Jewish Terms

Diaspora The dispersion of the Jews.

Hanukkah The feast of dedication celebrating the Maccabean victory in 167 B.C.

Passover Annual feast commemorating the deliverance of the firstborn in Egypt when the angel of death took all those who did not have blood on the doorpost.

Pentateuch The first five books in the Old Testament. Also called Torah.

Rosh Hashanah The Jewish New Year.

Sabbath The holy day of rest which commemorates God's completed work of creation and His liberation of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt.

Seder The festival held in Jewish homes on the first night of Passover.

Shabuot The feast of weeks, seven weeks after Passover, which commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments. Also called Pentecost.

Sukkoth The feast of tabernacles celebrating the harvest.

Talmud The Jewish library of oral law and tradition.

Torah The Pentateuch, or the entire body of Jewish religious literature, law and teaching as contained chiefly in the Old Testament and Talmud.

Yom Kippur The day of atonement, devoted to confession of sins and reconciliation with God, ten days after Rosh Hashanah.

Wailing Wall

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on Judaism.

Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL of this page.

If you are Jewish, your feedback is much appreciated.

References

McDowell, Josh and Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983. Twelfth printing, June 1992.

Shelley, Fred M. and Audrey E. Clarke, eds. Human and Cultural Geography. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1994.