Page 21 - 100 Events That Made History

Judaism
Arising in the Middle East more than
3,500 years ago, Judaism is the religion of the
JEWISH PEOPLE. It was the first major faith to
believe in one God. The history of Judaism and
the laws by which believers should live are
found in the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament.
The religion has about 14 million followers.

The Bible says that
Jesus performed more
than 30 miracles.

A seven-branched
sacred lamp called the
menorah is used in Jewish
religious ceremonies. Christianity

Christianity is the largest world religion,
with two billion followers. Christians believe
that a man named Jesus Christ, born in the
Holy Land in about 4 BCE, was the Son of God.
The religion is based on THE BIBLE—which
combines the Old Testament with Christ’s
teachings (known as the New Testament). The
Romans were convinced that Jesus was a
dangerous influence and killed him, but
Christians believe his spirit is still alive.
The black granite Kaaba
in Mecca, Saudi Arabia,
is a sacred Muslim site,
visited by millions of
pilgrims every year.

Islam
The founder of Islam was born in
Mecca (modern-day Saudi Arabia)
in 570 CE. Named Muhammad,
he was a prophet who taught his
followers to worship ONE GOD,
ALLAH. Islam is the second-largest
world religion, with a billion or
more believers called Muslims.
They follow holy laws written in
scriptures called the Qur’an, pray
five times a day, and fast during
the month of Ramadan.

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