FIND OUT MORE. Christianity 288 • Middle East 264–265 • Middle Eastern Empires 372–373
Society and Beliefs^287
Judaism is the world’s oldest
religion based on belief in one God.
Jews believe that God made them
his chosen people and promised
them a land of their own, Israel,
in return for following his
commandments. These are laid down
in the sacred text of the. TORAH.
The most sacred texts of Judaism are the first five books of the
Hebrew Scriptures, which are known as the Torah or Book of Law.
Orthodox tradition teaches that God spoke the words of the Torah
directly to Moses. Every synagogue keeps a beautifully hand-
written Torah scroll in an ark (cupboard) facing Jerusalem.
IS THE TORAH JUDAISM’S ONLY SCRIPTURE?
The Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as
the Old Testament) consists of the Torah
and two other books: The Prophets and
The Writings. The Talmud, which contains
Jewish law and writings of the ancient
rabbis, is also important.Jewish families come together to mark major festivals throughout the
year, including Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Pesach (Passover),
and Rosh Hashanah (New Year). One of the most important
commandments is to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest.HOW MANY TYPES OF JUDAISM ARE THERE?
Religious Jews are divided into two main groups:
Orthodox and Non-Orthodox. Orthodox Jews
unquestioningly obey the Torah and all its rules.
Non-Orthodox Jews try to adapt Judaism to modern
life. Both groups observe the Jewish. HOLY DAYS.
HOW DO YOUNG BOYS COME OF AGE?
At the age of 13, a boy is considered an adult and
becomes bar mitzvah (“son of the covenant”) after a
ceremony of the same name. This takes place in their
place of worship, the synagogue, and is followed by a
big party to celebrate the occasion.
WHAT IS THE SABBATH?
The Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) is the Jewish holy
day. It begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until
sunset on Saturday. It is a day for rest when no work- not even cooking – may be done. It honours the
belief that God rested on the seventh day of Creation.
TORAH
HOLY DAYS
STAR OF DAVID 3
The six pointed Star of David
was used as far back as the
14th century. The star has 12
sides, symbolizing the 12 tribes
of Israel unified by King David.
Today, it is the main symbol
on the Israeli flag.4 LIGHTING THE MENORAH
The eight-day celebration of
Hanukkah, or festival of lights,
is marked by lighting one extra
candle each night on the
menorah (a nine-branched
candlestick).Judaism
BAR MITZVAH 1
When a boy attends his bar mitzvah,
he reads from the Torah scroll in the
synagogue for the first time.A yarmulka, or
kippah, is a skull-cap
used to cover the
head as a sign of
respect for GodThe Sefer Torah, or
Torah scroll, is the most
sacred object in JudaismA tallit is a
prayer shawl
with knotted
fringesYad is the silver
pointer used to
follow the textThe rabbi is the
spiritual leader of
the synagogueJudaism