Vocabulary
A leader prophesied to restore Israel's greatness. Jews hoped for this; Christians believe Jesus was this.
What is Messiah?
This is the most sacred text in Judaism. It contains five books of laws and the history of the Hebrews until Moses's death.
What is the Torah?
This is the belief in only one God. Judaism is the oldest known religion to practice this.
What is monotheism?
This was the scattering of Jews outside of Israel and Judah after they were conquered and exiled from their homeland.
What is the Diaspora?
Jesus used these simple stories with moral lessons to teach people about God's love, forgiveness, and salvation.
What are parables?
A Jewish religious leader responsible for teaching Judaism. After the temple was destroyed, these leaders helped maintain the faith.
What is a rabbi?
These writings are found in the New Testament. They record the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
What are the Gospels?
These laws were given to Moses by God on stone tablets. They taught the Israelites to worship only one God and to value human life, self-control, and justice.
What are the Ten Commandments?
This group of Jews led a rebellion against Rome in AD 66 because they refused to obey Roman officials and wanted self-rule under Jewish law.
Who were the Zealots?
This ceremony in Christianity is when believers eat bread and drink wine in memory of Jesus's last supper with his disciples.
What is the Eucharist?
Treating someone badly or punishing them because of their beliefs. Both Jews and early Christians experienced this under Roman rule.
What is persecution?
This collection of commentaries, folktales, and stories was written by Jewish scholars to help people understand and analyze the laws in the Hebrew Bible.
What is the Talmud?
This is the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion.
What is the Resurrection?
This event happened in AD 70 after the Jewish rebellion failed. It changed Judaism forever because Jews could no longer worship at a central location.
What is the destruction of the Second Temple?
Early Christians used this symbol to identify each other safely when they were meeting in secret to avoid persecution.
What is the fish?
An agreement or promise between God and a group of people. God made one with Abraham, promising to make his children into a mighty nation.
What is a covenant?
The most important text in the Jewish faith.
What is the Torah?
This Christian belief teaches that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God. Paul of Tarsus helped introduce this idea.
What is the Trinity?
These were followers of Christianity who chose to die rather than give up their faith when Roman emperors outlawed the religion and began punishing believers.
Who were the martyrs?
This Roman emperor converted to Christianity in the early 300s. He ended the persecution, legalized the religion, and built great churches.
Who was Constantine?
This term describes Jews descended from those who moved to Spain and Portugal. They mixed with non-Jewish neighbors and contributed to a golden age of art and science.
Who are the Sephardim?
These ancient texts were discovered in 1947. Written by Jewish scholars about 2,000 years ago, they contain commentaries and stories about ancient Jewish life.
What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Name THREE Jewish holidays and explain what each one celebrates.
Passover – Celebrates the Jews' flight from slavery in Egypt during the Exodus
Hanukkah – Commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem during the Maccabees' revolt against the Greeks
Rosh Hashanah – Celebrates the Jewish New Year
Yom Kippur – When Jews ask God to forgive their sins
Describe TWO ways Judaism changed after the Second Temple was destroyed and Jews were banned from Jerusalem.
Jews built local synagogues instead of worshipping at one central temple
They appointed rabbis to be religious leaders responsible for teaching Judaism
Two major Jewish cultures developed: Ashkenazim (France, Germany, Eastern Europe) and Sephardim (Spain, Portugal)
Jews maintained traditions through holidays and holy days like Passover and Hanukkah
Name THREE ways Christianity spread from a small movement in Judea to a major world religion.
Apostles – Jesus's 12 main followers spread his teachings after his death
Paul of Tarsus – Traveled widely, wrote letters explaining Christian beliefs
Church organization – Bishops led local communities; the Pope became leader of the whole church
Constantine's conversion – Legalized Christianity, ended persecution
Theodosius I – Made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire
Thinkers like Augustine – Blended philosophy with Christian doctrine