Judaism
Judaism is considered by most scholars to be the second oldest of the world's major religions and the oldest and first of the major monotheistic religions. Judaism started between 2200-1800 BCE with a man, Abraham, whose account is in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament,
one of the Jewish scriptures, that Abraham was to move from where he was living in Haran to Canaan where God promised to build up his descendants. Canaan then became known as the nation of Israel. The covenant to build a great nation started with Abraham, but it was carried on into fulfillment with Abraham's son, Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. The twelves sons of Jacob became the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical tradition asserts that one of Jacob's sons, Joseph, was sold into slavery to Egypt. There he became a great ruler as the next in line to Pharoah and later his brothers discovered him in Egypt when they had to move away from the land of Israel due to famine. The Israelites would stay in Egypt for 430 years until the Bible records an account of a prophet named Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness where they roamed for forty years. In the wilderness, the Israelities built a tabernacle which became one of the central focuses of worship where the high priest would offer a lamb that was unblemished without defect to be a scarifice for the people's sins. After Moses, Biblical tradition asserts that Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land. There they developed a culture and followed after the law which Moses had spoken to them through the first five books of the Hebrew Bible called the (Torah). The Israelites then struggled through several tough times and oppression from other lands during what is known as the time of the Judges in Israel, of which a whole book is devoted to in the Hebrew Bible. Samuel was the final judge. Then, there was a king anointed whose name was Saul who guided the people. Three major kings guided the Israelities in unity- Saul, David, and Solomon. Solomon built the temple which would later replace the taberncale as the cnetral place of worship and the offering of the Passover Lamb. Israelites celebrated seven national fats throughout their history to commemorate what God had done for them. These are recorded in Leviticus 23. After Solomon, the kingdom became divided and the divided nations were usually at conflict with each other until the fall of the northern kingdom in 721 BCE. The southern kingdom later fell in 586 BCE. Like most religions Jews have had sects and still do have sects. While under the bondage of the Roman Empire, there were three groups: The Sadducees who believed only in the Torah and denied the resurrection of the body, the Pharisees who believed the whole Hebrew Bible, and the Essenes who were an apocalyptic group waiting int he desert for the return of two Messiahs. There are now three sects within Judaism: Orthodox, Reform, and Kabbalah. Orthodox Jews though they have no temple to sacrifice at hold to the basic traditional feasts and laws of the Hebrew Bible. They believe these laws still apply. Reform Jews, believe that time has passed and Jewish customs and laws are out of date though they do commemorate the Sabbath and holidays. yet they do not hold to the Lecitical laws of living. kabbalah is a cult within Judaism that combined elements of Roman philosophy with Jewish practices. Kabbalists have a focus on esoteric revelation. They are the group in which the search for codes in the Bible started within the 9th century CE . The Bible code theories have recently been made common knowledge to the public in a 1995 book by Atheist Michael Drosnin.. The Jews have always used the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud and their source and authority for doctrine and practice though like any religion, they have combined elements from other religious traditions which have becme a part of their culture.
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