Welcome to KaraiteWiki
From KaraiteWiki
KaraiteWiki has been created as a central repository for the vast wealth of Karaite philosophy, history, practices and more, all of which have shaped Karaism throughout its multi-millennial history. Here, you can learn about Karaism and, if you wish, add your own knowledge of Karaism to this worldwide collaborative effort. Our goal is to become the largest and most accurate repository of Karaite knowledge on the internet, bar none, and to provide a valuable resource for information about Karaism to both Karaites and non-Karaites alike.
What is Karaism?
Karaism is a movement dedicated to understanding and living according to the original interpretations of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), as they were understood by the ancient Israelites of the First Temple period. In this sense, Karaism can be said to be the oldest and most original form of Judaism, far older than its most well-known counterpart, Rabbinical Judaism. Living according to the ancient ways does not at all mean that Karaites reject technology or the evolution and advancement of civilization. What it does mean is that Karaites wish to preserve the eternal and immutable values of the original Torah as given to Moshe (Moses) during his 40+ year conversation with God. As technology and civilization advance and become more and more complex, the eternal values of the Torah become ever more germane and essential to remaining moral, focused and balanced human beings in our modern world. Therefore, any additions, subtractions or modifications to our eternal code of law, ethics, history or philosophy are anathema to the Karaite.
Start by choosing one of the following topics
- Introduction to Karaism
- Karaite Interpretations of the Torah
- Karaite History
- Karaite Philosophy
- Central Figures in Karaism
- Karaite Communities
- Karaite Traditions
- Personal Journies
- Tanach Translation and Interpretation Project
About KaraiteWiki.com
For those of you who are not yet familiar with the concept of a "Wiki", this is a website which is different from any other you are used to. You, the visitor, can not only view this website, but you can also help build it!. This means that you can actually modify the contents of KaraiteWiki.com, adding new content or making changes and improvements to already existing content. Thus, you become not just a passive observer of KaraiteWiki.com, but an active partner in its building.
KaraiteWiki.com is built using MediaWiki, one of the most powerful open-source Wiki packages available, and precisely the same software on which the well-known website Wikipedia is built. Using MediaWiki, users may read, modify, create and discuss the pages found throughout KaraiteWiki.com.
Because vandalism is a real threat to any Karaite resource, on the web or otherwise, only registered users are allowed to edit the contents of this website. If you have not already registered, you may do so by clicking the "log in / create account" link at the upper right hand corner of this page. If you have already created an account, you must log in to your account before you can begin editing.
For further information, you may consult the User's Guide for information on using the wiki software.
