Religious Hearth

The Middle East is a hearth to three major religions:

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

These three religions started in and spread out from the Middle East.

JUDAISM

A Jew or a Jewish person is someone who practices the faith of Judaism. Be sure to read about early Jewish history in section 8.3 of your text. About 4000 years ago, Abraham led a group of followers from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan (now known as Israel or Palestine). The Jewish people have endured a long history of pursecution, yet astonishingly, have maintained their traditions and culture to the present day. Judaism existed long before Christianity or the faith of Islam.

CHRISTIANITY

The term "Christianity" comes from the Greek word "Christos" means "Messiah".

Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and lived his life in and around Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Bethlehem and Jerusalem were part of Palestine which was under Roman rule at the time.

Jesus lived and taught in the region that encompasses Jerusalem. As a result, several sites there are sacred to those of the Christian faith.

After Jesus was crucified, Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire despite early persecution of missionaries. Eventually, headquarters for the Church became centered in Rome. The Eastern Orthodox (Christian) Church set up headquarters in Constantinople (which later changed its name to Istanbul, Turkey). Christianity continued to spread throughout the world.

At its hearth, though, in the Middle East, Christianity was almost completely replaced by the Muslim faith in the 7th through the 13th centuries (A.D.).

ISLAM

A Muslim is someone who practices the faith of Islam. Be sure to read the "message of Islam" on p.234 of your text to learn about early Muslim history and the basic principles of Islam. You will definitely be tested on the Five Pillars of Islam as well as the difference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

Muslim influence reached across the deserts of the Middle East as well as the deserts of the Former Soviet Union and on into Mongolia, China and South Asia. Eventually, the faith of Islam spread all around the world.

Muslims are required to pray at five set times during the day. All activity stops during these times. While they pray, they must turn and face Mecca (birthplace of Muhammad). This requires a bit of geographical skill and awareness.

Within the room you are sitting right now, I would like you to turn and face Mecca. Do you have any idea which way to turn?

You're probably not alone if you can't figure it out. We have to start by looking at a map or a globe to figure out where we are and also to figure out where Mecca is. If you are looking at a globe, you realize that Mecca and Michigan are in different hemispheres. You will also notice that Mecca is at 22 degrees north of the equator while Port Huron is 43 degrees north of the equator. Therefore, we would face south and east, right? On the other hand, the shortest distance is to the northeast. This is the shortest flight route between the two cities. Muslims in Michigan might face northeast in order to face Mecca. In fact, there is a debate taking place regarding this very issue. Click Here to find out more (optional).