Talk

overview of Judaism

God created Adam. From Adam's rib came Eve. Adam and Eve had the son's Cain and Abel. Somewhere down the line Noah shows up. When Noah is 600 years old the flood comes and he builds an ark and loads up 2 of every species.

Abraham son of Terah brother of Lot has two sons. Isaac through his wife Sarah. Ishmael through Sarah's handmaiden Hagar. Ishmael and Hagar are sent away to modern day Mecca where they estabilish the beginning of modern day Arabs.

Abraham is later asked by God to sacrifice his son. Just when he is about to sacrifice his son God sends a ram. Abraham's son Isaac has two sons. He confers the lineage of Abraham on his son Jacob. Jacob changes his name to Israel and claims to have seen and spoken to God. Israel has two wives and several concubines. He has 12 sons (hence the 12 tribes of Israel). His favorite son is Joseph.

Joseph's half brothers sell him into slavery. He ends up in Egypt and is thrown in prison for resisting the sexual advances of the pharoah's wife. In prison he earns the reputation for interpretting dreams. He interprets the Pharoah's dream to mean 7 yrs of famine, 7 yrs of plenty and finally 7 yrs of famine. Helping the prophet earns him the title of vizier of the kingdom. There is reconciliation with the family and Israel proclaims the line through him.

Some time passes. The pharaoh is alarmed by rapid spread of the children of Israel. He decrees that all hebrew male children must be thrown into the Nile. This is where Moses enters the picture. The Pharaoh's daughter takes pity on a baby floating on the Nile and rears him. Moses ends up in a conflicting situation where he takes the side of the Hebrews agains the Egyptians. God then approaches Moses and tells him to take the children of Israel out of Egypt. God tells Moses his name "YHWH". The word is not pronouncible. Only the high priest of the temple was allowed to pronounce it. Modern day Jews side step the issue by using "Our Lord" or "the Name" instead.

Moses returns to the Pharaoh and asks him "to let my people go". The Pharaoh refuses and Egypt is sent 10 plagues (one for each time he refuses). The Pharaoh lets Moses and his people go. They encounter a sea of Reeds (however people take this to mean the Red Sea). Moses parts the "Red Sea" and the people are delivered to Israel.

Once in the Sinai Moses climbs Mt. Sinai and receives the Ten Commandments. The interesting note here is (Exodus 19:19 - 19:24) God tells Moses not to let the other people and priests (besides Aaron) ascend the mount lest they be overwhelmed by God.