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Abraham (Avraham) was the first Jew, the founder of Judaism, the physical and spiritual ancestor of the Jewish people, and one of the three Patriarchs (Avot) of Judaism. Abraham also plays a prominent role in Christianity and Islam, which are the other two major Abrahamic religions.
Abraham was a young child in one of the first great cities of civilization, Ur, in ancient Mesopotamia, about 4,000 years ago. His family and all the people around him worshipped the stars, the sun and the moon, as well as idols of stone, metal and wood. They worshipped images of their king and treated him as a god.
Abraham is given a high position of respect in three major world faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the covenant, the special relationship between the Jewish people and God—leading to the belief that the Jews are the chosen people of God.
Abraham, 1813-1638 BCE, is considered the first Jew. A native of Mesopotamia, he rejected the idolatrous ways of his ancestors and contemporaries; he was the first person to use his own cognitive abilities to discover and recognize the one G‑d. He then actively publicized his newfound monotheistic beliefs among his fellow citizens.
According to Jewish tradition and biblical accounts, Judaism was founded by the patriarch Abraham around 1800 BCE. However, it is important to note that the historical origins of Judaism are complex and are still subject to research and interpretation.
In everlasting memory of our founder, Rabbi Yosef Y. Kazen, pioneer of Torah, Judaism and Jewish information on the web
To delve into the intricacies of the textual and archaeological evidence for widespread observance of the laws of the Torah and the origins of Judaism, read Yonatan Adler’s article “The Genesis of Judaism,” published in the Winter 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.