Introduction to Judaism

This is a graphic/text program designed to include and recount some of the major stories in the Hebrew Bible which have been depicted in art.

The Old Testament, as it is known, is also a history of the Jewish people and tells of the birth of monotheism, the belief in One God. It is the masterpiece of the Jewish people and is inseparable from their history as a people.

In the Old Testament the "first five books of Moses" are the most sacred part of the scriptures and is called the Pentateuch. The Jews believe that these books were divinely revealed to Moses and written down by him.

Most of the paintings that have been selected to depict the stories from the Old Testament were designed by the Renaissance artist Raphael. They are located in Rome and are called the Raphael Loggias. The frescoes are found on a group of 13 arches which form a gallery about 190 feet long and 12 feet wide. The pictorial decoration was probably initiated in 1517. This cycle of paintings is often referred to as "Raphael's Bible".

It is hoped that these visualizations will permit a more profound understanding and identification with the Old Testament and with the history of the Jewish people.

(Other works of art have been selected to give the story continuity. These have the name of the artist and date whenever they appear).

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God Separates Light From Darkness

"When God began to create the heavens and the earth...he said, "Let there be light!" And there was light!; and God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness" (Genesis, I 1,3-4).

God Separates the Earth from the Waters

"Then God said: "let the water below the sky be gathered into one place so that the dry land may appear!"...Then God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants and the various kinds of fruit-trees that bear fruit containing their seed!" And so it was. (Genesis, I 9,11).

Creation of the Sun and the Moon

"God made the two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule the day and the smaller one to rule the night and the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the sky to shed light on the earth, to rule by day and by night, and to separate the light from the darkness" (Genesis, I 16-18).

Creation of the Animals

"Then God said: "Let the waters teem with shoals of living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth across the firmament of the sky!...God made the various kinds of wild beasts of the earth, the various kinds of domestic animals, and all the various kinds of land reptiles" (Genesis I 20,25).

Creation of Adam (Michelangelo)

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis I, 26).

Creation of Eve

"Then the Lord God had a trance fall upon the man; and when he had gone to sleep, he took one of his ribs, closing up its place with flesh. The rib which he took from the man the Lord God built up into a woman" (Genesis, II 21,22).

And Lord God planted a garden eastwards in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. The woman, Eve, was tempted by a serpent to taste the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

Original Sin

"So when the woman realized that the tree was good for food and attractive to the eye, and further, that the tree was desirable for its gift of wisdom, she took some of its fruit, and ate it; she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate". (Genesis, III 6).

This is referred to as the Temptation.

Expulsion From Paradise

"So the Lord God expelled them from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken; he drove the man out, and stationed the cherubim east of the garden of Eden, with the flaming, whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis, III 23,24).

The theme of exile constantly appears in the Hebrew Bible and in Jewish history. The people are homeless every time they stray from God's commands. They will be exiled from their spiritual home and always will seek to return to it.

But over and over the people will disobey God's will.

Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve had many children. Two of them were Cain and Abel. Cain worked the fields and Abel took care of the sheep. "They both offered a sacrifice to God--Cain the fruit of the ground and Abel the "firstlings" of his flock" And the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. An angry Cain killed his brother in a field. God cursed the murderer, and Cain lamented; "Behold , thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth...and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me: But the Lord "set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him."

Building the Ark

Many years passed and the people became more and more evil. So God chose to save only Noah and his three sons who were righteous. They obeyed God's commandments. "So God said to Noah: "I have resolved on the extermination of all mortals; for the earth is full of wrongdoing through them; I am going to exterminate them from the earth. Make yourself an ark of oleander wood; make the ark with cabins, and smear it with bitumen inside and out..." Noah did just as God had commanded him" (Genesis, VI 13,14, 22).

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	God Separates Light From Darkness "When God began to create the heavens and the earth...he said, "Let there be light!" And there was light!; and God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness" (Genesis, I 1,3-4).
	God Separates the Earth from the Waters "Then God said: "let the water below the sky be gathered into one place so that the dry land may appear!"...Then God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants and the various kinds of fruit-trees that bear fruit containing their seed!" And so it was. (Genesis, I 9,11).
	Creation of the Sun and the Moon "God made the two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule the day and the smaller one to rule the night and the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the sky to shed light on the earth, to rule by day and by night, and to separate the light from the darkness" (Genesis, I 16-18).
	Creation of the Animals "Then God said: "Let the waters teem with shoals of living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth across the firmament of the sky!...God made the various kinds of wild beasts of the earth, the various kinds of domestic animals, and all the various kinds of land reptiles" (Genesis I 20,25).
	Creation of Adam (Michelangelo) "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis I, 26).
	Creation of Eve "Then the Lord God had a trance fall upon the man; and when he had gone to sleep, he took one of his ribs, closing up its place with flesh. The rib which he took from the man the Lord God built up into a woman" (Genesis, II 21,22). And Lord God planted a garden eastwards in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. The woman, Eve, was tempted by a serpent to taste the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
	Original Sin "So when the woman realized that the tree was good for food and attractive to the eye, and further, that the tree was desirable for its gift of wisdom, she took some of its fruit, and ate it; she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate". (Genesis, III 6). This is referred to as the Temptation.
	Expulsion From Paradise "So the Lord God expelled them from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken; he drove the man out, and stationed the cherubim east of the garden of Eden, with the flaming, whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis, III 23,24). The theme of exile constantly appears in the Hebrew Bible and in Jewish history. The people are homeless every time they stray from God's commands. They will be exiled from their spiritual home and always will seek to return to it. But over and over the people will disobey God's will.
	Cain and Abel Adam and Eve had many children. Two of them were Cain and Abel. Cain worked the fields and Abel took care of the sheep. "They both offered a sacrifice to God--Cain the fruit of the ground and Abel the "firstlings" of his flock" And the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. An angry Cain killed his brother in a field. God cursed the murderer, and Cain lamented; "Behold , thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth...and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me: But the Lord "set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him."
	Building the Ark Many years passed and the people became more and more evil. So God chose to save only Noah and his three sons who were righteous. They obeyed God's commandments. "So God said to Noah: "I have resolved on the extermination of all mortals; for the earth is full of wrongdoing through them; I am going to exterminate them from the earth. Make yourself an ark of oleander wood; make the ark with cabins, and smear it with bitumen inside and out..." Noah did just as God had commanded him" (Genesis, VI 13,14, 22).