Judaic Controversy

Judaism is one of the three most influential monotheistic religions in world history, along Christianity and Islam, the largest and second-largest religious movements. Hebraism comprises the collective ethnic; spiritual; cultural, and legal traditions of the Hebrews (Jewish people) having originated as an organized religion in the Canaan land of the Hittites during the Bronze Age.

Historical records testify to the existence of ‘Paleo-Hebrew’ alphabet (also known as Proto-Hebrew or Old-Hebrew, found in inscriptions of Canaanite languages, pre-Biblical and Biblical Hebrew) from the 10th century BC to the late Second Temple period (lasting to AD 70, after which, the language developed into ‘Mishnaic Hebrew’. Noteworthy that from about the 6th century BC until the Middle Ages, many Jews spoke ‘Aramaic’ (a related Semitic language).

Nearly all of the Hebrew Bible is written in ‘Biblical Hebrew’, with much of its present form in the dialect that scholars believe flourished around the 6th century BC, during the time of the Babylonian captivity.

The Hebrew Bible is organized into three main sections: the Torah (or “Teaching,” also called the Pentateuch or the “Five Books of Moses”); the Nevi?im (or Prophets; and the Ketuvim, or Writings). It is often referred to as the Tanakh (a word combining the first letter from the names of each of the three main sections).

The origins of Jewish faith are explained throughout the Torah. Whereby, it is believed that God made a special covenant with Abraham and that he and his descendants were chosen people who would create a great nation.

His grandson Jacob took the name "Israel", and his children and future generations became known as "Israelites". More than 1,000 years after Abraham, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, when, God revealed his laws, known as the "10 Commandments", at Mt. Sinai.

The Tanakh outlines a 'Code of Laws' (also referred to as the Pentateuch). Other important manuscripts were composed in later years. Around AD 200, scholars compiled the Mishnah, which describes and explains the Code previously orally communicated. Later, the Talmud was created, containing the Gemara that examines the Mishnah; includes interpretations of thousands of Rabbis and outlines the importance of 613 commandments of Jewish law. The first version of the Talmud was finalized around the 3rd century AD; with the second form completed during the 5th century AD. Judaism embraces other texts and commentaries, such as the 13 Articles of Faith, by Maimonides, posthumously acknowledged as one of the foremost Rabbinic philosophers in Jewish history.

The largest Jewish ethnic groups are the “Ashkenazi”, “Sephardi” and “Mizrahi” communities. There are other smaller sects, but these are the largest divisions as they each represent a group of Jewish people who migrated during the Diaspora in the 1st and 2nd Century AD.

Today, Israeli Jews are near-evenly split into Ashkenazim (45%), and Sephardim or Mizrahim (48%).

Judaism is characterized by its rich culture and traditions. Its main three branches are Orthodox (including Hasidism); Conservative, and Reform, though many formulated their own informal version of Judaism (i.e. Conservative; Reconstructionist, and Humanistic).

Mizrahi (alternatively referred to as “Oriental Jews”), are a grouping of Jewish communities that remained in the Middle East and are of Middle Eastern ancestry.

Sephardi (alternatively referred to as “Spanish Jews”), are diaspora population associated with the Iberian Peninsula, who were forced to convert to Catholicism or face expulsion from Spain after 1492, whose ancestors lived in Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Ashkenazi (also known as “Ashkenazic Jews”), constitute a Jewish diaspora population that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium AD. They traditionally spoke Yiddish, and whose ancestors largely lived towards northern and eastern Europe during the late Middle-Ages.

Persian Jews (alternatively referred to as ”Iranian Jews”, one of the oldest communities of the Jewish diaspora. Dating back to the biblical era, they originate from the Jews who relocated to Iran during the time of the ‘Achaemenid Persian Empire’ (Persian Jews are not Sephardic in descent).

Ethiopian Jews (alternatively referred to as “Beta Israel”), a Biblical, pre-Rabbinic Jewish community that lived for centuries in the area of the ‘Kingdom of Aksum’ and the ‘Ethiopian Empire’ (modern-day Amhara and Tigray regions). They have the Torah (Written Law) but not the Talmud (Oral Law), and their language is not Hebrew, but Ge'ez. Their leaders are Priests (kohanim) rather than Rabbis.

Moroccan Jews (alternatively referred to as “Maghrebi Jews”), an ancient community dating to Roman times that lived in Morocco. Jews began immigrating to the region as early as 70 AD. Sephardi Jews came in greater numbers, and so largely contributed to the Jewish settlements that the pre-existing Jews were assimilated into.

Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly interrelated, as Judaism is an ethnic religion, although racially; and traditionally divers. To this end, Jewish people observe several important days and events in history, such as:

Passover, is a celebration of freedom from slavery in Egypt, specifically, refering to the biblical story of when the Hebrew God “passed over” houses of Jewish families and saved their children during a plague that was said to have killed all other first-born babies in Egypt. This holiday, which typically occurs in March or April, lasts seven or eight days.

Rosh Hashanah, is a celebration of the birth of the Universe and humanity during this holiday, which is also known as the Jewish New Year. It generally falls during the months of September or early October.

Yom Kippur, is “Day of Atonement” considered the holiest day of the year for Jews who typically spend it fasting and praying. It also falls during the months of September or October.

Rosh Hashanah, is 10 days ending with Yom Kippur (also known as the High Holidays; Days of Awe, or Yamim Noraim). The High Holy Days are considered a time of repentance for Jewish people.

Hanukkah, is a celebration, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” lasts eight days during late November or December. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees defeated the Syrian-Greeks over 2,000 years ago.

Purim, is a joyous holiday, occurring in the month of March, celebrating a time when the Jewish people in Persia were saved from extermination.

“Science” has been at the center of important scientific discovery since its founding in 1880, with seed money from ‘Thomas Edison’. Today, Science continues to publish the very best in research across the sciences, with articles that consistently rank among the most cited in the world. Science published on January 12, 1894:

“Modern Jews the descendants of three different races, the Hittites, the Aryan Amorites and Semitic nomads.” Felix von Lyschan

Yet 'Joshua' (Moses' assistant in the books of Exodus) in the Fifth Book the Pentateuch is purported calling to:

“Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their Gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 20:17–18)

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Food for thought!

For more read: Ephron The Hittite and Abraham & The Hittites