Judaism began around 2000 BCE with Abraham and developed a strong monotheistic tradition centered around obedience to God and study of Jewish texts like the Torah. It has a long history of kingdoms in Israel, exile, and migration throughout Europe and the Middle East due to persecution. Today there are about 14 million Jews worldwide with major populations in Israel and the United States, and Judaism continues to have an outsized influence on other major world religions and Western culture through its key beliefs and ideas.