What did the Karaites believe?
Karaism, also spelled Karaitism or Qaraism, (from Hebrew qara, “to read”), a Jewish religious movement that repudiated oral tradition as a source of divine law and defended the Hebrew Bible as the sole authentic font of religious doctrine and practice.
How many Karaites are there in the world?
Today, the total number of Karaites is quite small, with estimates ranging up to 35,000 worldwide. The largest concentration is in Israel; most of them are either immigrants who left Egypt starting in the sixties, a small but cohesive community of several hundred Egyptian Karaites settled in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Who founded the Karaite movement?
Anan Ben David (c. 715 – c. 795) (Hebrew: ענן בן דוד) is widely considered to be a major founder of the Karaite movement of Judaism.
When did Karaite Judaism start?
The Karaites are Jewish sectarians with roots in Babylonia and Persia in the 8th century who came into their own as a distinct movement within Judaism in Babylonia and the Land of Israel in the late 9th century.
Are Karaites Sadducees?
They believed in the resurrection of the dead, which they considered part of the reward awaiting the righteous. 5 Maimonides’ statement in the Mishnah commentary that the Karaites in Egypt are the Sadducees who did not believe in reward and punishment cannot be reconciled with his statement in the Guide.
What did the Geonim do?
The Geonim played a prominent and decisive role in the transmission and teaching of Torah and Jewish law. They taught Talmud and decided on issues on which no ruling had been rendered during the period of the Talmud. The Geonim were also spiritual leaders of the Jewish community of their time.
What did Saadia Gaon do?
Saadia is the first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Judeo-Arabic. Known for his works on Hebrew linguistics, Halakha, and Jewish philosophy, he was a practitioner of the philosophical school known as the “Jewish Kalam” (Stroumsa 2003).