Which of these BEST explains the importance of Judaism in World History? A) It became the dominant religion in medieval Europe. Eliminate B) It was the first major monotheistic faith in the world. C) There is no central leader of Judaism as in Christianity. D) Both Hinduism and Buddhism developed from early Judaism.

The term Judaism refers to the religion, tradition, and culture of the Jewish people. Historically, it is the oldest of the three monotheistic religions, a group that includes Christianity and Islam, originating in the Middle East and deriving from the first, called "religions of the book" or "Abrahamic." It has the least number of faithful among them. The main feature of the Jewish faith is the belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, and provident God, who would have created the universe and elected the Jewish people to reveal the law contained in the Ten Commandments and the ritual prescriptions of the third and fourth books of the Torah. Another characteristic of Judaism, which differentiates it from other monotheistic religions, is that it is considered not only as a religion, but also as a tradition, a culture, and a nation. The other religions transcend several nations and cultures, while Judaism considers religion and culture conceived for a specific people.