Important Dates In Judaism

Important Dates In Judaism

22nd Mar 2014

Historically the most important dates in Judaism began around 5772 years ago, although these dates are not always agreed to by all.

  • Around 4115 years ago, the creation occurred.
  • Then the Flood came around 3824 years ago.
  • Abraham was born 3324 years ago.
  • God created the Torah and gave it to Abraham as His law for the people of Israel around 2843 years ago.
  • Next came the building of the Temple of Jerusalem around 2363 years ago.
  • Around 167 to 160 BCE the Assyrian Greeks were defeated by Judas Maccabeus when an uprising was led by him against the Seleucid Empire. The feast of Hanukkah commemorates this period of time.
  • The Roman Empire and the Jews had a difficult history from around 63 BCE with a number of uprising and revolts where many Jews were being killed or disposed of as slaves.
  • Between 66 and 132 BCE, there were a number of wars between Romans and Jews which ended in the Temple of Jerusalem being destroyed along with the Second Temple.
  • When the Second Temple and Jewish commonwealth was destroyed In 70 CE they were without a temple which caused Jewish legal and social upheaval.
  • In 1280 the Talmud manuscript was finalized which is still in its present form.
  • In 1917 a reform movement began with the Balfour Declaration publicly supported by the British for a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. This led to the League of Nations entrusting the United Kingdom with the 1922 Palestine Mandate .
  • In 1948 on the 14th May the State of Israel became reality, this led to Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Transjordan launching the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. A ceasefire was declared after a year with the Green Line established as a temporary border. In 1949 on the 11th of May the United Nations admitted Israel.
  • 1977 bought about the Knesset elections and was a turning point in the political history of Israel with the Likud party taking control. This brought on the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty being signed in 1979.
  • The Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace was signed in 1994.

Other important Judaism dates are holiday and festivals etc., such as Shabbat, this is a holiday celebrated as a day of rest each week, which begins on Friday night at sundown and ends on Saturday night at nightfall. There are many other notable dates of Judaism history.

  • Selichot is a name for repentance prayer which precedes Rosh Hashanah
  • Aseret Yemei Teshuva, also known as the Ten Days of Repentance, begins with Rosh Hashanah.
  • Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish Head of the Year. This is also known as a Day of Remembrance. This is held for two days at the beginning of this time, generally in September. The Hebrew month of Tishrei is generally in September with Aseret Yemei Teshuva being the first ten days. These are Ten Days of Repentance beginning with Rosh Hashanah a Jewish Holiday also called Yom Teruah or Feast of the Lord. Yom Kippur concludes this period. Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement, is the final day of Aseret Yemei Teshuva.
  • Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles is a festival of seven days. Shemini Atzeret concludes the Sukkot holiday.
  • Purim is a festival that is held in the leap years of the Hebrew calendar.
  • The Eve of Passover and The Fast of the Firstborn is a significant Jewish date where the first born fasts. Passover is another significant Jewish date and is the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Pesach Sheni is known as the Second Passover.
  • Another major fasting day and day of mourning is Tisha B’Av which is a day for negative events in the history of the Jews.