Middle East
Terms
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- Shiite
- A group of Islamic religion that believes that its religious leader should be chosen based on heredity.
- Ottoman Empire
- a Muslim empire that lasted from the early 1400s until after WWI
- Cuneiform
- writing typified by the use of characters formed by the arrangement of small wedge-shaped elements
- Synagogue
- (Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation
- Phoenicians
- A native or inhabitant of ancient Phoenicia.
- Allah
- Muslim name for the one and only God
- Quran
- the sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad during his life at Mecca and Medina
- Apocalyptic Thought
- View based on the idea that important matters are hidden in nature and will be revealed in a huge confrontation that will change history. It can be religious, positive, negative.
- Rabbi
- a Hebrew title of respect for a Jewish scholar or teacher
- Sufis
- mystical Muslim group that believed they could draw closer to God through prayer, fasting, & simple life
- Abraham
- three world religions honor Abraham as their ancient patriarch and a model of faith in one God
- Hadith
- accounts of Muhammads words or actions that are accepted as having authority for Muslims
- Kaaba
- ancient shrine that Muslims today believe was built by the prophet Abraham in Mecca
- Prophet
- a person who others believe speaks or writes without a divine message
- Apostles
- A passionate adherent; a strong supporter.
- Surah
- core teachings of Islam, chapter of Muslim's holy book
- Martyr
- one who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty for refusing to renounce their religion
- Paul of Tarsus
- hichly educated Jewish Roman citizen and founded Christian commmunities throughout Asia Minor
- Seljuk
- any one of the Turkish dynasties that ruled Asia Minor from the 11th to the 13th centuries
- Hijra
- The Migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in A.D. 622, marking the founding of Islam
- Hammurabi's Code
- a comprehensive set of laws, considered by many scholars to be the oldest established, that were handed down four thousand years ago by King Hammurabi of Babylon
- The Western Wall
- a place of prayer which is sacred to Jewish people, located in Jerusalem
- Monotheism
- the doctrine of or belief in one god
- Jihad
- a holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal
- Suleiman the Magnificent
- Leader of the Ottoman Turks
- Diaspora
- the body of Jews (or Jewish communities) outside Palestine or modern Israel
- Persian Empire
- A vast empire of southwest Asia founded by Cyrus II
- Moses
- the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites from Egypt across the Red sea on a journey known as the Exodus
- Mosque
- the Islamic building for collective worship
- Sadducees
- sect of Jews in Judea consisting of priests and wealthy business people; conservatives
- Shah Abbas
- Created the Safavid culture and led it into the golden age
- Zoroastrianism
- an Iranian religion, the principal beliefs are a cosmic struggle between a spirit of good and a spirit of evil
- Archbishop
- a bishop of highest rank
- Clergy
- A body of officials who perform religious services, such as priests, ministers or rabbis.
- Bedouins
- Nomadic herders who used camels to cross the desert; Raids for grazing land frequent warfare
- Mecca
- an Arabian trading center & Muhammad's birthplace
- Umayyad
- member of the Sunni dynasty of caliphs that ruled a Muslim empire from 661 to 750
- Sunna
- A traditional Islamic law observed by orthodox Muslims and based on the teaching of Muhammad
- Five Pillars of Practice
- Shahada(statemnet of faith), Salat(five prayers a day), Zakat(charity), Sawn(fasting during Ramadan), Hajj(pilgramage to Mecca)
- Talmud
- the collection of ancient rabbinic writings on Jewish law and tradition (the Mishna and the Gemara) that constitute the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism
- Muhammad
- the Arab prophet who founded Islam (570-632)
- Sunni
- a follower of the majority branch of Islam, which feels that successors to Muhammad are to be chosen by the Muslim community
- Essenes
- Religious group which believed the temple of worship was impure
- Mesopotamia
- an ancient region of southwest Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq
- Six Pillars of Faith
- Belief in one God, belief in angels, belief in divine books, belief in the last judgment, belief in Divine destiny.
- Pharisees
- sect of Jews from Judea consisting of citizens of all classes; liberal and sought to study the applications of Torah to everyday life
- Caliphate
- the rulership of Islam, the spiritual head and temporal ruler of the Islamic state.
- Zealots
- Jews that rose up in armed rebellion against Rome in 66ce; unsuccessful, and Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed
- Peter
- Apostle that stated Jesus was the messiah but did not understand what a messiah was
- Sumerians
- of or relating to ancient Sumer or its people, language, or culture
- Sharia
- immense body of law interpreting the Quran and applying it's teachings to daily life regulates moral conduct, family life, business affairs, government, and other aspects of m Muslim community;
- Abbasid
- The dynasty that came after the Umayyads. Devoted their energy to trade, scholorship, and the arts.
- Medina
- City in western Arabia to which the Prophet Muhammad and his followers emigrated in 622 to escape persecution in Mecca. (p. 231)
- Covenant
- an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return
- Augustine of Hippo
- One of the great Fathers of the early Christian church, St. Augustine emphasized man's need for grace.
- Bishop
- a high-ranking member of the church (usually Catholic or Anglican)
- Ulama
- the influential leaders in traditional Muslim society, including spiritual leaders, immars, teachers, state scribes, market inspectors, and judges
- Yahweh
- the name of the God of the Jews or the people of Israel, as preserved in the original consonantal Hebrew Bible text
- Trinity
- the union of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost in one Godhead
- Janissaries
- Christian boys taken from families, converted to Islam, and then rigorously trained to serve the sultan
- Messiah
- a person who could come and cure all
- Shah
- title for the former hereditary monarch of Iran
- Jesus of Nazareth
- a teacher and prophet born in bethlehem and active in nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for christianity
- Abu Bakr
- Sunnis: 1st Caliph (majority). Shi'ahs: traitor.
- Baptism
- a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth. the dunking in the water represent death, and being pulled out of the water represents life.
- Arabs
- settled along the coast of East Africa, recently many settled in West Africa
- Torah
- the scroll of parchment on which the first five books of the Hebrew Scripture is written
- Dogma
- a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
- Safavid Empire
- Iranian kingdom (1502-1722) established by Ismail Safavi, who declared Iran a Shi'ite state.
- Egypt
- an ancient kingdom in NE Africa: divided into the Nile Delta and the area from Cairo S to the Sudan.
- New Testament
- the second part of the bible; it tells you about the life and teachings of Jesus and about his followers
- Heresy
- a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
- Babylonian Captivity
- the period of the exile of the Jews in Babylonia, 597-538 b.c.
- Umma
- community of faithful in Islam
- Muslim
- a believer or follower of Islam