Infidel An infidel (literally “unfaithful”) is a person accused of disbelief in the central tenets of one’s own religion, such as members of another religion, or the irreligious. Infidel is an ecclesiastical term in Christianity around which the Church developed a body of theology that deals with the concept of infidelity, which makes a clear differentiation...
Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi, often Yerushalmi for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmuda de-Eretz Yisrael (Talmud of the Land of Israel), is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the second-century Jewish oral tradition known as the Mishnah. Naming this version of the Talmud after the Land of Israel...
Ritual Washing In Judaism Ritual washing in Judaism (ablution in Judaism), takes two main forms. Tevilah (טְבִילָה) is a full body immersion in a mikveh, and netilat yadayim is the washing of the hands with a cup (see Handwashing in Judaism). References to ritual washing are found in the Hebrew Bible, and are elaborated in the Mishnah and Talmud. They...
Judaism And Sexuality This article covers Judaism And Sexuality. Jewish traditions across different eras and regions devote considerable attention to sexuality. Sexuality is the subject of many narratives and laws in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and rabbinic literature. In Judaism, sexuality is viewed as having both positive and negative potential, depending on the...
Judeo-Christian The term Judeo-Christian is used to group Christianity and Judaism together, either in reference to Christianity’s derivation from Judaism, Christianity’s borrowing of Jewish Scripture (the Hebrew Bible) to constitute the “Old Testament“ of the Christian Bible, or due to perceived parallels or commonalities in Judaeo-Christian ethics shared by the two religions. The Jewish Tradition of atonement has been borrowed by Christians and circumcision is a common...
John The Baptist In Islam John the Baptist in Islam called Yahya ibn Zakariya, (يحيى ابن زكريا) was a prophet and messenger of God (Allah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel. He is believed by Muslims to have been a witness to the word of God who would herald...
Muhammad’s Views On Jews The Islamic prophet Muhammad‘s views on Jews were formed through the contact he had with Jewish tribes living in and around Medina. His views on Jews include his theological teaching of them as People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab), his description of them as earlier receivers of Abrahamic revelation; and the failed political alliances...
Biblical Sabbath Biblical Sabbath is a weekly day of rest or time of worship given in the Bible as the seventh day. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity and informs a similar occasion in several other faiths. Though many viewpoints and definitions have arisen over the millennia, most originate in the same textual tradition of...
Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath (שַׁבָּת) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as God rested from creation. The practice of observing the Sabbath (Shabbat) originates in...
Sabbath In Christianity Sabbath in Christianity is the inclusion or adoption in Christianity of a sabbath in the sense of a day set aside for rest and worship, a practice that within Judaism was expressed through the commandment of the Mosaic Law to “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” in line with God‘s blessing of the seventh...
Christianity And Other Religions Christianity and other religions documents Christianity‘s relationship with other world religions, and the differences and similarities. Christian views on religious pluralism Classical Christian view Evangelical Christians believe that religious pluralism is heresy and contradicts the Bible. Some Christians have argued that religious pluralism is an invalid or self-contradictory concept. Maximal...
Judaism And Environmentalism Judaism and environmentalism is a part of Jewish daily life. The natural world plays a central role in Jewish law, literature, and liturgical and other practices. Within the diverse arena of Jewish thought, beliefs vary widely about the human relation to the environment, resulting in a notable history...
King Of Kings King of Kings was a ruling title employed primarily by monarchs based in the Middle East. Though most commonly associated with Iran (historically known as Persia in the West), especially the Achaemenid and Sasanian Empires, the title was originally introduced during the Middle Assyrian Empire by king...
Shalom Shalom (שָׁלוֹם shalom; also spelled as sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem) is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye. As it does in English, it can refer to either peace between two entities (especially between man and God...
Thirteen Attributes Of Mercy The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy or Shelosh-‘Esreh Middot HaRakhamim (שְׁלוֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה מִידּוֹת הַרַחֲמִים) as enumerated in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 34:6–7) are the Divine Attributes with which, according to Judaism, God governs the world. According to the explanation of Maimonides these attributes must not be regarded as qualities inherent in God, but as the method of...
Divine Providence In Judaism Divine providence in Judaism (השגחה פרטית Hashgochoh Protis or Hashgaha Peratit, lit. divine supervision of the individual) is discussed throughout rabbinic literature, by the classical Jewish philosophers, and by the tradition of Jewish mysticism. The discussion brings into consideration the Jewish understanding of nature, and its reciprocal, the miraculous. This analysis thus underpins...
Jewish Holidays Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or Yamim Tovim (ימים טובים, lit. ‘Good Days’, or singular יום טוב Yom Tov, in transliterated Hebrew, are holidays observed in Judaism and by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar. They include religious, cultural and national elements, derived from three sources: biblical mitzvot (“commandments”); rabbinic mandates; Jewish history and the history of the State of Israel....
Birkat Hamazon Birkat Hamazon (בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוׂן, The Blessing of the Food), known in English as the Grace After Meals (בֶּענְטְשֶׁן; bentschen or “to bless”, Yinglish: Bentsching), is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish Halakha (“collective body of Jewish religious laws”) prescribes following a meal that includes at least a kezayit...
Aniconism in Judaism Aniconism in Judaism covers a number of areas. The portrayal of God in any kind of human or concrete form is not encouraged. The Tanakh A number of verses in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) refer to prohibitions against the creation of various forms of images, invariably linked directly with idolatry. The strongest overall...
Idolatry In Judaism Idolatry in Judaism is prohibited. Judaism holds that idolatry is not limited to the worship of an idol itself, but also worship involving any artistic representations of God. In addition it is forbidden to derive benefit (hana’ah) from anything dedicated to idolatry. However, aniconism in Judaism has not prevented traditions of Jewish art at various periods....