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Religious Traditions of the Middle East

Religious Traditions of the Middle East. Their holy book is called the Koran Jesus is considered the son of God Accepts both the Old and New Testaments as holy Books Followers participate in a pilgrimage to Mecca Oldest of the three Abraham is regarded as the father of their people

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Religious Traditions of the Middle East

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  1. Religious Traditions of the Middle East

  2. Their holy book is called the Koran Jesus is considered the son of God Accepts both the Old and New Testaments as holy Books Followers participate in a pilgrimage to Mecca Oldest of the three Abraham is regarded as the father of their people Believes in one supreme being Place of worship is a mosque Accepts the Torah as its only holy book Abraham and Moses are considered prophets Jerusalem is considered a holy city Call themselves Muslims 10 commandments are accepted as guidelines Jesus is recognized as a prophet Believes in the divine creation of the universe Second oldest of the three Holy Book includes the story of the birth of Jesus Place of worship is the synagogue J-C-I Activity

  3. Judaism

  4. Judaism: Origins • 2500 and 1500 BC • May be the oldest religion still being practiced • Palestine • Region where Judaism first appeared • Along the East coast of the Mediterranean, present day Israel • Abraham- Covenant • According to the Old Testament, a prophet named Abraham (Mesopotamia) was called out by God to be the father of his chosen people.

  5. Judaism: History • Abraham 2500 – 1500 BC • Moses & the Egyptian Capitivity • Credited for writing most of the Torah • Led Jews out of slavery in Egypt • Saul, David, Solomon c. 1050 – 931 BCE • Height of the Kingdom of Israel • Capital city was established in Jerusalem

  6. Judaism: History • Invasions 722 – 66 BC • Assyrians, Babylonians, Alexander the Great, & Romans • Tried to throw off Roman rule • Jerusalem, was destroyed along with the temple • Jewish Diaspora, c. 70 AD - dispersal of Jews around the world (Saudi Arabia, Spain, Italy, etc.) • Still pray toward Jerusalem & the site of the temple

  7. Judaism: History • Wailing Wall- “Western Wall”, holy site, last remaining portion of the temple Solomon’s Temple

  8. Judaism: Beliefs and Practices

  9. Judaism: Beliefs and Practices • Torah - the core scriptures in Judaism, traditionally written in Hebrew • Ten Commandments are located in the book of Exodus • 1st passed down through oral tradition • Extensive Ethical Law • commitment and observance to the law, keeping the Sabbath, no pork, etc.

  10. Judaism: Beliefs and Practices • Synagogue: Jewish place of worship • Also the center of social life for many Jews • Rabbi- “teacher,” teaches and leads the synagogue • More than 14 million Jews live around the world • Sects/Denominations: Reform, Hasidic, Orthodox

  11. Christianity

  12. Christianity: History • Began in the 1st Century AD in Palestine • Based on the belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God (Messiah) • Crucifixion- method of execution common throughout the Roman Empire • Killed in Jerusalem between 30-33 AD • Quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire due to uniform language & easy travel

  13. Christianity: History • The first Christians were Jews, eventually became its own religion following the Diaspora. • Edict of Milan • Emperor Constantine legalized & officially recognized Christianity, 313 AD • Emperor Theodosius made it the official state religion of the Roman Empire, 379 AD

  14. Christianity: Beliefs and Practices • Bible • Old Testament – incorporation of the Jewish scriptures into the Christian Bible, Torah, Prophets, etc. • New Testament - accepted as an addition to the Old Testament • Made up of the teachings of Jesus and his followers known, as his disciples • Official language was Greek and Latin until the 400 years ago • Sects: Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestant • 2 Billion Christians

  15. Christianity: Beliefs and Practices

  16. Islam

  17. Islam: History • Founded by the Prophet Muhammad who lived AD 570-632. • Born in Mecca (present day Saudi Arabia), he was a wealthy merchant in a city of polytheistic idol worship • Experienced revelations from God “Allah” (610) • 1) There is only one God • 2) all must submit to his will. • Islam- means “submission to God” • Muslim- means “those who submit to God”

  18. Islam: History • AD 622- Muhammad fled to Medina as a result of persecution in Mecca because of his insistence that there was only one God, not many. • Later returned and conquered Mecca • Claimed it as a holy city • Became a religious and political leader of much of the Arabian Peninsula.

  19. Islam: History • Islam spread by the expansion of Muslim Empires, as well as missionaries. • Holy Cities: • Mecca - born, site of the Hajj • Medina - where he is buried • Jerusalem - where he ascended into heaven one night, Night Ascension (621 AD)

  20. Dome of the Rock

  21. Islam: Beliefs & Practices

  22. Islam: Beliefs and Practices • Mosque - place of worship for Muslims • Qu’ran (Koran) • The sacred book in Islam • Written in Arabic, God’s word recorded by Muhammad • Contains Islam’s key principles and many Old & New Testament biblical references. • Muhammad taught that Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were earlier prophets of Allah, but he was the last prophet

  23. Islam: Beliefs and Practices • After Muhammad’s death there was a split over succession as Caliph (Muhammad was both a political and religious leader) • Shi’a (minority) supported Muhammad’s son-in-law (Ali) as heir • Sunni (majority) supported Muhammad’s father-in-law (Abu Bakr) as heir, still make up a majority of Muslims today • Members of one Islamic group do not usually recognize members of other groups as fellow Muslims, and open conflict between sects is not uncommon.

  24. Islam: Beliefs and Practices Five Pillars of Islam: 1. Shahada – “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet” 2. Salat – Five daily prayers, can take place anywhere, men are encouraged to go to a Mosque 3. Sawm – Muslims are required to fast during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan

  25. Islam: Beliefs and Practices • 4. Zagat - giving money to the poor &/or needy • All things belong to God and wealth is held by human beings in trust • 2.5% of savings or profits & 5 -10% of harvest • 5. Hajj – every person is required to make journey to the city of Mecca at least once in their lifetimes during a certain month • Umrah – lesser pilgrimage at any time; encouraged, but not required

  26. Questions: What things do Judaism, Christianity, & Islam all have in common? In what ways are they different?

  27. Common Features One God (monotheistic) God created the Universe Have holy book Scripture has ultimate authority Originated in Palestine Jerusalem is holy city Human Suffering as a test of faith One life and eternal judgment Reward or Punishment after death

  28. Islam Prophet Mohammed Quran is word of God Initially spread in violence. 5 Pillars of Islam Worship in a mosque Differences • Christianity • Worship Jesus as the son of God • Bible is the word of God • 10 Commandments • Initially spread in peace • Worship in a church • Judaism • Messiah is coming • Torah is Word of God • Spread in peace • 10 Commandments • Worship in a synagogue

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