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Three Tour Guides
Part I
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are three religions that play a major role in the Middle East both
historically and in today's society. Some of the statements below are common to all three faiths;
others only refer to one of these religions. On the lines next to each statement, identify which
religion is being described by writing a "J" for Judaism, "C" for Christianity and "I" for Islam.
Write "All" if the sentence describes all three religions.
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1.The Middle East is the birthplace of this religion.
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2.A follower of this religion is called a Muslim.
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3.This religion regards Jerusalem as a holy city.
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4.This religion is the oldest of the three religions.
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5.The Bible is considered to be the holy book of this religion.
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6.Jesus was the founder of this religion.
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7.The Koran is considered to be the holy book of this religion.
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8.The place of worship for this religion is called a synagogue.
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9.The followers of this religion believe in one God.
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10.A follower of this religion is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Part II
Directions
You are part of a student group that will be traveling to the Middle East this coming summer.
The purpose of your trip is to learn more about the daily lives of Jews, Christians, and Muslims
living in the Middle East. There are many preparations that have to be made before you take this
trip. One very important preparation is selecting a good tour guide who is knowledgeable about the
history, beliefs, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
You have been selected to serve on the committee that is reviewing applications of tour guides who
have applied for the position. Your job is to review the applications and then write a memo to the
other members of the travel group stating which tour guide applicant you recommend be hired.
Each of the guides applying for the job have been interviewed already by another member of the
committee. Review the information provided on each of the three applicants to decide which one is
the most knowledgeable and the one you consider the expert tour guide.
1.
First read the information provided by each tour guide applicant on the next two pages.
Underline any information about the history, beliefs, and practices of the three religions
that is included in each guide's description.
2.
On the lines below each guide's description, recopy any factual details that the applicant
has stated about any of the three religions. You can use your classwork reference sheets
on Christianity, Islam and Judaism to help you determine the accuracy of the descriptions.
3.
Finally, decide which tour guide's description contains the most accurate information.
Tour Guide Applicant #1
I have just returned from a fantastic tour of Jerusalem, the city that is regarded as holy by
Muslims, Christians, and Jews. I visited a synagogue, the Muslim place of worship. It was
beautifully decorated, even though Muslim laws teach that decorations should never include
pictures of humans or animals. After attending a Bar Mitzvah at a local church, I was invited to a
kosher ham dinner. On Friday, the Christian day of rest, I attended a Bible study group at the
renowned Dome of the Rock. If you want to learn more about these monotheistic religions hire me
as your guide.
Factual Details:
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Tour Guide Applicant #2
The three religions that began in the Middle East are my area of expertise. The history of the
Jewish people and the land of Mecca began about 4,000 years ago with Muhammad. Christianity
grew out of Judaism, since it was based on the teachings of Jesus, who was Jewish. For more
information about the story of early Christianity you can read the Koran. The beliefs of Islam, the
third major religion to emerge in the Middle East, were influenced by Judaism and Christianity. For
example, Muslims also believe in one God. The prophet Muhammad delivered God's message in the
Torah which states that Christians should pray five times a day. The drinking of wine in all three
religions is strictly forbidden.
Factual Details:
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Tour Guide Applicant #3
I have led many tours through the Middle East, the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
A majority of the people of the Middle East are Muslims and their attitudes, arts, and customs all
stem from Islam, their religion. Muslim women favor traditional dress that includes veiling because
the Koran states that women are expected to dress in a way that is modest. In the predominantly
Jewish nation of Israel, Hebrew, the language of the Torah, is the official language. Every year,
thousands of Christians visit Israel to celebrate the reenactment of Christ's birth and
resurrection as indicated in Christian doctrine.
Factual Details:
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Part III
Writing Prompt
After reviewing each of the interviews and determining which information each tour guide gave that
was correct or incorrect, it is time to make you decision. Write a memo (letter) to your classmates
detailing which tour guide you believe should be hired to guide your class through Jerusalem. When
you write, answer these three questions.
1. Which tour guide should be hired?
2. Why should this tour guide be hired?
3. Why shouldn’t the other two tour guides be hired?
Be sure you are specific in your answers.
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