FATHERS

OF

JUDAISM

THE SUPER-DUPER IMPORTANT DUDES

CREATION OF THE

WORLD

• There is one creation story for all 3 of the Abrahamic Religions

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam

• It is the same for all three.

• God (one god) is all there is, floating in the nothingness of space.

• Decides to make the universe.

• Over 7 days, creates everything in the universe, earth, animals,

vegetation, and humans.

• On the 7th day he rests (that’s why people relax and go to church on

Sundays)

• Man created out of clay, God exhales “divine spark” through nostrils

and then man is created.

• Woman either created at same time as man or from man’s rib

(depending on which Genesis verse you read)

SOME 12 YEAR OLD’S DRAWING OF

THE CREATION

ADAM AND EVE

• God considered universally good, other religions have good and bad gods, not this one.

• Living like God wants = good person; living against what God wants = bad

• God is a pretty decent guy

• Adam and Eve exist in the Garden of Eden, a paradise with no suffering or hardships, all of their needs are met.

• And yes, they are naked.

• Tells people they can have anything they want as long as they don’t eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge

• Of course, this is what they do! (Have your parents ever told you NOT to do something? COME ONE!!!)

• A serpant convinces Eve to eat an apple from the tree, she does, and then convinces Adam to join her.

• They are overcome with emotions, realize they are naked and cover themselves.

• God catches them, punishes Adam and Eve for their betrayal

• Kicks them out of Eden and punishes them individually too

• Adam and all men after him are forced to labor and work all day

• Eve is forced to suffer the pains of child birth

• This act of defying God, eating the forbidden fruit, called “Original Sin”

• All humans after Adam and Eve are tainted with Original Sin.

EVER HEAR OF NOAH?

• God looks down on the earth and feels it has become

corrupt and horrible, too much murder, no one

following God’s rules.

• Searches for “one true believer”, finds Noah

• Tells him to build a great arc, stock it with just his family

and 2 of every living creature.

• God sends a great flood to destroy all the humans on

earth and “wipe the slate clean” so earth starts over.

• Rains for 40 days and 40 nights.

• Noah and his family left with the burden of starting over

• Humans all come from the line of Noah, therefore, all

humans are related to some extent.

NOAH: HELPING THE DOGS AND CATS

TO GET ALONG SINCE 3000BCE

AND THEN THERE’S

THIS NOAH…

• According to the scriptures, God first reveals himself to Abram (about 6000 years ago).

• Promises him that his descendants will rule the greatest of kingdoms and will be protected by God if he moves everyone to a certain location.

• Has a few kids: Ishmael, Isaac.

• Married to Sarah

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam all acknowledge this guy as being the first to have contact with God and the father of the “big 3” religions.

RELIGION ALL STARTS

WITH ABRAM (ABRAHAM)

• Told by God to sacrifice

his son Isaac to appease

Him.

• “The Binding of Isaac”

• Abram is ready and

brings the knife down

when an angel steps in,

lets him know it was a

test that he passed, and

that Isaac can be spared.

• Judaism becomes the

first religion that requires

no sacrifice to keep God

happy.

ABRAM KEEPS GOING

CHECK FOR

UNDERSTANDING

1. How is the earth created according to Judaism (and Christianity and Islam too)?

2. Given what we learned about where these religions believe people come from, why is it that people are buried in the ground at funerals, or “returned to the earth?”

3. According to Judaism, what is “Original Sin” and how does it affect both men and women?

4. Why does God flood the earth for 40 days and 40 nights? Why is Noah spared?

5. What person is the founding father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

6. What was the “binding of Isaac?”

Isaac has a son named Jacob.

One day, Jacob meets an angel who challenges him.

The two wrestle for a very looooooong period of time and no one wins.

The angel renames Jacob “Israel” or “one who wrestles with God”

The name means the same thing now as then.

Followers of Judaism still “wrestle with God” in a sense when they debate, argue, and discuss the Torah (Judaism holy book).

JACOB

THE FIRST ISRAEL

Moses is the biggest and

most significant of the old

“prophets” and recognized

by Judaism, Christianity, and

islam.

Born in Egypt when all

Hebrews (Jews) were

enslaved by the Egyptians.

Pharaoh was worried that

too many Jews around could

help his enemies so orders

all kids drowned in the Nile.

Moses’ mother sends Moses

adrift down the Nile to

escape and he survives.

THE MOST

IMPORTANT IS MOSES

As a young man, Moses sees

an Egyptian slave master

beating a Hebrew slave.

Moses kills the slave master

and hides the body.

Must flee to save his life.

Becomes a shephard.

Encounters “a bush that

burned but was not

consumed by the fire” and

hears the voice of God. God

tells Moses his name, which

is only known by the highest

of Hebrew leaders and is

kept secret.

MOSES GETS BIGGER

MOSES KEEPS GOING

Told by God to return to Egypt and lead his people to the promised land.

Pharaoh refuses to let his slaves free.

Moses and God usher in 10 plagues onto Egypt as punishment:

1. Water turned to blood

2. Frogs

3. Lice

4. Flies

5. Disease onto livestock

6. Incurable, painful boils (open sores like blisters)

7. Hail and storms

8. Locusts (large insects that eat everything they encounter)

9. Darkness (blocking out the sun in an eclipse)

Aaaaaaaaand…..

PLAGUE 10

Death of the first born child.

The Hebrews are required to paint their doorways with lamb’s

blood so God will know to “pass over” their homes and to let

their children live.

Now, this day is still celebrated.

Passover

Pharaoh agrees and lets

Moses lead the Hebrews

away… but eventually

decides against it

Sends the army to bring his

slaves back

Moses parts the waters of

the Red Sea so his people

can escape quickly.

As the army steps into the

sea, he releases the water

and the army is destroyed.

THE EXODUS

Moses is summoned by God

to Mount Sinai

There he prays for 40 days

and 40 nights and receives

the 10 Commandments from

God on big stone tablets.

These are the core rules for

Judaism; tell how to live a

good life and interact with

God.

Moses leaves Mount Sinai

and finds something

HORRIBLE!!!

MOSES RECEIVED THE

10 COMMANDMENTS

The Hebrews had built a giant golden cow out of their jewelry to worship (looking for a way to continue their religion)

Moses SMASHES down the tablets and commands that all “idolaters” be punished.

3,000 people killed for worshipping a false god… right after God saved them from Egypt.

Moses and Hebrews wander the deserts for 40 years and, just as they get within sight of the “promised land” (Israel), Moses dies.

REVENGE

10 COMMANDMENTS

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me (there is only one God and its me, as in God)

2. No graven images or likenesses (no worshipping items, animals, or other people that claim to be God)

3. Not take the LORD's name in vain (no swearing)

4. Remember the sabbath day (work 6 days, rest on Sunday)

5. Honour thy father and thy mother (respect family and elders)

6. Thou shalt not kill

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery (cheat in marriage)

8. Thou shalt not steal

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness (lie)

10. Thou shalt not covet (desire what is not yours)

CHECK FOR

UNDERSTANDING

1. What does the word “Israel” mean?

2. Who is considered the most important of the

Jewish prophets and is also very important to

Christianity and Islam?

3. What item did Moses encounter when he found

the “name of God?”

4. What is the Jewish holiday of “pass-over”

celebrating?

5. What are the 10 Commandments? Is there one

that seems to be more important than others?

JEWISH CUSTOMS AND CULTURE

• Food must be “Koscher”

• Means “acceptable”

• Eat certain animals, kitchen

must be kept a certain way.

• Men wear “yamaka”

• Head covering for males

• Out of respect for God above.

• Keep the Sabbath

• Friday night to Saturday night

• No work, no using electronics

or machines

• Bar mitzvah (boy)

Bat mitzvah (girl)

• Coming-of-age celebration at

age 13.

JEWISH CUSTOMS AND

CULTURE

• Kibbutz

• Name for a Jewish community where the work and reward is shared

• When Israel formed, land was arid, destitute, desert.

• Many Kibbutz formed to work the land, transform it from desert to thriving garden community

• Minyan

• For thousands of years, Jews had no homeland

• Judaism seen by a large number of Jews as a culture instead of a religion (something we do and not just a way of worship. It’s a way of life)

• As long as a community has a Minyan, or a group of 10 adult males, the Jewish traditions can still exist. 10 men are needed to argue, debate, and challenge the Torah in discussion/prayer.

• This is why Bar/Bat mitzvah happen at age 13 and why they are so important.

CHECK FOR

UNDERSTANDING

1. Why do the males wear yamakas?

2. What is a Bar/Bat mitzvah?

3. Explain what a minyan is and why it is

important to Jewish culture.

ISRAEL THE EMPIRE

The lands of Israel (northern empire) and Judea (southern

empire) both in present day Israel.

Thriving empires and major military powerhouse at the time

(thousands of years ago).

Invaded and conquered many neighboring tribes under

Kings Soloman and David (Bible dudes)

Eventually weakened by Assyrians (Syria) and then

conquered by Egypt (them guys with the pyramids).

Israelites were the Egyptian slaves for many years, used to

build the pyramids.