Which Monotheistic Religion of the Three Basic Ones Was First?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

Danny Eskow, conservative Jewish man from Brooklyn, New York.  His mother was from Reformed German-Jewish  heritage and father was a Russian-Jewish heritage taxi-driver in Brooklyn.  Danny became a high school history teacher, making Aliyah in 1980.   

                                                                         

Moses views a burning bush:  In the biblical story of Moses and the Burning Bush, God appears to Moses in a miraculous way, using a burning bush that is not consumed by fire. God reveals Himself to Moses, instructs him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and gives him a special name: "I AM WHO I AM". This encounter is a pivotal moment in the story of the Exodus, marking the beginning of Moses's journey as God's chosen leader.         

  Judaism was the first of the three monotheistic religions.  Abraham broke the pattern of believing in a polytheistic religion which his father was brought up in. Abram, as he was named, was born sometime around 1948 BCE in the 2nd millennium BCE (before the common era). That was 4,000 years ago.  Jews were living in Egypt when the Pharaoh enslaved them for 400 years until Moses (1391 BCE-1271 BCE)  came along and led them for 40 years on the Exodus back to their homeland of Judah.  That was 3,296 years ago.

Judaism continues as a religion. The Romans tried to put an end to it by burning down Solomon's Temple and its city of Jerusalem in 70 CE,  when they had starting killing off the Jews by starvation, then by capturing and torturing them along with Christians and taking them as slaves to Rome.  Not all Jews lived in Jerusalem, however, and the rest were hiding out in other further away towns, villages, and cities in Judaea. Israel has been reborn on May 14, 1948.  Judea and Samaria (called West Bank by Jordan) were a part of the original Israel along with 11 other tribal lands.  Israel originally was Jacob who wrestled with an angel, and in winning was named Israel; thus the 12 tribes of Israel.  Our history is also part of Judaism as anything else.  

  

    Christianity was born out of Judaism since his followers worshipped a Jewish man born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah. 

12 Apostles' supper with Jesus during Passover, a Jewish holiday.  The Apostles' supper during Passover, known as the Last Supper, is a significant event in Christianity. It's believed to have been a Passover Seder, a ritual Jewish meal commemorating the Israelites' liberation from Egypt. During this meal, Jesus shared the first communion with his disciples, symbolizing his body and blood, according to the Bible. Three of the first four books of the New Testament (known as the Gospels) identify the Last Supper as a Passover meal.6 There would have been lamb, matzah, and bitter herbs. There were cups; the Gospels tell of two, but we know that many Mishnaic traditions go back to earlier times, so we can reasonably suppose that there were four. In any event, the presence of “cups” shows that traditions had already accrued beyond the bare essentials mandated in the Exodus for the Passover observance.  All this information was said to be written by the  4 Gospel writers of the Gospels New Testament)  some 75 to 200 years later after the fact. It is not found anywhere in Jewish history.  

If there were four cups used in the first century, then the Gospel account in Luke appears to begin with the kiddush, “the first cup” He took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.” (Luke 22:17) The writer, John, was the hardest commenter of the Jewish people.  

 Since Jews of this history write that he died at age 37, historians have the calendar used by most people today start with his birth.  They believe this man, Jesus, who was speaking in public groups of his beliefs, was a rabbi.  Jesus was crucified by the Romans who had overcome Judah, calling Judaea, joining the many thousands that had been punished thusly for  a sundry of minor actions by the Romans.  Jesus was written about almost 100 years later and more by the 4 gospels as having risen from the grave in a cave to give hope to all those who had followed him.  At first it was against the law to be a Christian by the Romans;  and then they all followed. So the year of 1 CE  or 37 CE would be the beginning of Christianity, taken over by the Romans. That was about 2,000 years ago. 

Muslims have the Kaaba, a shrine in Mecca that they strive to visit as often as possible, as it is the holiest site in Islam.  'the Honored Ka'ba'), is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.  It is  located near the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and considered by Muslims everywhere to be the most sacred spot on Earth. Muslims orient themselves toward this small shrine during the five daily prayers, bury their dead facing its meridian, and cherish the ambition of visiting it on pilgrimage, or hajj, in accord with the command set out in the Qurʾān, their book.

Islam was created through a 3rd man, Mohammed, who was born in Mecca, Arabia about 570 CE and died in 632 and had become a prophet of Islam to his people.  All Muslims aspire to undertake the hajj, or the annual pilgrimage, to the Kaaba once in their life if they are able. Prayer five times a day and the hajj are two of the five pillars of Islam, the most fundamental principles of the faith. 

Mohammed was influenced by Judaism and dependent on Christianity in espousing his new religion. When about 40, he became concerned about the day of Judgement that he had heard about. Mohammed connected to Abraham as being the descendant of  Ishmael, son of Hagar and Abraham and Jacob's  twin brother, Esau.   He had also heard Jewish rabbis speak outside their tents in Medina, Arabia  of the lessons from Judaism. Islam came along about 1,393 years ago.  

 Buddhism originated in India around the 5th century BCE, with Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) being the key figure in its development. Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Lumbini, modern-day Nepal, is traditionally believed to have lived from 563 to 483 BCE. His teachings, focused on the path to enlightenment and liberation from suffering, laid the foundation for Buddhism. This would have taken place just before Islam.  Buddhism itself started sometime in the fifth century BCE. We now think that the Buddha, who founded the religion, died sometime toward the year 400 BCE. As Buddhism developed, it spread beyond India. A number of different schools emerged.

Resource:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kaaba-shrine-Mecca-Saudi-Arabia

Stone Edition of Old Testament:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%203&version=NIV

https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/was-jesus-last-supper-a-passover-seder

Update: 7:29am on 5/4/25