Judaism Christianity Islam

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Monotheism  The belief in one all powerful God. Judaism Christianity Islam

Characteristics of Judaism  The father of Judaism = Abraham.  Messiah is yet to come  Jesus was just another prophet.  Torah: Holy Book of Judaism  Sabbath =Saturday = spent in prayer, study, rest, and feasting.  Yahweh = God  Passover = Exodus (escape) from Egypt  The Jewish year includes five major festivals— Passover, Shabuoth, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur —and two minor ones— Hanukkah and Purim.  Bible = main source of ancient history

Judaism  1900 BC – Abraham and his family left Ur and settled in Canaan at the request of Yahweh (god).  According to the Bible, God made a covenant (an agreement) with Abraham.  God promised to make a great nation if they would remain faithful to God.

The Exodus from Egypt (Passover)  The 12 tribes of Israel migrated to Egypt to escape famine. Lived peacefully until Egyptians tried to enslave them.  1200 BC: Moses led his people out of Egypt to escape. Every year during the feast of Passover, Jews celebrate the exodus from Egypt.  God renewed covenant made with Abraham during the exodus. Israelites pledged loyalty to God and God’s laws (The Ten Commandments); God promised a safe return to Canaan.

Islam The Arabian Peninsula  Traced back to as early as 3000 BC  Remote – empires from North could not invade  Nomadic  AD 500: market towns develop.  Most important was Makkah

Muhammad  610 AD: Muhammad experienced a revelation (vision) – he heard a voice calling him to be an apostle of Allah and preach his word.  One God measured worth of people by devotion and good deed. All who believed in God were equal. Live lives in preparation for judgment.  622 is the 1 st year on the Islamic calendar.

The Islamic State  Loyalty to community over tribe.  Wrote everything down in the Quran became the holy scriptures of Islam  Makkah = spiritual capital of Islam.

Beliefs and Practices  Quran shows the basic moral values of Islam  Quran has specific rules guiding daily life: i.e. forbids gambling, eating pork  Church and state are unified under Islam.

Five Pillars of Islam 1) Muslims believe in ONE all powerful God 2) During the month of Ramadan, Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset (ZERO food) 3) Pray FIVE times a day facing Makkah – sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset, evening. 4) Muslims are expected to take ONE pilgrimage (hajj) to Makkah in their lifetime 5) Muslims will donate TWO percent of their wealth (not income) to charity

Christianity  AD 30-AD 33: A Jew named Jesus preached a new message to his fellow Jews and winning over disciples (followers)  Disciples believed he was the Messiah  Roman officials worried – anyone who aroused such public feeling could endanger Roman rule  AD 33: Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, arrested Jesus as a political rebel and ordered his crucifixion.

The Spread of Christianity  Disciples claimed that Jesus had risen from the dead, evidence that he was the Messiah.  Son of God  Those who accepted Jesus and his teaching became known as Christians (Christos is the Greek word for Messiah) and formed churches.  Writings, teaching and stories about Jesus = New Testament of the Bible.

Persecution & Competition  Christians refused to honor the emperor and rejected military service. Romans had Christians killed, or threw these martyrs into stadiums to be killed by wild beasts in front of cheering crowds.  Many fearful of becoming Christian. Also had to compete with polytheistic religions, mystery religions and with Judaism.  AD 200s and 300s Christianity flourished in the Mediterranean world.