An Introduction to Judaism for AP World History

Religion shapes the daily lives of individuals, but it also shapes the events of history. If you are going to understand the events of world history, then you need to know about the world religions. This page will teach you the basics of Judaism for AP World History. Click through the slides to read about Judaism. At the end, there is a short video to watch too!

Abraham

Abraham was a shepherd living in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) around 2000 BCE. One night, God visited him and told him to go to Canaan (modern Israel/Palestine). God said Abraham would have children, and his descendants would become God’s chosen people. Abraham led his people to Canaan, and they lived there for about 400 years.

Moses

Around 1600 BCE, there was a great famine in Canaan. Abraham’s descendants moved to Egypt to find food. The Egyptians enslaved them. Around 400 years later, they were freed by Moses. He took them back to Canaan. 

There are many stories about Moses and the time in Egypt. Sources outside of the Bible have not verified these stories. We do know that Abraham’s descendants did not build the pyramids. The pyramids were built by Egyptians around 2500 BCE.

Israel

In Canaan, they became a powerful nation called Israel. They made Jerusalem their capital city and built a temple to God. Unfortunately, this rich land was constantly under attack.

In 722 BCE, the Assyrians conquered the land. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians took over, but the Persian Empire soon replaced them. The Greeks controlled the area starting in 322 BCE. The Israelites won independence in 167 BCE, but the Romans moved in in 63 BCE. Rome maintained control of Israel for around 400 years. Throughout the foreign invasions, many Jews fled Israel for other places.

Beliefs of Judaism

1. God chose a group of people called the Hebrews

2. he said that if they followed his laws and worshipped him. he would protect them

3. the Jews have a special relationship with God

4. God gave people free will

5. humans were created in the image of God

6. Jews must follow the books of the Hebrew Bible, such as the Torah

Big Ideas About Judaism

1. it was the first major monotheistic religion

2. it is both a religion and a cultural system

3. Judaism led to Christianity and Islam

World Religions

Want more information about the world religions you need to know about for the AP World History exam? Check out the links below!

Buddhism

Christianity

Confucianism

Hinduism

Islam

Judaism

Unit 1:The Global Tapestry

AP World History

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