Judaism is one of the oldest & most influential of all faiths & it has been a profound formative influence on both Christianity & Islam. Understanding Judaism is a concise illustrated introduction to this ancient religion. It traces the connections between past & present to show why the religion is a powerful shaping force in the world today
- from the forging of the special relationship or covenant that God is believed to have entered with the Jewish people to the diaspora & the maintenance & evolution of this faith through three millennia. All the major aspects of Judaism are featured such as the Pharisees & other early sects the importance of Moses the Hebrew Bible messianism the Talmud synagogues Hasidism Zionism the kabbalistic tradition rites of passage the sabbath festivals the cultural contribution of the diaspora & relations with Christianity & Islam. The book also
Includes:: special documentary sections presenting summaries of key texts.