History of the Jewish Religion Essay examples - 3601 Words

History of the Jewish Religion The Jewish religion has also undergone many transformations over the years. It started off in its earliest years as being animistic, with Hebrews worshipping forces of nature. As a result this religion had a number of practices that concerned magic and animal sacrifices. The Hebrew religion also became polytheistic which involves several gods. Hebrew religion eventually became anthropomorphic, in which God or gods became human individuals and had human characteristics. Eventually most Hebrews concentrated on one main God who they referred to as Yahweh. Yahweh is a mysterious term used in Hebrew that reads YHWY (in biblical Hebrew there were no vowels), and that still to this day its pronunciation†¦show more content†¦At this crucial point in history, the Hebrews adopted Yahweh as their national and primary God and officially became a monotheistic religion. Organization of this religion inspired new intellectual leadership of prophets and prophetic writers. These new ideas were a culture shock for a society that still practiced polytheism and resulted in turmoil between Hebrews that believed in Yahweh as their one and only God and Hebrews that believed in Yahweh as their most important of many gods. It is at this point in Hebrew history when the Jewish people created a new form of religion where new ideas of Yahweh were taught, and the Torah became the most important and pure law for the Hebrews. (http://www.us-israel.org). Aside from conflicting religions, Jewish people also encountered other problems with the monarchy. Hebrews believed that Yahweh was their king and his laws were their laws. In the monarchy, the tribes of Israel appointed a human king and obeyed his laws instead of divine law. This created conflict between the Hebrews that followed the laws of the king, and the Jewish that followed Yahweh and the law of the Torah. The Children of Israel that settled in Palestine between 1250 and 1050 BC found themselves amidst a corrupt m onarchy. The monarchy thrived on arbitrary power, large divisions in the economical gap, vast poverty, heavy taxation, slavery, bribery andShow MoreRelatedThe Transformation Of Hebrews During Ancient Jewish900 Words   |  4 PagesThe Transformation of Hebrews during Ancient Jewish Throughout modern history, Judaism has been recognized as one of the most influential religions in Western Civilization. However, to reach the complexity and structure that Judaism has today, the Hebrews had to endure several periods and turning points in history. During the 1500 years after 1200 BCE, â€Å"numerous vast empires rose and fall around and over them (Hebrews)†, as they made their transformation into Jews (Pavlac, 45). During these phasesRead MoreUnderstanding the Relation Between Judaism and Christianity844 Words   |  4 Pagesfollowed were mostly Jewish traditions. 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Both countries are self-defined theological states (Israel as a Jewish state, Iran as an Islamic state). Although the impact of religion changes across time and context, religion has largely defined political identity for both Israel and Iran. Yet, modern states are host to many paradoxes. Religion is important in defining these states, however the workings of each country are not alwaysRead MoreReligion : A Matter Of Belief1321 Words   |  6 Pagesmay just depend on the individual and the religion he/she follows. Beliefs are what make the foundation of world religions such as Yoruba and Judaism. They play a huge role in the lives of the religions’ followers. Practitioners of the Yoruba religion have faith in the supreme, self-existing deity – Olodumare. Judaism followers have faith in Yahweh, and some Jewish individuals do not believe in a G-d (supreme-being). Beliefs are important to each religion in its own unique way. The traditions provideRead MoreThe Evolution Of Judaism. Over Thousands Of Years, The1509 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, the religion of Judaism has evolved. With years of suffering, persecution, and dispersion the Jews’ religion stays constant. When researching the religion, the history is extremely strong, and the doctrine of the religion dates back thousands of years. With such a vast history, one might want to examine the change into modern s ociety. â€Å"It has been estimated that one-third of our western civilization bears the marks of its Jewish ancestry.†- Hudson Smith, The World’s Religions. Judaism began