World Religion CPT
JUDAISM AND ISRAEL
Judaism (Main Beliefs)
People of the Jewish faith hold a worldview and way of life which is defined within the framework of Yahweh, People, Covenant, Law/Torah, Land and Observance (5 Touchstones of Jewish Faith). Yaweh is the he name God reveals to Moses. He is a God who
is compassionate and merciful, but capable of great anger when his rules for moral and ethical behaviour are violated. The Chosen People are people are chosen for a special mission to bring the light and blessing of Yaweh to all nations. The covenant is a binding and sacred agreement between Yaweh and his chosen people. Though the different branches of Judaism differ as to how to interpret Jewish Law from the Torah, all agree that the law is central to Jewish life. The land of Canaan or present day Israel is believed to be promised to the Jewish people by God in his covenant with Abraham. Jewish people observe the laws in the Torah as a form of dedication to Yahweh. The law requires Jews to follow certain dietary restrictions and to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest.
Israel (Basic Facts)
Modern day Isreal, which declared independence in 1948, borders the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, the Red Sea, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon in the Middle East.Isreal has experienced conflict with its neighbours, mainly Arab and Muslim countries, since its founding. It has an area of 20,770 sq km and 7,821,850 (july 2014 est.) The capital is Jerusalem, although all international embassies are in Tel Aviv. The ethnic group breakdown is 75.1% Jewish and 24.9% non-Jewish (mostly Arab). The religious group breakdown is 75.1% Jewish, 17.4% Muslim, 2% Christian, 1.6% Druze and 3.9% other religions.
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