Judiasm, the oldest of the world’s three great monotheistic religions, is parent of Christianity and many other faiths. Although they lived in a world noted for its multitude of gods, the Israelites were different in that they worshipped only one, so holy that his name could not be uttered. He had chosen the people of Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and in a solemn agreement known as the Covenant, the Israelites promised to obey God and fulfil His commandments. This covenant between God and the people is the foundation of the Jewish religion.

Judaism has its roots in the history of the Israelites which, according to the Bible, begins with God’s exhortation to Abraham to settle in Canaan. His grandson Jacob had a vision in which God promised him many sons, who would possess the land of Canaan. Jacob, or Israel as he became known, fathered twelve sons, from whom were descended the twelve tribes of Israel. The name Jew comes from Judah, the most powerful of these tribes.

Moses was the leader to whom God revealed his entire teaching, including the Ten Commandments; Moses received these laws on Mount Sinai around 1200 BCE. As a sign of reverence, Moses was instructed to build a sanctuary. The holiest area of the sanctuary contained a wooden chest overlaid with gold and in this chest — or Ark — were two stone tablets upon which the ten commandments had been inscribed. —Religions Of The World