Semitic Religions of West Asia

Important Religions of the World

• Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam are important religions that originated in West Asia and are known as Semitic religions.
• These religions are spread across many countries worldwide.

Characteristics of Religions

• A religion is a set of rules that includes:
  • Belief in one God
  • Belief in a messenger of God
  • A holy book written by the messenger
  • Following specific do's and don'ts
  • Conducting mass prayers in a specific place

Judaism

• Judaism is a religion with followers called Jews, and their language is Hebrew.
• Abraham was the forefather of Judaism, and Moses was their messenger.
• The history of Jews dates back to around 3000 years ago in Israel, where ten to twelve tribal groups engaged in continuous fights.
• David defeated Goliath and became the ruler, and his son Solomon built a huge temple in his kingdom.
• The kingdom was split into two after King Solomon's death in 931 BCE: Israel and Juda.
• Jews faced invasions from Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, leading to their dispersion across the world.

History of Jews (continued)

• In 538 BCE, Cyrus, the Achaemenid of Persia, gave Jews back their kingdom and allowed them to live in peace.
• Jews rebuilt their temple and wrote their religious texts, Torah, during this period.
• Jews faced further troubles, including invasions by Alexander, the ruler of Macedonia, and later, Adolf Hitler, who killed 60 lakh Jews during World War II.
• After World War II, the UN formed Israel as a separate nation for Jews, giving them their homeland after 3000 years.

Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)

• The Hebrew Bible has three divisions: Law, Writings, and Moses' writings.
• Christianity and Islam adopted many of these writings.

Ten Commandments of Judaism

• Do not have any other gods.
• Do not make or worship idols.
• Do not disrespect or misuse God's name.
• Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
• Honour your mother and father.
• Do not commit murder.
• Do not commit adultery.
• Do not steal.
• Do not tell lies.
• Do not be envious of others.

Zoroastrianism

• Zoroastrianism was founded by Zarthustra in 6th century BCE in Persia.
• Parsis, as they are called, settled in India during Muslim invasions and are more in number in India compared to other parts of the world.
• Zoroastrianism has influenced India, and Parsis have made significant contributions to the economy, army, and freedom movement.
• The holy book 'Zend Avestha' contains Shlokas called "Gatha".