Middle East: The Birthplace

of Religion

Comunicación y Gerencia

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L in eag e o f M on oth e is m

J esus ,Jew , execu ted b y th e R om an s

fo llow ers c am e to b e c a lled C h ris tian s

K ing S olomon

K ing D avid

K ing S aul

M oses ,lead Is rae lites ou t o f E g yp t

J oseph ,son so ld in to s lavery in E g yp t

1 daught er and 12 sons

J ac ob ,son

a lso n am ed Is rae l

I saac ,son

S ar ah ,firs t w ife

M uhammad,d irec t d esc en d an t o f Is h m ae l

fou n d er o f Is lam

Kaaba,w h ere th e w e ll w as

f ound well, M ecca

I shmael,son

H agar ,secon d w ife

A br aham,f at her of monot heism

sh ep h erd , fou n d ed th e p eop le kn ow n as th e H eb rew sG od to ld h im to leave M esop o tam ia an d s e tt le in C an aan , th e a rea th a t la te r b ecam e Is rae l

Jerusalem, Holy City

Judaism• Oldest major religion• 1300 BCE• First to teach

monotheism• Trace ancestry to

Abraham• Three main branches:

Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed

Belifs/Teachings

Only one God, YahwehObey God’s commandmentsLive a moral and ethical life

Covenant with God

Promise with GodTen Commandments from MosesGod’s Chosen People & would live in the promised land, CanaanAssures Jews of God’s love & protection

Holy Book

Torah (Old Testament)First 5 books crucialBasic laws & historyTalmud, serves as a “guide”

Structure

Synagogue – house of worshipRabbi – spiritual leaderReligious day: sundown on Friday to sundown on SaturdayDo not actively seek converts

Holy Days/Festivals

Rosh Hashanah, New YearYom Kippur, Day of AtonementHanukkah, Festival of LightsBar Mitzvah/Bat MitzvahPassover, freedom from Egypt

Orthodox Customs

No pork or shellfishDietary Laws: store meat & milk products separately, separate sets of utencils, Kosher (ritually correct)Do not work, travel, or carry money on the Sabbath

• Jews over the ages

have built a series of temples in Jerusalem

• They are the focus of Jewish practices and beliefs

• Western Wall: (Wailing Wall) symbolizes the site of ancient temples

• Jews say prayers to this stone wall, and write prayers on small pieces of paper left in the cracks of the wall.

Christianity

• 2nd oldest major religion, 30 CE

• Largest religious group• Monotheistic• Salvation through Jesus• Three main branches:

Roman Catholic, Orthodox, & Protestant

Spread of Christianity

Spread orally by 12 apostlesFirst Christians were JewsNew Testament

Beliefs/Teachings

Only 1 GodGod created the UniverseHoly Trinity, God has 3 parts: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit2 important practices: baptism, Holy CommunionBased on life & teachings of Jesus

Holy Book/Holy Days

Bible, Old & New TestamentSabbath, day of restLent, preparation for EasterPalm SundayGood FridayEasterChristmas

Islam• 3rd oldest major religion,

622 CE in Mecca• Fastest spreading

religion• 2nd largest group• Founder: Muhammad• Monotheistic• Two main branches:

Sunni & Shi’i

Spread of Islam

Spread orally by Muhammad & his followersMuslim armies conquered empires that had weakened over the years.Qur’an/Koran, written words of Allah, as spoken to MuhammadFollowers of Islam: Muslims

Beliefs/Teachings

Only 1 God, AllahSeries of prophets, including Moses & JesusDay of Judgement, submit to the will of GodMoral behaviorFive Pillars

Holy Book/Holy Days

Qur’an/Koran, foundation for Islamic social lawRamadan, holiest month in Islam, month of fastingHajj, pilgrimage to MeccaMuhammad’s Birthday

Customs/TraditionsFive Pillars: Faith, Prayer (5 times/day), Alms, Fasting, PilgrimageDietary Laws: no pork or alcoholMosque, holy place of worshipImam, prayer leaderHijab: head covering/body covering, principle of modestyMen may have more than 1 wifeBabies named on 7th day

Islam• Kabba: This place is considered to be the center of the earth. It is the world's first and oldest worshiping place since the

times of Adam and Eve. All of the Allah's Prophets have come and prayed here, one time or another. It’s known as Kabba, meaning square or four sides, East ,West, North, South.

Dome of the Rock• The sacred rock over which the

Dome of the Rock is built was considered holy before the arrival of Islam. Jews believed, and still believe, the rock to be the very place where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.

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In addition, the Dome of the Rock is believed by many to stand directly over the site of the Holy of Holies of both Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple.

The Dome of the Rock was built in 688 to 691 AD.

It was not intended to be a mosque, but a shrine for pilgrims. According to tradition, the Dome of the

Rock was built to commemorate Muhammad's ascension into heaven after his night journey toJerusalem.

Religion in the Middle East• Jerusalem is holy to the three largest

monotheistic religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Many of the holiest places of Christianity are found in present-day Israel. Christianity spread out towards Western Europe where the majority of Christians lived by the Middle Ages.

• Islam flourished in the Middle East in the 800’s and Arabic became the official language of this region.

• Except for the Crusades, the Middle East has been dominated by Muslims for almost 1400 years.

• WWII: Jewish claims to the region, especially the land of Palestine; the creation of the State of Israel has brought religious tension to the region and the continuous fight over who rightfully owns the land.

• Dominance over the region has shifted from one religious affiliation to another over the years, bringing battles both political and religious that continue to this day.