Download JERUSALEM - Mosaic of Faith from the Mystic Lands Series

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Name __________________
JERUSALEM - Mosaic of Faith
from the Mystic Lands Series
VOCABULARY GUIDE
Al Aqsa Mosque - Israel's largest mosque. According to tradition, it is built on the site where
Mohammed tied his horse before ascending to heaven. Its interior is dominated by marble columns,
stained glass windows and beautiful carpets. It serves primarily as a prayer hall.
Allah - The supreme being in the Islamic faith.
Bar Mitzvah - This is the ceremony celebrating a thirteen-year-old Jewish male's passage into adulthood. As an adult he now assumes responsibility for his moral and religious duties.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Built over the centuries, Christians believe that this church encloses
the traditionally accepted sacred sites of Christ's last days–his death, burial and resurrection. This
church is considered one of the most important Christian shrines in Israel. Once just a simple cave,
the Sepulchre was carved out of the hillside and turned into a freestanding structure. Inside this large
church pilgrims climb stairs to the top of the hill called Calvary, where they believe Christ was crucified nearly two thousand years ago. Pilgrims pray at the altar-like slab where tradition says Christ's
body was prepared for burial. Mass is celebrated at the Sepulchre itself, the tomb where Christ's body
was laid.
Dome of the Rock - According to tradition, this mosque was constructed between 688-691 A.D. to
honor Allah and commemorate Mohammed's ascension into heaven. One hundred and seventy-six
pounds of twenty-four karat gold leaf covers the dome. Quotations from the Koran adorn the
mosque's tiled walls. The Dome shelters the large rock sacred to both Islam and Judaism. It is believed that from this rock Mohammed ascended to heaven. Jews believe that this same rock is where
Abraham, the Jewish Patriarch, nearly sacrificed his son, Isaac.
kibbutz - Communal village - communal settlement, originally farms, but now involved in other
industries. Described by the philosopher Martin Buber, as "the experiment that worked," the first
kibbutz was founded on the banks of the Jordan River in 1909. Israel's communes were "meant to be and to some extent, still are, the very core of society."
Halakha - The strict system of rabbinic law that is followed by Orthodox Jews.
Haram al Sharif - The "Noble Sanctuary" is the Muslim name for the area known as Temple Mount
by the Jews. This area, sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians, is considered to be Mount Moriah, the
site of Abraham's sacrifice. This area is the heart of Jerusalem and the focus of the city's life. The
Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque are important Muslim monuments located on Haram al
Sharif.
Merry or Golden Gate - One of the ancient gates into the Old City which is now permanently closed.
Theories differ as to why the gate was originally sealed, but many Jews believe that this will be the
gate opened by the Messiah on the Day of Judgment.
(Continued on Blackline Master 2)
©1997 The Duncan Group, Inc.
Distributed by AGC/United Learning
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www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected]
2
Name __________________
JERUSALEM - Mosaic of Faith
from the Mystic Lands Series
VOCABULARY GUIDE (Continued)
Mohammed - The prophet of Islam and the founder of that religion, Mohammad ibn Abdullah, was
born approximately in 570 A.D. According to tradition, Mohammad was disturbed by the materialism, fighting, and worship of multiple gods that he saw around him in Mecca. In response to his
discomfort, he began to meditate in the caves of Mount Hira near Mecca. It is said that when
Mohammad was about 40, while visiting a cave he had a vision of a majestic being who was later
identified as the angel Gabriel. Until his death in 632 A.D., Mohammad is said to have received
further revelations. Mohammed's message was not warmly received by the people of Mecca. He sent
his followers to the city now called Medina, city of the prophet, were there was already some sympathy to his teachings. Mohammad joined his followers in Medina in 622. There he consolidated his
community and support, and eventually returned triumphantly to Mecca in 630 A.D., destroying
many of the idols in the shrines of Mecca. He died in Medina in 632.
Mount Moriah - According to tradition, this rocky outcrop is the place, where over 4,000 years ago,
God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. It is said that Abraham raised his knife
in obedience to God, but Yahweh, satisfied with Abraham's faith, stayed his hand and spared the
young boy. It was on that same site, a thousand years later, that the Jewish King David would erect
his first permanent altar. Later other sacred monuments were constructed, all temples to the
Israelite's God. Now buttressed by great stone walls, Mount Moriah became known as Temple
Mount. It was the spiritual center of Jewish life.
Old City - The walled, ancient center of Jerusalem which contains many of Jerusalem's most sacred
shrines. The Old City is divided into five areas–the Armenian Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the
Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount. Entry to the Old City
is through eight historic gates.
Qur'an - Also spelled Koran is the holy book of Islam. According to Muslim tradition, the Qur'an is
the "completion of God's message to humankind and the culmination of all other sacred scriptures."
Torah or Pentateuch - Hebrew sacred scriptures. The Torah which consists of the first five books of
the Bible–Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy–is the cornerstone of Jewish law or
"the concrete expression of God's will in their regard."
Via Dolorosa - "The Way of Sorrow." This road, which is believed retraces the steps of Jesus as he
walked with the cross on his back on his way to Calvary, spans both the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City. Along the way stations of the cross mark events in Christ's journey.
Western or "Wailing" Wall - Rising to a height of 50 feet, the Western Wall consists predominately of
massive, carved, stone blocks from the era of Herod. It is the only part of the Temple complex to
survive the Romans' ravaging of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. After destroying Jerusalem, the Romans banished the Jews from their homeland. The Western Wall, as the last surviving fragment of the great
Temple complex, is the most important Jewish sacred site, and has come to symbolize the spiritual
heart of Judaism. It is often referred to as the Wailing Wall because it is here that Jews traditionally
have come to mourn the destruction of the Temple. For many Jews the Western Wall represents the
bedrock of their faith.
Yahweh - The proper, personal name of the God of Israel, signifying, "I Am who I Am." (Ex. 3: 14-15).
©1997 The Duncan Group, Inc.
Distributed by AGC/United Learning
1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706
www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected]
3
Name __________________
JERUSALEM - Mosaic of Faith
from the Mystic Lands Series
VIEWER'S GUIDE
Directions: Answer the following questions immediately after viewing the video or as instructed by
your teacher. Use the back of this sheet if necessary.
1. In which city, located in which country, do the world's three great monotheistic religions converge?
Name the three religions.
2. Why is Israel considered so significant to Jews, Christians and Muslims?
3. What part of Jerusalem do believers considered the heart of the city?
4. Why is the Old City so sacred to the Jews?
5. What is the Western Wall? What is its significance to Judaism, and why is it also known as the
Wailing Wall?
6. What is the Dome of the Rock and what Muslim legends are associated with it?
7. What is the Haram al Sharif? Why is it an area of conflict between the Jews and Muslims?
8. What is the Via Dolorosa?
9. What is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and why is it considered so sacred to Christians?
©1997 The Duncan Group, Inc.
Distributed by AGC/United Learning
1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706
www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected]
4
Name __________________
JERUSALEM - Mosaic of Faith
from the Mystic Lands Series
QUIZ
Directions: Answer the following questions. If necessary, use the back of this sheet or another sheet
of paper.
1. What is the name of the ceremony celebrating a thirteen-year-old Jewish male's passage into
adulthood. Many of these are celebrated at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
2. What is the name of the walled, ancient center of Jerusalem which contains many of Jerusalem's
most sacred shrines. It is divided into five areas–the Armenian Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the
Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount.
3. What is the name of the prophet of Islam and founder of that religion?
4. Also known as the "Noble Sanctuary," what is the Muslim name for the area known as Temple
Mount by the Jews? This area is sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The Dome of the Rock and
Al Aqsa Mosque are important Muslim monuments located here.
5. What is the name of the rocky site where over 4,000 years ago, God tested Abraham by asking him
to sacrifice his son, Isaac? It was on that same site, a thousand years later, that the Jewish King David
would erect his first permanent altar. Later other sacred monuments were constructed, all temples to
the Israelite's God. Now buttressed by great stone walls, it became known as Temple Mount. It was
the spiritual center of Jewish life.
6. What is the name of the road which is believed to retrace the steps of Jesus as he walked with the
cross on his back on his way to Calvary?
7. What is the name of the Israeli communal settlements that were first founded along the banks of
the Jordan River? The initial communal villages were all farms but the later settlements involved
other industries as well.
8. What is the name of the mosque which shelters the large rock that is sacred to both Islam and
Judaism? According to tradition, it was built to commemorate Mohammed's ascension into heaven
and to honor Allah.
9. What is the name of the holy book of Islam?
10. What is the name of the sacred site that as the last remaining fragment of the Temple complex has
come to symbolize the spiritual heart of Judaism. Many Jews come here to mourn the destruction of
the Temple.
©1997 The Duncan Group, Inc.
Distributed by AGC/United Learning
1560 Sherman Av., Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 1-800-323-9084 Fax 847-328-6706
www.agcunitedlearning.com e-mail: [email protected]