As detailed in the Bible, Judaism suffered but managed to continue in roughly the same form throughout the rule of the judges and the kings, the Babylonian Exile, and several invasions by foreign cultures. (See History of Ancient Palestine, above.) However, when the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD and the Jews entered the Diaspora, Judaism underwent a major upheaval, with Temple worship and sacrifice being replaced by Torah study (midrash) and prayer (tefila).

The Torah is the central text of Judaism. Although it was received over three thousand years ago, the Torah has been continuously interpreted and re-interpreted over the centuries in an effort to maintain its vitality and applicability. The Written Torah, which consists of the first five books of the Bible, formed the template for the Oral Torah, a series of interpretations and teachings eventually codified in final form around 200 AD as the Mishnah. The Mishnah became the starting point for the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, finalized sometime in the fifth century AD. likewise, the Talmud was the springboard for a new series of interpretations and teachings that continued to build upon each other throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times. “Torah,” which has come to refer to the entirety- of Jewish thought and teachings, has been at the core of Jewish life throughout most of history.