Assignment: Journal Reflection
Israel's religious stories, cult, temple, priesthood, laws, and kingship have extensive detailed parallels with non-Israelite religions in Canaan, Egypt, and elsewhere in the ancient Near East. How much influence did these early religious traditions have on the formation of Judaism and later on Christianity and Islam?
How are religious laws (code) and rituals (cult) operative in the religious tradition you are most familiar with? Do they, too, partly serve to draw boundaries and foster group identity?
Some have criticized Judaism's concept of Jews being God's chosen people. Why do you think some might criticize this idea? Do you think the criticisms are valid or not?
How are the stories of the Hebrews understood by contemporary Jews? The content of the Hebrew Bible forms the foundation for three major Western religions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Stories of creation, the great flood, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets fill the pages along with prayers and poetry. So how do these texts remain relevant in the twenty-first century? In the Jewish tradition, how is scripture read and interpreted? How do rituals and worship reflect the creed and code of ethics of modern Jews?
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