Facts about Judaism
- 09
Hebrew, the ancient language of Judaism, was largely dormant for nearly 2,000 years until Eliezer Ben-Yehuda revived it as a spoken language in 19th-century Palestine.
- 08
Approximately 15 million Jews worldwide comprise roughly 0.2 percent of the global population, with the largest communities in Israel, the United States, and France.
- 07
Passover's Seder plate includes six symbolic foods representing different aspects of the Exodus story, with bitter herbs symbolizing Egyptian slavery and haroset representing the mortar used by Hebrew slaves.
- 06
Shabbat, the weekly day of rest in Judaism, begins at sunset Friday and ends Saturday nightfall, during which observant Jews abstain from 39 categories of creative work including writing, cooking, and traveling.
- 05
In 70 CE, Roman forces destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, leading Jewish communities to develop Rabbinic Judaism centered on Torah study and prayer rather than temple sacrifice.
- 04
During the Babylonian exile around 586 BCE, Jewish scholars compiled the Torah's written form, establishing Judaism's foundational text after the First Temple's destruction.
- 03
A mezuzah, a small parchment scroll containing Torah passages, is traditionally affixed to doorframes in Jewish homes as a sign of faith and protection.
- 02
Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, occurs on the 10th day of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar and involves 25 hours of fasting and prayer for atonement.
- 01
The Torah contains 613 commandments, a number first systematized by the medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides in the 12th century.