The idea that I could sum up the history of Judaism in one blog post is ludicrous. There is an 11-part documentary series talking about the Jewish people from their origins to present day here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6n3ttIIveM&feature=player_embedded
That said, I’m going to give you a quick crash course in Jewish history, hopefully hitting the more important milestones in a 4,000 year old tradition:
Around 1800 BC (or BCE), Abraham founded Judaism and in effect, fathered the nation of Hebrews. Abraham was the first circumcised male, and he circumcised himself as a covenant – a marriage almost – to God. God, in return, gave Abraham and his descendents the Land of Israel.
Abraham fathered many children, the most important of whom was Isaac. Isaac fathered several children himself, the most important of whom was Jacob. (Although Jacob had a twin brother, Esau, who the Jewish people believe was the forefather of the Romans). And Jacob had 12 sons which later became the 12 tribes of Israel.
Around 1500 BC, Joseph, the 2nd youngest son of Jacob was sold into slavery and went to Egypt. This is important because eventually, he made it out of slavery into the government and ended up providing a place for his brothers to live. Hence, the 12 tribes of Israel settled in Egypt. About 100 years later, they were enslaved by their hosts.
Enter Moses, the rescuer of the Israelites from Egypt. Moses was a Hebrew baby raised by an Egyptian princess. He had a temper, and apparently some leadership qualities, because God chose him to lead the people in a revolution and walk right out of Egypt. Ten plagues and a desert march later, the Hebrew people have settled in the desert where the Ten Commandments were given to them on Mount Sinai. Moses climbs the mountain, God gives him some instructions for how to live good lives, and a directive to conquer a “promised land”.
Unfortunately, the Hebrews are restless while Moses is having his talk with God and they decide (well, 1/10th of them decide, according to Jewish tradition) to go ahead and build a golden calf to worship in the meantime. Moses comes down and breaks the first set of 10 Commandments in a rage and has to go back and get another set. As punishment, the Hebrews have to stay in the desert for 40 years (until all of the current generation dies out).
In around 1275 BC, the Promised Land Conquest begins, and eventually the Hebrews settle into their new home. Their form of government was first a Judge form, where the judges provided leadership and guidance. The judges were both warriors and prophets. Then they became a monarchy and had Kings. In 825 BC, the first Temple was built and completed by the King Solomon (aka the wisest man who ever lived, with the most wives).
Only 30 years later, the Hebrews have a civil war of sorts and divide into 2 kingdoms, Northern and Southern Israel. Being separated proves to be an unfortunate choice because about 150 years later, the Northern Kingdom (comprised of 10 tribes) are conquered by the Assyrians who are then conquered by the Babylonians. The Southern Nation of Israel lasts another 134 years and is ALSO conquered by the Babylonians, who subsequently destroy Temple #1.
Fast forward 70 years and the construction of the second Temple begins. The Ark of the Covenant, which houses the Ten Commandments, however, is missing – presumably taken and destroyed by the Babylonians. ((Keep in mind that the Ten Commandments has been the FOUNDATION for all of the Hebrew Law and that the loss of those tablets and the Ark of the Covenant is very damaging to their ritual and religion.))
In 312 BC, about 40 years after the Temple is reconstructed, the Greeks conquer Israel. The Greeks revered what was beautiful, and the Jews thought that what was holy and revered was inherently beautiful. But in the midst of all this, the Greeks translated the Torah to Greek, then promptly instituted terror. Jewish women who allowed their sons to be circumcised were killed with their babies tied around their necks. Horrible atrocities were committed to the Jewish people until the Jewish people revolt against their Greek oppressors in 140 BC, who, at the same time are fighting off (unsuccessfully) the Romans. The Romans conquer the Greeks, then move on to the Jews in short order.
Around 65 AD, about 30 years after Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph, was killed, the Jews launch another uprising against the Roman rule. Followers of Jesus ((incidentally, a splinter group of Judaism)), are growing in number and integrating with the people of all civilizations and offer no help (from what I can tell) to their Jewish brothers and sisters who are fighting to the death to save their spiritual center, Jerusalem. In 70 AD, the second Temple was destroyed by the Romans.
In 219 AD, after centuries of oppression, revolts, and war, the Rabbis make the landmark decision that the oral law, which has traditionally been passed down through the religious teachers, should be committed to writing, and the Talmud is written.
Christianity, which has been quietly spreading both within and outside of its Jewish roots, has gained popularity by 312, and the Roman Emperor Constantine converts the entirety of the Roman Empire to Christianity .
In 638 AD, Mohammed leads the Islamic conquest of Jerusalem, reportedly angry when the Jews refused to accept him as the last of the prophets. ((To be fair, he DID accept the Jewish prophets as his predecessors.))
In 1096, the Christians sweep through the world destroying everything in their path during the Crusades. The Christians also invented plenty of lies about the Jewish people so that everyone else would be on their side, making the Jews out to be blood-thirsty barbarians who drank the blood of their own children.
In 1348, the Jews are blamed irrationally for the bubonic plague.
In 1478, the Inquisition begins and Jews who converted to Christianity are questioned repeatedly because Christians suspect they are still ((secretly)) Jews.
In 1567, the King of Poland extends an invitation to the Jews and gives them a home, rights, and privileges. A lot of Jews take him up on it. Incidentally, the Polish people were so welcoming and inclusive of the Jewish people that during WW2, many of them protected the Jews at risk of their own lives.
In 1654, the first Jews arrived in America, where they had (and continue to have) a great and important impact on not only the founding and molding of American democracy, but upon American culture as well.
The Jews are pretty well persecuted around the world between 1654 and 1933, when Hitler comes to power in Germany and begins the Holocaust. The rest of the world ignores the facts.
Finally, the US comes to the aid of Europe and helps win WW2, ending the Holocaust. And then, (I think primarily out of shame for being horrible people who wouldn't help when such inhumanities were being committed) in 1948, the State of Israel is declared. Since its founding in 1948, Israel has been in a constant state of war.
***deep breath!***
The Jewish people have a long, complicated and violent history, which, to me, is testament to their perserverance and tenacity in maintaining a tradition that has historically been so underappreciated that it resulted in death for many of its followers.
The question I had for our moreh Joel today was this:
Does belief in Jesus make it impossible for you to be a Jew?
No comments:
Post a Comment