[17] [3] Tension between the xenophobic and xenophilic in postexilic Judaism was finally resolved some two centuries later with the development of a formality of religious conversion, whereby Gentiles who so wished could be taken into the Jewish community by a single, simple procedure. [11] A small group of anti-Zionists remained a significant force in the 1930s and ’40s, but their central organization, the American Council for Judaism, represented the descendants of earlier German Jewish immigrants. Judaism, whether in its "normative" form or in its sectarian deviations, never completely departed from this basic ethical and historical monotheism. [7], Two branches of European Judaism developed during the Middle Ages: the Sephardic, based in Spain and with an affinity to Babylonian Jews; and the Ashkenazic, based in Franco-German lands and affiliated with Rome and Palestine. Judaism permanently lost one of its two pillars--the Temple in Jerusalem--and consequently the religious leadership shifted from the high priests, who were in charge of the Temple service, to the rabbis and scholars, who had always considered the study of the Torah--the other pillar of Judaism--the paramount duty of any Jew. In the international realm of Western religion, Judaism has been welcomed as a partner able to deal with other major religions as an equal on issues such as anti-Semitism, human rights, and world peace. Since the Hebrews and non-Hebrews lived side by side in Mesopotamia, there may have been some borrowing in language or other minor matters. By the seventh century, the demographic and intellectual center of Jewish life had moved from the Land of Israel to Mesopotamia (and, to a lesser extent, Persia), where roughly 75 percent of world Jewry now lived. In Mesopotamia, there were skilled craftsman of all kinds, people who could read and write, an elite cosmopolitan class, and of course an elaborate religious structure. [16] Remarkable is the conversion of the king of Adiabene to Judaism. The number of Jewish residents in Cyprus and in Mesopotamia was also large. Following a brief Sumerian revival with the Third Dynasty of Ur or Neo-Sumerian Empire, Mesopotamia broke up into a number of Akkadian states. Philo mentions Jews who scoffed at the Bible, which they insisted on interpreting literally, and others who failed to adhere to biblical laws that they regarded as mere allegory; he writes too of Jews who observed nothing of Judaism except the holiday of Yom Kippur. Move to the River Plains. As the world’s oldest religion, Mesopotamian beliefs influenced the monotheistic religions that came after, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Its most salient geographical fact was that it lay between Mesopotamia and Egypt. [6] [18] This moment marks the origin of conversion to Judaism for distinctly religious reasons rather than for reasons of politics, culture, or nationalism. [24] [21], Law embraces practically all domains of Jewish life, and it became the principle means by which Judaism was to bring about the reign of God on earth. They ate [23] [24]. [3] In the Jerusalem temple, valuables were seized twice … In Mesopotamian religion, the city god of Girsu. Although Jews constitute only a small fraction of the population of the United States, Judaism plays an important role in American life; with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism it is regarded as one of the major American faiths. By the beginning of the 2nd century, the influence of the Hellenistic Age in Judaea was quite strong; indeed, it has been argued that, if the Seleucids had not forcibly intervened in Jewish affairs, Judaean Judaism would have become even more syncretistic than Alexandrian Judaism. [3] Judaism was now, for all intents and purposes, a Diaspora religion, even on its home soil. The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tefutzah, "scattered," or Galut גלות, "exile") was the result of the expulsion of the Jews from the land of Israel, voluntary migrations, and, to a lesser extent, religious conversions to Judaism in lands other than Israel. [3] [3] [3] The Hebrews, originating in Mesopotamia and enslaved for generations in Egypt, adopted elements of both world views. The original group quickly dissolved, however, and Zunz became the unofficial leader of a generation of scholars dedicated to the Wissenschaft des Judentums ("science of Judaism"). The influence of Mesopotamia on Hebrew Culture is striking; Egyptian influence is less clear. [8], Long after the ancient city of Babylon and the kingdom of Babylonia had ceased to exist, the Jews continued to use the name "Babel" to designate Mesopotamia, the "land of the two rivers." Nevertheless it is not true to say that there is absolutely nothing in common between Judaism and Mesopotamian religion. What is Hanukkah called the Festival of Lights? What are the primary beliefs of Christianity? [14] [14] [19] The Letter of Aristeas, though ascribed to the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (308-246 bce ), was probably composed by an Alexandrian Jew about 100 bce to defend Judaism and its practices against detractors. [18] It has long been debated whether gnosticism originated in the apocalyptic strains of Judaism that were prevalent when the Temple was destroyed in 70. God made several covenant promises with Abraham, telling him that a great nation would come from him, as well as blessing to the world (Gen. 12:1-3; 17:1-8). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all believe in the same God, and base their religions on the same text. - Definition & Meaning, The Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment, UExcel Business Ethics: Study Guide & Test Prep, Principles of Business Ethics: Certificate Program, Introduction to Humanities: Help and Review, Philosophy 103: Ethics - Theory & Practice, English 103: Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, Environmental Science 101: Environment and Humanity, Biological and Biomedical From Mesopotamia to modernity : ten introductions to Jewish history and literature / edited by Burton L. Visotzky and David E. Fishman. [24], This fact immediately raises a question: when and where did this occupational transition happen? Terms & Conditions  | [25] [14] Mesopotamia means "Land Between Two Rivers" Fertile Crescent . Jews sought to establish commonwealths in Cyrene, Cyprus, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Monotheism in Christianity: Definition & Overview, Monotheism: Islam, Judaism & Christianity, People of the Book: Comparing Judaism, Christianity and Islam. [4], Largely owing to the discoveries at Qumrān, many scholars now regard primitive Christianity, with its apocalyptic and eschatological interests, as part of a broad spectrum of attitudes within Judaism itself, rather than as peripheral to Jewish development or to the norm set by Pharisaic Judaism. They asserted that after the first fall of Jerusalem (586 bce ) the ancient "Israelitic" religion gave way to a new form of the "Jewish" faith, or Judaism, as formulated by the reformer Ezra (5th century bce ) and his school. [24], Here we just briefly summarize the two main points to highlight another key novelty of our book: two thousand years ago, the Jews were the majority of the population in Eretz Israel, where Judaism's transformation into a literate religion began. 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