Judaism is considered the oldest religion in the western world. The basic beliefs of Judaism can be found in the holy texts, which include the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, as well as rabbinic texts. The central teachings of Judaism are known as the Thirteen Principles of Faith (Almoni, n.d.).
One of the central beliefs of Judaism is the concept of monotheism. The Jewish people believe in a single, all knowing, and all powerful God. This God is not divided into parts, nor does this God share divine powers. According to the Jewish faith, God is also a personal deity, meaning that God listens to human prayers and becomes involved in human events in response (Almoni, n.d.). These beliefs are outlined in the first five points of the Thirteen Principles of Faith.
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"Central Beliefs Of Judaism".
Another belief within Judaism is the importance of the Torah. Those who consider themselves Orthodox believe that the Torah is a direct and accurate representation of the messages that God passed on through Moses (Almoni, n.d.). However, some Jewish groups began to question this in the nineteenth century. Today many Jews choose to adjust or ignore certain sections from the Torah.
A third belief central to Judaism is the concept of justice. Those of the Jewish faith believe firmly in the importance of justice in their everyday thoughts and actions. It is believed that God possesses awareness of human actions, and is able to reward merit and punish transgressions accordingly (Almoni, n.d.).
Jewish people across the various groups within Judaism believe in the concept of Messianic times. During this time, the Messiah will arrive in order to redeem the world (Almoni, n.d.). It also believed that the dead will be resuscitated during this time.
Four distinct factions emerged in response to foreign influences on Hebrew ways at the time of the Second Temple. These factions were the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the Zealots, and the Essenes.
The Pharisees are considered to have laid the spiritual foundation for modern Judaism and therefore are considered the most influential of the four factions (“Ancient Jewish,” n.d.). The Pharisees distinguished themselves from the other factions due to their belief in both the oral and written law passed down to Moses from God. They believed that God gave Moses the knowledge to understand what the written laws meant and how they should be used. This oral law was eventually written down and later became known as the Talmud (“Ancient Jewish,” n.d.). The Pharisees believed that the oral Torah was equal to the written Torah in importance.
The Pharisees also believed in an afterlife after death. They believed that in the afterlife God rewarded the moral and punished the evil. They also believed in the coming of the Messiah, which would usher in a time of peace throughout the world. The Pharisees also believed in the concept of resurrection in the afterlife.
The Pharisees were considered common Jews who selectively accepted the tenets of Hellenism (“Ancient Jewish,” n.d.). They commonly applied priestly laws to individuals who were not priests. They adhered to the principles that were formulated after the destruction of the Temple. This included such things as individual prayer and assembly within synagogues.
While the Pharisees began with a sole devotion to God, their eventual extreme devotion to certain parts of the Jewish law resulted in their conflict with Jesus Christ, who claimed to be the Son of God.
