Lesson Summary:

Judaism has had a profound influence on Western civilization. Much of this influence comes from Jewish ideas and values that were transmitted to Christianity, which developed from Jewish roots. Jesus of Nazareth, his disciples, and the first leaders of the Christian Church were all Jewish. The Jewish Bible was incorporated into the Christian Bible as the Old Testament. Not surprisingly, many principles and teachings that are important in Judaism are also important in Christianity. These common ideas are known as the Judeo-Christian tradition. As Christianity spread, it popularized these important ideas. As a result, moral and ethical ideas developed by Judaism helped shape Western ideas about law, morality, and social justice. This lesson explores these ideas and their impact.

Part of a larger unit on “Judaism and Jewish History ,” this lesson was developed to involve students in understanding Judaism’s influence and impact upon Western Civilization.