Judaism
Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world, originating among the ancient Israelites and centered on the covenant between God and the Jewish people as described in the Torah.
A covenant said to have been sealed atop a single mountain became the foundation for a religious and cultural identity that has endured for roughly three thousand years, including centuries spent scattered across the globe.
The Patriarchal Origins
Judaism traces its origins to the biblical patriarch Abraham, traditionally regarded as the first to embrace monotheism, and developed through the history of the ancient Israelites, including their enslavement in Egypt and subsequent Exodus under the leadership of Moses.
The Covenant at Sinai
According to tradition, the defining moment of Jewish identity came when Moses received the Torah, including the Ten Commandments, at Mount Sinai, establishing the covenant between God and the Jewish people that remains central to Jewish religious and cultural identity.
Sacred Texts
Judaism's central texts include the Torah, comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, alongside the Talmud, an extensive collection of rabbinic commentary, legal interpretation, and debate that has shaped Jewish religious practice for nearly two millennia.
Diaspora and Endurance
Following the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, Jewish communities dispersed across the world in what is known as the diaspora, maintaining distinct religious and cultural traditions across vastly different regions for nearly two thousand years, often despite significant persecution.
A Foundational Influence
Judaism has profoundly influenced both Christianity and Islam, which share many of its foundational narratives and monotheistic principles. Today, Judaism has roughly 15 million adherents worldwide, concentrated primarily in Israel and the United States.
