world. It is the oldest living religion in the Western world. Historically, Judaism served as the

model for Christianity and Islam, the other two great monotheistic religions, which together with

Judaism claims half the world's population as followers.

The basic source of Jewish belief is the Hebrew Bible (called the Old Testament by Christians)

especially its first five books called the Torah or the Pentateuch. The Torah was traditionally

regarded as the primary revelation of God and his law to humanity. It is considered as valid for all

time. Its laws were clarified and elaborated in the oral Torah, or the tradition of the elders, and

were eventually written down in the Mishnah and Talmud. Thus Judaism did not stop developing

after the bible was completed. The traditional Jewish Prayer book is an important result of

The study of Torah is also considered an act of worship in rabbinic Judaism. Passages from

scripture Mishnah and Talmud are recited during daily morning services. On Monday and

Thursday mornings, a hand written parchment scroll of the Torah is removed from the ark at

century BC and climaxed in the outbreak of an unsuccessful revolt against Rome in AD 66-67.

dietary laws, legislation guaranteeing support of the poor as a matter of right, and protection of

Judean political independence was brought to an end by Roman legions in the middle of the 1st

Israelite religion was kept pure of paganism through the strenuous efforts of the prophets. Unlike

itself as dependent on God for its livelihood and responded with sacrificial offerings of gratitude.

Many 19th-century scholars held that monotheism gradually emerged out of Polytheism, the

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)