Judaism (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Born perhaps 4000 years ago, Judaism is one of the oldest religious traditions practiced today, the first known religion to embrace monotheism and one of the most influential in history. Born in the "cradle of religions," the Middle East, Judaism provided the foundations for Christianity and Islam, two other "Abrahamic" religions.
Judaism is the religion of the Jews, originally a Semitic tribe that lived in an area of the Middle East roughly centered on the ancient city of Jerusalem. Over time their central beliefs were written down in the Bible (Old Testament), which contains the history of the Jews, as well as the words of prophets and kings. Most importantly, the Bible teaches the children of Israel how to live according to God's wishes.
These are the central beliefs of Judaism. There is only one God and you must not worship any other gods before Him. God is all powerful, all knowing, and eternal. Each man prays to God directly, without the need for an intermediary. People can atone for sins through words and deeds. God has chosen the Jewish people to be in a covenant with Him, and some day God will send a Messiah to bring all of the chosen people back to Israel and usher in an era of peace and prosperity to the Earth.
Judaism is a remarkably strong and resilient faith. Throughout history the Jews have been oppressed and enslaved by a series of conquerors. They have been taken from their homeland and scattered across Europe, Africa and Asia. They have been the targets of a program of unbelievably brutal genocide. But throughout it all, the Jews have remained faithful to their religion and their God.