Middle East - Anthony Ham [55]
The Torah & Talmud
The basis for the Jewish religion is the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. The Torah contains the revelation from God via Moses more than 3000 years ago, including, most importantly, God’s commandments (613 commandments in total). The Torah is supplemented by the rest of the books of the Old Testament, of which the most important are the prophetic books.
These books are, in turn, complemented by the Talmud, a collection of another 63 books. The Talmud was written largely in exile after the Romans crushed the Jewish state and destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, and within its pages is most of what separates Judaism from other religions. Included are plenty of rabbinical interpretations of the earlier scriptures, with a wealth of instructions and rulings for Jewish daily life.
Jewish Customs
The most obvious Jewish custom you’ll experience in Israel is Shabbat, the day of rest. It begins on Friday night with sundown and ends at nightfall on Saturday. No work of any kind is allowed on Shabbat, unless someone’s health is at stake. Tasks such as writing or handling money are forbidden. Starting a fire is also prohibited and in modern terms this means no use of electricity is allowed (lights can be turned on before Shabbat starts but must stay on until it ends). Permitted activities include visiting with friends and family, reading and discussing the Torah, and prayer at a synagogue. Sex is also allowed; in fact, it’s a double mitzvah on Shabbat.
God’s laws, as recorded in the Torah, govern every facet of an observant Jew’s life, including issues like the prohibition of theft, murder and idolatry. There are other commandments to which Jews must adhere, such as eating kosher foods and reciting the shema (affirmation of Judaism) twice daily.
Some Jewish sects are easily recognised by their clothing, although most Jews wear Western street clothes. The most religious Jews, the Hasidim (or haredim) are identified by their black hats, long black coats, collared white shirts, beards and peyot (side curls). Haredi women, like Muslim women, act and dress modestly, covering up exposed hair and skin (except the hands and face).
Many Jews, both secular and orthodox, wear a kippa (skullcap). It’s sometimes possible to infer a person’s background, religious or even political beliefs by the type of kippa they wear. A large crocheted kippa, often in white, is a sign that the wearer is either a Braslav Hassid or a Messianist, perhaps an extreme right-wing settler. Muted brown or blue kippot (skullcaps) that are crocheted generally indicate strong Zionist beliefs; the IDF provides standard-issue olive kippot.
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Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with an estimated 1.9 billion followers. Islam comes next with around 1.1 billion adherents.
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CHRISTIANITY
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Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with an estimated 1.9 billion followers. Islam comes next with around 1.1 billion adherents.
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Jesus preached in what is present-day Israel and the Palestinian Territories, but Christians form only minority groups in all Middle Eastern countries. Lebanon’s one million Maronites have followers all over the world, but by far the biggest Christian sect in the region is formed by the Copts of Egypt, who make up most of that country’s Christian population. Originally it was the apostle Mark who established Christianity in Egypt, and by the 4th century it had become the state religion. The Coptic Church split from the Byzantine Orthodox Church in the 5th