Religions Around the World

Judaism, which is 3,500 years old, is the oldest of the monotheistic religions. Jews believe that God made a covenant (known as the first covenant) with Abraham that he would be the father of a great people if he followed God’s instructions. Jews believe that God renewed the covenant that he previously made with Abraham with Moses (second covenant), who led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt to Mount Sinai. God also revealed a set of rules that Jews should live by, the most famous of which is known as the Ten Commandments.

     The Jewish holy book is called the Torah and is comprised of the first five books of the Bible. Jews also believe in the oral Torah, called the Talmud, which is the most significant collection of oral interpretations of the Torah. The Talmud was primarily compiled in ancient Babylonia (modern-day Iraq). Jews believe that both were given to the Prophet Moses.

Jewish people pray and study in Senagogues, and practise rituals and give sacrifices in Temples