Monotheistic Religions

Annotations:

• Belief of one single God. Around 1950 B.C.E., settling in Canaan Hebrews herded flocks of sheeps and goat. About 1800 B.C.E., Hebrews moved to Egypt, but soon they became the slaves

1. Abraham

   Annotations:

   • Abraham was born about 2000 B.C.E. in the city of Ur. Ur worshiped many gods, but Abraham came to only believe in one god. The relationships between God and Abraham became the foundation of Judaism.
   1. Father of the Hebrews

      Annotations:

      • God went to find Abram when he was an old man. God told him to leave his own country and go to the country that God shown him. Abram obeyed and around 1950 B.C.E. Abram gathered his relatives and head toward Canaan. When Abram was 99 years old God promised him that he will protect and favor his children and generations that will follow him. In exchange Abram and his people will always devote themselves to God. Also the God changed Abram's name to Abraham as a mark of their covenant. 
   2. Bring the idea of Judaism to Hebrews.
   3. Abraham Sacrifice his son

      Annotations:

      • According to Torah, God tested Abraham's faith and obedience many times. During the time it was common to sacrifice animals to honor gods, so one day God told Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham love his son, Isaac, very much but Abraham still brought Isaac up to a mountain to sacrifice his son to proved his faith and obedience. At the last minute, God sent and angel to stop Abraham and promised Abraham that he will make his descendants as many as the stars of heaven.
2. Torah
   1. Historians use it to understood the history of Judaism

      Annotations:

      • History was handed down from generation to generation, then later it was written down.
   2. Historians look at other sources for more information about Judaism
3. Moses
   1. Great Leader of Hebrews

      Annotations:

      • Moses led Hebrews out of the slavery in Egypt. The God brought Hebrews to the "promised land" in the exchange for their faithful obedience.
   2. The Exodus From Egypt

      Annotations:

      • Around 1250 B.C.E., large group of Abraham's generations were living in Egypt where they increased the number very fast. Afraid of their power the pharaoh turn them into slaves. And God heard the cried of Hebrews, so God send Moses to tell the pharaoh to free his people. The pharaoh refused, so God send 10 plagues to Egypt. In one plague God send insects called locusts and devoured the crops. Also another plaque is the water of Nile turned into blood. Finally, God send an angel to kill the first born kid in the Egyptian family including the pharaoh's son. Pharaoh finally allowed Hebrews to leave, but soon pharaoh changed his mind and he send army to chase them. They got close to Hebrews near Red Sea. But Moses raised his staff and he parted the Red Sea.
   3. The Ten Commandments

      Annotations:

      • After Moses lead Hebrews to Canaan. Moses once climb a mountain alone and he carried back two stone tablets, on the tablet there were the Ten Commandments. Some of the commandments were the duties to God. Other were basic moral lesson. 
4. David
   1. Brave Fighter

      Annotations:

      • In 1000 B.C.E, Philistines, a rival tribe, swore to be Hebrew’s slaves if anybody could fight against their best soldier, the giant Goliath. David was brave enough to stand up against the giant with a slingshot. With one powerful throw, David beat Goliath.
   2. United Israel and Judah

      Annotations:

      • After this courageous act, God named David the king and blessed him with his forever kingdoms with future generations. In addition to the defeat of Philistines, King David also united Israel and Judah to become Israel. He focused on powerful central government with the creation of its own army, courts and government officers.
      1. Jerusalem The Capital City

         Annotations:

         • David made Jerusalem for its capital and the center of political and religious life. He served as the chief priest. King David also brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and the Ten Commandments were held there. Later, Jerusalem became the holy city.
5. Solomon
   1. The Great Temple

      Annotations:

      • After King David died, Solomon became the King about 965 B.C.E. Solomon after built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. Where it became the house of the Ark of the Covenant and also the center where Jewish worship. According to the Hebrew Bible, God told Solomon that he will made every know his name.
   2. Other Achievements

      Annotations:

      • Building the templer wasn’t only one of Solomon’s major achievement. Solomon also strengthened the kingdom by increasing the trade and made treaties with other kingdom. Solomon was also famous of his wisdom, some parts in the Hebrew Bible like: The Book of Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes are all attributed to him.

1. Jesus
   1. Birth of Jesus

      Annotations:

      • Most information about Jesus comes from his followers’ or disciples’ writings. Those writing make up the New Testament of Christian Bible. There are four main parts that are called Gospels (good news). Those Gospels are written in Greek and their names are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The purpose of Gospels is to spread the news of Jesus’ life and teachings and discussion that Jesus as a promised Messiah. Those Gospels are written after 30 to 70 years after Jesus died.
   2. Jesus Teaching

      Annotations:

      • Jesus’ teaching started in the villages of Galilee. After becoming famous and having more followers, Jesus began to teach in the street, on hillsides, and by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus spent most of his time with ordinary sick and poor people. Most of his disciples are laborers and fishermen. Jesus based his teaching on Jewish tradition and beliefs. However, he especially focused on love and mercy. Jesus keeps spreading the ideas of the kingdom of God that wasn’t subject to the early kingdom. Instead, people will live in God will and understand that God loves all people. Parables are Jesus’s favorite ways of teaching. They were the small stories about moral or religious messages. In one specific parable, Jesus said, “God would rejoice more for one sinner who had changed his ways than for 99 righteous people who did not need to change.” Because of this kind of teaching, Romans think Jesus is dangerous. However, Jesus never preached revolts against Rome.
   3. The Crucifixion and Resurrection

      Annotations:

      • After a year or two of traveling and preaching. Jesus wants to Jerusalem for the festival of passover. According to the gospel Jesus said that his enemies will soon join together to destroy him. Jesus had gained a large following in Jerusalem which made Roman afraid that his follower might cause trouble, so soon Jesus was order to be executed. Roman took Jesus to a hill side of city wall where they nailed him with two other men. A few faithful followers later took him down and buried him. According to Gospel, it said after three days Jesus raised from the death this event was called the Resurrection.
2. Judea

   Annotations:

   • Judea was once an independent kingdom. It came under to Roman rule in 63 B.C.E. Rome tried to govern the country by appointing the Jewish leader who agreed with Roman rule. However, a group of Jewish rebelled several time. In 37 B.C.E, Rome appointed a person called Herod to be the Jewish King. Herod wasn’t Jewish, but he practiced the Jewish religion and rebuilt their Temple of Jerusalem. However some Jewish distrusted him, because he was the puppet of Romans. Herod died in 4 B.C.E., where he split his land among his three sons, but the unrest began again, so Rome send soldiers to Judea where they regain the control. Rome replaced Herod’s sons with a military government. The military government maintained the order and ensured that the Jewish paid taxes, but he usually left the local affairs to Jewish themselves. Judea was then outwardly peace, but many Jewish doesn’t like Romans. In their sacred writings Jewish read that one day God will send a savior to restore the kingdom that King David create. The savior was then called the Messiah, or “anointed one”
   1. Birthplace of Christianity
3. Pual

   Annotations:

   • Paul came from Tarsus, a town in the present-day Turkey. According to the New Testament, one day when Paul was traveling to Damascus in the present-day Syria. He saw a blending light and the voice of Jesus, a vision which changed his life. The vision that Paul saw made him to adopted the Christian faith and became a missionary.
   1. Missionary Work

      Annotations:

      • Paul made his special mission of converting the non-Jews to Christianity  was called Gentiles. He spent several years visting cities, throughout the Greek speaking world every city he wents, he made new converts and started new churches. In his preaching Pual stressed the need of believing that Jesus was the Son of God. He tuaght people that Jews and Gentiles alike, were all God’s children. Jesus, Paul said, was the God’s chosen one. He was the messiah for everyone not just for Jews. Paul wents to most of the empire, soon his traveling cuased riots. For a time, Paul was imprisoned, but he continued to wrote letters to other Christians. Tradition said that Paul was beheaded around the time of 65 C.E., the time when Roman started to excute Christian believers.
4. Persecution and Triumph

   Annotations:

   • By 60s C.E., more and more Christian preachers began travel around the Rome Empire. However, Christian refused to worship the other Roman Gods. They didn’t believe the emperor was a god decedent. They prefered simple life and spread the message of peace and love. Many of them never participated in the military. Eventually, some Roman emperors punished those Christians because they didn’t believe in Roman gods. However, this kind of persecution never destroyed this new religion. On the other hand, those Christians brought hope and inspiration to people. Eventually, in 313, Emperor Constantine allowed Christians to practice their religion openly. In 395, Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire.