Development of Judaism

Describe one example of the teaching of the founder/earliest followers of Judaism.

• One teaching of the founder of Judaism was the 10 Commandments.
• Moses received the 10 Commandments on stone tablets from God on Mount Sinai.
• The 10 Commandments contain the 10 ways of how to live a good life.
• The Temple was built by Solomon to house the Ark of the Covenant (stone tablets that contained the 10 Commandments).
• The 10 Commandments are how God wants the Jews to live their lives.
• Outline how the teaching of the founder/earliest followers influences the way members live today in Judaism.
• Jews today obey the 10 Commandments as they live their lives everyday.
• The 10 Commandments are the moral principles in the Jewish religion.
• If a Jew breaks a commandment, it damages their personal relationship that they have with God.
• Jews follow the 10 Commandments to live good lives.

Name a person or a group who played an important part in the growth of the Jewish religion

King David.

Outline the way in which the person played an important part in the growth of the Jewish religion

• King David established the Kingdom of Israel and he was considered the most powerful leader in the Jewish history.
• King David encouraged the Jewish people to worship God everyday and have faith.
• King David's son Solomon built the Temple which became the holiest and most sacred place in the history of the Jewish religion.
• Jews wanted God to send a Messiah like King David to free them from foreign rulers.

Name one part of the world associated with the founding story of the Jewish religion

Canaan

Describe the way people lived in the part of the world you have named above at the time the Jewish religion began.

• The Jewish religion began around 4000 years ago.
• At this time, the people living in the land of Canaan were nomadic.
• Families lived in tribes and wandered from place to place in search for shelter and food.
• The sheikh was the oldest member of the tribe and also the leader of the tribe.
• Most of the time, the tribes tried to find a settlement near rivers or lakes so they would have access to water for drinking, cleaning and catching fish.
• The travelling tribes were always on the verge of starvation.
• The people gathered berries and hunted animals for their meat.
• The people were polytheists which means that they believed in many Gods.

Name one key person/group of people associated with the founding story of Judaism.

Abraham.

Explain why the person you have named is important in the founding story of Judaism.

• Abraham is the founder of Judaism.
• A founder is the person who established the religion.
• God revealed himself for the first time through Abraham and this is known as the revelation.
• Abraham had a vivid dream and a mental image of something important, that God spoke to him in his heart.
• God revealed that there was only one God and that he was good, fair and just.
• He revealed his name Yahweh and God told Abraham to go on a journey across the Fertile Crescent.
• Abraham brought his grandfather and his son Isaac on the journey.

Outline one way in which the story of the earliest followers influences members today in Judaism.

• God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on stone tablets on Mount Sinai.
• The 10 Commandments are the moral principles in the Jewish religion.
• The Jews try to obey the 10 Commandments to live good lives and to live as God wants them to live.
• If a Jew breaks one of the commandments, they will damage their personal relationship with God.