The Role of Religion in the Middle East

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The Role of Religion in the Middle East

• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam

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Jerusalem

• Religion has always been an important factor in
  the history of the Middle East. It is holy to the
  three largest monotheistic religions in the
  world Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Control
  over the region has exchanged from one religious
  group to another over the years, bringing battles
  both political and religious that continue to
  this day.
• belief in one god

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Old Jerusalem
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Judaism

• 1300 B.C.E.
• Palestine/Israel
• Abraham, Moses
• Torah
• (Old Testament)
• Talmud
• ( Laws 10 Commandments)
• Yahweh, Jehovah
• Monotheistic

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• 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

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Judaism

• Worship in a synagogue, temple
• Rabbis, Cantors
• Religious day Saturday

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Major Branches

• Orthodox
• Conservative
• Reform

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• Religious Holidays
• Yom Kippur
• Atonement
• Chanukah
• Festival of Lights
• Rosh Hashanah Happy New Year
• Hebrews /Jews
• Challah bread

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Christianity

• 30 C.E.
• Palestine/ Israel
• Jesus, Peter, Paul
• Bible(Old Testament)
• New Testament
• Ten Commandments
• God

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Christianity

• Church, Chapel, Cathedral, Basilica
• Priest, Pope, Pastor,Minister, Deacon,Preacher
• Religious day Sunday

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Christianity

• Religious Holidays
• Christmas, Lent, Easter
• Protestant, Catholic
• Christians

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Islam

• Began in 622 C.E.
• Saudi Arabia
• Mecca
• Medina
• Jerusalem
• FounderMuhammad

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Islam

• Quran /Koran
• religious text
• Allah
• supreme being
• Sharia
• religious Law

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Five Pillars Of Islam

• Prayer 5 times a day facing Mecca
• Pilgrimage Hajj
• Alms/Charity
• Fasting during the month of Ramadan
• Confession of Faith

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Islam

• Mosque
• Minarets, Muezzin
• Imams
• Religious day Friday

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Islam

• Mecca Hajj pilgrimage

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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. Its
• known as Kabba,
• meaning square or four
• sides, East West North
• South, probably the
• modern English word
• "cube" is derived from it. You can be any
  where in this world, face towards Kabba and pray,
  because Allah is everywhere.

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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 by the Umayyad
  caliph
• Abd al-Malik from 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 to Jerusalem.

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Islam

• Ramadan holiest month in Islam
• Can eat after
• sun down-sun up
• Moslems/Muslims
• Sunnis more orthodox-traditional beliefs
• Shiites Believe to be direct descendants
• of Muhammad

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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 800s
  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.

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• 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.