1. Chapter 6 – Judaism and Christianity
Section Notes
Video
Origins of Judaism
Origins of Christianity
The Byzantine Empire
Impact of Location and Religion on Istanbul
Maps
The Jewish and Christian Worlds, BC-AD 1453
Jewish Migration after AD 70
Possible Routes of the Exodus
Paul’s Journeys
The Spread of Christianity,
The Byzantine Empire, 1025
The Jewish and Christian Worlds
Close-up
The Glory of Constantinople
Images
Quick Facts
Judaism
Basic Jewish Beliefs
Jesus of Nazareth
The Last Supper
Chapter 6 Visual Summary

2. Origins of Judaism The Big Idea
The Hebrews formed a great kingdom in Israel and started a religion called Judaism.
Main Ideas
The Hebrews’ early history began in Canaan and ended when the Romans forced them out of Israel.
Jewish beliefs in God, justice, and law anchor their society.
Jewish sacred texts describe the laws and principles of Judaism.
Traditions and holy days celebrate the history and religion of the Jewish people.

3. Main Idea 1: The Hebrews’ early history began in Canaan and ended when the Romans forced them out of Israel.
Accounts written by Hebrew scribes describe their early history and the laws of Judaism, the Hebrews’ religion.
Hebrews under Abraham settled in Canaan about 2100 BC.
Some Hebrews later moved to Egypt, where they were enslaved.
About 1200 BC Moses led his people in a journey out of Egypt called the Exodus.
Many years later Israel was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah.
Both kingdoms fell to invaders by 586 BC, and the Jews were scattered outside of Israel and Judah in the Diaspora.
Some Jews returned, but were eventually conquered by the Romans who killed, enslaved, or drove away much of the Jewish population.

4. Main Idea 2: Jewish beliefs in God, justice, and law anchor their society.
The belief in one and only one God is called monotheism.
The Jews believed they were God’s chosen people.
One God
Kindness and fairness in dealing with all other people
Justice
Righteousness
Doing what is proper
Most important are the Ten Commandments
Mosaic law, recorded by Moses, guides many areas of Jews’ daily lives.
Law

5. Main Idea 3: Jewish sacred texts describe the laws and principles of Judaism.
Torah
Most sacred text of Judaism
Five books containing most of the ancient Jewish laws
Also contains history of the Jewish people until the death of Moses
Hebrew Bible
Also called the Tanach
First part: Torah
Second part: Eight books of messages of the Hebrew prophets
Third part: Eleven books of poetry, songs, stories, lessons, and history, with Psalms and Proverbs
Commentaries
Explanations of the Torah and laws by scholars and rabbis, or religious teachers
Especially the Talmud, produced between AD 200 and 600

6. Main Idea 4: Traditions and holy days celebrate the history and religion of the Jewish people.
Jews feel that understanding their history will help them better follow the Jewish teachings.
Traditions and holy days help Jews connect with their past and celebrate their history.
The most important Jewish holy days are Hanukkah, Passover, and the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

7. Jewish Holy Days Hanukkah (December)
Ancient Jews celebrating a victory witnessed lamp oil for one day miraculously burn for eight full days.
Today Jews light candles on eight-armed menorahs and exchange gifts to celebrate the event.
Passover (March or April)
Celebrates the Exodus from Egypt
High Holy Days (September or October)
Rosh Hashanah: start of a new year in the Jewish calendar
Yom Kippur: Jews ask God to forgive their sins.

8. Origins of Christianity
The Big Idea
Christianity, a religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, spread throughout the Roman Empire.
Main Ideas
The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth inspired a new religion called Christianity.
Christians believe that Jesus’s acts and teachings focused on love and salvation.
Jesus’s followers taught others about Jesus’s life and teachings.
Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire by 400.

9. Main Idea 1: The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth inspired a new religion called Christianity.
Many people believe Jesus was the Messiah– a great leader the ancient Jews predicted would come to restore the greatness of Israel.
Jesus’s life and teachings form the basis of a religion called Christianity.
What we know of Jesus’s life is contained in the Bible, the holy book of Christianity.

10. The Life of Jesus
Jesus was born in a small town called Bethlehem at the end of the first century BC.
Jesus’s mother, Mary, was married to Joseph, a carpenter.
Christians believe God was Jesus’s father.
Jesus began to travel and teach when he was about 30, challenging the authority of political and religious leaders.
In or around AD 30 they arrested and tried him. He was executed by crucifixion.
Christians believe in Jesus’s Resurrection, his rise from the dead three days after he was crucified.
After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to some groups of his disciples, or followers, and taught them about how to pass on his teachings.
Then Jesus rose up into heaven.

11. Main Idea 2: Christians believe that Jesus’s acts and teachings focused on love and salvation.
According to the Bible, Jesus performed miracles.
Miracles are events that cannot normally be performed by a human.
The New Testament says that people became Jesus’s followers after seeing him perform miracles.
Parables
Parables are stories that teach lessons.
Jesus taught using parables.
Through parables, Jesus linked his beliefs and teachings to people’s everyday lives.
Message
Love God
Love all people, even your enemies
Salvation, the rescue of people from sin
How people can reach God’s kingdom

12. Main Idea 3: Jesus’s followers taught others about Jesus’s life and teachings.
Twelve men whom Jesus chose to receive special teaching
Sent by Jesus to spread his teachings
Continued teaching after the Resurrection
Led by Peter after Jesus died
The Apostles
Accounts of Jesus’s life and teachings written attributed to his disciples
New Testament contains four by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Best source of information about Jesus’s life
The Gospels

13. Paul
Paul is probably the most important person in the spread of Christianity.
Paul never met Jesus.
At first he worked against the spread of Jesus’s message.
According to the Bible, Paul experienced an event which caused his conversion to Christianity.
After his conversion he traveled spreading Christian teachings and wrote letters to communities throughout the Roman world.
After he died he was named a saint, a person known and admired for his or her holiness.

14. Main Idea 4: Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire by 400.
Christians wrote down and distributed the Gospels and other teachings.
Local Roman officials challenged the spread of Christianity.
Christianity was banned by emperors during the 200s and 300s.
Local Christian leaders led each Christian community. Leaders, or bishops, of larger cities had more influence, especially the bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. As the pope’s influence grew, Christianity spread throughout Rome.
Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and removed bans against its practice.
Eventually, Christianity spread from Rome all around the world.

15. The Byzantine Empire The Big Idea
The Roman Empire split into two parts, and the eastern Roman Empire prospered for hundreds of years after the western empire fell.
Main Ideas
Eastern emperors ruled from Constantinople and tried but failed to reunite the whole Roman Empire.
The people of the eastern empire created a new society that was very different from society in the west.
Byzantine Christianity was different from religion in the west.

16. Main Idea 1: Eastern emperors ruled from Constantinople and tried but failed to reunite the whole Roman Empire.
Constantinople was built on the site of the ancient city of Byzantium and became the center of the Roman Empire.
Justinian ruled from 527 to 565.
His army conquered Italy and more land around the Mediterranean.
Justinian’s enemies tried to overthrow him in 532.
Riots in the streets almost made Justinian leave Constantinople.
His wife, Theodora, helped him find a way to end the riots and stay in the city.
Following invasions by barbarians, Persians, and Muslims, later emperors lost all the land Justinian had gained.
Constantinople was captured by Ottoman Turks in 1453, ending the eastern Roman Empire.

17. Main Idea 2: The people of the eastern empire created a new society that was very different from society in the west.
After the death of Justinian, non-Roman influences took hold throughout the empire.
Gradually, the empire lost its ties to the old Roman Empire, and a new society developed.
Byzantine Empire is what modern historians call the society that developed in the eastern Roman Empire after the western empire fell.

18. The Byzantine Empire Influences Language Philosophy Government
Location: The site of Constantinople was originally a Greek trade center.
Trade: Merchants from all over Europe, Asia, and Africa traded in Constantinople.
Influences
The eastern empire’s language was Greek.
Language
Philosophy
Greek philosophy was studied by scholars.
Eastern emperors liked to show their great power.
The emperor was the head of the church as well as the political ruler.
Government

19. Similarities Between East and West
Main Idea 3: Byzantine Christianity was different from religion in the west.
Similarities Between East and West
Most people who lived in the Byzantine Empire were Christian.
Byzantine artists created beautiful works of religious art, such as mosaics, pictures made with pieces of colored stone or glass.
They also built magnificent churches, such as Hagia Sophia.

20. Differences Caused Division
West
Western services performed in Latin.
Western priests not allowed to marry.
East
Eastern services performed in Greek.
Eastern priests allowed to marry.
The Christian Church officially split in the 1000s.
Eastern Christians formed the Orthodox Church.

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