Karaites
- This article should be merged with Karaims
Karaite Beliefs
Karaite Judaism is a Tanakh as the sole scripture.
The name "Karaite"
The word "Karaite" comes from the Hebrew word קראים (Karaim), meaning "Followers of Scripture". This name was chosen by the adherents of Karaite Judaism to distinguish themselves from the adherents of Orthodox Judaism.
The Calendar
Karaites rely on observations of the Moon to begin their months, and on observations of barley (called the Aviv) to begin their years, as deduced from statements in the Torah (Aviv is both marker for the first month of the Biblical Hebrew calendar, and the next-to-last stage in the growth of barley, which it was in during the plague of hail shortly before the first Passover). Before quick worldwide communication was available, Karaites in the Diaspora used a variety of methods to determine the calendar, including observation and calculation, along with reports from Jerusalem.
Misconceptions about Karaite Beliefs
Contrary to the beliefs of some, Karaites do not wear Tefillin in any form, hang Tzitzit on their walls, venerate Jesus or Mohammed, or spend Shabbat without moving around or attending a Synagogue. Also, Karaites are not responsible for the Inquisition; in fact, all Karaites had been driven from Spain by the end of the 11th century.
Karaite Writings
Like Orthodox Judaism, Karaism has produced a vast library of writings and polemics. Their commentaries significantly affected the views of Rabbinic Sages, such as Ibn Ezra and Rashbam, who quoted them, to the point that some accused them of being sympathetic of Karaism. These writings prompted new and complete defenses of the Talmud and Mishna, the culmination of these in the writings of Saadia Gaon and his attacks on Karaites.
The foremost of the Karaite writings is חיזוק אמונה (Faith Strengthened), a comprehensive Counter-Missionary polemic which was later translated into Latin under the name of 'The Fiery Darts of Satan'. Many Counter-Missionary materials produced today are based upon or cover the same themes as this book. Scholarly studies of Karaite writings are still in their infancy.
Significant Karaites in Jewish History
Anan ben David - founder of Karaism?
The details of Anan ben David's life are murky, and highly subject to myth or speculation. Accounts of it are often fanciful, recording him as ranging from a worshipper of Jesus and/or Muhammed, to being a hero constantly on-guard against Rabbinical assassination attempts. Details of his life universally agreed upon are that he conflicted with the existing Jewish religious authorities, and that due to his efforts, non-Rabbinic Jews were allowed to worship in their own manner. Around 770 he published a book entitled Sefer ha-Mitzvot ("The Book of the Precepts"), outlining the laws of his faith. According to Ya'akov al-Kirkisani, Anan's method of Biblical interpretation differed from that of modern Karaites, who use only Peshat, in that he used the methods of Peshat, Remez, Derash, and Sod.
Some scholars believe Anan was Karaism's founder, while other scholars and some Karaites suggest he founded his own sect (the followers of which were called Ananites) which later assimilated into the Karaites, or merged with other groups, or perhaps dispersed altogether. Another view is that the various anti-Talmudic Jewish groups were never one united sect, but a number of Jewish sects each with different beliefs and customs, united only in their repudiation of the Talmud; this may explain some of the differences among Karaites today.
According to both the Karaite tradition and some modern scholars, Aaron ben Moses ben Asher, the last and most important figure in the Ben Asher dynasty of masoretes, was a Karaite. If true it would arguably make Ben Asher the most influential Karaite figure in history. His influence lies in having created the most important masoretic manuscript ever produced, a text which became the exemplar and model for every masoretic Bible written or printed ever since.
Maimonides, by accepting the views of Ben-Asher (though only in regard to open and closed sections), helped establish and spread his authority. Referring to a Bible manuscript then in Egypt, he wrote: "All relied on it, since it was corrected by Ben-Asher and was worked on and analyzed by him for many years, and was proofread many times in accordance with the masorah, and I based myself on this manuscript in the Sefer Torah that I wrote"
Moreover, Aaron ben Moses ben Asher was the first to take Hebrew grammar seriously. He was the first systematic Hebrew grammarian. His Sefer Dikdukei ha-Te'amim (Grammar of the Vocalizations) was an original collection of grammatical rules and masoretic information. Grammatical principles were not at that time considered worthy of independent study. The value of this work is that the grammatical rules presented by Ben-Asher reveal the linguistic background of vocalization for the first time. He had a tremendous influence on the world of Biblical grammar and scholarship.
Dr. Moshe Marzouk
Dr. Moshe Marzouk was an Israeli spy in Egypt who was involved in the Lavon Affair. It revolved around nearly a dozen highly dedicated young Egyptian Jews who were asked, and agreed to spy for Israel against the country in which they were born. Why they were caught and more or less abandoned by Israel to incarceration and for a while, torture in Egypt's prisons to be finally released only 14 years later is a question that has never been answered.
Dr. Moshe Marzouk of Cairo was sentenced to death by Egypt and hanged in a Cairo prison. Israel glorified him as a martyr. His memory was sanctified. Neighborhoods and gardens were named after him in Israel, as were dozens of children born in the year 1955. At the same time it was not publicly conceded that he died in the service of Israel.
Further reading
- Karaite Anthology (Leon Nemoy) ISBN 0300039298
- Karaite Jews of Egypt (Mourad el-Qodsi)
- Karaite Separatism in 19th Century Russia (Philip Miller)
- An Introduciton to Karaite Judaism (Yaron, et. al.) ISBN 0970077548
- Karaite Judaism and Historical Understanding (Fred Astren) ISBN 1570035180
