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Judaism Essay: Summary of Judaism, Its Origin and History

Introduction, summary of judaism history, works cited.

Judaism is the religious practices and beliefs and the way of life of the Jews. It began as a religious conviction of the diminutive nation of the Hebrews. The followers of the religion have through the thousands of years since its inception been persecuted, dispersed and faced intense suffering physically and psychologically (Lynch1).

Occasionally, the religion has experienced victory. It continues to have intense influence on culture and religion. In the world today, the religion has a following of more than 14 million people (Judaism1). They identify themselves as Jewish. Contemporary Judaism is a complex occurrence that involves both religion and a nation.

The history is written in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). The first five books of the Bible describe the emergence of Jews. There is the description of the choice of God on Jews to be the living example for other humans to emulate.

The Hebrew Bible explains how the relationship between Jews and God worked. God chose Abraham be the father figure of a populace that would be unique to God. They would be a mark and symbol of holiness and good behavior to the entire world (BBC1). History asserts that the Jewish people were guided by God through many challenges and troubles.

During the time of Moses, God gave the Jewish people life guidelines that they should live with. These included the Ten Commandments. This was the period which the Judaism emerged as a structure religion. Under the guidance of God, the Jews turned into powerful communities with renowned kings such as Solomon, David and Saul (BBC 1).

The construction of the first great temple by Solomon made the Jews to focus the worship of God in the temple. The temple housed the Ark of the Covenant. It was the only place where rituals would be carried out. In 920 BCE, the Jewish kingdom disintegrated and the people tore into small groups. Many Jews were exiled into Babylon.

This was the beginning of the Jewish culture in the Diaspora. Majority of the Jews in exile opted not to return to Israel. The next 300 years that followed were marked by gradual and steady growth in Jewish strength and number. Their land was in the mean time being governed by foreign authorities. The teachers and scribes who emerged during this period helped the population to interpret and explain the Bible.

The Jews from then were able to freely practice their faith. In 175 BCE, there was a Jewish revolt against the Syrian King who implemented a number of rules that sought to completely wipe out Judaism. He dishonored the temple and wanted the population to worship Zeus. The temple was eventually restored after the revolt which is celebrated by Jews in the Hanukah festival.

The Romans took advantage of the weakening of the Jewish kingdom due to internal splitting up and established their rule. This was followed by years of oppression and taxation by Roman rules who despised Judaism. The Sadducees became allies of the Roman rulers subsequently loosing the support and faith of the Jews. The people opted to have Pharisees as their teachers (BBC1).

The Catholic encyclopedia suggests that Judaism was the original of a variety of religions including Islam and Christianity (Judaism 1). The Jewish people established settlements in Arabia before the birth of Mohammed. They commanded considerable influence on the Arabian citizenry. At one point in South Arabia, the Jews had an Arab-Jewish empire which was eventually terminated by a king of Abyssinia in 530.

The Jews lost the royal estate but remained considerably powerful in the northern Yemen. In Mecca, there was a small Jewish population. Mohammed interacted with the Jews and became acquitted with the religion. When he fled to Medina, the acquaintance became and more established as the location was populated by Arabian Jews.

Abraham was the first Jew according to religious Jews. He was the first to preach monotheism and despised idolatry. As a reward, he was promised to have many children by God. This promise fulfillment came in the form of Isaac. Isaac carried on Abraham’s work and inherited Canaan. Isaac’s son, Jacob, was sent to Egypt by God together with his children. They were eventually enslaved by Egyptians. Moses was subsequently sent to Egypt to redeem the Jews from slavery.

This period was tempting to Moses who eventually gave the Torah to the Jews. He managed to take the people to Israel after many years in the jungle. Torah is the Hebrew translation of instruction or teaching particularly law. It refers to the first five books of the Old Testament. On a larger scale, Torah is used by Jews to refer the broad range of commanding Jewish religious wisdom in history (Space and motion 1).

In view of the first five books of the Bible, many ideas and concepts are expressed in form of stories as opposed to being listed as laws. The book of Deuteronomy is reiteration of the previously mentioned laws in the first four books. Most of the laws that govern Judaism are got from textual clues because they are not mentioned straightforwardly in the Torah. The Torah is the fundamental document of the Jewish religion. In a principled framework, it is the basis of all the biblical commandments.

The period covering 1000 CE saw Jews establish themselves in Spain. They co-existed happily with the Islamic rulers. They developed a thriving study of Hebrew literature, science and the Talmud. There was severally the attempt to convert all the Judaism followers to Islam.

When all this failed, the millennium that followed saw the increased operations of military by Christian states to recapture the holy land. In German, the Christian armies attacked Jewish communities. They succeeded in capturing Jerusalem where thousands were slaughtered and many other enslaved. The victims included Muslims and Jews. Jews were banned from entering the city just like Romans had previously done. In the meantime, the Jewish population was increasing in Britain. They enjoyed the protection by Henry I.

The Babylonian exile presented new ideas to Jews. It is during this period that the notions of particular angels arose. Evil was personified as Satan. The idea of resurrection from the dead emerged (Neusner2). Alexander the Great played a significant role in entrenching the idea of immortality of the soul.

The level of Hellenization brought about conflict within the Jewish community. The Maccabees revolted against the Syrian Seleucid rulers. There was extensive martyrdom that increased the momentum to the notion of collective resurrection of the deceased. The soul was perceived to be immortal. They formulated the belief that while the physical body awaited resurrection, the soul existed in another realm (Seltzer6).

Life conditions deteriorated and apocalyptic beliefs increased. Messianic kingdom and national catastrophe were considered imminent. As time passed, Rabbanic Jews completed the process of replacing the Temple with the Synagogue. The Rabbanical Judaism arose from the Pharasiac movement as a response to the destruction of the Second Temple (Smith 1).

This was in a move to codify and redact oral law. The Rabbis wanted to interpret the practices and concepts of Judaism in the absence of the Temple and the people being in exile. It dominated the Jewish religion close to 18 centuries. In the process, it developed the Midrash, the Talmud and the great icons of the medieval philosophies.

In 1492, Jews were expelled from Spain which led to Sephardic influence of South France, North Italy and the Levant. There was the Berber invasion and anti-Jewish incidents became common in Europe (BBC1). Jews had been forced to take up Christianity. However, they continued to secretly practice their religion. Eventually, majority emigrated and returned to the Jewish fold. The 18 th century remained largely turbulent with hardening of the Jews as a reaction to philosophical liberalism and Sabbatianism.

The first five books of the Bible describe the emergence of Jews. Under the guidance of God, the Jews turned into powerful communities with renowned kings such as Solomon, David and Saul. The emergence of Judaism in the Diaspora was as result of being exiled. Alexander the Great played a significant role in entrenching the idea of immortality of the soul.

There was extensive martyrdom that increased the momentum to the notion of collective resurrection of the deceased.Contemporary Judaism was split by the law (halakal) in the 19 th century. Orthodox Jews maintain the traditional practice while Reform Jews only uphold rituals that they believe will God-oriented, Jewish life.

The attempt to define the essence of Judaism is a process that has existed for ages. At anyone point, there is intense emphasis on one aspect of the three major concepts of the Jewish religion (God, Israel, Torah).

BBC. “ Judaism at a glance ”. Web.

Lynch, Damon. “ Judaism. There we sat down ”. 1972. Web.

Smith, Huston. “ Judaism: Religion facts ”. Web.

Seltzer, Robert. Jewish people, Jewish thought: the Jewish experience in history. London, UK: Macmillan, 1980.

Spaceandmotion. “ Theology: Judaism.History and Main Beliefs of Jewish Religion / the Jews ”. Web.

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Introduction to Judaism

Judaism is a monotheistic religion, believing in one god. It is not a racial group. Individuals may also associate or identify with Judaism primarily through ethnic or cultural characteristics. Jewish communities may differ in belief, practice, politics, geography, language, and autonomy.  Learn more about the practices and beliefs of Judaism.

Jews have lived in many different countries around the world through the centuries.

Major events in the history of Judaism include the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Holocaust, and the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

Judaism in the 21st century is very diverse, ranging from very Orthodox to more modern denominations.  

• Jewish communities before the war

Jewish Life and Religious Practices

There is a wide variety of acceptance and observance of the following practices by denominations and individual Jews.

Jewish life is guided by its annual and life cycle calendars. The annual calendar is a lunar calendar with approximately 354 days in one year on a 12-month cycle, with an extra month (Adar II) added occasionally to compensate for the difference between the lunar and solar calendars.

The Torah is read ritually in synagogue three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, following a yearly cycle through the entirety (or a third, depending on community) of the Five Books of Moses. Additionally, on holidays, special sections are read in synagogue that tie to the themes or origin story of the holiday being observed.

Jewish prayer services are conducted in the Hebrew language in the more traditional denominations of Judaism, and include varied levels of English (or the native language of the community’s Jews) in denominations such as Reform, Reconstructionist and Renewal. A rabbi can lead services but is not required. On weekdays, daily prayers are recited three times—morning, afternoon, and evening—with a fourth prayer service added on the Sabbath and holidays. While many prayers can be recited individually, certain prayers and activities, such as the reading of the Torah, the mourner’s prayer (the kaddish ), require a minyan or quorum of ten Jewish adults. As with the distinctions regarding English in the prayer service, some traditional denominations only count male adults in a minyan , while others count all adults.

Other central aspects of Jewish ritual observance include the dietary laws (laws of kashrut ) which forbid consumption of certain foods (like pork or shellfish), prohibit the mixing of milk and meat, and prescribe special rules for the slaughter of meat and poultry. Denominations and individual Jews may or may not follow these dietary laws strictly.

Major life-cycle events in Jewish tradition include the brit milah (ritual circumcision on the eighth day of a Jewish boy’s life), Bnai Mitzvah (a ceremony marking the passage from childhood to adulthood, at 12 years for a girl and 13 for a boy), marriage, and death.

Following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the synagogue (derived from a Greek word meaning “assembly”), or Jewish prayer and study house, became the focal point of Jewish life. The role of the priesthood, so central to the Temple service, diminished, and the rabbi (literally, “my master”), or scholar versed in Jewish law, rose to a position of prominence in the community.

After the Holocaust

Before the Nazi takeover of power in 1933, Europe had a vibrant and mature Jewish culture.

By 1945, after the Holocaust , most European Jews—two out of every three—had been killed. Most of the surviving remnant of European Jewry decided to leave Europe. Hundreds of thousands established new lives in Israel , the United States , Canada, Australia, Great Britain, South America, and South Africa.

As of 2016, there were approximately 15 million Jews around the world. About 85% of world Jewry lives in Israel or the United States.

Critical Thinking Questions

• Investigate the wide range of observances and traditions in the Jewish communities before, during, and after the Holocaust.
• Learn about the history of the Jewish community in your country.

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Judaism: Basic Beliefs

Jewish people believe in the Torah, which was the whole of the laws given to the Israelities at Sinai. They believe they must follow God's laws which govern daily life. 

How did Judaism begin?

Judaism began about 4000 years ago with the Hebrew people in the Middle East. Abraham, a Hebrew man, is considered the father of the Jewish faith because he promoted the central idea of the Jewish faith: that there is one God. At the time many people in the Middle East worshipped many gods. It is said that Abraham and his wife Sarah, who were old and childless, were told by God that their children would be as plentiful as the stars in the sky and that they would live in a land of their own -- the Promised Land. This gradually came true.

Abraham's son, Isaac had a son, Jacob, also called Israel. In this way the descendants of Abraham came to be known as the Israelites. God promised the Israelites he would care for them as long as they obeyed God's laws. While still traveling, the Hebrews lived in Egypt where they were enslaved. Moses, a Hebrew, was chosen by God to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Moses led the Hebrew people out of the Sinai Desert toward the promised land. At Mt. Sinai, God gave Moses the Law which would guide the Israelites to today. The laws were called the Ten Commandments and form the basis of the Torah, the book of Jewish law.

It took many years for the Israelites to finally get to what they thought was the Promised Land - Canaan. After some fighting the Jews established the Israelite kingdom. After many years, Canaan was conquered by the Assyrians, the Babylonians and then eventually the Romans. The Israelites once again found themselves enslaved, this time by Babylonians. The Israelites were then taken over by Romans who destroyed much of what had been built in Jerusalem by the Israelites. Most of the Jews were scattered all over the region and eventually moved from place to place to avoid persecution which continues to this day. The dispersion of the Jews is called the Diaspora.

The worst persecution of the Jews was during World War II by the Nazis who murdered more than six million Jews or a third of the world's Jewish population. This was called the Holocaust. Beginning in the 1880's Jews began returning to their homeland in growing numbers, this time to avoid persecution where they lived. After World War II, many Jews believed that for the Jewish people and culture to survive, Jews needed to live in their own country where all Jews from anywhere in the world would have the right to live and be citizens. In 1948, Palestine was divided up and a Jewish state of Israel was formed in the land that was once called Canaan, surrounded by countries with predominantly Muslim populations. Since Muslims also claimed rights to the land where the Jews were living, there was conflict, which continues to this day in the Middle East.

Today nearly fourteen million Jewish people live all over the world. Approximately half of them live in the United States, one quarter live in Israel, and a quarter are still scattered around the world in countries in Europe, Russia, South America, Africa, Asia and other North American and Middle Eastern countries. Anyone born to a Jewish mother is considered a Jew.

What do Jewish people believe?

Jewish people believe in the Torah, which was the whole of the laws given to the Israelities at Sinai. They believe they must follow God's laws which govern daily life. Later legal books, written by rabbis, determine the law as it applies to life in each new place and time.

The Ten Commandments, as written in the Torah, are:

• Worship no other God but Me.
• Do not make images to worship.
• Do not misuse the name of God.
• Observe the Sabbath Day (Saturday). Keep it Holy.
• Honor and respect your father and mother.
• Do not murder.
• Do not commit adultery.
• Do not steal.
• Do not accuse anyone falsely. Do not tell lies about other people.
• Do not envy other's possessions.

There are three basic groups of Jewish people who have a different understanding of the interpretation of the Torah.

Orthodox Jews believe that all of the practices in the Torah which it is practical to obey must be obeyed without question.

Conservative and Reform Jews believe that the ancient laws and practices have to be interpreted for modern life with inclusion of contemporary sources and with more concern with community practices than with ritual practices.

Reform Jews also allow everyone to sit together, men and women, and both Hebrew and the local language are spoken in services.

What are the sacred texts of the Jewish people?

The Tenakh is the ancient collection of writings that are sacred to the Jews. They were written over almost a thousand years from 1000 to 100 BCE. The word Tenakh comes from the three first letters of the three books included in this text: the Torah, plus the Nev'im (prophets) and the Ki'tuvim (writings, which include histories, prophecies, poems, hymns and sayings).

The Torah is written on scrolls and kept in a special cabinet called the aron hakodish, the holy ark, in synagogues. The Torah is read with a pointer called a yad (hand) to keep it from being spoiled. Each week, one section is read until the entire Torah is completed and the reading begins again.

The Talmud is also an important collection of Jewish writings. Written about 2000 years ago, it is a recording of the rabbis' discussion of the way to follow the Torah at that time. Later texts, the Mishnah Torah and the Shulhan Aruch, are recordings of rabbinic discussions from later periods.

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Jews call their holy text the Tenakh, which Christians call the “Old Testament.” Within the Tenakh lie the five books of the Torah, which begins with the creation of the world by God's word. The Torah primarily tells the story of the early Hebrews and Yawheh's communications to Moses, which established laws on worship and daily life.

The Torah plays a central role in Jewish worship. During services in the synagogue, the rabbi removes the Torah (rolled into a scroll) from the ark (a cupboard). The rabbi then carries the scroll, capped with a silver crown, in procession to a lectern, opens it, and reads from it to the congregation.

Christianity

The Bible's (the 66 books of the Judeo‐Christian Scriptures) “New Testament” (new covenant) is a collection of 26 books and letters interpreting portions of the Tenakh from a Christian point of view. The New Testament also presents a range of unique teachings, such as the writings of St. Paul, which early Christians sent to newly established churches. The authors of the Gospels, or presentations of Jesus' life and teachings, probably wrote them decades later, though contemporary Biblical scholarship on this topic remains inconclusive.

Christianity represents the largest of the world's religions and is also more evenly spread around the globe than any other religion. Christianity claims more than a billion adherents, though Christians belong to many different denominations (groups with a particular theology and form of organization) that sharply divide the religion. The three largest Christian denominations are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism (which includes such denominations as Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Baptist).

Moslems have five primary religious duties (“The Pillars of Islam”):

• Reciting the Islamic creed, which states that Allah is the one God and Mohammed is His messenger.
• Taking part in ceremonial washings and reciting formal prayers five times every day. During these prayers, worshippers always face towards the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
• Observing of Ramadan—a month of fasting when Moslems may have no food or drink during daylight hours.
• Giving money to the poor.
• Making at least one pilgrimage to Mecca.

Messages that Mohammed received from Allah comprise the Islamic scriptures, called the Koran. (“Koran” derives from the Arabic term meaning “to recite.”) Because the prophet could not write or read, he memorized Allah's words and later relayed them to his students. After Mohammed's death, his followers wrote down these revelations. The Koran sets forth standards of daily behavior and the Pillars of Islam.

Islam has grown to more than 600 million adherents throughout the world. Most Moslems live in the Middle East, Pakistan, and parts of Africa.

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Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Comparative Analysis

compare and contrast the uniqueness and similarities of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are traditionally called the Abrahamic religions. They highlight and trace their common origin to the patriarch Abraham or recognize a spiritual tradition identified with him.

Watch related video: 

Papel ng Espirituwalidad sa Pakikipagkapuwa at Mga Kilos ng Pagdamay sa Pagdurusa ng Kapuwa

Abraham appears in the scred texts of all of these religions. The major Abrahamic religions in chronological order of founding are: Judaism (late second millennium BCE), Christianity (first century CE), and Islam (seventh century CE).

Influence to the World:

B) christianity.

Copyright © by Jens Micah De Guzman

For other free lectures like this, visit Homepage: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

The Brief History, Core Teachings, Fundamental Beliefs, Practices, and Related Issues of Islam

The Brief History, Core Teachings, Fundamental Beliefs, Practices, and Related Issues of Christianity

The brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related issues of Judaism

The Influences of Religion to Culture and Society

The Interconnectedness of Geography, Culture and Religions

The Concept, Elements and Characteristics of Belief System, World View, Religion, and Spirituality

Religion vs Spirituality: What is the difference between them?

Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, and Mahayana Buddhism: Similarities and Differences

For STUDENTS' ASSIGNMENT, use the COMMENT SECTION here: Comparing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

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Home — Essay Samples — Religion — Religious Beliefs — Christianity, Islam, Judaism

Christianity, Islam, Judaism

• Categories: Judaism Muslim Religious Beliefs

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Words: 1014 |

Published: Jul 17, 2018

Words: 1014 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited

• Armstrong, K. (2004). Islam: A Short History. New York, NY: Modern Library.
• Esposito, J. L. (2002). What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Fisher, M. P. (2014). Living Religions (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
• Neusner, J. (2009). Judaism: The Basics. London, UK: Routledge.
• Parrinder, G. (2007). World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Peters, F. E. (2003). Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Renard, J. (2010). Islam: An Introduction. London, UK: I.B. Tauris.
• Robinson, N. (2010). World Religions: A Guide to the Essentials. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
• Smith, H. (1991). The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. New York, NY: HarperOne.
• Sweeney, J. J. (2010). The Bible and the Qur'an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition. London, UK: Routledge.

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Christianity, Islam and Judaism Similarities

Introduction.

Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all religions. Religion can be defined as a set of beliefs and a way of life. Though, there are different religions with different practices and beliefs in the world, there exists some clear similarities. Christianity is defined as the religion that is based on life, death and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth who is also called Christ or Messiah. The followers of Christianity are called Christians. World religions (2009, para. 2) indicates that, Christianity is the largest religion in the world with estimated 33 percent of the world population being its followers. Islam may be defined as submission to Allah, the God. In other words Islam may refer to having been revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. World religions (2009, para. 2) estimates that the Islam religion is the second largest after Christianity with 21 percent of earth’s population being Islam. On the other hand Judaism is the religion mostly associated with the Jewish people (Religion and ethics , 2009, Para 1). The religion of Judaism is based on the covenant that was made between Abraham and God. The covenant was made when God asked Abraham to leave his land and travel to Cannan the Promised Land. Judaism (2009, para. 2) estimates that the population of the people observing Judaism as a religion is 14 million in the world.

Similarities between the three Religions

While the differences in each religion are well defined, there exist some similarities that make the three religions somehow related in terms of their beliefs and historical backgrounds. However, most of the similarities and common practices are found in the religious believes observed in each religion.

One major similarity found in Christianity, Islam and Judaism is the belief in one God who is a supreme being, all powerful and ever living. The term oneness of God defines the indivisibility of the unseen God in all the three religions. The fact is that, all the three religions there is belief in one God, therefore they are referred to as Monotheistic religions. Christianity believes in the God as being made up of a Holy Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The second being in the trinity became human who was known as Jesus Christ, regarded as the Messiah. The theology in Christianity teaches of the one God in the Holy Trinity. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ are captured in the Bible (Christian’s holy book) in the Gospel. On the other hand the Islam religion also believes in one God (the true God), the ever living supreme deity who is the controller of every thing and who neither equal to anyone. Qu’ran chapter 112 in Allah (n.d, cited in The Institute of Islamic Information and Education, 2009, Para. 2) indicates, “In the name of God, the Merciful, and the Compassionate; Say (O Muhammad); He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone.” Similarly, Judaism believes in one God, ever living, just, and who reveals Himself to people. This deity in Hebrew is referred to as JHWH or Yahweh, the true God of Judaism.

Common Abraham

How does Abraham unite Christianity, Islam and Judaism? Abraham is regarded as a unifying factor in the three religions. While Islam regard to Abraham as a prophet and the father of prophets Ishmael and Isaac, and an ancestor to prophet Muhammad, Christians regard him as the father of the current generation. In all the three religions, Abraham takes a special, place to represent faith in God and a true believer. According to Place of Prophet Abraham (2009), Islamic religion has a deep connection with Abraham in that, any one who rejects Abraham is regarded as being not a true believer in Islam. In addition, a sacrifice is done by Muslims all over the world every year during Eid-ul-Adha in commemoration of the sacrifice offered by Prophet Abraham in lieu of Ishmael. This aspect has a great connection with Judaism. According to Cohn-Sherbok (1998, cited in Place of Prophet Abraham, 2009, para. 22), Prophet Abraham is regarded as the father of Jewish people. In Christianity, Jesus is linked to the generation whose father is Abraham. Abraham is also considered as a great spiritual father to Abrahamic Religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Existence of Creed

The existence of a Creed regarded as the holy book is a common phenomena among Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The holy doctrine acts as the guide in the religion. It is believed that the Holy book in the three religions is the words of the God that however follows the faith according to the religion should abide by the practices as depicted in the creed. The Holy Bible is the creed of the Christians. The Bible is said to have been written by people inspired by the spirit of the God. Thus the Bible scripture is regarded as God’s own words. The Islam also adheres to the teachings of the Quran. To be a devoted Muslim, one should adhere to the teachings of Quran. Also, a true Muslim should make a habit of making Quran recitations, do good deeds, and be a good human for one to be a recipient of Allah’s kindness and forgiveness. In Judaism, a collection of thirteen articles are regarded as those that contain the Judaism faith. Torah (first six books in the old testament that were revealed to Moses) and Talmud are Holy books that are generally accepted to provide the essentials of Judaism.

Morality is specifically emphasized as the preferred code of conduct in the three religions. Showing concern for the well being and dignity of other people are areas of emphasis in the three religions. The moral behavior includes both morally in the relationship between man and God and also that between man and other people. In Christianity, the Ten Commandments as outlined in the Holy bible shows the generally accepted conduct expected for people that involve worship to God and concern for other people. Adultery, murder, theft, robbery, falsehood, dishonesty, injustice and other immoral and unethical practices are universally condemned in the three religions. Although morality is a topic that produces varying views, the human race has some inner conscience that distinguishes what is good and what is evil. According to Morality and ethics in Islam, (2009: Para 11), the Quran in the Islam religion defines Al’ A mal Assalih as the guiding principles that a follower of Islam should follow. Also, it indicates that among the expected behaviors of a Muslim are great humility and accountability to Allah. The observance of moral conduct in Judaism cannot be overemphasized. The teachings in this religion also affirms morality e.g. dignity and sanctity of human life, and kindness to all God’s creatures. Judaism Principles of Moral Thoughts and Actions (2009, para. 3), indicates that Torah, which is looked to as the book containing the will of God should be obeyed. Accordingly, some morals including kindness to stagers, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, loving God are praised while killing, murder, adultery, interfering with natures course and so on are highly condemned.

Life after Death

Christianity, Islam and Judaism believe in life after death. This aspect of faith gains intense emphasis in all the three religions and plays an important role. In Christianity, the existence of life after death is emphasized and demonstrated during the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The apostle’s creed which is observed by most Christian groups also outlines the aspect of believe in life after death upon judgment. In Islam religion, life after death is also featured as an important aspect of faith. Nawaz (2009, para. 2) indicates that, all human beings will never diminish after death. Also, life is viewed as a process in life which is a means to transfer the human from one phase to the other. Islam believe that, when one dies, the body is separated from the soul and that the soul either goes to “Elliyeen” the place of moral souls or to the “Sijjeen” where sinful souls go. This aspect is also emphasized in Judaism. Jews are taught to view death not as a tragedy but as a natural process. According to Sachs (2007, para. 4), Jews generally believe in life after death where a process of purification is done after death before life can continue with the rest of the journey. Also, it is indicated that the period of purification depends on the way the soul conducted itself in life which is an aspect that shows judgment. The teachings in the three religions indicate that the conduct of people is subject to judgment by the deity on the Day of Judgment. In Christianity view, the life after death indicates that, upon death, the body decomposes while the soul leaves the body and is evaluated to a particular judgment upon which the soul goes to heaven(where the body is glorified), or to hell, (condemnation to eternal punishment).

Origin of the World

The origin of the world and the universe is viewed from a common perspective in Christianity, Islam and Judaism as having been created by God. Also the three religions agree that the first man to be put on earth was Adam. The creation of the universe and the human race has great similarity as indicated in the Christians bible, Islam’s Quran and the Jews’ Torah. Although small differences do occur in the details of creation, a general agreement will be seen in the sequences of creation as believed in the three religions. For example, while Islam refers to Adam as a prophet, Christianity and Judaism only regard him as the first human being to be created.

Believe in Prophets and Angels

Prophets, angles and divine beings are all regarded in Christianity, Islam and Judaism. In some cases common beings are regarded similarly in the three religions. Prophets are regarded as God’s messengers to the people. Unlike angles who are spiritual beings, prophets are physical beings who live with people in the society while leading normal lives but are devoted to God. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the Gods’ prophet who started and taught Islam. Similarly both Jews and Christians have common prophets who are believed to have been used to deliver God’s message to His people. Unlike Christians who adore Jesus as the son of God and their Savior, Islam regard to Jesus as just one of the God’s prophets. However, the Christians and Jews do not recognize Muhammad as one of the God’s prophets. The existence of divine beings in service of God shows that, God has a special way of interacting with his creation a phenomenon that is common among the three denominations. Role of prophets in Islam (2009, para. 2) indicates that, Abraham, Noah, Jesus, Moses and Muhammad are all prophets of God. Apart from Muhammad, all the other indicated prophets are recognized in Christianity and Judaism. However, Christianity refers to Jesus as the Son of God who is the God’s sent savior.

Rituals and festivals

Religious rituals give a common similarity among Christians, Muslim and Jews. While different religious rituals and festivities are held for different reasons and at different occasions, some rituals and festivities are common especially among the Christians and the Jews. Most of the Muslim rituals are held in remembrance of deeds that were done by the Holy prophet Muhammad. Example of such rituals among the Islam is the Ramadhan which is a one months festival conducted to remember the revelations that were done to Muhammad which appear in form of the Holy book Qu’ran. According to Holy days festivals and rituals (2009), other Islamic holy days are Id ul – Adha (celebration of faithfulness of Abraham), Maulid al-Nabi, (celebrating the birth of Muhammad) , Shadada, (initiation of a young Muslim to Islam) among others. In Judaism, rituals are also conducted in accordance with the original covenant of Abraham and God. The commonest ritual in Judaism is the Pass-Over, (Pesach) festival which is held to celebrate the deliverance of Israelites from the slavery of Egypt. Also in Christianity, some rituals e.g. Christmas held in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ are a common feature.

Existence of more similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism cannot be overlooked. The most unifying factor in the three religions is that they are all Abrahamic religions. I.e. they identify with the same spiritual father called Abraham who is the father to Isaac and Ishmael.

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“Morality and ethics in Islam”. Morality and ethics in Islam. Why-Islam project. 2009. Web.

Nawaz, Faisal. Concept of Life after Death in Islam . 2009. Web.

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Sachs, A. Jewish Afterlife Beliefs . 2007. Web.

The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E) Allah (God): “To God (Allah) Belongs 99 names”. III&E Brochure Series; No. 2 .

“The place of Abraham in Islam, Christianity and Judaism”. The place of Abraham in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Soundvision.com. Web.

World Religions. “Islam: The second largest world religion…and growing”. World religions. Religious Tolerance. 2009. Web.

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