pontoons or provided soldiers with inflatable skins for swimming