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On the Present-Day Veneration of Sacred Trees in the Holy Land
ON THE PRESENT-DAY VENERATION OF SACRED TREES IN THE HOLY LAND Amots Dafni Abstract: This article surveys the current pervasiveness of the phenomenon of sacred trees in the Holy Land, with special reference to the official attitudes of local religious leaders and the attitudes of Muslims in comparison with the Druze as well as in monotheism vs. polytheism. Field data regarding the rea- sons for the sanctification of trees and the common beliefs and rituals related to them are described, comparing the form which the phenomenon takes among different ethnic groups. In addition, I discuss the temporal and spatial changes in the magnitude of tree worship in Northern Israel, its syncretic aspects, and its future. Key words: Holy land, sacred tree, tree veneration INTRODUCTION Trees have always been regarded as the first temples of the gods, and sacred groves as their first place of worship and both were held in utmost reverence in the past (Pliny 1945: 12.2.3; Quantz 1898: 471; Porteous 1928: 190). Thus, it is not surprising that individual as well as groups of sacred trees have been a characteristic of almost every culture and religion that has existed in places where trees can grow (Philpot 1897: 4; Quantz 1898: 467; Chandran & Hughes 1997: 414). It is not uncommon to find traces of tree worship in the Middle East, as well. However, as William Robertson-Smith (1889: 187) noted, “there is no reason to think that any of the great Semitic cults developed out of tree worship”. It has already been recognized that trees are not worshipped for them- selves but for what is revealed through them, for what they imply and signify (Eliade 1958: 268; Zahan 1979: 28), and, especially, for various powers attrib- uted to them (Millar et al. -
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Nisan / The Levantine Review Volume 4 Number 2 (Winter 2015) Identity and Peoples in History Speculating on Ancient Mediterranean Mysteries Mordechai Nisan* We are familiar with a philo-Semitic disposition characterizing a number of communities, including Phoenicians/Lebanese, Kabyles/Berbers, and Ismailis/Druze, raising the question of a historical foundation binding them all together. The ethnic threads began in the Galilee and Mount Lebanon and later conceivably wound themselves back there in the persona of Al-Muwahiddun [Unitarian] Druze. While DNA testing is a fascinating methodology to verify the similarity or identity of a shared gene pool among ostensibly disparate peoples, we will primarily pursue our inquiry using conventional historical materials, without however—at the end—avoiding the clues offered by modern science. Our thesis seeks to substantiate an intuition, a reading of the contours of tales emanating from the eastern Mediterranean basin, the Levantine area, to Africa and Egypt, and returning to Israel and Lebanon. The story unfolds with ancient biblical tribes of Israel in the north of their country mixing with, or becoming Lebanese Phoenicians, travelling to North Africa—Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya in particular— assimilating among Kabyle Berbers, later fusing with Shi’a Ismailis in the Maghreb, who would then migrate to Egypt, and during the Fatimid period evolve as the Druze. The latter would later flee Egypt and return to Lebanon—the place where their (biological) ancestors had once dwelt. The original core group was composed of Hebrews/Jews, toward whom various communities evince affinity and identity today with the Jewish people and the state of Israel. -
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine Biomed Central
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine BioMed Central Research Open Access The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land Amots Dafni* Address: Institute of Evolution, the University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel Email: Amots Dafni* - [email protected] * Corresponding author Published: 25 February 2007 Received: 29 November 2006 Accepted: 25 February 2007 Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:10 doi:10.1186/1746-4269-3-10 This article is available from: http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/10 © 2007 Dafni; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract This article surveys the beliefs concerning the supernatural characteristics and powers of sacred trees in Israel; it is based on a field study as well as a survey of the literature and includes 118 interviews with Muslims and Druze. Both the Muslims and Druze in this study attribute supernatural dimensions to sacred trees which are directly related to ancient, deep-rooted pagan traditions. The Muslims attribute similar divine powers to sacred trees as they do to the graves of their saints; the graves and the trees are both considered to be the abode of the soul of a saint which is the source of their miraculous powers. Any violation of a sacred tree would be strictly punished while leaving the opportunity for atonement and forgiveness. The Druze, who believe in the transmigration of souls, have similar traditions concerning sacred trees but with a different religious background. -
Manichaean Networks
The Manichaean Church in Kellis Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Editors Jason D. BeDuhn Dylan M. Burns Johannes van Oort Editorial Board A. D. Deconick – W.-P. Funk – I. Gardner S. N. C. Lieu – H. Lundhaug – A. Marjanen – L. Painchaud N. A. Pedersen – T. Rasimus – S. G. Richter M. Scopello – J. D. Turner† – F. Wursy Volume 100 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/nhms The Manichaean Church in Kellis By Håkon Fiane Teigen LEIDEN | BOSTON This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided no alterations are made and the original author(s) and source are credited. Further information and the complete license text can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ The terms of the CC license apply only to the original material. The use of material from other sources (indicated by a reference) such as diagrams, illustrations, photos and text samples may require further permission from the respective copyright holder. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Teigen, Håkon Fiane, author. Title: The Manichaean church in Kellis / by Håkon Fiane Teigen. Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2021] | Series: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean studies, 0929–2470 ; volume 100 | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021008227 (print) | LCCN 2021008228 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004459762 (hardback) | ISBN 9789004459779 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Manichaeism. | Manichaeans—Egypt—Kellis (Extinct city) | Kellis (Extinct city)—Civilization. Classification: LCC BT1410 .T45 2021 (print) | LCC BT1410 (ebook) | DDC 299/.932—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008227 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008228 Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. -
The Record 2010 (Pdf)
Keble College Keble The Record 2010 The Record 2010 The Record 2010 Dame Professor Averil Cameron, Warden (1994–2010) Portrait by Bob Tulloch The Record 2010 Contents The Life of the College Letter from the Warden 5 College’s Farewell to the Warden 10 Sir David Williams 13 Mr Stephen De Rocfort Wall 15 Fellows’ Work in Progress 15 Fellows’ Publications 21 Sports and Games 25 Clubs and Societies 32 The Chapel 34 Financial Review 38 The College at Large Old Members at Work 42 Keble Parishes Update 48 Year Groups 49 Gifts and Bequests 51 Obituaries 63 The Keble Association 87 The London Dinner 88 Keble College 2009–10 The Fellowship 90 Fellowship Elections and Appointments 96 Recognition of Distinction 97 JCR & MCR Elections 97 Undergraduate Scholarships 97 Matriculation 2009–10 99 College Awards and Prizes 104 Academic Distinctions 109 Supplement News of Old Members 2 Forthcoming events: 2010–11 12 Keble College: The Record 2010 4 The Life of the College Letter from the Warden This is my sixteenth and last Letter as Warden, and obviously I write with many kinds of mixed feelings. Having had to move out of the Lodgings at the beginning instead of the end of the summer vacation, in order to allow time for necessary work to be done, I feel as if I am having an unusually prolonged retirement process, but the moment will come when the clock strikes midnight on 30 September and I cease to be Warden and Sir Jonathan Phillips takes over. The past sixteen years have been an extraordinarily rich experience, and I suspect that no one except another head of house really knows the full range of what is entailed. -
Religious Fundamentalism in Eight Muslim‐
JOURNAL for the SCIENTIFIC STUDY of RELIGION Religious Fundamentalism in Eight Muslim-Majority Countries: Reconceptualization and Assessment MANSOOR MOADDEL STUART A. KARABENICK Department of Sociology Combined Program in Education and Psychology University of Maryland University of Michigan To capture the common features of diverse fundamentalist movements, overcome etymological variability, and assess predictors, religious fundamentalism is conceptualized as a set of beliefs about and attitudes toward religion, expressed in a disciplinarian deity, literalism, exclusivity, and intolerance. Evidence from representative samples of over 23,000 adults in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey supports the conclusion that fundamentalism is stronger in countries where religious liberty is lower, religion less fractionalized, state structure less fragmented, regulation of religion greater, and the national context less globalized. Among individuals within countries, fundamentalism is linked to religiosity, confidence in religious institutions, belief in religious modernity, belief in conspiracies, xenophobia, fatalism, weaker liberal values, trust in family and friends, reliance on less diverse information sources, lower socioeconomic status, and membership in an ethnic majority or dominant religion/sect. We discuss implications of these findings for understanding fundamentalism and the need for further research. Keywords: fundamentalism, Islam, Christianity, Sunni, Shia, Muslim-majority countries. INTRODUCTION -
The Leaves of One Tree: Religious Minorities in Lebanon Rania El Rajji
briefing The leaves of one tree: Religious minorities in Lebanon Rania El Rajji ‘You are all fruits of one tree and the leaves of one names and details have been withheld. MRG would also branch.’ like to thank all those who took part in its roundtable event Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá’i faith for their thoughts and contributions. Introduction Country background In the midst of a region in turmoil, where the very future While Lebanon’s history of Confessionalism – a form of of religious minorities seems to be at stake, Lebanon has consociationalism where political and institutional power is always been known for its rich diversity of faiths. With a distributed among various religious communities – can be population of only 4.5 million people,1 the country hosts traced further back, its current form is based on the more than 1 million refugees and officially recognizes 18 unwritten and somewhat controversial agreement known as different religious communities among its population.2 the National Pact. Developed in 1943 by Lebanon’s Lebanon’s diversity has also posed significant challenges. dominant religious communities (predominantly its The country’s history indicates the potential for religious Christian and Sunni Muslim populations), its stated tensions to escalate, especially in a broader context where objectives were to unite Lebanon’s religious faiths under a sectarian violence has ravaged both Iraq and Syria and single national identity. threatens to create fault lines across the region. The war in It laid the ground for a division of power along religious Syria has specifically had an impact on the country’s lines, even if many claim it was done in an unbalanced stability and raises questions about the future of its manner: the National Pact relied on the 1932 population minorities. -
The Case of Druze Society and Its Integration in Higher Education in Israel
International Education Studies; Vol. 13, No. 8; 2020 ISSN 1913-9020 E-ISSN 1913-9039 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education The Case of Druze Society and its Integration in Higher Education in Israel Aml Amer1 & Nitza Davidovitch1 1 Department of Education, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel Correspondence: Nitza Davidovitch, Department of Education, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel, Kiriat Hamada 3, Ariel, Israel. E-mail: [email protected] Received: February 23, 2020 Accepted: April 24, 2020 Online Published: July 23, 2020 doi:10.5539/ies.v13n8p68 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v13n8p68 Abstract In this work, we elaborate on the changes and transformations in the Israeli education system (including higher education) from Israel’s independence in 1948 to 2019. Specifically, the study places special emphasis on developments commencing in 1976 in response to the establishment of a separate administrative division for Druze and Circassian Education in the Ministry of Education, and division’s impact on the rate of youngsters who earn matriculation certificates and the number of Druze students attending higher education institutions. of the study analyzes the administrative separation of Druze education in the education system and its effect on the integration of Druze youngsters in higher education in Israel. The current study contributes to our understanding of the development of the Druze education system as a distinct unit in the Israeli Ministry of Education. The findings of this study and its conclusions will contribute to policymakers in the Ministry of Education in general, and policymakers concerning Druze education specifically, seeking to improve educational achievements and apply the insights of the current study to other minority groups to which higher education has become increasingly accessible in recent years. -
Ethnicity and Values Among the Lebanese Public: Findings from Avalues Survey
ETHNICITY AND VALUES AMONG THE LEBANESE PUBLIC: FINDINGS FROM AVALUES SURVEY Mansoor Moaddel In the spring of 2008, Mansoor Moaddel, in collaboration with researchers in Lebanon— Hilal Khashan, Political Science Professor of American University in Beirut, Johan Gärde from Ersta Sköndal University College/Sweden, and Jean Kors of the International Center for Organizational Development, Beirut, Lebanon—launched the first world values survey in Lebanon. The objective of this project was to understand the mass-level belief systems of the Lebanese public. The project was designed to provide a comprehensive measure of all major areas of human concerns from religion to politics, economics, culture, family, and inter-ethnic and international relations. This survey used a nationally representative sample of 3,039 adults from all sections of Lebanese society. The sample included 954 (31%) Shi’is, 753 (25%) Sunnis, 198 (7%) Druze, 599 (20%) Maronites, 338 (11%) Orthodox, 149 (5%) Catholics, and 48 (2%) respondents belonging to other religions. It covered all six governorates in proportion to size— 960 (32%) from Beirut, 578 (19%) from Mount Lebanon, 621 (20%) from the North, 339 (11%) from Biqqa, and 539 (18%) from the South and Nabatieth. The interviews took approximately 50 minutes to complete and were conducted face-to-face by Lebanese personnel in the respondents’ residences. The total number of completed interviews represented 86% of attempted observations. Data collection started in April 2008 and was completed at the end of September 2008. Turbulent political and security situation in Lebanon in the spring and summer prolonged the survey period. The respondents had an average age of 33 years, 1,694 (55.7%) were male, and 998 (32.8%) had a college degree. -
The Infusion of Stars and Stripes: Sectarianism and National Unity in Little Syria, New York, 1890-1905
W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2016 The Infusion of Stars and Stripes: Sectarianism and National Unity in Little Syria, New York, 1890-1905 Manal Kabbani College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Kabbani, Manal, "The Infusion of Stars and Stripes: Sectarianism and National Unity in Little Syria, New York, 1890-1905" (2016). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539626979. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-5ysg-8x13 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Infusion of Stars and Stripes: Sectarianism and National Unity in Little Syria, New York, 1890-1905 Manal Kabbani Springfield, Virginia Bachelors of Arts, College of William & Mary, 2013 A Thesis presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts Comparative and Transnational History The College of William and Mary January 2016 APPROVAL PAGE This Thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (anal Kabbani . Approved by the Committee, October, 2014 Committee Chair Assistant Professor Ayfer Karakaya-Stump, History The College of William & Mary Associate Professor Hiroshi Kitamura, History The College of William & Mary AssistafvTProfessor Fahad Bishara, History The College of William & Mary ABSTRACT In August of 1905, American newspapers reported that the Greek Orthodox Bishop of the American Antioch, Rafa’el Hawaweeny, asked his Syrian migrant congregation to lay down their lives for him and kill two prominent Maronite newspaper editors in Little Syria, New York. -
LEBANON Executive Summary the Constitution and Other Laws And
LEBANON Executive Summary The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally respected religious freedom. The constitution declares equality of rights and duties for all citizens without discrimination or preference but establishes a balance of power among the major religious groups. The government did not demonstrate a trend toward either improvement or deterioration in respect for and protection of the right to religious freedom. There were reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. There was tension among religious groups, attributable in part to competition for political power, and citizens continued to struggle along sectarian lines with the legacy of a 15-year civil war (1975-90). Divisions and rivalries among various groups have existed for many centuries and, while relationships among adherents of different confessions were generally amicable, group identity was highly significant in most aspects of cultural interaction. Despite tensions generated by the competition for political power, places of worship of every confession continued to exist side by side, reflecting the country’s centuries-old heritage as a place of refuge for those fleeing religious intolerance. The U.S. government discussed religious freedom and the importance of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect as part of its overall policy to promote human rights and stability in Lebanon. The ambassador and embassy officers met regularly with leaders -
Part 1 Addressing Community: Terms, Concepts and Meanings
part 1 Addressing Community: Terms, Concepts and Meanings ∵ Gerda Heydemann - 9789004315693 Downloaded from Brill.com09/27/2021 03:29:40AM via free access <UN> Gerda Heydemann - 9789004315693 Downloaded from Brill.com09/27/2021 03:29:40AM via free access chapter 1 People(s) of God? Biblical Exegesis and the Language of Community in Late Antique and Early Medieval Europe Gerda Heydemann Christians in late antique and early medieval Europe were accustomed to imagining their religious community as a people. The notion of the “chosen people”, the “people of God”, functioned as a governing metaphor for articulat- ing the sense of belonging to a community which was at the same time univer- sal and took multiple local forms, all-encompassing but exclusive in its special bond with God. Christian authors used the vocabulary associated with politi- cal or ethnic communities—populus, plebs, natio or gens—to describe and define their community and its coherence, or to delineate its boundaries. Christians encountered the metaphor of the people of God through their engagement with the text of the Hebrew Bible (“Old Testament”). The Old Testament narratives about Israel as God’s chosen people provided a powerful model for Christian communities. When Christian authors appropriated this model they had to explain the ancient biblical concepts to their contemporary audiences. In doing so, they linked the text of the Bible to the political vocabu- lary of their own present. They not only drew on a common-sense understand- ing of what it meant to belong to a people, but also sometimes explicitly reflected on the range of meanings and the usage of the relevant terminology.