1.In what ways is the Holy Land an important site for all three monotheistic faiths? For Christians its the city where Jesus was crucified and where he also rose from the dead. For Muslims its the place where Mohammad ascended to the heavens to meet God. For Jews the wailing wall is in this city and also King David had named it and it was where Solomon had built the temple.
2.The three major monotheistic religions are sometimes described as branches of the same family tree. If this is true, how would you describe the trunk of the tree? The “trunk” would be Judaism. That was the original religion of the god of Abraham. Islam then claims descendence through his son Ishmael. The Jews through his son Isaac. And the Christians break off later, when Jesus Christ appears, and is hailed by the Christians as the Messiah, by the Jews as just another prophet.
3.How are the three major holy books of the monotheistic faiths both similar and different? The three major books, the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Bible, and the Qu’ran, all contain scripture recorded by followers inspired by God. The difference is what each religion considers the “correct” version of what is being said. The Jewish faith does not recognize the New Testament in the same way that Christians do, they don’t hold that Jesus was the Messiah, and the Christian faith believes in the Trinity nature of God while Islam does not.
However, Islam does believe that Jesus was a great prophet. They also consider both the Hebrew and Christian texts to have been corrupted over time.
4.How are the basic beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike? The three religions are all monotheist religions that believe in one all-powerful God.
5.What types of internal differences and divisions exist within each religion? All three religions express their faiths through different practices and rituals, interpret the religious text differently, their ways of prayer are different, ect. Such as Jewish worship is different from the Church-going Christian approach with communion. Or different from the focus pointing to Mecca within Islam and its pilgrimage to the holy city.
6.What characteristics and beliefs of the three religions make them different? The difference between the three religions is that most Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, that God is composed of three parts, the father, the son and the holy spirit. But in Islam and Judaism there is only one god with no partner, son or equal. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but not God nor the son of God. In Judaism, Jesus is considered a false messiah and Jews do not believe in him.
1. Who is the great conquering king of the Old Testament? King David
2.The holy book in Judaism is the? the Torah
