Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the
Hebrew יהודה, Yehudah, "
Judah";
[1] in Hebrew: יַהֲדוּת, Yahedut, the distinctive characteristics of the Judean eáqnov
[2]) is the
religion of the
Jewish people. In 2007, the world
Jewish population was estimated at 13.2 million people—41% of whom lived in
Israel.
[3]Judaism is a
monotheistic religion based on principles and ethics embodied in the
Hebrew Bible (
Tanakh), as further explored and explained in the
Talmud and other texts. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still being practiced today. Jewish history and the principles and ethics of Judaism have influenced other religions, such as
Christianity,
Islam and the
Bahá'í Faith.
In modern Judaism, central authority is not vested in any single person or body, but in sacred texts,
traditions, and learned
Rabbis who interpret those texts and laws. According to Jewish tradition, Judaism begins with the
Covenant between
God and
Abraham (ca. 2000 BCE), the
patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Throughout the ages, Judaism has adhered to a number of
religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single,
omniscient,
omnipotent,
benevolent,
transcendent God, who
created the universe and continues to govern it.
According to Jewish tradition, the God who created the world established a
covenant with the
Israelites and their descendants, and revealed his laws and
commandments to
Moses on
Mount Sinai in the form of both the
Written and
Oral Torah. Judaism has traditionally valued
Torah study and the observance of the commandments recorded in the Torah and as expounded in the
Talmud.
