Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places.
Judaism is one of the oldest and most influential of all faiths - and despite its modern status as one of the smallest of the world's major religions (with only 14 million adherents), it has been a profound formative influence on two of today's most widespread faiths, Christianity and Islam, as well as a powerful force in the history of ideas.
'Understanding Judaism' is a concise, illustrated introduction that provides an accessible overview of the key themes of Judaism - for example, the sovereignty of the one God, the divine teachings or Torah, and the task of the Jews, or Israel, to be a "light to the nations" (Isaiah 49.6).
The book examines the fundamental tenets of the faith and how it has evolved and diversified over millennia. It also reveals the rich contribution the Jewish diaspora has made to the culture and intellectual life of northern and central Europe, the Mediterranean world and beyond.
Specific topics covered include: the covenant with God; the Bible, the Mishnah and the Talmud; sects, messianic movements, mysticism and the Kabbalah; scholars and rabbinical systems of law and custom; Mount Sinai, Jerusalem and its Western Wall; the Sabbath; the sacred ceremonies of bat mitzvah and bar mitzvah; and major festivals such as Rosh Hashanab, Yom Kippur and Passover.
