Judaism was the original of the three Abrahamic religions, which also includes Christianity and Islam. There are around 14 million Jewish people living around the world, with most of these living in the USA (around40%) and Israel (around 40%).
   Orthodox Judaism maintains that the Torah and Jewish law are divine in origin and so eternal and unalterable by man. Ortodox followers insist that they should be strictly followed. Conservative and Reform Judaism are more liberal, with Conservative Judaism in general promoting a more "traditional" interpretation of Judaism's requirements than Reform Judaism. A Reform position would typically be that Jewish law should be viewed as a set of general guidelines rather than as a set of non-negotiable restrictions and obligations whose observance is demanded of every single Jew.
  • Judaism began in the Middle East region over 3500 years ago
  • The formation of Judaism is attributed to Moses, however the Jewish faith traces its history back to Abraham.
  • Jews believe that there is only one God.
  • Jewish people believe that they should keep God’s laws and try to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives in appreciation of all his good works.
  • There have been many important texts concerning Judaism, but the most important religious document is the Torah.
  • The halakhah is the traditional or oral law of the Torah.
  • The spiritual leaders of Judaism are called Rabbis.
  • The place of worship for Jews is the Synagogue.
   There are many people who identify themselves as Jewish without necessarily believing in, or observing, any Jewish law because there is no formal distinction between Jewish race and religion. Therefore Jewish people can be described as an ethnoreligious group. Judaism has a historical continuity of more than 3,000 years. Judaism has its roots as a structured religion in the Middle East as far back as the Bronze Age. Judaism is closely linked with the lands of Palestine and the country of Israel.