JudaismText

The Evolution of Judaism

Judaism traces its origins to the creation of the universe
in the Jewish calendar year 3760 BCE when, in the book of
Genesis, we read that God created man "in his own image,
after
our likeness, male and female created he them." We leave it to
the scholars to determine how God can be both male and female.

The Jewish sacred book is the Bible, consisting of the Torah
-- the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses -- the Prophets, and
the writings. In addition, there is the Oral and Written
Tradition, codified in the two Tolmids are the Codes, the
logically ordered books of Tolmidic and later discussion, and the
Response, the written replies of qualified authorities to
questions about Jewish law.

The biblical account rapidly has the first couple capable of
knowing   good and evil,   with world-wide wickedness nearly
universal within 1556 year, when Noah was 500 years old.

Because of this wickedness, God destroyed all living animals
and people in a flood except for Noah and his wife, his three
sons and their wives, and the animals Noah gathered into the
ark.
Thus it follows tht all peoples and races are descended from the
family of Noah.

The earliest mentions of man's relationship to God are the
account of Abel, son of Adam, the first son, bringing an offering
of the firstlings of his flock of sheep to God; Enor, grandson of
Adam, beginning the custom of men calling upon the name of
the
Lord; and Noah offering burnt animal sacrifices on an altar.

The strange relationship of God towards the Israelites
begins with his call to Abram, about 2000 BCE, to go to Canaan
from Ur of the Chaldees to establish his seed as a "great notion"
to dwell in Canaan from the rue of Egypt to the Euphrates, as an
everlasting possession. Nowhere does the Bible praise Abram
as a
good man, but he is enjoined to be a "perfect man."

God continued to favor Abraham and his descendants, forming
a covenant with them that every man child should be
circumcised,
although no requirement is made that they do anything to merit
this favor.

This pattern continues until Moses, bringing them out of
Egypt, recieves the ten commandments at Sinai. At this point the
Bible narrative abruptly changes, with the next four books
devoted to the commandments of God to the Israelites, with life
in Canaan as a reward if they obey them, and exile from Canaan if
they disobey.

Among   these commandments are detailed instructions on
required daily animal sacrifices, which continued in the temples
until 70 CE when the second temple was destroyed.

In addition, many laws and requirements are proscribed for
living, with the stipulation that all laws will apply equally to
the Israelites and to the "strangers" that live in their midst.

Other than this, the Jewish bible is totally unconcerned
about the rest of the people living in the world.

The bible describes the woes and struggles of the Israelites
to conquer and hold on to Canaan, their intermittent conquest
by
the Babylonians, Persians, Assyrians, etc; their building of the
first Temple of Solomon.

The theological differences between Judaism and Christianity
are well nigh irreconcilable. The monotheism of Judaism allows
for no concept such as the literal son of God, although in Isaiah
9:6 it is written that the Messiah "shall be called wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God."

Having rejected Jesus as the Messiah, Jews continue to look
for their Messiah to gather them together in Canaan, for the lion
and the lamb to live peacefully together, for all mankind to
worship the Lord.

Judaism