Religion in Southwest Asia The meeting place of three religions

Judaism Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion. MONOTHEISTIC means belief in one God It was founded by Abraham almost 4000 years ago. Those who practice Judaism are called Jews.

What do Jews believe? Jews believe that God made a special agreement with Abraham to bless his descendants and give them land if they worshipped and remained faithful to God. They are called “The Chosen People” The sacred texts of the Jews include –The Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh)which has three parts The Torah ( the law) The Prophets The Writings –The Talmud

Where do they pray? Jews pray in a synagogue. –They are led by a rabbi who teaches and interprets Jewish law –The Cantor chants prayers in Hebrew –Male worshippers should wear a yarmulke (yah-ma-kah) or a skull cap.

Jewish Holidays Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement Hanukkah- Feast of Lights Passover- celebrates the Exodus from Egypt

Jerusalem, Israel The Western Wall is sacred to Jews

Christianity Christians make up the largest religious group in the world - 2 billion It was founded by Jesus Christ and his Apostles There are many denominations (groups) of Christians. –The largest group is the Catholic Church which is based in Rome It is led by the Pope in Vatican City –Eastern Orthodox –Protestant

What do Christians believe? Christians believe that there is only one God, Jesus was his Son sent to save humanity from eternal sin. The way to heaven is to be absolved of all sin. The sacred book of Christians is called The Bible –Old Testament: creation; covenant with the Jews; prediction of the coming Messiah –New Testament: life of Jesus Christ; development of the early church; end of the world.

Where do they pray? Christians pray in a church. Large churches can also be called cathedrals. They can be led by people who are called a variety of names –Father –Reverend –Deacon

Special Days Christmas Easter Pentecost

Islam Islam is a religion that began in 610 A.D. It was founded by Muhammad, a merchant from Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia. He is called a prophet. Those who practice Islam are called Muslims.

What do Muslims believe? They believe in one God, whom they call by the Arabic name for God, Allah. This means they are monotheistic. Which other religions are monotheistic? The sacred book of Muslims is called The Qur’an There are 5 duties, or pillars, a Muslim must follow –Faith - Iman –Prayer - Salat –Charity - Zakat –Fasting - Ramadan –Pilgrimage - Hajj

The Ka’aba in Mecca

Where do they pray? Friday is the holy day in Islam They pray in a mosque. It can also be called a masjid Why are some Muslims called Sunni and others called Shi’ite?

Special Days Eid-ul- Adha - celebrates the beginning of Hajj Ramadan- the most holy month in the Muslim year. Fasting from sun- up to sundown ends with a feast every evening Eid- ul- Fitr- celebrates the end of Ramadan

Why does Islam affect the government? Unlike other religions, the Qur’ an gives instructions on living daily life and how laws should be enacted, so the government in these Muslim countries follow the shari’a or religious law creating a theocracy. This type of government is one in which religious leaders are in control.

How is Islam similar to Judaism and Christianity? They all believe in one God (monotheistic) How else? They all claim Jerusalem as a sacred site. Look at p How could this cause conflict?