Africa & Middle East Religions Vocab
For Croco Social Studies. Includes Judaism, Christianity, and Islam vocab words an definitions.
Terms
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- Muessin
- Islam- Crier who calls people to prayer 5x/day from the Minaret
- Hieroglyphics
- A form of Egyptian writing with pictures that stand for words or sounds
- Covenant
- An agreement (with God)
- Holocaust
- Judaism- The mass slaughter of Jews in Nazi concentration camps during WWII
- Bar/Bat Mitzvah
- Judaism- Ceremony held to admit a Jewish boy or girl as an adult, usually around 13 years old after a course of study
- Lent
- Christianity- Season of fasting and penitence from Ash Wednesday to Easter
- Five Pillars of Faith
- Islam- Five obligations all Muslims must fulfill
- Dreidel
- Judaism- 4-sided top bearing Hebrew words, used in children's games at Hanukah
- Hajj
- Islam- Pilgrimage to Mecca, every adult Muslim supposed to make at least once in his/her lifetime, 5th Pillar of Islam
- Mezuzah
- Judaism- Scroll enscribed with Biblical passages on one side, other side the word Shaddai (name applied to God) in a case, sometimes attached to the door
- Delta
- A fan-shaped fertile area, usually where a river empties into a sea
- Theocracy
- A government controlled by religious leaders
- Sabbath
- Judaism- Seventh day of the week (Saturday), day of rest and religious observance
- Pyramid
- Massive tombs made to protect the Pharaoh's body from harm
- Talmud
- Judaism- Collection of Jewish law and tradition, Mishnah and Gemara
- Christmas
- Christianity- Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, December 25th
- Polytheism
- The worship of many gods and goddesses instead of just one
- Kosher
- Judaism- Food allowed to be eaten, according to ceremonial laws
- Monotheism
- A religion that worships only 1 god
- Cuneiform
- Form of writing invented by Sumerians, made or markings shaped like wedges
- New Testament
- Christianity- The covenant between God and humans in which the dispensation of grace is revealed through Jesus Christ
- Menorah
- Judaism- 9-branched candle-holder, ceremonial use during Hanukah
- Papyrus
- A plant that grows along the Nile, used for making paper
- Easter
- Christianity- Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus
- Jihad
- Islam- Holy war undertaken as sacred duty by Muslims
- Holy Thursday
- Christianity- The Thursday before Easter, holy day, anniversary of the Last Supper
- Messiah
- Messenger or savior sent from God
- City-State
- A small state or nation, usually a city with farmland around it
- Mihrab
- Islam- Niche in the wall of a mosque or the middle of a prayer rug that points toward Mecca during worship
- Pogroms
- Judaism- Organized massacre or persecution of the Jewish or any minority group
- Bible
- Christianity- The collection of sacred writings of Christian religion, Old and New Testaments
- Civilization
- A highly developed culture
- Prophet
- A person God speaks through
- Missionary
- Christianity- A person sent by a church to spread the word of Christianity
- Pharaoh
- "Great House", Egyptian ruler, priest, and god
- Empire
- Group of states under one ruler
- Good Friday
- Christianity- The Friday before Easter, holy day, and anniversary of Jesus's Crucifixion
- Eid-al-Fitr
- Islam- End of Ramadan, end of the holy month of fasting
- Caliph
- Islam- Spiritual leader, claiming succession from Muhammad
- Disciple
- Christianity- A follower of Jesus
- Torah
- Judaism- Pentateuch, first of three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament
- Minaret
- Islam- Tall tower or turret attatched to a mosque, from which the Muessin calls people to prayer
- Diaspora
- Judaism- Scattering of Jews to countries outside of Palestine after Babylonian captivity
- Hanukah
- Judaism- 8-day festival celebrating 165 B.C. rededication of the Temple at Jerusalem, and Maccabees victory over Antiochus Epiphanes