Judaism is one of the world's oldest religions. It began in the Middle East when a man named Abraham was commanded by God to leave his home and migrate to a new country. Today's Jewish people consider themselves the spiritual descendants of Abraham, who was the first person to worship the one God instead of the many gods common in ancient religions. For thousands of years, the Jewish community has survived many persecutions. Even after they lost their country and their Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish people managed to meet the challenges of both the ancient and modern world. Judaism is a faith of continuity, one that maintains its identity by telling its history. One interesting characteristic of Judaism is its inclusion of other peoples: Both Christians and Muslims base their faith in the same Scriptures and God that Jews worship. This connection makes the Jewish story very unique. This book by Kenneth Atkinson, a professor of religion and respected writer of scholarly works on biblical literature, tells that story.
