Wikipedia Tour: Major World Religions (4 of 22)
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Judaism
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Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה, Yehudah, "Judah";[1] in Hebrew: יַהֲדוּת, Yahedut, the distinctive characteristics of the Judean eáqnov)[2] is a monotheistic religion originating from the codified religious practices of the ancient Israelites, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still being practised today, and it is the originator of the Abrahamic religions. As such, Jewish history and the principles and ethics of Judaism have influenced various other religions, including Christianity and Islam.
Followers of Judaism are called Jews, and while Judaism is open to converts, the Jewish collective is regarded as an ethno-religious group, for reasons derived from the sacred texts that define them as a nation, rather than followers of a faith. In 2007, the world Jewish population was estimated at 13.2 million people, 41% of whom lived in Israel.[3]
In modern Judaism, central authority is not vested in any single person or body, but in sacred texts, religious law, and learned Rabbis who interpret those texts and laws. According to Jewish tradition, Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham (ca. 2000 BCE), the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish nation. Throughout the ages, Judaism has adhered to a number of religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it. According to Jewish tradition, the God who created the world established a covenant with the Israelites and their descendants, and revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of both the Written and Oral Torah. Judaism has traditionally valued Torah study and the observance of the commandments recorded in the Torah and as expounded in the Talmud.
Contents
- 1 Religious doctrine and principles of faith
- 2 Jewish religious texts
- 3 Jewish identity
- 4 Jewish denominations
- 5 Jewish observances
- 6 Community leadership
- 7 History
- 8 Judaism and other religions
- 9 See also
- 10 References
- 11 Bibliography
- 12 External links
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