For the Jews, monotheism(ma-no-the-izm) had initiated a process of self self discovery and self realization unmatched by other peoples of the Near East. The great value that westerners give to the individual derives in part from the ancient Hebrews(he-bruz), who held that man and woman created in God’s image and possessed free will and a conscience answerable to God.

Throughout the centuries the Jewish Bible, with its view of God, human nature, divine punishment, and social justice, had played a pivotal and profound role in Jewish life. Moreover, its significance has transcended the Jewish experience; it is also a cornerstone of Western civilization. Christianity, the essential religion of Western civilization, emerged from ancient Judaism(ju-de-izm), and the links between the two, including monotheism, moral autonomy, prophetic values, and the Hebrew Scriptures as the Word of God, are numerous and strong. The historical Jesus cannot be understood without examining his Jewish background, and his followers appealed to the Hebrew Scriptures in order to demonstrate the validity of their beliefs. For these reasons, we talk of a Judeo-Christian tradition as an essential component of Western civilization. The Hebrew vision of a future messianic(me-se-anik) age, a golden age of peace and social justice, is at the root of the Western idea of progress- that people can build a more just society, that there is reason to be hopeful about the future. This way of perceiving the world has greatly influenced modern reform movemtns. In seeking to comprehend their relationship to God, the writers of the Hebrew Scriptures produced a treasury of themes, stories, and models of literary style and craftsmanship that have been a source of inspiration for Western religious thinkers, novelists, poets, and artists to the present day. Historians and archaeologists find the Hebrew Scriptures a valuable resource in their efforts to reconstruct ancient Near Eastern history.