The document provides an overview of key figures and stories from Judaism's creation narrative and early history. It describes how God created the world over 7 days according to Judaism. It discusses Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and their act of disobedience that led to original sin. It also summarizes stories of Noah and the flood, Abraham being considered the father of Judaism/Christianity/Islam, Jacob wrestling with an angel and being renamed Israel, and Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt after receiving the Ten Commandments from God.

1. FATHERS
OF
JUDAISM
THE SUPER-DUPER IMPORTANT DUDES

2. CREATION OF THE
WORLD
• There is one creation story for all 3 of the Abrahamic Religions
• Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• It is the same for all three.
• God (one god) is all there is, floating in the nothingness of space.
• Decides to make the universe.
• Over 7 days, creates everything in the universe, earth, animals,
vegetation, and humans.
• On the 7th day he rests (that’s why people relax and go to church on
Sundays)
• Man created out of clay, God exhales “divine spark” through nostrils
and then man is created.
• Woman either created at same time as man or from man’s rib
(depending on which Genesis verse you read)

3. SOME 12 YEAR OLD’S DRAWING OF
THE CREATION

4. ADAM AND EVE
• God considered universally good, other religions have good and bad gods, not
this one.
• Living like God wants = good person; living against what God wants = bad
• God is a pretty decent guy
• Adam and Eve exist in the Garden of Eden, a paradise with no suffering or
hardships, all of their needs are met.
• And yes, they are naked.
• Tells people they can have anything they want as long as they don’t eat fruit from
the Tree of Knowledge
• Of course, this is what they do! (Have your parents ever told you NOT to do
something? COME ONE!!!)
• A serpant convinces Eve to eat an apple from the tree, she does, and then
convinces Adam to join her.
• They are overcome with emotions, realize they are naked and cover themselves.
• God catches them, punishes Adam and Eve for their betrayal
• Kicks them out of Eden and punishes them individually too
• Adam and all men after him are forced to labor and work all day
• Eve is forced to suffer the pains of child birth
• This act of defying God, eating the forbidden fruit, called “Original Sin”
• All humans after Adam and Eve are tainted with Original Sin.

5. EVER HEAR OF NOAH?
• God looks down on the earth and feels it has become
corrupt and horrible, too much murder, no one
following God’s rules.
• Searches for “one true believer”, finds Noah
• Tells him to build a great arc, stock it with just his family
and 2 of every living creature.
• God sends a great flood to destroy all the humans on
earth and “wipe the slate clean” so earth starts over.
• Rains for 40 days and 40 nights.
• Noah and his family left with the burden of starting over
• Humans all come from the line of Noah, therefore, all
humans are related to some extent.

6. NOAH: HELPING THE DOGS AND CATS
TO GET ALONG SINCE 3000BCE

7. AND THEN THERE’S
THIS NOAH…

8. • According to the scriptures,
God first reveals himself to
Abram (about 6000 years
ago).
• Promises him that his
descendants will rule the
greatest of kingdoms and
will be protected by God if
he moves everyone to a
certain location.
• Has a few kids: Ishmael,
Isaac.
• Married to Sarah
• Judaism, Christianity, Islam
all acknowledge this guy as
being the first to have
contact with God and the
father of the “big 3”
religions.
RELIGION ALL STARTS
WITH ABRAM (ABRAHAM)

9. • Told by God to sacrifice
his son Isaac to appease
Him.
• “The Binding of Isaac”
• Abram is ready and
brings the knife down
when an angel steps in,
lets him know it was a
test that he passed, and
that Isaac can be spared.
• Judaism becomes the
first religion that requires
no sacrifice to keep God
happy.
ABRAM KEEPS GOING

11. CHECK FOR
UNDERSTANDING
1. How is the earth created according to Judaism (and
Christianity and Islam too)?
2. Given what we learned about where these religions
believe people come from, why is it that people are buried
in the ground at funerals, or “returned to the earth?”
3. According to Judaism, what is “Original Sin” and how
does it affect both men and women?
4. Why does God flood the earth for 40 days and 40 nights?
Why is Noah spared?
5. What person is the founding father of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam?
6. What was the “binding of Isaac?”

12. Isaac has a son named
Jacob.
One day, Jacob meets an
angel who challenges him.
The two wrestle for a very
looooooong period of time
and no one wins.
The angel renames Jacob
“Israel” or “one who
wrestles with God”
The name means the same
thing now as then.
Followers of Judaism still
“wrestle with God” in a
sense when they debate,
argue, and discuss the Torah
(Judaism holy book).
JACOB
THE FIRST ISRAEL

13. Moses is the biggest and
most significant of the old
“prophets” and recognized
by Judaism, Christianity, and
islam.
Born in Egypt when all
Hebrews (Jews) were
enslaved by the Egyptians.
Pharaoh was worried that
too many Jews around could
help his enemies so orders
all kids drowned in the Nile.
Moses’ mother sends Moses
adrift down the Nile to
escape and he survives.
THE MOST
IMPORTANT IS MOSES

14. As a young man, Moses sees
an Egyptian slave master
beating a Hebrew slave.
Moses kills the slave master
and hides the body.
Must flee to save his life.
Becomes a shephard.
Encounters “a bush that
burned but was not
consumed by the fire” and
hears the voice of God. God
tells Moses his name, which
is only known by the highest
of Hebrew leaders and is
kept secret.
MOSES GETS BIGGER

15. MOSES KEEPS GOING
Told by God to return to Egypt and lead his people to the promised land.
Pharaoh refuses to let his slaves free.
Moses and God usher in 10 plagues onto Egypt as punishment:
1. Water turned to blood
2. Frogs
3. Lice
4. Flies
5. Disease onto livestock
6. Incurable, painful boils (open sores like blisters)
7. Hail and storms
8. Locusts (large insects that eat everything they encounter)
9. Darkness (blocking out the sun in an eclipse)
Aaaaaaaaand…..

16. PLAGUE 10
Death of the first born child.
The Hebrews are required to paint their doorways with lamb’s
blood so God will know to “pass over” their homes and to let
their children live.
Now, this day is still celebrated.
Passover

17. Pharaoh agrees and lets
Moses lead the Hebrews
away… but eventually
decides against it
Sends the army to bring his
slaves back
Moses parts the waters of
the Red Sea so his people
can escape quickly.
As the army steps into the
sea, he releases the water
and the army is destroyed.
THE EXODUS

18. Moses is summoned by God
to Mount Sinai
There he prays for 40 days
and 40 nights and receives
the 10 Commandments from
God on big stone tablets.
These are the core rules for
Judaism; tell how to live a
good life and interact with
God.
Moses leaves Mount Sinai
and finds something
HORRIBLE!!!
MOSES RECEIVED THE
10 COMMANDMENTS

19. The Hebrews had built a
giant golden cow out of their
jewelry to worship (looking
for a way to continue their
religion)
Moses SMASHES down the
tablets and commands that
all “idolaters” be punished.
3,000 people killed for
worshipping a false god…
right after God saved them
from Egypt.
Moses and Hebrews wander
the deserts for 40 years and,
just as they get within sight
of the “promised land”
(Israel), Moses dies.
REVENGE

20. 10 COMMANDMENTS
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me (there is only one
God and its me, as in God)
2. No graven images or likenesses (no worshipping items,
animals, or other people that claim to be God)
3. Not take the LORD's name in vain (no swearing)
4. Remember the sabbath day (work 6 days, rest on Sunday)
5. Honour thy father and thy mother (respect family and elders)
6. Thou shalt not kill
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery (cheat in marriage)
8. Thou shalt not steal
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness (lie)
10. Thou shalt not covet (desire what is not yours)

21. CHECK FOR
UNDERSTANDING
1. What does the word “Israel” mean?
2. Who is considered the most important of the
Jewish prophets and is also very important to
Christianity and Islam?
3. What item did Moses encounter when he found
the “name of God?”
4. What is the Jewish holiday of “pass-over”
celebrating?
5. What are the 10 Commandments? Is there one
that seems to be more important than others?

22. JEWISH CUSTOMS AND CULTURE
• Food must be “Koscher”
• Means “acceptable”
• Eat certain animals, kitchen
must be kept a certain way.
• Men wear “yamaka”
• Head covering for males
• Out of respect for God above.
• Keep the Sabbath
• Friday night to Saturday night
• No work, no using electronics
or machines
• Bar mitzvah (boy)
Bat mitzvah (girl)
• Coming-of-age celebration at
age 13.

23. JEWISH CUSTOMS AND
CULTURE
• Kibbutz
• Name for a Jewish community where the work and reward is shared
• When Israel formed, land was arid, destitute, desert.
• Many Kibbutz formed to work the land, transform it from desert to
thriving garden community
• Minyan
• For thousands of years, Jews had no homeland
• Judaism seen by a large number of Jews as a culture instead of a
religion (something we do and not just a way of worship. It’s a way of
life)
• As long as a community has a Minyan, or a group of 10 adult males,
the Jewish traditions can still exist. 10 men are needed to argue,
debate, and challenge the Torah in discussion/prayer.
• This is why Bar/Bat mitzvah happen at age 13 and why they are so
important.

24. CHECK FOR
UNDERSTANDING
1. Why do the males wear yamakas?
2. What is a Bar/Bat mitzvah?
3. Explain what a minyan is and why it is
important to Jewish culture.

25. ISRAEL THE EMPIRE
The lands of Israel (northern empire) and Judea (southern
empire) both in present day Israel.
Thriving empires and major military powerhouse at the time
(thousands of years ago).
Invaded and conquered many neighboring tribes under
Kings Soloman and David (Bible dudes)
Eventually weakened by Assyrians (Syria) and then
conquered by Egypt (them guys with the pyramids).
Israelites were the Egyptian slaves for many years, used to
build the pyramids.