Judaism was founded nearly 4,000 years ago in the ancient Near Eastern region of Canaan, which corresponds to present-day Israel and the Palestinian territories. It began with Abraham and Sarah, whom God chose to start a new people, the Israelites, and promised them a land that would become the Land of Israel. Judaism developed over centuries from these early roots, with key historical moments including the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai and later developments of rabbinic Judaism after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The origins are deeply tied to the Middle East, especially the land of ancient Israel and Judah, and the religion evolved through various phases including Iron Age Yahwism and the Second Temple period.
