Which statement describes Judaism?

• A. A polytheistic tradition from ancient Egypt.
• B. A monotheistic religion originating with Abraham.
• C. A polytheistic religion of the Indus Valley.
• D. A secular philosophy from ancient Greece.

Answer: (B)

Judaism is a monotheistic faith that centers on belief in one God and a covenant with the Jewish people. In many world-history overviews, its beginnings are traced to the patriarch Abraham, with later development through Moses and the giving of the Torah. This sets it apart from polytheistic traditions once common in ancient Egypt or the Indus Valley, and from secular philosophies of ancient Greece. So describing Judaism as a monotheistic religion originating with Abraham captures its basic identity and origins.