Karaite Judaism

It is distinct from Rabbinic Judaism , which considers the interpretations of Jewish laws in the Oral law , Talmud , and subsequent works to be authoritative interpretations of the Tanakh. Karaites maintain that all of the commandments handed down to Moses were recorded in the written Torah at Mount Sinai , without additional Oral Law or explanation. As a result, Karaite Jews do not accept as binding the written collections of the Oral tradition in the Mishnah or Talmud . When interpreting the Tanakh, Karaites strive to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning (" p'shat ") of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning, but rather the meaning that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Israelites when the books of the Tanakh were first written. Due to the tremendous changes in Jewish culture and religious practice over the past 4,000 years, the p'shat may not be as easily understood as it once was in Biblical Israel, and must now be derived from textual clues such as language, and context. (In contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on oral traditions handed down by rabbis and collected in the Mishnah, Talmud, and other sources, to reveal the original meaning of the Torah.) Karaite Judaism holds every interpretation of the Tanakh to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately decide for themselves its correct meaning. This is reflected in the Karaite saying "Study the Torah diligently, and do not be dependent on my opinion." Therefore, Karaites may consider arguments made in the Talmud and other works without exalting them above other viewpoints. The Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( circa 7th–9th centuries CE), under the Abbasid Caliphate in what is present-day Iraq . Karaites were at one time a significant proportion of the Jewish population. Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to anti-Rabbinic sects and views, such as those of the Sadducees , dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (-70 CE), or whether Karaism represents a novel emergence of similar views. Today it is estimated that there are as many as 30,000 Karaites or more worldwide, with 20,000–25,000 of them living in Israel. Most Karaites today have made Aliyah to Israel , having immigrated from Arab countries such as Egypt and Iraq. From Miqra (מקרא), the Jewish name for the Hebrew Bible , and the root qara (קרא) meaning "to read." This oral law employs the methods of remez (implication or clue), drash (interpretation, exegesis ), and sod (deep, hidden meaning, identified with the Kabbalah ).

History Communities Population Denominations Orthodox Modern Haredi Hasidic Reform Conservative Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Science Haymanot Humanistic Culture Languages Hebrew Biblical Mishnaic Medieval Modern Bukharian Ghardaïa Sign Jewish Koine Greek Judeo-Arabic Judeo-Aramaic Judeo-Berber Judeo-Gascon Judaeo-Georgian Judaeo-Iranian Judeo-Italian Judeo-Malayalam Judaeo-Spanish Judeo-Tat Knaanic Shassi Yeshivish Yevanic Yiddish Zarphatic Politics Category Portal v t e Karaite Judaism or Karaism ( / ˈ k ær ə . aɪ t / or / ˈ k ær ə . ɪ z əm / ; Hebrew : יהדות קראית , Modern : Yahadut Qara'it , Tiberian : Qārāʾîm , meaning "Readers (of the Hebrew Scriptures )") is a Jewish movement characterized by the recognition of the Tanakh alone as its supreme legal authority in Halakha (Jewish religious law ) and theology . It is distinct from mainstream Rabbinic Judaism , which considers the Oral Torah , as codified in the Talmud and subsequent works to be authoritative interpretations of the Torah . Karaites maintain that all of the divine commandments handed down to Moses by God were recorded in the written Torah without additional Oral Law or explanation. As a result, Karaite Jews do not accept as binding the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or Talmud . When interpreting the Tanakh, Karaites strive to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning (" peshat ") of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning, but rather the meaning that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Israelites when the books of the Tanakh were first written. In contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on the legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in the Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaite Judaism holds every interpretation of the Tanakh to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately decide for themselves its correct meaning. Therefore, Karaites may consider arguments made in the Talmud and other works without exalting them above other viewpoints. According to Rabbi Avraham ben David , in his Sefer HaQabbalah , the Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( circa 7th–9th centuries CE), under the Abbasid Caliphate in what is present-day Iraq . This is the view universally accepted among Rabbinic Jews. However, the claim has been made that Karaites were already living in Egypt in the first half of the 7th century, the evidence consisting of a legal document that the Karaite community in Egypt had in its possession until the end of the 19th century, which was said to be stamped by the palm of 'Amr ibn al-'As , the first Islamic governor of Egypt, in which he ordered the leaders of the Rabbanite community not to interfere in the way of life of the Karaites nor with the way they celebrate their holidays. This document was reported to be dated 20 AH (641 CE). Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to anti-Rabbinic sects and views, such as those of the Sadducees , dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (70 CE), or whether Karaism represents a novel emergence of similar views. Karaites have always maintained that, while there are some similarities to the Sadducees, there are also differences, and that the ancestors of the Karaites were another group called Benei Ṣedeq during the Second Temple period. Karaites were at one time a significant proportion of the Jewish population. Estimates of the Karaite population are difficult to make because they believe on the basis of Genesis 32 that counting Jews is forbidden. Some 30–50,000 are thought to reside in Israel, with smaller communities in Turkey, Europe and the United States. Another estimate holds that, of the 50,000 world-wide, over 40,000 descend from those who made aliyah from Egypt and Iraq to Israel . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

A Jewish religious movement characterized by the recognition of the written Torah alone as its supreme authority in Jewish religious law and theology. Ethnic group History Communities Population Denominations Orthodox Modern Haredi Hasidic Reform Conservative Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Science Haymanot Humanistic Culture Languages Hebrew Biblical Mishnaic Medieval Modern Bukharian Ghardaïa Sign Jewish Koine Greek Judeo-Arabic Judeo-Aramaic Judeo-Berber Judeo-Gascon Judaeo-Georgian Judaeo-Iranian Judeo-Italian Judeo-Malayalam Judaeo-Spanish Judeo-Tat Knaanic Shassi Yeshivish Yevanic Yiddish Zarphatic Politics Category Portal v t e Karaite Judaism ( / ˈ k ɛər ə . aɪ t / ) or Karaism ( / ˈ k ɛər ə . ɪ z əm / ; Hebrew : , Modern : Yahadut Qara'it from , Tiberian : Qārāʾîm , meaning "Readers"; also spelt Qaraite Judaism or Qaraism ) is a Jewish religious movement characterized by the recognition of the written Torah alone as its supreme authority in halakha (Jewish religious law ) and theology . Karaites maintain that all of the divine commandments handed down to Moses by God were recorded in the written Torah without additional Oral Law or explanation. It is distinct from mainstream Rabbinic Judaism , which considers the Oral Torah , as codified in the Talmud and subsequent works, to be authoritative interpretations of the Torah . As a result, Karaite Jews do not accept as binding the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or Talmud . When interpreting the Torah, Karaites strive to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning ( peshat ) of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning, but rather the meaning that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Israelites when the books of the Torah were first written. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on the legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in the Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaite Judaism holds every interpretation of the Torah to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately decide personally its correct meaning. Karaites may consider arguments made in the Talmud and other works without exalting them above other viewpoints. According to Mordecai ben Nissan , the ancestors of the Karaites was a group called Benei Ṣedeq during the Second Temple period. Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to the Sadducees , dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (70 CE), or whether Karaism represents a novel emergence of similar views. Karaites have always maintained that, while there are some similarities to the Sadducees due to the rejection of rabbinical authority and the Oral Law, there are major differences. According to Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud , in his Sefer HaQabbalah , the Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( circa 7th–9th centuries) under the Abbasid Caliphate in what is present-day Iraq . This is the view universally accepted among Rabbinic Jews. However, some Arab scholars claim that Karaites were already living in Egypt in the first half of the 7th century, based on a legal document that the Karaite community in Egypt had in its possession until the end of the 19th century, in which the first Islamic governor ordered the leaders of the Rabbinite community against interfering with Karaite practices or the way they celebrate their holidays. It was said to have been stamped by the palm of 'Amr ibn al-'As , the first Islamic governor of Egypt, and was reportedly dated 20 AH (641 CE). Karaites at one time made up a significant proportion of the Jewish population. Estimates of the Karaite population are difficult to make because they believe on the basis of Genesis 32 that counting Jews is forbidden. In the 21st century, some 30,000–50,000 are thought to reside in Israel, with smaller communities in Turkey, Europe and the United States. Another estimate holds that, of the 50,000 worldwide, more than 40,000 descend from those who made aliyah from Egypt and Iraq to Israel . The largest Karaite community today resides in the Israeli city of Ashdod . Times of Israel . 28 January 2016 . Community of Ashdod There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Jewish religious movement This article is about the Jewish religious movement. History Communities Population Denominations Orthodox Modern Haredi Hasidic Reform Conservative Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Science Haymanot Humanistic Culture Languages Hebrew Biblical Mishnaic Medieval Modern Bukharian Ghardaïa Sign Jewish Koine Greek Judeo-Arabic Judeo-Aramaic Judeo-Berber Judeo-Gascon Judaeo-Georgian Judaeo-Iranian Judeo-Italian Judeo-Malayalam Judaeo-Spanish Judeo-Tat Knaanic Shassi Yeshivish Yevanic Yiddish Zarphatic Politics Category Portal v t e Karaite Judaism ( / ˈ k ɛər ə . aɪ t / ) or Karaism ( / ˈ k ɛər ə . ɪ z əm / , sometimes spelt Karaitism ( / ˈ k ɛər ə . ɪ t ɪ z əm / ; Yahadut Qara'it ); also spelt Qaraite Judaism , Qaraism or Qaraitism ) is a Jewish religious movement characterized by the recognition of the written Tanakh alone as its supreme authority in halakha (Jewish religious law ) and theology . Karaites believe that all of the divine commandments which were handed down to Moses by God were recorded in the written Torah without any additional Oral Law or explanation. Unlike mainstream Rabbinic Judaism , which regards the Oral Torah , codified in the Talmud and subsequent works, as authoritative interpretations of the Torah , Karaite Jews do not treat the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or the Talmud as binding. When they read the Torah, Karaites strive to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning ( peshat ) of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning of the text - instead, it is the meaning of the text that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Hebrews when the books of the Torah were first written - without the use of the Oral Torah. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on the legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in the Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaite Judaism holds every interpretation of the Torah to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately to decide personally its correct meaning. Karaites may consider arguments made in the Talmud and other works, but without exalting them above other viewpoints. According to the Karaite Mordecai ben Nissan (born 1650), the ancestors of the Karaites were a group called Benei Ṣedeq during the Second Temple period . Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to the Sadducees dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (70 CE) or whether Karaism represents a novel emergence of similar views. Karaites have always maintained that while there are some similarities to the Sadducees due to the rejection of rabbinical authority and of the Oral Law, there are major differences. According to Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud , in his Sefer ha-Qabbalah (written c. 1160), the Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( c. 7th–9th centuries) under the Abbasid Caliphate in present-day Iraq . This is the view universally accepted among Rabbinic Jews. However, some Arab scholars claim that Karaites were already living in Egypt in the first half of the seventh century, based on a legal document that the Karaite community in Egypt had in its possession until the end of the 19th century, in which the first Islamic governor ordered the leaders of the Rabbinite community against interfering with Karaite practices or with the way they celebrate their holidays. It was said to have been stamped by the palm of Amr ibn al-ʿĀṣ as-Sahmī , the first Islamic governor of Egypt (d. 664), and was reportedly dated 20 AH (641 CE). At one time, Karaites made up a significant proportion of the Jewish population. As of 2013 an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Karaites resided in Israel , with smaller communities in Turkey, Europe and the United States. A 2007 report estimated that, of 30,000 worldwide, more than 20,000 descend from those who made aliyah from Egypt and Iraq to Israel . The largest Karaite community today resides in the Israeli city of Ashdod . Stan i struktura demograficzno-społeczna.Narodowy Spis Powszechny Ludności i Mieszkań 2011. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Kohler, Kaufmann ; Harkavy, Abraham de (1901–1906). In Singer, Isidore ; et al. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link ) For instance, see Mordecai ben Nissan's Sefer Dod Mordekhai on the division of the House of Israel into two parts, [1699; first published in Vienna, 1830] republished in Ramle, Israel , 1966 by Ḥevrat Haṣlaḥah LiVnei Miqra’ (publishing house of the Karaite Jews of Israel). The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible . The Karaites had their golden age in medieval times - an estimated 10 percent of Jews were once Karaite. Isabel Kershner , "New Generation of Jewish Sect Takes Up Struggle to Protect Place in Modern Israel" , The New York Times , 4 September 2013 - "[...] the community is estimated at 30,000 to 50,000, out of Israel's population of eight million. There are also smaller communities in the United States, Turkey and Europe." Joshua Freeman. Although most people concede that it is difficult to say exactly how many Karaites there are today, estimates put the population in Israel at approximately 20,000 to 25,000, accounting for the overwhelming majority of the approximately 30,000 Karaites in the world. [...] After the establishment of the State of Israel, many Karaites, most notably from Egypt, moved to Israel, settling in Ramle, Beersheba, Jerusalem, Ashdod and other areas. Community of Ashdod (in Hebrew) There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Jewish denomination This article is about the Jewish religious movement. Karaites believe that all of the divine commandments which were handed down to Moses by God were recorded in the written Torah without any additional Oral Law or explanation. Unlike mainstream Rabbinic Judaism , which regards the Oral Torah , codified in the Talmud and subsequent works, as authoritative interpretations of the Torah , Karaite Jews do not treat the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or the Talmud as binding. Karaite interpretation of the Torah strives to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning ( peshat ) of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning of the text—instead, it is the meaning of the text that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Hebrews when the books of the Torah were first written—without the use of the Oral Torah. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on the legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in the Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaism holds every interpretation of the Torah to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately to decide personally its correct meaning. Karaites may consider arguments made in the Talmud and other works, but without exalting them above other viewpoints. According to the Karaite Mordecai ben Nissan (born 1650), the ancestors of the Karaites were a group called Benei Ṣedeq during the Second Temple period . Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to the Sadducees dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (70 CE) or whether Karaism represents a novel emergence of similar views. Karaites have always maintained that while there are some similarities to the Sadducees due to the rejection of rabbinical authority and of the Oral Law, there are major differences. According to Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud , in his Sefer ha-Qabbalah (written c. 1160 ), the Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( c. 7th–9th centuries) under the Abbasid Caliphate in present-day Iraq . This is the view universally accepted among Rabbinic Jews. However, some Arab scholars claim that Karaites were already living in Egypt in the first half of the seventh century, based on a legal document that the Karaite community in Egypt had in its possession until the end of the 19th century, in which the first Islamic governor ordered the leaders of the Rabbinite community against interfering with Karaite practices or with the way they celebrate their holidays. It was said to have been stamped by the palm of Amr ibn al-ʿĀṣ as-Sahmī , the first Islamic governor of Egypt (d. 664), and was reportedly dated 20 AH (641 CE). At one time, Karaites made up about 10 percent of the Jewish population. However as of 2013, an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Karaites resided in Israel , with smaller communities in Turkey, Europe and the United States. A 2007 report estimated that, of 30,000 worldwide, more than 20,000 descend from those who made aliyah from Egypt and Iraq to Israel. The largest Karaite community today resides in the Israeli city of Ashdod . Stan i struktura demograficzno-społeczna.Narodowy Spis Powszechny Ludności i Mieszkań 2011. "Gyventojų ir būstų surašymai - Oficialiosios statistikos portalas" [Population and housing censuses - Official statistics portal] (in Lithuanian). This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Kohler, Kaufmann ; Harkavy, Abraham de (1901–1906). In Singer, Isidore ; et al. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link ) For instance, see Mordecai ben Nissan's Sefer Dod Mordekhai on the division of the House of Israel into two parts, [1699; first published in Vienna, 1830] republished in Ramle, Israel , 1966 by Ḥevrat Haṣlaḥah LiVnei Miqra’ (publishing house of the Karaite Jews of Israel). The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible . The Karaites had their golden age in medieval times - an estimated 10 percent of Jews were once Karaite. Isabel Kershner , "New Generation of Jewish Sect Takes Up Struggle to Protect Place in Modern Israel" , The New York Times , 4 September 2013 - "[...] the community is estimated at 30,000 to 50,000, out of Israel's population of eight million. There are also smaller communities in the United States, Turkey and Europe." Freeman, Joshua. Although most people concede that it is difficult to say exactly how many Karaites there are today, estimates put the population in Israel at approximately 20,000 to 25,000, accounting for the overwhelming majority of the approximately 30,000 Karaites in the world. [...] After the establishment of the State of Israel, many Karaites, most notably from Egypt, moved to Israel, settling in Ramle, Beersheba, Jerusalem, Ashdod and other areas. Community of Ashdod (in Hebrew) There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).