ts belief in a single, universal God is based on the revelations of the supernatural God with the human prophet Moses. A definition of Judaism in the Encyclopedia Britannica observes the following:By emphasizing the difference between the human and divine natures. Judaism differs from other creeds which also stress the Unity of God, e.g., Unitarianism and Islam, for these faiths assign to Jesus and Mohammed respectively a higher grade than that which Judaism concedes to Moses. On the other hand, Judaism differs from theoretical systems of ethics by reason of its historical, ceremonial and racial elements. (Encyclopedia Britannica, p.166)Specifically, Moses is regarded not simply as a prophet of God to whom the Law was revealed, but also as a liberator of the Hebrew peoples; as such, he is an historical figure and not a superhuman one.The covenant with God that Moses reveals to the Hebrew peoples, after having spoken face to face with God declares them to be the chosen people of God. This belief remains the center of the Jewish religion today. The Mosaic covenant has had to be periodically renewed, as it was during the more than one thousand years between the time of Moses and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. This means not only the continuing adherence to the Law, (which was based on the earlier Noachian Law ordering abstinence from adultery, murder, robbery, and other sins), but a renewal of the very special relationship between God and the Chosen People. The sacred book of Judaism, the Torah, comprises the Old Testament of the Bible as well as other prophetic texts regarded as divine by Islamic faith. Although the Jewish people are distinct as a race, they do accept converts from other races and religions, and regard their religious teachings as representing universal truths which will ultimately be accepted by all mankind.The essential teachings of Judaism are simpler than the wide range of biblical and ritual law mi...
