Religions of the Middle East
October 7th

EXODUS - means "The Departure" (from Egypt)

The exodus was a pivotal event in Judaism. God delivered his chosen people (Israel) from Egypt, where they were being used as slaves.

MOSES

Pharaoh ordered all males born to Israel to be killed. Moses mother did not want her son to die, so she sent him down the river in a basket. He was found by the Pharaoh's daughter and was actually nursed by his biological mother and raised as royalty. He was caught between two worlds because of this (Egypt and Israel) and forced to choose between his new family and his heritage.

Moses married and lived outside of Egypt. One day while wandering around in the desert, he encountered a bush which burned without being consumed. God spoke to him as the bush and called on him to deliver Israel from its oppressors. When Moses asked God his true name, God said "I am who I AM", which translates to something close to Yahweh in Hebrew. The actual lettering in the Hebrew text leaves out the vowels, though - YHWH - so we can't be sure that that is the exact pronunciation.

PLAGUES

God sent Moses to speak to Pharaoh, and God hardened Pharaoh's heart a number of times so that he would not let the Israelites go. Moses was ordered to bring down ten different plagues on Egypt. There were many reasons for this, some of which were:

1. To force Pharaoh to let the Israelites go
2. To make sure Pharaoh would not change his mind about letting the Israelites go
3. To punish Egypt and Pharaoh
4. To spread Yahweh's name and make an example of Egypt and Pharaoh
5. To allow the Israelites to take valuables from the Egyptians as they left as incentive to go - "Please, take anything you like, just go!"

Moses sings a victory song as the Israelites leave: "Who is greater among the gods than Yahweh?" ... "Yahweh is a god of war."

This suggests that there was tacit acknowledgement of the existence of other gods. The belief at the time was that Yahweh was the greatest god.

PASSOVER

The Passover commemorates the Exodus. It is called the Passover because the Angel of Death "passed over" Hebrew households. Jews at the time were instructed to:

1. Paint lamb's blood on their door frames. The blood had to be taken from a lamb without defect, and the lamb itself was eaten.
2. Eat only unleavened bread and bitter herbs
3. Eat dressed for travel (walking stick in hand)

To this day, Jews observe the Passover by eating unleavened bread (symbolizing haste), bitter herbs (the bitterness of slavery), and by reciting the story of the Exodus so that it is not forgotten.

10 COMMANDMENTS

The 10 commandments were so important that God engraved them on two stone tablets with his own finger. Moses actually broke the tablets in a rage after coming down from the mountain because of what his people have done. God made a duplicate pair.

The commandments were:
1. Do not worship other gods.
2. Do not worship idols.
3. Don't misuse God's name (Yahweh).
4. Keep the Sabbath (no work on Saturday, which actually means from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday). Saturday is the seventh day in the Jewish calendar. There was a penalty for breaking the Sabbath - those who did would be stoned to death.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Do not commit pre-meditated murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not commit perjury.
10. Do not covet.

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From: Wednesday, October 16th
To: Monday, October 21st (3pm)

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KOSHER LAWS

The Kosher Laws told the Jews what they could and could not eat. Those animals which were "clean" could be eaten without consequences. Those that were "unclean" could not.

"Clean" animals that may be eaten are:
1. Insects with jointed legs - hopping insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, locusts.
2. Fish with fins and scales - no shellfish or eels.
3. No birds of prey/scavengers/carrion-eaters.
4. Any land mammal with cloven hooves that chews its cud. Chewing cud is a reference to grazing.

The Kosher Laws separated the Jews from the nations around them and prevented them from becoming "secularized". These and other divinely ordained customs (example: they were not allowed to cut beards or sideburns) prevented assimilation.

YOM KIPPUR - means "Day of Atonement"

This day was set aside to pay for leftover sins from the year. Sins were paid for through animal sacrifices.

All animal sacrifices were performed by those of the tribe of Levi. The Levites were the "priest" tribe. Saul lost his kingdom because he tried to perform sacrifices instead of waiting for a Levi priest.

The high priest would sacrifice a bull for himself and his family (he had to be blameless to perform the ceremony for everyone else). Two goats were gathered - lots were cast to see which would be sacrificed, and which would be the "scapegoat". The scapegoat was called "Azazel". A priest would lay hands on the scapegoat's head and transfer sins to him, then send him into the wilderness.

Today Yom Kippur is a day of somber reflection and resolution to do better in the coming year.

DENOMINATONS IN JUDAISM

1. Orthodox
2. Conservative
3. Reformed
4. Reconstruction

Orthodox and Conservative Jews hold conservative views, while Reformed and Reconstruction Jews hold liberal views. Conservative and Reformed Jews lean more toward the middle of the road than the extremes, though.

On homosexuality:
Orthodox and Conservative Jews would say "Homosexuality is a sin."
Reformed Jews would offer gay support groups, but require gays to abstain.
Reconstruction Jews would say "Moses was a homophobe!"

RACISM

Moses married a "Cushite" woman. Cush was what is now Ethiopia. In other words, Moses' wife had black skin.

Miriam was complaining about Moses, and made a racist comment about Moses' wife. God became angry and struck her with leprosy (which made her skin very white - exactly the opposite of Moses' wife, a very fitting punishment for her racist attitude).

Inter-racial marriage is not frowned upon if the one a Jew married held to another culture's customs and/or gods. Inter-faith marriage is what Yahweh doesn't want.

BLESSINGS & CURSINGS

God promised certain blessing for following his commandments. These blessings were:
1. Health
2. Many children
3. Military victory
4. Success in business
5. Wealth
6. Many and healthy livestock and crops
7. National security
8. Rain

God also promised certain curses for disobeying his commandments. These curses were:
1. Sick, few deformed children, livestock and crops
2. Disease
3. Famine
4. Poverty
5. Military defeat
6. Drought

CANAAN

Canaan was referred to as "The Promised Land". It was the land which later became the kingdom of Israel.

God commanded the Israelites to conquer certain cities that were "devoted to destruction" from time to time. These cities were under "The Ban", which meant that:
1. The Israelites could not take personal loot from them
2. Everything had to be killed and burned except for valuables, which went to God's treasury

Achan violated the Ban by hoarding good under his tent and brought down God's wrath on Israel. This particular story illustrates the principle of "group responsibility", which means that one person can cause everyone else to suffer. In this case, Achan's sin caused Israel's defeat against Ai.