"developed from the 17th century onwards. For example, in Asia, no one before the 19th century self-identified as a ""Hindu"" or other similar identities. With the existence of diverse modern categories of religion such as monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, nontheism and diverse specific religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Taoism, Buddhism and many others, it is not always clear to whom the criticisms are aimed at or to what extent they are applicable to other religions. Some criticisms of monotheistic religions have been: Dennett and Harris have asserted that theist religions and their scriptures are not divinely inspired, but man made"
"including a familiar ""piyyut"" (liturgical song) entitled ""Usherers of Mercy"", recited before and after Rosh Hashanah in Selichot (Jewish penitential prayers). The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh is the Jewish scriptural canon and central source of Jewish law. The word is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the three traditional subdivisions of the Tanakh: The Torah (""Teaching"", also known as the ""Five Books of Moses"" or ""Pentateuch""), the Nevi'im (""Prophets"") and the Ketuvim (""Writings""). The Tanakh contains 24 books in all; its authoritative version is the Masoretic Text. Traditionally, the text of the Tanakh was said to have"
"Tanakh. Every book of the Tanakh is represented except for the Book of Esther; however, most are fragmentary. Notably, there are two scrolls of the Book of Isaiah, one complete (1QIs), and one around 75% complete (1QIs). These manuscripts generally date between 150 BCE to 70 CE. The New Testament has been preserved in more manuscripts than any other ancient work of literature, with over 5,800 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts catalogued, 10,000 Latin manuscripts and 9,300 manuscripts in various other ancient languages including Syriac, Slavic, Gothic, Ethiopic, Coptic and Armenian. The dates of these manuscripts range from c. 125"
"Torah Torah (; , ""Instruction"", ""Teaching"" or ""Law"") has a range of meanings. It can most specifically mean the first five books (""Pentateuch"") of the 24 books of the Tanakh, and is usually printed with the rabbinic commentaries ('). It can mean the continued narrative from the Book of Genesis to the end of the Tanakh (Malachi), and it can even mean the totality of Jewish teaching, culture and practice, whether derived from biblical texts or later rabbinic writings. Common to all these meanings, Torah consists of the origin of Jewish peoplehood: their call into being by God, their trials"
"Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible, also called the Tanakh (; , or ; also ""Tenakh"", ""Tenak"", ""Tanach"") or Mikra, is the canonical collection of Jewish texts, which is also the textual source for the Christian Old Testament. These texts are composed mainly in Biblical Hebrew, with some passages in Biblical Aramaic (in the books of Daniel, Ezra and a few others). The form of this text that is authoritative for Rabbinic Judaism is known as the Masoretic Text (MT), and is divided into 24 books, while the Protestant Bible translations divide the same material into 39 books. Modern scholars seeking"
"the text. Each book of the ""Tanakh"" is divided into parts, each of which is preceded by a description of the chapter’s division and literary style and a general explanation of the portion. In addition, each book contains a general introduction aimed at clarifying general issues within the text, such as the dating of its authorship, its historical background, parallels to other biblical books, an explanation of various repeating phrases or personas, and the like. Editors of the series included Yehuda Elitzur of Bar-Ilan University, the International Bible Contest champion and Bible scholar Amos Hakham, Sha’ul Yisra’eli and Mordechai Breuer."
"Noach (parsha) Noach, Noiach, Nauach, Nauah, or Noah (, Hebrew for the name ""Noah"", the third word, and first distinctive word, of the parashah) is the second weekly Torah portion (, ""parashah"") in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes The parashah tells the stories of the Flood and Noah's Ark, of Noah's subsequent drunkenness and cursing of Canaan, and of the Tower of Babel. The parashah has the most verses of any weekly Torah portion in the Book of Genesis (but not the most letters or words). It is made up of 6,907 Hebrew letters, 1,861 Hebrew"
"the 2nd century BCE. In modern usage, ""Torah"" can refer to the first five books of the Tanakh, as the Hebrew Bible is commonly called, to the instructions and commandments found in the 2nd to 5th books of the Hebrew Bible, and also to the entire Tanakh and even all of the Oral Law as well. Among English-speaking Christians the term ""The Law"" can refer to the whole Pentateuch including Genesis, but this is generally in relation to the New Testament where ""nomos"" ""the Law"" sometimes refers to all five books, including Genesis. This use of the Hebrew term ""Torah"""
"of the codex. Complete Tanakh: These are complete editions of the Tanakh, usually in one volume (but sometimes also sold in three volumes). They do ""not"" include the masoretic notes of the Aleppo Codex. Complete online Tanakh: Partial editions: Aleppo Codex The Aleppo Codex ( Keter Aram Tzova or Crown of Aleppo) is a medieval bound manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. The codex was written in the city of Tiberias, in what is currently northern Israel, in the 10th century C.E., and was endorsed for its accuracy by Maimonides. Together with the Leningrad Codex, it contains the Ben-Asher masoretic tradition,"
"the revelation at Sinai, since it is impossible to read the original text without pronunciations and cantillation pauses. The combination of a text ( ""mikra""), pronunciation ( ""niqqud"") and cantillation ( ""te`amim"") enable the reader to understand both the simple meaning and the nuances in sentence flow of the text. The Tanakh consists of twenty-four books: it counts as one book each Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah and counts the Twelve Minor Prophets () as a single book. In Hebrew, the books are often referred to by their prominent first word(s). The Torah (תּוֹרָה, literally """"teaching""""), also known as the"
"Ethel Jenner Rosenberg. Torah Torah (; , ""Instruction"", ""Teaching"" or ""Law"") has a range of meanings. It can most specifically mean the first five books (""Pentateuch"") of the 24 books of the Tanakh, and is usually printed with the rabbinic commentaries ('). It can mean the continued narrative from the Book of Genesis to the end of the Tanakh (Malachi), and it can even mean the totality of Jewish teaching, culture and practice, whether derived from biblical texts or later rabbinic writings. Common to all these meanings, Torah consists of the origin of Jewish peoplehood: their call into being by"
"with Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism, accept both traditional and secular approaches to Bible studies. ""Jewish commentaries on the Bible"", discusses Jewish Tanakh commentaries from the Targums to classical rabbinic literature, the midrash literature, the classical medieval commentators, and modern day commentaries. Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible, also called the Tanakh (; , or ; also ""Tenakh"", ""Tenak"", ""Tanach"") or Mikra, is the canonical collection of Jewish texts, which is also the textual source for the Christian Old Testament. These texts are composed mainly in Biblical Hebrew, with some passages in Biblical Aramaic (in the books of Daniel, Ezra and"
"down into four stages – Mishnah, Tannaitic literature, Amoraic literature and Talmudic literature. Understanding the evolution of these documents and the original intent of their authors leads to a whole new perspective on the study of Talmud. Tanakh is studied in light of the position that: ""A passage does not depart from its simple meaning"" or the ""Peshat."" Students acquire the skills and ability to study classical commentary and learn to utilize contemporary literary and linguistic methods for deeper insight into Tanakh. Many students follow a Tanakh Yomi or ""daily Bible"" class which finishes learning the entire Tanakh in one"
"as binding the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or Talmud. When interpreting the Tanakh, Karaites strive to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning (""peshat"") of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning, but rather the meaning that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Israelites when the books of the Tanakh were first written. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on the legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in the Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaite Judaism holds every interpretation of"
"known versions (Septuagint, Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch) is closest to the Urtext is not fully determined. ""Tanakh"" is an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: Torah (""Teaching"", also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (""Prophets"") and Ketuvim (""Writings"")—hence TaNaKh. The books of the Tanakh were passed on by each generation and, according to rabbinic tradition, were accompanied by an oral tradition, called the Oral Torah. The three-part division reflected in the acronym ""Tanakh"" is well attested in the literature of the Rabbinic period. During that period, however, ""Tanakh"" was"
"on a body of scriptures, some of which are considered to be the word of God—hence sacred and unquestionable—and some the work of religious men, revered mainly by tradition and to the extent that they are considered to have been divinely inspired, if not dictated, by the divine being. The sacred scriptures of Judaism are the Tanakh, a Hebrew acronym standing for ""Torah"" (Law or Teachings), ""Nevi'im"" (Prophets) and ""Ketuvim"" (Writings). These are complemented by and supplemented with various (originally oral) traditions: ""Midrash"", the ""Mishnah"", the ""Talmud"" and collected rabbinical writings. The Tanakh (or Hebrew Bible) was composed between 1,400"
"prophethood and the Day of Judgment. It is regarded as containing teachings and laws for the Israelites which was taught and practiced by Moses and Aaron to them. Among the books of the complete Hebrew Bible, only the Torah, meaning the books of Genesis, Deuteronomy, Numbers, Leviticus and Exodus are considered to divinely revealed instead of the whole Tanakh or the Old Testament. The Quran mentions the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites through Moses which it claims contained guidance and understanding of all things. The Qur'an states that the Torah was the """"furqan"""" meaning difference, a term which the"
"Talmud The Talmud (; Hebrew: """") is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (""halakha"") and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish cultural life and was foundational to ""all Jewish thought and aspirations"", serving also as ""the guide for the daily life"" of Jews. The term ""Talmud"" normally refers to the collection of writings named specifically the Babylonian Talmud ""(Talmud Bavli)"", although there is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem Talmud (""Talmud Yerushalmi""). It may also traditionally be"
"compendium of the Jewish religion. The title page of the first edition states that the work is ""compiled from both Torahs, Written and Oral, handed down from Sinai"". The work has had a profound influence on Jewish life - notably, on the early Hasidic movement, including the Baal Shem Tov; Shneur Zalman of Liadi was described as a """"Shelah Yid"""", and ""Shelah"" clearly echoes in his work, ""Tanya"". The work was first published in 1648 by his son, Shabbethai Horowitz, and has been often reprinted, especially in an abbreviated form. (See also in the Hebrew Wikipedia). Horowitz also wrote the"
"Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. It defines the books of the Jewish canon, and also the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and accentuation. The oldest extant manuscripts of the Masoretic Text date from approximately the 9th century CE, and the Aleppo Codex (once the oldest complete copy of the Masoretic Text, but now missing its Torah section) dates from the 10th century. The name Tanakh (Hebrew: ) reflects the threefold division of the Hebrew Scriptures, Torah (""Teaching""), Nevi'im (""Prophets"") and Ketuvim (""Writings""). The Torah (תּוֹרָה) is also known"
"Messianic Jewish theology <onlyinclude> Messianic Jewish theology is the study of God and Scripture from the perspective of Messianic Judaism, a religious movement that fuses elements of Judaism and Christianity and claims to be a legitimate form of Judaism. </onlyinclude> Messianic believers commonly hold the תנ""ך (Tanakh; Hebrew Bible), to be divinely inspired. The הברית החדשה (""""Brit Chadasha""""; New Testament) is also considered to also be divinely inspired. ‣ Gospel of מתתיהו (""Mattityahu""; ""Gift of God"")/מתי (""Mattay"")/""Matthew"", David H. Stern has produced a Messianic Jewish version of the Bible called the Complete Jewish Bible. ""Torah"" refers to the first five"
"Book of Amos 8.12–Book of Micah 5.1; So 3.20–Za 9.17; II Chronicles 26.19–35.7; Book of Psalms 15.1–25.2 (MT enumeration); Song of Songs 3.11 to the end; all of Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, and Ezra-Nehemiah. Several complete or partial editions of the Tanakh based on the Aleppo Codex have been published over the past three decades in Israel, some of them under the academic auspices of Israeli universities. These editions incorporate reconstructions of the missing parts of the codex based on the methodology of Mordechai Breuer or similar systems, and by taking into account all available historical testimony about the contents"
"Testament overlaps with the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint; the Hebrew Bible is known in Judaism as the Tanakh. The New Testament is a collection of writings by early Christians, believed to be mostly Jewish disciples of Christ, written in first-century Koine Greek. These early Christian Greek writings consist of Gospels, letters, and apocalyptic writings. Among Christian denominations there is some disagreement about what should be included in the canon, primarily about the Apocrypha, a list of works that are regarded with varying levels of respect. Attitudes towards the Bible also differ amongst Christian groups. Roman Catholics, high church"
"Midrash, Mishnah, and Talmud. In addition, there are non-rabbinic Hebrew texts from the Second Temple and subsequent periods. The subject of the Talmud is the Torah-derived Halakhah, Jewish religious law, which at the time of its writing was indistinguishable from secular law, as indeed the dichotomy had not yet arisen. The Talmud has two components to it: the Mishnah, which is the main text, redacted between 180 and 220 CE, and the Gemarah, the canonized commentary to the Mishnah. Very roughly, there are two traditions of Mishnah text: one found in manuscripts and printed editions of the Mishnah on its"
"been finalized at the Council of Jamnia in 70 CE, although this is uncertain. In Judaism, the term ""Torah"" refers not only to the Five Books of Moses, but also to all of the Jewish scriptures (the whole of Tanakh), and the ethical and moral instructions of the rabbis (the Oral Torah). In addition to the Tanakh, there are two further textual traditions in Judaism: Mishnah (tractates expounding on Jewish law) and the Talmud (commentary of Misneh and Torah). These are both codifications and redactions of the Jewish oral traditions and major works in Rabbinic Judaism. The Talmud consists of"
"regard both the Old Testament and the New Testament as scriptural. The same books are presented in a different order in the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Old Testament. The Torah/Pentateuch comes first in both. The Tanakh places the prophets next, then the historical material. The Christian Old Testament inverts this order, since the prophets are seen as prefiguring the coming of Christ. Up to the first century CE, the books of the Tanakh were separate scrolls and their order was unimportant. The question of order arose with the invention of the codex. The order of the books is bound"
"Tanya The Tanya () is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1797. Its formal title is ""Likkutei Amarim"" (, Hebrew, ""collection of statements""), but is more commonly known by its opening word, ""Tanya"", which means ""it was taught in a beraita"". It is composed of five sections that define Hasidic mystical psychology and theology as a handbook for daily spiritual life in Jewish observance. The ""Tanya"" is the main work of the Chabad philosophy and the Chabad approach to Hasidic mysticism, as it defines its general"
"Ta'anit (Talmud) Ta'anit or Taanis is a volume (or ""tractate"") of the Mishnah, Tosefta, and both Talmuds. In Judaism these are the basic works of rabbinic literature. The tractate of Ta'anit is devoted chiefly to the fast-days, their practices and prayers. In most editions of the Talmud this treatise is the ninth in the mishnaic order of Seder Mo'ed, and is divided into four chapters containing thirty-four folio in all. The following is a summary of its contents: Chapter 1: Concerning the time after which one must begin to mention rain in the second benediction of the ""Shemoneh 'Esreh"" and"
"Shneur Zalman of Liadi Shneur Zalman of Liady (, September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573), was an Orthodox rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi in the Russian Empire. He was the author of many works, and is best known for ""Shulchan Aruch HaRav"", ""Tanya"", and his ""Siddur Torah Or"" compiled according to the ""Nusach Ari"". Zalman is a Yiddish variant of Solomon and Shneur (or Shne'or) is a Yiddish composite of the two Hebrew words ""shnei ohr"" (שני"
"religions prevents an understanding of the ""complex nature"" of the interactions among them. Furthermore, the three religions do not share the same story of Abraham. For these and other reasons, Hughes argued that the term should not be used, at least in academic circles. One of Judaism's primary texts is the Tanakh, an account of the Israelites' relationship with God from their earliest history until the building of the Second Temple (c. 535 BCE). Abraham is hailed as the first Hebrew and the father of the Jewish people. One of his great-grandsons was Judah, from whom the religion ultimately gets"
"has published a multi-volume English translation. The Judaica Press ""Complete Tanach with Rashi"" is a bilingual Hebrew–English translation of the Bible that includes Rashi's commentary in both Hebrew and English. The English translations were made by A. J. Rosenberg. The ""Complete Tanach with Rashi"" is available online. Although the Pentateuch has not been fully published in hardcopy (Genesis [in three volumes] and Exodus [in two volumes] only), Judaica Press also published a set of 24 bilingual Hebrew–English volumes of ""Mikraot Gedolot"" for Nevi'im and Ketuvim, published as ""Books of the Prophets and Writings"". As in traditional ""Mikraot Gedolot"", the Hebrew"
"just as accurately be translated as ""Instruction"" or ""teaching"". Rabbinic Judaism maintains that the books of the Tanakh were transmitted in parallel with an oral tradition, as relayed by God to Moses and from him handed on to the scholarly and other religious leaders of each generation. Thus, in Judaism, the ""Written Instruction"" (""Torah she-bi-khtav"" תורה שבכתב) comprises the Torah and the rest of the Tanakh; the ""Oral Instruction"" (""Torah she-be'al peh"" תורה שבעל פה) was ultimately recorded in the Talmud (lit. ""Learning"") and Midrashim (lit. ""Interpretations""). The interpretation of the Oral Torah is thus considered as the authoritative reading"
"known religious texts in the world, dating to between 2400-2300 BCE. Surviving early copies of complete religious texts include: The Dead Sea Scrolls, representing complete texts of the Hebrew Tanakh; these scrolls were copied approximately 2000 years ago. Complete Hebrew texts, also of the Tanakh, but translated into the Greek language (Septuagint 300-200 BC), were in wide use by the early 1st century CE. Organized religion emerged as a means of providing social and economic stability to large populations through the following ways: Historians have labelled the period from 900 to 200 BCE as the ""axial age"", a term coined"