1. The Struggle to Preserve Judaism
Chapter 12
The Struggle to Preserve Judaism

2. 12.1: Introduction Hebrew Kingdom
Split into two after the death of King Solomon
Hebrews were less likely to fight off invaders
Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE
Their leaders were taken to Mesopotamia
Judah was invaded by the Babylonians in 597 BCE
King Nebuchadrezzar laid siege to Jerusalem
Hebrews fought off the siege until their food ran out

3. In 586 BCE, Nebuchadrezzer burned down Solomon’s great Temple of Jerusalem and all of the houses in the city
Most of the people of Judah were taken as captives to Babylon
This time was the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora
Never again would most of the followers of Judaism be in the same homeland
Despite this the Jews were able to keep Judaism alive

4. 12.2: The Central Beliefs and Teachings of Judaism
Monotheism
Belief that there is only one God
Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion
Teaches that God is all-powerful and all-knowing
God is the source of morality
Jews believe that it is their solemn duty to honor and obey God
Jews believe that they have a personal relationship with God

5. Following God’s Law God’s law is central to Jewish life
Oldest laws are the Ten Commandments
Tell how to honor God
Keep one day holy
Laid down laws of right and wrong
“You shall not steal”; “You shall not murder”
Over time Jewish leaders developed a much larger set of rules
How to prepare food
What foods should be avoided
Development of religious practices
Celebrating Passover

6. Equality and Social Justice
Hebrews did not view their leaders as gods
Judaism teaches all people who keep the laws are equal in God’s sight
Even kings had to obey God’s laws
Social Justice
There are many stories and sayings in the Torah teach about treating everyone fairly
Caring for the less fortunate people in society is a basic value of Judaism

7. The Importance of Study
The study of the Torah is very important
Jews study interpretations of the Torah made by scholars and rabbis
At first, interpretations of the Torah were passed down orally
In 200s CE, Jewish scholars began writing the Talmud
Contains oral tradition along with learned commentaries
Became the basic source of Jewish law
Later rabbis wrote their own commentaries on both the Torah and the Talmud

8. 12.3: Foreign Domination and Jewish Diaspora
Rule by the Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks
Babylon
Hebrews lived there for a half a century
Prophets encouraged the people
This is when the Hebrews became known as the Jews
Babylonians called them “Judaeans”, which was shortened to “Jews”

9. Persians
In 539 BCE, Babylonians were conquered by the Persians
The Hebrews were released from captivity by Cyrus
Some returned to Judah to rebuild the temple
Others stayed in Babylon
Greeks
Tried to force the Jews to worship idols of the Greek gods in their temple
In 164 BCE, the Hebrews started a war that lasted 27 years

10. In 164 BCE, the Jews drove the Greeks from Jerusalem
They reclaimed and repurified the temple
This is the celebration of Hanukkah
Rule by the Romans
88 years after the war with the Greeks, Judah was an independent kingdom
In 63 BCE, they were conquered by the Romans
Romans brutally executed more than 50,000 Jews
They did allow the Jews to practice their religion and govern some of their own affairs

11. In 22 BCE, King Herod was allowed to rule in Judah
He planned to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem on a grander scale than Solomon’s
Took 46 years to complete
In 66 CE, the Jews rebelled against the Romans
Were able to keep the Romans out of Jerusalem for 3 years
In 70 CE, Titus led an army of 60,000 against the Jews
The Jews fought back, but were outnumbered
The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the great temple
All that remains is one western wall – it’s sacred

12. The Roman victory began the final scattering of the Jewish people
Romans seized their land and refused to let Jews from entering Jerusalem
Some Jews remained in Israel, but thousands were sent to other parts of the Roman Empire

13. 12.4: Preserving and Passing on the Teachings of Judaism
Jews were scattered among many gentile, or non-Jewish lands.
Rabbi Yohanan ben Zaccai
Helped preserve Judaism
After the revolt against Rome in 66 CE, he urged Jews to surrender in order to save Judaism.
Approached the Romans for help
Faked his death to be smuggled out of Jerusalem to met with Vespasian, a Roman general.

14. He asked to start a Jewish school in the town of Yavneh with other rabbis.
Yavneh became the center of Jewish life after the fall of Jerusalem.
Ben Zaccai and 71 other rabbis created a new religious lawmaking body.
Yavneh became a training ground for other rabbis.
Teachers came from around the world to study.
Shared what they learned
Rabbis made sure that the Jews still had leaders to guide them.

15. New Teachers and Practices
New practices ensured that teachings of Judaism would be passed on
Normally, only religious leaders were allowed to read from the Torah.
Yavneh rabbis decided that any adult male could read from the sacred text.
Jews no longer needed a trained leader to learn about Jewish history and law.
Synagogue was made more important in Jewish life.
House of worship
Place to study, hold meetings, and social gatherings

16. Jews were told to build a synagogue wherever there were at least 10 adult male Jews.
Strengthened the community and their faith
In 1948, Israel was created in part of the lands ruled by David and Solomon.
Jews from other countries began to settle in Israel.