1. Religious Traditions of the Middle East

2. J-C-I Activity 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
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

3. Judaism

4. Judaism: Origins 2500 and 1500 BC Palestine Abraham- Covenant
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 – 931 BCE
Height of the Kingdom of Israel
Capital city was established in Jerusalem

6. Judaism: History Invasions 722 – 66 BC Tried to throw off Roman rule
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

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

9. Judaism: Beliefs and Practices

10. 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.

11. 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

12. Christianity

13. 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 AD
Quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire due to uniform language & easy travel

14. 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

16. 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

17. Christianity: Beliefs and Practices

18. Islam

19. 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”

20. 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.

21. 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)

22. Dome of the Rock

23. Islam: Beliefs & Practices

24. 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

25. 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.

27. 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

28. 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

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

30. 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

31. Differences Islam Christianity Judaism Prophet Mohammed
Quran is word of God
Initially spread in violence.
5 Pillars of Islam
Worship in a mosque
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