preview

Compare and Contrast Judaism and Christianity Essay

Decent Essays

Compare and Contrast Judaism and Christianity Judaism and Christianity are key religions in the history of our world, and are still around today. Both of these religions are monotheistic, believing in only YHWH, the God of Abraham. However, if we look deeper, there are many more similarities and differences in these two religions. Some things that are comparable are their political figures, their holy works, and social beliefs. The first thing that was necessary to having a successful religion was figures to lead the way. For Jews, these began as “Judges”, or leaders that took charge during difficult times. These judges eventually became kings, and for 3 generations, King Saul, David, and Solomon were the top figures of Judaism. For …show more content…

The Holy Bible is a book comprised of many parts, chapters, and verses. There are 66 books in the bible; the first 39 books are called the Old Testament. Written in Hebrew, it focuses on the prophecies of the coming savior. The remaining 27 books, the New Testament, are centered on the life of Jesus and his teachings. A similarity in the TaNaKh and the Holy Bible is the presence of the Torah. The Torah, in addition to being the first part of the TaNaKh, is actually the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Because the Christians, unlike the Jews, had no official language, they wrote and spoke in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or Latin. These holy books were important to these religions so their beliefs and traditions could be passed down to future generations. Finally, Jews and Christians interacted differently in their society. First, eating habits differed in both religions. Jews participate in kashrut, a diet that restricts eating any animal without cloven hooves or scales. Christians, however, don’t have any specific dietary laws to follow. Another difference is the significance of Passover, a 7-8 day Jewish holiday. During Passover, Jews celebrate the exodus out of Egypt by eating special meals, performing rituals, and praying. Christians have changed the Passover meal to a celebration of the Last Supper, or Jesus’ last meal before his crucifixion. Finally, a similarity in the Jewish and Christian society is the

Get Access