42 Introduction

Judaism arises from the religious practices and traditions of an ancient nomadic people known as the Hebrews who lived in the land surrounding the Eastern Mediterranean. The Hebrews were distinguished from their geographical neighbors through their faith in Yahweh (YHWH) which they saw as a high God above all other gods. This pattern of belief is called henotheism and is found in polytheistic societies throughout the world. Over time, the Hebrews came to see YHWH as the one and only true God and abandoned the worship of other gods. This pattern of belief is called monotheism, an exclusive focus on a single God.

Hebrews identified certain members of their group as those who had the ability to communicate directly with God. These individuals were seen as prophets who could return the people to God’s favor. God revealed his commandments to the prophets. He promised certain rewards in return for the obedience of the Hebrews. These agreements between God and His people are known as covenants. The story of God’s covenants with his people is recorded in their sacred text, the Torah: the first five books of the Hebrew bible. Over time, the emphasis on covenants transformed Hebrew religion from henotheism to ethical monotheism – the worship of a single God by following His commandments. Because of the central role that covenants played in Judaism, the narrative history of the Hebrews/Israelite is important to Jewish identity. For Jews, their narrative history shows God’s reward for staying true to the covenants, and God’s punishment for breaking them.