The Rituals, Sacred Text and Concepts of Judaism (Essay Sample)

Judaism
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Judaism
Introduction
Judaism is considered to be among the oldest religions that exist in the world today. It is the origin of Christianity, in fact Christianity is considered to be a branch of Judaism. It can be defined as the cultural religion of the Jews. The religion believes in the existence of one sovereign God who made a covenant with the Jew through their founding father Abraham. The Bible is the major sacred text of the religion which stipulates the religious practice, beliefs and rituals of the religion. This paper will tackle the concept of Judaism, its relationship with God, the history of the religion, the sacred text of the religion, the holy days and the religious rituals and practices.
History of Judaism
Judaism is an amorphous religion with no particular leader that heads it. It has many movements which differ from each other on the interpretation and application of the sacred texts. Judaism began some 3500 years ago in Israel. According to the sacred text of the Old Testament, Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his only son. He was ready to obey the command of God due to his loyalty. This act of willingness showed his love and devotion to God. Judaism was started by Abraham thereby becoming a great leader and the father of the Jewish people. Abraham is known as the first in the line of Judaism to worship God in the Jewish tradition. The Bible shows that Abraham made a covenant with God in which God made a promise that required nothing in return from Abraham. In this text, God told Abraham that He will make a great nation from his descendant. God promised Abraham land, redemption and blessings to his descendant.
The religion dates back to four thousand years ago. It is rooted in the ancient region of Canaan, currently Israel and Palestinian territories. Judaism emerged during the first century. The founding father of the religion is Abraham who made a covenant with God to deliver the people of Israel to the promise land. Judaism is defined by the following characters: monotheism, the belief in a special covenant with God, ethnic and territorial identity, specific laws