Since biblical times, the Jews have been a people with a monotheistic faith, Judaism, embodying both a religious and a national significance. By the 18th century most of the world's Jews lived in eastern Europe, where they were confined to ghettos and had little interaction with the societies around them. Within their communities, they managed their own affairs, adhering to the body of Jewish law (Halakhah) which had been developed and codified by religious scholars over many centuries.
Judaism
full story
printer version