The result: The Jewish Course of Why. Judaism is known for its rational basis, as a place where questions are freely asked and ideas are freely debated. It is that spirit of questioning and discovery that you will encounter in The Jewish Course of Why.
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Jewish studies (or Judaic studies; Hebrew: מדעי היהדות, romanized: madey ha-yahadut, lit. 'sciences of Judaism') is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism.
The Hebrew people lived in the lands outside of the promised land for "forty years". This period of years represents the time it takes for a new generation to arise (Numbers 32:13). Several early Hebrew leaders and kings are said to have ruled for "forty years", that is, a generation.
The origins of Judaism date back more than 3500 years. This religion is rooted in the ancient near eastern region of Canaan (which today constitutes Israel and the Palestinian territories). Judaism emerged from the beliefs and practices of the people known as “Israel”.
No background or prior knowledge is necessary. Judaism, in addition to being a vibrant religion in its own right, is the parent religion of both Christianity and Islam. One cannot understand the origins of these religions without understanding their roots in Judaism.
In Hebrew, the number "seven" has the same consonants as the word for completeness or wholeness.
It has had significance in almost every major religion. In the Old Testament the world was created in six days and God rested on the seventh, creating the basis of the seven-day-week we use to this day. In the New Testament the number seven symbolizes the unity of the four corners of the Earth with the Holy Trinity.
Most of the Jewish population was exiled to Babylon, but some Jews remained. About 150 years later (539 BCE), the Persians conquered Babylon and permitted the Jews in exile to return to Israel and authorized the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Israelite tradition identified YHWH (by scholarly convention pronounced Yahweh), the God of Israel, with the creator of the world, who had been known and worshipped from the beginning of time.
Judaism is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age.
For Jews, Jerusalem is at the core of their faith and their world. According to Jewish tradition, all of creation began in Jerusalem. Other key events are believed to have happened in this important city, including: Abraham showed he was prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac, at Mount Moriah.