Transcript Christianity - Cobb Learning

Southwest Asia’s
Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam (Sunni & Shia)
• Judaism, Christianity, & Islam are prominent
religions practiced in Southwest Asia.
• 90% of the region’s population practices Islam,
4% are Christian, and 2% follow Judaism.
• Followers of each practice monotheism, a belief in
one god.
What else do they have in common?
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They all originated in Southwest Asia.
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Each can trace their roots to Abraham as the father
of their faith.
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Jerusalem is the holiest city in the world for Jews
and Christians, and the third holiest city for Muslims.
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All three have an important messenger, book of
teachings, and holidays.
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Each religion is led by a single person
Jerusalem
Father Abraham
Abraham
Age: 100
Sarah
Age: 90
Ishmael
Hagar
Isaac
Housemaid
Jews believe that Isaac was
promised Zion- the holy land.
Muslims believe the promised land
belonged to Ishmael- Ishmael was
the one to be sacrificed, not Isaac.
And so the conflict begins.
Arabs/Muslims
Jews/Christians
-Hebrews - 1st monotheists
-Sacred writings:
The Torah – 1st 5 books of OT
Talmud – serves as “guide”/laws
and traditions.
-Called God “Yahweh” or
“Adonai” Written:“G-D”
-Yahweh spoke to Abraham,
“Go to Canaan”(present day Israel, the
The promise to Abraham and his seed. When God
calls Abram, He orders him to go the land that He
would show him. That land was Canaan
(Genesis 12:1)
West Bank, Gaza Strip, parts of Lebanon,
and Syria.)
-Abraham’s descendants are Jews
Map of Abraham’s Journey
God told Abraham to leave Ur (South of Iraq near Basra). Abraham went to Hara (Turkey), then to Canaan.
Canaan became Judea thus we have the term, Judaism.
Abraham’s Journey
A Story of Exile & Persecution
586 BC:
• Babylonians ruled
Mesopotamia
• Babylonians (King
Nebuchadnezzar) destroyed
the First Temple built by
Jews in Jerusalem
• Jews exiled to Babylon
1st Temple built by
King Solomon
Rebuilding the Temple
536 BC: 50 years later…
• Persians took control of
Mesopotamia
• Jews allowed to return to
Jerusalem
• Temple was rebuilt
Second Temple
2nd Temple in Jerusalem
Built by King Herod
Second Temple Destroyed
Roman Control:
• Jews revolted in 66AD
• Second Temple is destroyed
by Titus (Romans) in 70 AD
• Romans forced the Jewish
people to leave-called Jewish
diaspora
• The Wailing Wall remains
Diaspora- Latin for “disperse”
The Jewish Diaspora
How can a dandelion remind
us of the Jewish Diaspora?
DiasporaThe term describes Jews living outside Israel
･ the dispersion of the Jews beyond
Israel.
･ the dispersion of any people from
This is what happened to the Jewish
their original homeland
Dia- “across” disperse
people and explains why they are in
Europe and around the world.
Jews were forced out of Israel and moved to many
places all over the world.
• This is called diaspora, or spreading out of Jews.
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The Jewish people did not return to their homeland
until the modern state of
Israel was created in 1948.
Western Wall
Prayers &
wishes stuck
into cracks of
the
Western Wall
• There are over 15 million followers worldwide.
•
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• Jews worship in synagogues and temples.
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• Jewish leaders are called rabbis or Jewish priests.
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• They believe that a messiah (savior) will lead them to
the Promised Land.
•
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• Jews believe in justice and righteousness.
• “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor.”
Question: What are messianic Jews?
What is Zionism?
• Zion- the hill of Jerusalem on which the city of David was
built.
･ Jerusalem.
･ (in Christian thought) The heavenly city or kingdom of
heaven.･ the Jewish people or religion.
･ the Christian Church.
• Zionism- the movement for the development and
protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel.
The Star of David
is a symbol of Zion
1800 Years Later…
• Jews that lived outside of Jerusalem hoped
that Zion would once again be the home of
Judaism as promised in the scriptures.
On this land…
Is the temple mount. The temple mount (Jewish holy site) is where
Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac.
The Jews refer to Jerusalem as Zion.
The star of David is a symbol of Zion
70 AD- 1947- Arab people lived on the land (for 2,017 years).
This conflict is 3,500 years old.
1947- Declaration of Independence was kept a secret.
The
Promised Land
Canaan
Judea
Palestine
Israel
1948
No longer Palestine…
May of 1948
The United Nations declared Israel as a state.
Law of Return
The 1950 Law of Return allowed anyone that was Jewish
(including a spouse that was Jewish or if one was of
Jewish ancestry) to immigrate to Israel and claim full
citizenship.
Click here to read more: Law of Return
Hurva Synagogue, Jerusalem
• The sacred book is called the Tanuch, and it is a
collection of writings compiled over a period of time.
• There are three parts to the book:
1. Torah – this is the most sacred part, it contains
what Moses delivered to the Israelites
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2. Eight books of psalms and proverbs
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3. Talmud – writings on Jewish law, history, and
folklore
The Torah
• Hanukkah celebrates a victory where the Jews were
able to keep their religion after being captured by
Greeks.
• Jews were able to keep the Temple lit for 8 days
despite only having enough lamp oil for 1 day.
• Passover celebrates the exodus of the Hebrews from
Egypt.
• Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish new year.
• Yom Kippur is known as the “Day of Atonement”
(asking for forgiveness of sins).
• It is the holiest day for Jews.
• No work is allowed on this day and much of the
day is spent in synagogue.
• Many Jews fast during this day.
Prayers at the Western Wall during Yom Kippur
4 BC to 3 BC
• Jesus, Jewish boy
• Born in Bethlehem
in ancient Palestine
(Israel)
• Scholars believe
He was probably
born in fall/spring
Christianity Timeline
30 AD- Jesus is handed
to the Roman authority
by the Jews to be
crucified on the cross
4/3BC
4/3 BCJesus, God’s
son, is born in
the city of
Bethlehem
0
30 AD
30 AD- 3 days
after Jesus is
crucified on the
cross, He was
resurrected from
the dead.
• Christianity has its roots in Judaism.
• Christians believe in Jesus, a carpenter who
began to travel and teach new ideas about
Judaism around 30 AD.
• He believed that the old laws of Judaism
should be replaced by a simple system based
on love and kindness.
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Jesus performed miracles and after people saw the
results, they became followers.
• He laid his hands on people and could heal them.
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Jesus used parables (stories that teach lessons) to
link his teachings to people’s everyday lives.
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Jesus soon gained a large following.
Jesus’ Early Life
• Jesus grew up
Galilee.
The Four Gospels
• Story of his life written
30 years after Jesus’
death
• Baptized by his
cousin, John the
Baptist
• The Bible – Christian
• Jesus traveled
preaching religion of
love and forgiveness,
and performing
miracles.
sacred writings (Old
and New Testaments)
Sermon on the Mount –
Carl Bloch, 1890
• People (disciples)
came to hear his
words.
MESSIAH
Jewish People:
• Believed a Messiah, or Savior
would come to lead them out
of exile
Messiah:
• Some people believed Jesus was the Messiah
• Jesus became know as Christ, which is Greek for
Messiah
• Messiah means (Anointed One)
Christians: People who believed in Jesus’ ideas and teachings
Jesus was not popular with Jewish leaders.
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Jews did not want Jesus to threaten their power and they had the
Romans arrest Jesus.
Jesus was crucified at the age of 33.
Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead and went to heaven
three days later.
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They saw the Resurrection as a sign that Jesus was the Messiah
(or Savior).
Three years after Jesus death, 33 AD, is the beginning of Christianity.
Jesus’ Disciples: Spread His teachings and their belief that He was the
Messiah promised in Jewish scripture
The Birth of Christianity, 33 AD
The
Promised Land
Canaan
Judea
Palestine
Israel
1948
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There are about 2.1 billion Christians worldwide.
*Christianity is the largest religion in the world.
Christians are grouped by many denominations.
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Examples include Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.
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All denominations of Christians follow the teachings of Jesus.
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Christians worship in churches, chapels, and cathedrals.
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Leaders are called Reverend, Pastor, Preacher, Priest, etc.
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The Bible is the main holy book for Christians.
It consists of:
1. The Old Testament -- contains the Ten Commandments
2. The New Testament -- about Jesus and his teachings
Gutenberg Bible – 1450s
(The first printed Bible)
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Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and
is observed on December 25th.
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Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of
Jesus.
Muhammad
570 CE:
• Muhammad was born in
Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
• Regarded as Prophet of Islam
Mecca during Hajj
The Kabba was regarded as the house of God built by
the prophet Abraham. The black stone was sent to
Prophet Abraham by the Angel Gabriel to stand on while
reaching to build the higher stones of the Kabba.
Abraham built it, thus Muslims worship the God of
Abraham. Mecca was a pagan city. Muhammad tore out
all the idols and restored it back to what Abraham built.
Restricting
access
to
Mecca
(Makkah)
and
Medina
(Madinah)
is
intended to provide a place
of peace and refuge for
Muslim
believers
and
preserve the sanctity of the
holy cities.
At this time, millions of Muslims
visit the cities each year, and
additional tourist traffic would
simply add to the congestion and
detract from the spirituality of the
pilgrimage visit. All through the
year
Muslims
are
making
pilgrimage and are considered to
be taking a very sacred journey.
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Islam began around 622 CE in Southwest Asia.
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In Arabic, Islam means “surrender to the will of Allah” (God).
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Followers of Islam are called Muslims, and the Prophet is
Muhammad.
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Muslims believe that there is only one god (Allah) and that
Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet of Islam.
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Other prophets include Abraham, Moses, & Jesus.
The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) is the center of Islam.
In 610 CE, Muhammad was regarded more than just a merchant among his
people. According to Muslims, Muhammad lived his life in purity and virtue
among the people of Mecca and this was acknowledged even by his most
staunch enemies. He was known among them as Al-Sadiq (the Truthful) and
Al-Amin (the Faithful), and whenever there was a dispute between the tribes
of Mecca they sought his help and wisdom in resolving it.
Muhammad often meditated in the Cave of Hira. While there, Muhammad
received a message from the angel Gabriel, the messenger of Allah. The
angel Gabriel sent revelations to Muhammad for 22 years.
Muhammad became known as a prophet of Allah, and he continued to
receive
messages
until
his
death.
These messages form the basis of Islam and were eventually written into
the Qur’an (the Muslim holy book).
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Eventually, others began to listen to Muhammad’s
messages and this angered Mecca’s rulers.
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They tortured his followers and threatened to kill
Muhammad, so he & several hundred of his
followers fled to nearby Medina.
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Muhammad became a political and spiritual leader in
Medina.
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Eventually, all of the Arabian Peninsula came to
accept Muhammad’s teachings and turned to Islam.
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Muhammad died in 632 CE, but Islam continued to
spread.
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Muslim armies conquered empires throughout
Southwest Asia, Northern Africa, and the Iberian
Peninsula (Europe).
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Today, there are 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide.
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1 in every 5 people in the world is Muslim.
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Islam is the second largest religion in the world
(behind Christianity). *It is the fastest growing religion.
The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque during the start of Hajj
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The Muslim holy book is the Qur’an (Koran).
• It states how people should live their lives.
• Collection of revelations, sacred text of
Islam
It describes the Five Pillars of Faith
(obligations all Muslims must fulfill in their
lifetime).
•Muslims believe that the
Koran was the direct word of
God revealed to Muhammad
through the Angel Gabriel.
•Leaders are called Mullahs,
Muezzin, or an Imam (priest)
•Qur means “recite this”, thus
the Koran means recitation.
•Muslims read the Koran from
right
to
left.
•Muslims must be able to
speak Arabic to read the Koran
(madrasa). But if they can’t,
they can still read translations
of the Quran in their native
language.
•God spoke to Muhammad
through the angel, Gabriel.
Muhammad could not read or
write. Muhammad memorized
what Gabriel revealed to him
and began preaching about
the messages.
Muhammad
dictated the Koran to scribes.
The Koran is believed to be
the actual word of God.
Reading the Qur’an
•Muslims believe that Jesus
was a great prophet and was
sent to preach exclusively to
the Jews; believe that He will
return to judge everyone,
including Muslims.
Pages of the Qur’an
Boys reading the Qur’an at a mosque during Ramadan
Profession
“There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger.”
Prayer
Pray formally five times a day.
Almsgiving
Pay a specified amount of money to assist the poor and sick.
Fasting
During Ramadan, no eating, drinking, & smoking from dawn to
sunset.
Pilgrimage
Make at least one visit to Mecca (if possible).
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Ramadan celebrates the time when the
Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad.
• It’s the 9th month of the Islamic calendar,
and lasts for 29-30 days.
• Muslims fast during daylight hours during
this month.
• Prayer, reading the Qur’an, and charity
are important parts of Ramadan.
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Unlike the other religions, in Islam the Qur’an
gives instructions on how laws should be enacted.
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The governments of Muslim countries follow the
Shari'a, or religious law.
• In some countries, this creates a theocracy, a
type of government in which religious leaders
are in control (Example: Iran and the Grand
Ayatollah)
Prayer at Mount Arafat
Hajj is not complete unless you make it to the
afternoon prayers at Mt. Arafat.
The Station of Ibrahim is the rock upon
which Ibrahim stood while erecting the
Kaaba. His son, Ishmael, helped him
erect the Kaaba by passing Ibrahim the
rocks.
Station of Abraham
The Kaaba
Turkish seamstresses are hired to
make a velvet cloth for the Kaaba
every year. They use gold/gilded
thread, and the Kaaba is washed.
At
the
end
of
Ramadan,
seamstresses start making the
new curtain for the next year.
Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away class distinction and
culture so all are equal before God. It is called a Ihram, the two seamless white sheets of
cloth.
minaret
minarets
Someone is always watching!
Location of the Zamzam Well
Zamzam- well that sprang up in the middle of the desert so Hagar and Ishmael could drink from it.
Dome of the Rock
Jerusalem, Israel
The Dome of the Rock
• Earliest Islamic monument, begun 684 AD. An octagonal plan.
• This is the site where Muhammad was taken to heaven by the
angel Gabriel and deemed the messenger of Islam.
• According to Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad made a nighttime trip to the city of Jerusalem (isra’), visited the Al-Aqsa
Mosque (near the Dome of the Rock), and from there was raised
up into heaven (mi’raj). Muhammad came face-to-face with
previous prophets and received instructions about the number
of prayers the Muslim community should observe each day.
• Muslims perceive this Event (Isra’ and Mi’raj) as a miraculous
journey.
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After Muhammad’s death, followers fought
over who would be his successor and
become the next leader.
This fight caused Muslims to split into two
groups:
1. Shi’a
2. Sunni
Religion’s Role in World Conflicts
“It’s not that simple!”
SUNNI
KURDS
SUNNI
ARABS
ARABS
SHI’I
ARABS