The Middle East

1
The Middle East

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• And
• The Roman Empire

2
I. Judaism religion of the Jewish people

• Also known as The Chosen People or in ancient
  times, as the Hebrews or Israelites
• Founded by Abraham - 2,000 B.C.E.
• Monotheism belief in one God
• 1. Yaweh originally, a mountain/war/
• storm god
• 2. evolved into Jehovah
• 3. Ethical Monotheism belief God judges
  your life, your choice of good over evil. Your
  behavior (ethics) determines status after death

3

• C. Abraham led the Hebrews out of Mesoptamia to
  Canaan and Egypt.
• D. Abraham fathered Ishmael with the slave woman
  Hagar (his wife, Sarah, was childless)
• E. Sarah finally produced a son, Isaac.
• F. Isaac fathered Jacob, renamed Israel
• G. Jacob fathers Joseph which will lead to the
  Egyptian Captivity

4
II. Moses and the Egyptian Captivity

• 1500 B.C.E., Moses performs the 10 plagues to
  free the Hebrews
• 1. Passover the Angel of the Lord passed
  over the houses of the Hebrews but killed the
  first born of all others
• 2. Pharoh lets them go, but then pursues them.
  The Hebrews cross the Sea of Reeds and escape.
• B. The tribe travels for 40 years, and Moses
  receives the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai (Mosaic
  Law)
• 1. Ark of the Covenant holds them
• C. Claimed Canaan as their Promised Land

5

• D. King David makes Jerusalem the capital of
  Israel
• 1. places the ark inside the temple
• III. Twelve tribes of Israel
• Israel divided at the death of King Solomon
• 1. Tribes of Judah and Benjamin in south, the
  other 10 in the north
• 2. Its from Judah that we get the names
  Jews and Judaism
• B. 722 BCE, Assyria attacks and carries off the
  10 tribes. Most modern Jews descended from Judah
  and Benjamin branches

6

• Babylonian Captivity 536 586 BCE
• Diaspora Romans conquer Israel, try to force
  Jews to worship Caesar, 70-132 A.D.
• 1. Jews rebel
• 2. temple destroyed, Jews killed if they go to
  Jerusalem
• 3. Jews disperse around the world, preserved as
  a people by their religion
• F. Jewish homeland 1948 after WWII, world
  powers create a Jewish state in Israel

7
Torah 1st five books of the Old Testament
8

• Special case to hold the Torah.

9
Mezuzah

• Attached to doorpost on the right side. Inside,
  on paper, are the last words of Moses to his
  people.

10
Shofar

• Rams horn blown during synagogue service a
  call to penitence.
• Also used during Rosh Hashana (New Year festival)

11
Menorah

• Miracle of lights or Chanukah.
• Celebrates the defeat of the Syrian Greeks in 165
  B.C.E.

12
Star of David

• Named after King David, the Star of David is the
  symbol of Judaism around the world. It also
  represents eternal light.

13
IV. Basic beliefs

• Kosher food no pork, no shell fish, no mixing
  of meat and dairy products. Animals must be
  slaughtered by Rabbis (teachers)
• Sabbath sunset on Friday til sunset on
  Saturday. No work.
• Circumcision sign of the covenant between
  Abraham and God
• Bar Mitzvah coming of age for a Jewish boy age
  13
• Kippah small round hat worn by men

14
Jewish symbols

• Menorah

• Yaweh

• Star of David

• Mezuzah - contains the
• Shema
• You shall love the Lord your God with all your
  heart and with all your soul and with all your
  might. Take to heart these instructions with
  which I charge you this day. Impress them upon
  your children. Recite them when you stay at home
  and when you are away, when you lie down and when
  you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and
  let them serve as a symbol on your forehead
  inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and
  on your gates.

15
I. Christianity

• Jewish people promised a MESSIAH annointed one
• GOSPELS good news written by Mathew, Mark,
  Luke, John (1st 5 books in New Testament)
• Joshua Ben Joseph (Jesus) born in Bethlehem, grew
  up in Nazareth
• Left carpentry and chose 12 Apostles (disciples)
  to follow him
• Jesus accepted 10 Commandments but added to them

16

• 1. People should love God above all else and
  love others as they love themselves
• 2. Gods love is more important than mans
  laws
• 3. Jesus is the link to re-establish love
  between God and Mankind (Kingdom of God on Earth)
• 4. God forgives sinners IF they repent and we
  must forgive each other as well

17

• F. Death of Jesus
• 1. claimed he was the Son of God, entered
  Jerusalem for Passover (30 AD)
• 2. Priests thought Jesus was a revolutionary
  that would anger Rome
• 3. Rome saw him as a rebel leader
• 4. Jesus was tried before Pontius Pilate,
  Roman gov. of Judeah found guilty and sentenced
  to be crucified
• 5. Jesus rose from the dead, stayed 40 days,
  then ascended to heaven

18

• 6. Most Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, so
  Apostles took message to gentiles (non-Jews,
  starting with Greeks)
• a. Christos means Messiah in Greek
• 7. Resurrection became main Christian message
  receive eternal life if you accept Jesus and
  repent of sins
• G. Saul of Tarsus
• 1. tax collector, hated Christians
• 2. on the road to Damascus, a light blinded
  him and the voice of God spoke to him

19

• 1. changed name to Paul
• 2. Spread Christianity said Jesus was a
• universal Messiah, not just for Jews,
  who
• would soon return and judge human race
• 3. Pauls Epistles (letters) part of New
  Testament
• H. Christianity spread thru out Roman Empire
• 1. cost nothing, accepted everyone who
  practiced charity and good works
• 2. receive everlasting life
• 3. appealed to poor and oppressed suffer
  in this life, receive heavenly award after death

20

• Church Organization
• 1. none at first expected Jesus back
  right away
• 2. organization developed over the years,
  evenutally replaced the fallen Roman empire
• 3. Catholic Church headed by Pope
• a. All Popes considered the successor
  to the apostle Paul, have broad powers
• 4. Council of Nicaea in 325 AD said the
  Trinity are all ONE God

21
Christian symbols

• The Alpha Omega the beginning and the end

22

• The Chi Rho is one of the most ancient "sacred
  monograms" of Christ. They were developed by
  early Christians as a secret sign of their faith.
  This monogram is composed of the first two Greek
  letters of the word "Christ" (XPICTOC).

23

• The Easter lily, a particular variety which
  blooms in spring from a seemingly lifeless bulb,
  has become symbolic of Christ's Resurrection

24
The initial letters of the Greek phrase "Jesus
Christ, Son of God, Savior" form the Greek word
ICHTHUS, which means "fish." This symbol was
used by believers in the early days of
persecution as a secret sign of their shared
faith. One person would draw an arc in the sand,
and the other would complete the sign to show
his brotherhood in Christ.
25

• The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is
  taken from the story of Jesus' baptism, where the
  Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove.
  The three-rayed nimbus (halo) around its head
  identifies the Spirit as a member of the Trinity.
  A dove shown without the nimbus is a symbol of
  peace.

26
(No Transcript)