Judaism Founder Quiz and Flashcards

Study Notes

Judaism's roots can be traced back to prophets who explained the tenets of the religious tradition to the people.
Abraham is considered a vital figure in Judaism, as he was the first person to be addressed by God as the founder of His people.
Abraham was born around Ur in Mesopotamia and was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to prove his faith, but God prevented him from doing so.
Abraham is revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the three religions are often referred to as Abrahamic religions.
However, Moses is credited with founding Judaism as a belief system, leading the Israelites out of Egypt and introducing the system of laws, including the Ten Commandments.

Ruth and Naomi are examples of strong women who followed Jewish law and demonstrated loyalty and justice.
Ruth was originally not a Jew but converted to the religion after marrying Naomi's son.
Ruth's loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, is famous, and she vowed not to abandon her until the death of one of them.
Naomi, too, was loyal to her daughter-in-law and put her well-being ahead of adherence to the law on at least one occasion.

David, who began as a shepherd, demonstrated his faith in God by killing the giant Goliath and became king of Israel and Judah, uniting the two halves of the Jewish world.
David was a good ruler but not perfect, making mistakes, yet he was wise and thought to have written the book of Psalms.
David's Kingdom of Israel and Judah was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Jews were displaced, leading to the importance of writing down the oral teachings of Judaism, known as the Oral Torah or Mishnah.
Yohanan ben Zaccai was instrumental in writing down the Mishnah, ensuring the survival of Jewish traditions and unity.