(A) Explain what evidence can be used in the dating of principal events in the Jewish scriptures
(A) Explain what evidence can be used in the dating of principal events in the Jewish scriptures One method that can be used in the dating of principal events in the Jewish scriptures is archaeology. Archaeology is both accurate and scientific. Although, it can be problematic and cause disagreements between Rabbis and archaeologists, and even between Rabbis themselves, who have different opinions and ideas about what actually happened, furthermore if the biblical information contradicts the archaeological information, or vice versa. An example of when archaeology has been used is when the word 'aperu' was discovered on ancient Egyptian scriptures. The word 'aperu' is the name which was given to the Hebrew's in Egypt. This proves that the Israelites were in Egypt. Archaeology has also been used in order to determine who the Pharaoh of ancient Egypt was at the time of the Exodus. There are several candidates for the notoriety of having been the Pharaoh of the oppression including; Rameses II, Merneptah, Ikhnaton and Thotmes III. Ikhnaton abolished the belief in countless gods of the Egyptian Pantheon; he then committed himself entirely to the worship of the sun. His new monotheistic belief was totally opposite to his previous belief of multitudinous deities. Scholars believe that there is some relation between the faith of the Israelites and the solar monotheism of
How easy is it for Jews to keep their covenant with God in the Modern world?
How easy is it for Jews to keep their covenant with God in the Modern world? Jews are people who follow the religion of Judaism. Traditionally Jews trace their beginnings to Abraham (about 18 centuries BCE). In their daily prayers, Jewish people call to mind the patriarchs (fathers) of their faith. One of the most important events in the Jewish history, known as the exodus-took place under the leadership of Moses. Jews celebrate this each year in the Passover festival (Pesach). After their escape, the Jews wandered the desert for 40 years, before they reached 'the promised land' of Israel. It was in the desert that they received the Torah through Moses. The Covenant with God is Jews agreeing to do what He wants, and He will give in return. The 10 commandments is an example of this. It is the summary that God gave Jews to follow. History says that they were written on stones that Moses brought down from mount Sinai, according to the Torah. There are two accounts of the ten sayings. The Ten Commandments describe people's duty towards God and each other. Moses also received the 'Torah', a holy book, on mount Sinai on his journey from Egypt to 'the promised land'. This trip was one of the most important events in Jewish history, when they escaped from slavery, leaded by Moses. Jews celebrate this every year as the 'Passover festive'. Food is very important in their daily
Juxtapositions of Judaism
Juxtapositions of Judaism Lori J. Gainer University of Phoenix, Austin Campus World Religious Traditions / REL 134 Dr. Grant Sisk October 15, 2007 Juxtapositions of Judaism With 14 million people identifying themselves as Jewish, there exists a disparity between what being Jewish means to these 14 million individuals. This identification encompasses those who consider themselves to be Orthodox Jews; who adhere to the strictest form of the faith, Reformed Jews; who practice a less stringent form of the religion, and Secular Jews; who claim no faith or association to the religious institution of Judaism but are of Jewish decent. Yet those identifying themselves as Jews, overall appear to be a proud people of extensive history. The history of the Jewish faith and people is fraught with triumph and tragedy, heartache and heroes. From the time of Abraham throughout the longevity of this people to current time, this group of people experienced a roller coaster ride of high points and extreme lows of spiritual strength and leadership, and in relation to social and economic status and standing. The early history reveals a journey from freedom to slavery and back to slavery again, on multiple occasions; success in building a temple of worship only to see the temple destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed; and the rise of a prosperous nation falling to the dredges of living in
To what extent does archaeology inform us about our understanding of the Old Testament?
To what extent does archaeology inform us about our understanding of the Old Testament? The Jewish scriptures that made up the Old Testament were written over a period of a hundred years during a time when the Israelites were established and prosperous, but also during the times when the whole religion and lifestyle were under threat throughout exiles and national crises. Biblical scholars study the evidence within the scriptures themselves and also use other resources such as prehistoric documents and archaeological findings in order to inform us more thoroughly about the Old Testament. Archaeology is a modern science calling for much patience and skill. Generally speaking there are three kinds of archaeology. The first is ruins of buildings, homes, temples and fortifications. These reveal culture, worship, social structure and manner of life. The second is artefacts, pots, lamps, weapons and ornaments. These reveal something about wealth and culture. The third is inscriptions, also known as epigraphic material. This reveals what people wrote about. We have to be cautious about what archaeology can prove. From reading ancient texts, scholars can not always tell whether it is true or not. We can simply tell what the writer of the text wanted the world to believe. Archaeology can help to provide evidence that an event happened, but it cannot always show why it
Festivals are the best way to learn about your faith." Do you agree?
c) "Festivals are the best way to learn about your faith." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. Refer to Judaism in you answer. (15 marks) According to Jews, each individual has a strong duty to uphold their covenant with God. In fact, this is possibly the most important thing a Jew does during his/her lifetime: love and honour God's commands and wishes. It is essential that all Jews, adults and children, understand what this means. Festivals are used to rejoice but they also have a strong message that will help Jews to follow the Torah and to love God. They help Jews to learn about their faith. E.g. Passover teaches the Jews about their history and about God's ability to change history. Shabbat remembers the Sabbath day when God rested from creating the world. And so, Jews must rest too on this day and do no work whatsoever. Jews reflect upon God as the creator of all things. Simchat Torah commemorates the acceptance of the Torah and God's counselling on how His chosen people should live Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both call upon Jews to reflect upon their actions to God and towards each other. They are times of forgiving. Another way that festivals are very important is because of the children of Jews. They are the Jewish future and without them, the faith would die. Jews rely on the
Authorship Of The Torah
Emma Tingey Homework - 2nd October 2007 Explain why some Jews question the authority of the Torah. (10) The question of Jewish authorship of the Torah is one that divides the Jewish community. Throughout the generations, Jews have treated the Torah as a whole, as a revelation of God to Moses on Mount Sinai, delivered to the Israelites. Traditionally the Torah was thought to be literally dictated to Moses from God so every word true. All Jews followed the 613 mitzvot because God had instructed them to. The Torah is God's instruction on how those who place their trust in him are to live, so that 'all will be well with them.' (Deuteronomy 4.40). However since the nineteenth century many scholars have claimed that the Torah is a collection of traditions composed at different times, which is why the authority of the Torah is questioned. There are three main areas that highlight why Jews may question the authorship of the Torah. They are Biblical Criticism, textual studies of ancient Manu scriptures and the influences of other cultures. The view of the biblical criticism is that the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Torah, is composed from different sources. The explanation was first put forward around the 16th century. Spinoza is concluded that Moses was told to read the Book of Law to the people. This indicates it must have been much shorter otherwise it would have taken
The Sabbath, how it is presented in Mark's Gospel and how different Christian denominations worship on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath in simple form is the seventh day in a Hebrew week, starting Friday evening, ending Saturday evening but it is different for Christians, who celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday. However, in this essay I will be going further into the true meaning of the Sabbath, how it is presented in Mark's Gospel and how different Christian denominations worship on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was the day God rested after creating the world, this was the 7th day. The Sabbath for the Jews meant the prohibition of cooking, gathering manna, plowing and reaping, lighting a fire, gathering wood, carrying burdens, pressing grapes, bringing in sheaves and loading animals. The Sabbath is celebrated differently in the New Testament, Jesus saw the Sabbath as a burden, and he thought that the Scribes and Pharisees had put an huge burden on men's shoulders rather than taking the burden off their shoulders. "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark, 2, 27). In Jesus' argument with the Scribes and Pharisees he defended his disciples for plucking ears of corn to help a hungry person and he argued that Sabbath is not broken in cases of necessity or by acts of charity as is the way that his disciples were accused of 'breaking the Sabbath'. The Sabbath is now celebrated on Sundays by Christians celebrating mass. In Mark's Gospel, Mark speaks of
The Coming of Age in the Jewish Tradition
The Coming of Age in the Jewish Tradition Dear John, My Bar Mitzvah will be taking place on my 13th Birthday, 27th of January 2002. I would like to invite you to the ceremony in my local Synagogue. The ceremony is held on the first Shabbat after my birthday, this will be the 2nd of February. Shabbat starts on Friday evening at sunset and it finishes on Saturday night when the stars appear, we rest on Shabbat we devote ourselves to prayer at the Torah study, it is a family time. Bar Mitzvah means son of the commandments. I will be exactly Bar Mitzvah on the 27th as soon as I wake up. From then on I will be an adult in the Jewish community, I will take responsibility for my own actions where my Father used to, and I make a commitment to my faith. I will enter a covenant relationship with God, both as an individual and as a part of the Jewish community. When we are Bar Mitzvah we will be able to form a minyan, which is the required 10 men needed present in a Synagogue before prayers can be read. In preparation for the ceremony I will have to: Go to classes to learn to read and chant the Torah in Hebrew, what it says and why it is important. Hebrew is especially hard to learn because it is written from right to left and there are no spaces, punctuation or vowels! I will learn how to put on my tefillin and tallit. The tefillin are special boxes Jews wear when praying
What is the Torah and Why is it Important To Jews?
) What is the Torah and Why is it Important To Jews? The Torah is the holy book of the Jews. It is part of the Tenak and has five books, this is known as the Pentateuh. The Torah is seen, by practising Jews, as a sacred possession and for this reason the real Torah is kept and dressed in the Synagogue, it is used by only the readers and is not even allowed to be touched with their hands. The book is highly respected. The Torah contains the 613 Mitzvah, (commandments.) And within these are the 10 sayings. Practising Jews study the Torah as it contains history of the Jews and tradition including Exodus, Moses and Race. Jews celebrate the Torah (rejoice in the law,) at the Simchat Festival. The Torah is very important to practising Jews as it is a hallowed gift that gives them guidance and contains all of their beliefs. The Torah directs the lives of the Jews' in many ways: * Morality * Relationships * Hospitality * Charity * Marriage * Purity. Therefore, the Torah is a very valuable possession and is truly honoured. The Torah also represents the covenant made between a Jew and God, it's their side of the deal. To a Jew, the Torah is their chance to show they 'appreciate' their redemption by keeping to the commandments. The Torah, consequently, is the centre of their lives. 2) How Might Following the Teachings of the Torah Affect Daily Lives of Devout Jew? The
What do Jews say about God
Harry Noble 0 Blue What do Jews say about G-d. There are two main types of Judaism, there are orthodox Jews and reformed Jews. Judaism is a monotheistic faith, it only has one G-d, and therefore believes that this singular being was responsible for everything which is anywhere at any time , or even when there is no time. The Jewish belief in G-d is based on this idea and is laid out in the 613 rules, or Mitzvot, which are written in the Torah, the sacred book of the Jews.These rules are based around characteristics of everything that is, or was, included in everyday life, including rules which each person should obey or families and communities as a whole. Jews believe ther are many aspects of G-d which need to be understood to be able to understand him more easily. Firstly the Jews believe he is immanent, is able and willing to act in human affairs, this is supported in the Amidah where it says: "You support the falling and heal the sick You free prisoners And keep faith with those that sleep in the dust ... Who can perform such mighty deeds?" The Jewish faith also tells us that G-d is transcendant, which means that he is beyond both space and time and therefore does not intervene in the affairs of humans. This is also shown in the Amidah as it states that: " You O Lord, are the endless power that renews life beyond death;" The fact that G-d is called an endless