Where does judaisiam origanaly come from?

Judaism originated in the ancient Near East, in the land of Canaan, which is now Israel and Palestine. The Israelites, the ancestors of the Jewish people, were a Semitic people who migrated to Canaan from Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium BCE. They settled in Canaan and developed their own unique culture and religion, which became Judaism.

Egyptian Captivity and the Exodus

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for many years. They were eventually led out of Egypt by Moses, who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. The Israelites then wandered in the desert for forty years before they finally entered the land of Canaan.

The United Kingdom of Israel

The Israelites established a monarchy in Canaan and ruled as a united kingdom under King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. During the reign of Solomon, the Israelites built the First Temple in Jerusalem.

The Divided Kingdom of Israel

After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided into two parts: the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. The Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE, and the Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

The Babylonian Captivity and the Second Temple

The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and exiled many of the Israelites to Babylon. The Israelites were eventually allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, which was completed in 516 BCE.

Hellenistic Period and Hasmonean Dynasty

The Jews came under the influence of Hellenistic culture after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE. This led to a period of conflict between the Jews and the Seleucid Empire, which ruled over Judea from 198 to 142 BCE. The conflict culminated in the Maccabean Revolt, which led to the establishment of the Hasmonean Dynasty, a Jewish kingdom that ruled Judea from 142 to 63 BCE.

Roman Rule and the Destruction of the Second Temple

The Hasmonean Dynasty was eventually overthrown by the Romans, who ruled Judea from 63 BCE to 324 CE. The Romans allowed the Jews to practice their religion, but they also imposed heavy taxes and discriminated against them. In 66 CE, the Jews revolted against the Romans, but the revolt was crushed in 70 CE. The Romans destroyed the Second Temple and expelled the Jews from Jerusalem.

Diaspora and Rabbinic Judaism

After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jews dispersed throughout the world, a phenomenon known as the Diaspora. They established Jewish communities in many different countries and developed a new form of Judaism known as Rabbinic Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism is based on the teachings of the rabbis, who were Jewish scholars and teachers.

The State of Israel

In 1948, the State of Israel was established as a homeland for the Jewish people. The State of Israel is a modern, democratic country that is home to over 9 million people, the majority of whom are Jewish.