Essay --

Throughout Jewish History we have seen significant transitions from 2,000 B.C.E. to 1492 C.E. These transitions changed many different aspects of Jewish life. There are three specific events or turning points that caused tremendous change in Jewish life and had many ramifications. These three events were the Formation of the United Monarchy, the Rise of Hellenism and the Golden Age of Spain. Each of these transitions impacted Judaism in different ways that changed it forever. The different groups of people involved changed different parts of Jewish life including linguistics, politics, traditions, and literature. The United Monarchy took place between 1020 and 921 B.C.E. It was the transition between a tribal society and an actual form of government. In this monarchy, Samuel appointed Saul to be the first King. Saul was replaced by King David and eventually was followed by Solomon. This era was the most documented era throughout Biblical history. During this time period, David was God’s right hand man. Jewish people believed that the Messiah was once a living King somewhere in the Davidic bloodline. They believe the Messiah in the Bible was a human King. The word Messiah means â€Å"anointed one†. David is the one who brings together loose tribes into a government. He institutes many new things like scribe culture and census records. This becomes known as the prototype for the ideal Jewish monarch. He establishes the city of Jerusalem or the â€Å"City of David†. His legacy becomes a major theme in Jewish history. Through him, the First temple was built for worship and f or sacrifice in 950 B.C.E. This temple was extremely important to the Jewish people. It was the center for worship and politics for the kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians e... ...ed, you sent Seraphim to tell him of your great goodness. They sat down beside me and then Michael said: â€Å"This is God’s message who pleads your cause: ‘On the day that you cross waters of sorrow I am with you. When the enemy draws near, the rivers will not drowned you.’ † These three transitions had a huge effect on Jewish life in many different ways and were major turning points in Jewish history. In all three of these periods the Jews underwent many changes in their lives in many different categories. Although massive changes were made, in each of these eras the Jews somehow managed to keep their cultural identity even while adapting to other ways of life. They never lost sight of their heritage. Therefore, the Formation of the United Monarchy, the Rise of Hellenism and the Golden Age of Spain were the three most important points of ruptures in Jewish history.