Chapter 5: Judaism Summary and Analysis

Of all the world's major religions, Judaism is thought to be the oldest. It can be dated back 3,200 years to the exodus from Egypt. The Jewish Bible is called the Tanakh stemming from its three consonants - T, N and K which stand for Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim. Torah is defined as law or teaching and refers mainly to the first five books of the Jewish Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Nevi'im focuses on the prophets. Ketuvim referred to the rest of the Bible.

Judaism is based on two concepts: the idea of one God and the idea of human dignity. This melding of ideas is sometimes referred to as "ethical monotheism" (p. 176). Both Christianity and Islam originate from Judaism.

Torah: The Teaching

The Torah represents the teaching aspect of Judaism. The first books of the Bible...