Monotheistic Religions

Annotations:

• A monotheistic religion only has one god, as opposed to polytheism, which is the worship of multiple gods.

1. Judaism

   Annotations:

   • Judaism was the first monotheistic religion, and the ancestor of the jews was a man called Abram. Other important leaders include Moses, David, and Solomon.
   1. Origins

      Annotations:

      • Resources - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQfqhctZPfR793LSGwbMG0igZYtUYshvv76jiOnPGowFJmeeagyMu-MeiiOtlue_ORdMQomcSGCR4PA/pub
      1. Important Leaders
         1. Abraham

            Annotations:

            • The father of the Jews was called Abram, who originally had lived in Ur, Mesopotamia in around 2000 B.C.E. According to the Torah, God met Abram who was 75 years old, and told him to go to a country, which is Canaan, on the coast of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. Abram listened to God, and went there with his relatives. When Abram was 99 years old, God made a covenant, or agreement between him and Abram, that marked the beginning of Judaism
            1. Covenant

               Annotations:

               • The covenant included the agreement that God  would always love and protect his descendents, and Abram promised they would always be devoted to God. Then God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of many"
         2. Moses

            Annotations:

            • Moses was a Jewish leader important for freeing the Jews from Egypt, and acquiring the Ten Commandments.
            1. Exodus

               Annotations:

               • Because of a famine in Canaan in around 1800 B.C.E., the Israelites moved to Egypt, where they were enslaved. Moses, an Israelite leader freed the israelites and returned them to their homeland, Canaan.
               1. Ten Plagues

                  Annotations:

                  • Moses, an Israelite leader, tried to convince the pharaoh to release the enslaved Israelites, but failed. To free the Israelites, Moses cast ten plagues on Egypt, and in the end the pharaoh agreed to free them.
               2. Red Sea

                  Annotations:

                  • The pharaoh changed his mind as Moses led the Israelites away, and sent soldiers to chase them. Moses used his staff to open up the Red Sea, and the Israelites safely crossed. The soldiers chased them, but Moses closed the sea, and they all drowned.
            2. Ten Commandments

               Annotations:

               • After fleeing Egypt, called the Exodus, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they finally returned to Canaan. During this time, Moses acquired the ten commandments, which became the basis teachings and laws for Judaism. 
         3. David

            Annotations:

            • David killed the Goliath, which was a warrior of the neighboring enemy people, the Philistines. After killing him, David became the king of the Israelites, and united the people into a kingdom of Israel. David then made Jerusalem the holy capital city, and he brought the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments to Jerusalem.
            1. Ark of the Covenant

               Annotations:

               • A chest containing the Ten Commandments, and moved to Jerusalem by King David. However, the location of the Ark of the Covenant is now unknown.
         4. Solomon

            Annotations:

            • King Solomon, son of King David supervised the construction of the First Temple of Jerusalem, which housed the Ark of the Covenant. Jerusalem and the temple became the symbol of faith for the Jewish people.
   2. Teachings

      Annotations:

      • The Jewish teachings are recorded in important books, such as the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament in Christianity.
      1. Following Jewish Teachings

         Annotations:

         • Jewish teachings are recorded in books such as the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. The ten commandments formed the basis for these teachings. These teachings govern how people should behave and treat others.
      2. Equality and Social Justice

         Annotations:

         • Equality and social justice are two morales important to Judaism. Teachings include helping the poor, and that all people are equal.
      3. Importance of Study

         Annotations:

         • Studying is an important part of Judaism. Study and interpretation of the Hebrew bible by rabbis and scholars became the Talmud.
      4. Monotheistic Beliefs

         Annotations:

         • Monotheism is the belief of one supreme God.
   3. Preservation

      Annotations:

      • The Jewish Disapora, which spread the Jews from their homeland, made preserving the Jewish religion difficult. Rule by foreign empires made practicing the religion even harder.
      1. Jewish Diaspora

         Annotations:

         • The Jewish Diaspora started in 597 B.C.E. with the invasion of Judah, and the siege of Jerusalem in and the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C.E. by the Babylonians
         1. Greek Rule

            Annotations:

            • After Persian rule ended, Greeks started to rule. Because that a Greek ruler, named Antiochus IV, forced them to worship Greek gods, they rebelled and forced the Greeks out by 174 B.C.E. For 100 years, the Jews were independent.
         2. Persian Rule

            Annotations:

            • The Persians conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C.E., and their rule was kindest to the Jews. The Persian king, Cyrus, et the Jews practice Judaism, return to Jerusalem, and rebuild their temple, the Second Temple.
         3. Roman Rule

            Annotations:

            • Roman rule started in 63 B.C.E. In 22 B.C.E., king Herod was appointed ruler of the region. He oversaw the expansion of the second temple, which took 46 years. In 66 C.E., Jews started a rebellion, but in 70 C.E., the Roman general Titus broke through the walls and destroyed the Second Temple. In 135 C.E., a failed revolt meant that the Jews were not allowed to live in Jerusalem, and were spread across many lands.
2. Christianity

   Annotations:

   • Christianity is a monotheistic religion that branched out from Judaism. The main difference between Christianity and Judaism is that in Christianity, the followers believe that Jesus is the messiah that God sent. In contrast, in Judaism, they believe that the messiah has not arrived. Jesus is only a prophet.
   1. Origins

      Annotations:

      • The religion of Christianity originated from a region called Judea, on the southeastern Mediterranean coast.
      1. Persecution

         Annotations:

         • Romans distrusted this new religion of Christianity and started to persecute it in around 60 C.E.
         1. Paul

            Annotations:

            • Paul was a Jew before he converted to a Christian, and became a missionary. He started churches and converted many people to the religion, helping its growth. Paul was beheaded by the Romans in 65 C.E. 
         2. Growth

            Annotations:

            • The way that Jews faced death bravely made more and more people to follow Christianity, and followers grew to millions by 300 C.E.
      2. Acceptance

         Annotations:

         • The Romans changed from persecuting Christians to making Christianity the official religion, a huge change.
         1. Constantine

            Annotations:

            • Emperor Constantine began his rule over the Roman Empire in 280 C.E. Because of a victorious battle, he started to believe in the Christian religion. He issued the Edict of Milan in 313 C.E., which legalized Christianity. 
         2. The Official Religion of Rome

            Annotations:

            • In 380 C.E. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
      3. Life of Jesus

         Annotations:

         • The belief that Jesus was the son of God made his followers spread his teachings, which branched out to become the religion of Christianity. He called his followers disciples. After his death, four people wrote of his life, which became the Four Gospels. 
         1. Crucifixon and Resurrection

            Annotations:

            • Jesus went to Jerusalem for the passover, but as he gained more and more supporters, the Romans, in fear that he would revolt, made the decision to crucify him. A few days later, some of his followers claim to see him Resurrect, and go to heaven.  The people that believe in the Resurrection spread his teachings.
         2. Early Life

            Annotations:

            • Jesus's mother Mary, lived in the town of Nazareth. According to the Gospel of Luke, an angel appeared to her and said that she will give birth to a child. At that time, the Roman emperor Augustus ordered a census, so Mary and her husband, Joseph, returned to their home town of Bethlehem. Soon after they arrived, she gave birth to Jesus. In 24 C.E., John the baptist identified Jesus as the messiah, and after praying in the wilderness, he started to preach.
         3. Teachings

            Annotations:

            • His teachings emphasized on love and mercy, which included,"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul," and "you shall love your neighbour as yourself." His teachings sometimes angered other people.
            1. Parables

               Annotations:

               • Parables are short stories Jesus told his followers to explain a moral lesson, such as "Be patient, be productive; Treat everyone as your neighbor."
         4. Four Gospels

            Annotations:

            • The four Gospels include the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of John.
   2. Teachings
      1. Holy Trinity

         Annotations:

         • The holy trinity is the belief that God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
      2. Resurrection and Salvation

         Annotations:

         • The belief that Jesus rose from the dead is what is known as the Resurrection. The belief that God can forgive people of their sins and give them eternal life is salvation.