Introduction
There are numerous differences between the two major religions. Nevertheless, they share the same roots and have remarkably contributed to the formation of Western Civilization. The two religions share multiple basic concepts and terms, which makes the analysis of the differences a complex undertaking. Different approaches of the Jewish people to their religion eventually led to a significant split that transformed the world in a remarkable way. A dedicated analysis is needed to determine why Christianity currently has billions of adherents while Judaism remains the religion of just one nation.
The religious beliefs of the ancient civilizations were predominantly polytheistic. People in those lands typically used to worship many different deities. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the Middle East managed to gradually transform the systems of their religious beliefs, making them highly hierarchical. Moreover, the increasing popularity of writing technology allowed for the creation of sacred books that further enhanced the way people interacted with each other and developed perspectives on life. Shared values and stances concerning specific issues helped various ancient communities build long-lasting relationships and create institutions based on trust.
Ancient Judaism
Due to the existence of various well-established artistic traditions in the Middle East, the region managed to create a book that influenced the decision-making of millions of people throughout the history of Western Civilization. For instance, Bleich (11) claims that the concept of natural law can be rooted in the Pentateuch. More than two thousand years ago, ancient Judaism successfully absorbed numerous local stories that sought to explain the formation of the world, the laws of nature, and the purpose of life.
The word Judaism is derived from Hebrew, “Yehudim” or “Judah.”Judaism consists of three significant elements: the written Torah, comprised of the Old Testament books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; the acknowledgment of Israel as defined through the descendants of Abraham, specifically his grandson Jacob, as a people chosen by God to be the sole recipients of the law at Mount Sinai. “Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain” (Torah, Exodus 19:17). Unlike other polytheistic cultures in the region, Jewish patriarchs and prophets were to devote themselves to one supreme God, Yahweh.
The data to be included in the Torah was carefully written down and processed to ensure proper structuring and interconnectedness. Thus, Judaism became central for the establishment of communities that could survive and preserve their identity in the region that has historically represented the crossroads between different parts of the world and civilizations. “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” (Torah, Deuteronomy 6.4). Neither trade nor multiple wars undermined the efficiency of the principles described in the first books that make up the Torah.
Numerous neighboring nations, including conquerors, showed interest in the highly sophisticated religion incorporating bright stories and wisdom. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon” (Bible, Jeremiah 29:4). Ancient Judaism managed to prove its viability under centuries of foreign rule and remained the cornerstone of the Jewish identity before Romans took control over the region. After Alexander the Great facilitated the creation of a united Hellenized region stretching from Greece to India, the Jewish people were eager to find new opportunities in the numerous Greek cities founded in the Levant.
The Dispersion of Jews
More than two thousand years ago, thousands of Jews rapidly integrated into the Hellenized societies of numerous cities in Asia Minor and the Levant while enjoying the support and cultural integrity which the Torah provided. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord” (Torah, Leviticus 19:18). Thus, high literacy rates, the importance of the sacred book, and the ability to live in diaspora used to be the nation’s unique features long before mass migrations to Europe and North Africa.
In fact, the numerous skills the Jews developed during that part of their history later helped them establish multiple self-sufficient communities worldwide. According to Henze and Werline (241), Jews in the diaspora significantly outnumbered those in Palestine. Despite the importance of Canaan in Judaism, a large part of the Jewish population in Antiquity never had the opportunity to visit the land. Lebens (4) states that “nationhood – for the Jew – comes first, religion comes second.”Thus, the multiple values and cultural concepts have long defined Jewishness.
The Jews, who resisted assimilation and were not Hellenized, developed a set of techniques that allowed them to preserve their culture under any circumstances. Thus, people who maintained the Jewish culture became increasingly focused on the role their religion and culture played in the survival of the community. Therefore, these people did not seek to promote their faith and share some of its concepts. According to Baeck (5), Judaism began to be characterized by a lack of dogma and the provision of a binding spiritual kinship. Life in Hellenized society eventually transformed Judaism into a religion of Jews.
The Spread of Christianity
While thousands of Jews learned how to rely on the Torah for the independent development of a self-sufficient community, a large part of the Jewish population followed the general trend and, alongside many other peoples, integrated into a Greek-speaking multicultural society. In fact, Hellenized Jews later played an essential role in sharing the Gospel, as they were finally granted a religion that sought to promote the wisdom of the Torah and numerous new liberating concepts to anyone willing to accept it. Stark (24) claims that “an unusual number of Christian converts, for example, came from the educated, cosmopolitan classes.”Although Early Christianity is often depicted as a clandestine movement among the poor, emerging evidence suggests that it was not the case.
Christianity in the Roman Empire
The complexity and the artistic quality of the Torah were unrivaled in Europe and the Middle East. Therefore, the emergence of an innovative approach to the book’s concepts helped promote the culture associated with its concepts and ideas to millions of people in the Roman Empire, regardless of their ethnicity. “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Bible, Isaiah 40:29). A disproportionately high percentage of women and the poor in early Christian communities helped promote the faith in different parts of the empire.
The remarkable inequalities in the Roman Empire two thousand years ago continued to grow rapidly, which led to numerous social changes in different parts of the country. A large part of the population started to realize that there were not that many options available to escape poverty or to obtain certain rights that could, at least, resemble those of Roman citizens. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Bible, Matthew 11:28). Although there were several new religions in the Middle East that could become dominant in the empire, Christianity vividly managed to provide the best rationale for multiple social issues. Many Christians were persecuted and tortured by the state, which, in fact, did not undermine the rapid growth of the new religion’s popularity.
Three centuries later, a large percentage of the empire’s population was already fascinated by the rising power of Christianity. Moreover, the rulers of the Roman Empire had long been searching for a highly structural state religion that could contribute to the functioning of various institutions and unite the population. Fousek et al. (3) claim that the spatiotemporal static factors constrained the spread of Christianity. Thus, given the Roman emperors’ initial interest in various forms of Judaism, Christianity was destined to become the official religion at some point. Constantine the Great was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity and significantly contribute to turning it into the mainstream across the empire. Moreover, the ruler convened the First Council of Nicaea, which helped structure and standardize numerous aspects of the religion.
Conclusion
The Judeo-Christian tradition, alongside Greco-Roman, has shaped Western Civilization. The evidence suggests that the first books of the Bible were bound to become its cornerstone. The Torah represents a source of the accurately recorded ancient wisdom of unrivaled quality and quantity. The moment the book’s ideas were presented in an innovative way that suited the large Greek-speaking urban population of the Middle East, their rapid spread could not be limited by any barriers.
The numerous concepts introduced in the New Testament shaped both Judaism and Christianity. The fact that Jews consider Jesus Christ to be a prophet, not a messiah, vividly shaped the future of Judaism. Moreover, the Greek language and the cosmopolitan approach made the split imminent. Furthermore, they helped Christianity promote not only ideas from the New Testament but also the remarkable volume of cultural concepts from the Pentateuch.
Works Cited
Baeck, Leo. The Essence of Judaism. Plunkett Lake Press, 2019.
Bleich, J. David. “Judaism and Natural Law.” The Jewish Law Annual, edited by Bernard S. Jackson, Routledge, 2021, pp. 5–42.
Fousek, Jan. et al. “Spatial Constraints on the Diffusion of Religious Innovations: The Case of Early Christianity in the Roman Empire. PloS one, vol. 13, no. 12, 2018.
Henze, Matthias, and Rodney A. Werline. Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters. SBL Press, 2020.
The Holy Bible: King James Version. Hendrickson Publishers, 2004.
Lebens, Samuel. The Principles of Judaism. Oxford UP, 2020.
Stark, Rodney. The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History. Princeton UP, 2020.
The Torah: The Five Books of Moses. Varda Books, 2012.