karaites
Proper noun A Jewish religious movement that adheres strictly to the written text of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) as the sole and direct source of divine law, rejecting the binding authority of the Oral Law as compiled in the Talmud and later rabbinic tradition.
The term "Karaites" refers to the adherents of this movement collectively. * The Karaites developed their own distinct traditions of biblical interpretation. * Historically, the Karaites were a significant intellectual and religious community in the medieval Middle East.
- Karaite Judaism: The formal name for the religious system and beliefs of the Karaites.
- Karaite Judaism emphasizes personal study and interpretation of the Scriptures.
- Karaite: (Singular noun or adjective) An individual adherent or relating to the Karaites.
- He is a Karaite scholar.
- They follow Karaite law.
- Karaism: Another term for the Karaite religious movement or its doctrines.
- Karaite: (Adjective) Pertaining to the Karaites or their beliefs.
- Rabbinic Judaism: The mainstream tradition of Judaism which holds the Oral Law (Talmud) as authoritative, in contrast to Karaism.
- Scripturalists (descriptive, emphasizing their reliance on scripture alone)
- Non-Rabbinic Jews (descriptive, highlighting their distinction from mainstream tradition)
The core, defining principle of the Karaites is the rejection of the Talmud's authority. This theological stance shaped their distinct practices in areas like calendar calculation, dietary laws, and Sabbath observance, leading to their historical classification as a separate sect within Judaism.
- a Jewish sect that recognizes only the Hebrew Scriptures as the source of divinely inspired legislation and denies the authority of the postbiblical tradition of the Talmud; the sect arose in Iraq in the eighth century