It is upon the foundations of Judaism that the two other great monotheistic religions – Christianity and Islam – were built. This prophecy demonstrates the universal dimension of Judaism, as does the possibility to accept the faith in the one and only God and the fact that any man can choose to convert to Judaism. The covenant between God and the Jewish nation is of immense significance for entire humanity, since when the Messiah comes, he shall bring not only freedom for Israel, but also everlasting peace, whereupon the glory of the Lord shall be revealed to the entire world and the role of Jews shall finally be acknowledged by all.
God expects Jews to lead a life in a manner which shall keep the memory of God’s revelations alive and gives the Jewish nation the status of a “priestly kingdom”. It is based on two fundamental tenets: 1) monotheism – faith in the one and only God, the Maker and Lord of heaven and earth, who expects a responsible and morally sound conduct from his people and 2) the belief that the Israelites have a special calling under the covenant that God had made with them, a people chosen to bear witness.
Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world – and one that continues to thrive.
The term “Judaism” was used in the ancient times among the Greek-speaking Jews (Greek: ioudaïsmós) however, since then this term has been absent from the Jewish tradition until the modern period in rabbinical tradition the term Torah is used instead, referring both to the entierty of the religious heritage of Jews and – in the narrower sense of the word – to the basis thereof, i.e. Judaizm – Mosaism, the Mosaic faith, the religion of Jews as well as the complex of beliefs, ethical values and attitudes derived from the tradition and customs of the Jewish nation.
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