Karaite Judaism Explained by Real Karaites

“Karaite Judaism is the oldest form of Judaism in the world. Today most Jews live by the teachings of the Talmud written by the Rabbis 1500 years ago. In contrast, Karate Jews still adhere to the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh) revealed by the Almighty to the prophets of ancient Israel. Karaites believe that our walk with God must be based on the Hebrew Scriptures, not on man-made religious doctrines and sanctified traditions. The Hebrew Scriptures contain a rich heritage of divine instruction, history, prophecy, wisdom, and poetry which enrich our spiritual lives.” (From the back cover of As It Is Written by Karaites Shawn Lihcaa, Nehemia Gordon, and Meir Rekhavi)

“Karaism is the original form of Judaism commanded by God to the Jewish people in the Torah. Karaites accept the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) as the word of God and as the sole religious authority. At the same time, Karaites deny human additions to the Torah such as the Rabbinic Oral Law because Deuteronomy 4:2 states, ‘Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it...’ Karaite Judaism also rejects the Rabbinical principle that the Rabbis are the sole authorities for interpreting the Bible. Karaites believe that every Jew has the obligation to study the Torah and decide for him/herself the correct interpretation of God's commandments, since in the end it is the individual, not the central authority, who is responsible for his own actions. This principle was expressed best in the Karaite Motto: ‘Search in the Scriptures well and do not rely on anyone's opinion.’ Karaites do not reject all interpretation and do not take the Bible literally, since everything requires interpretation. Instead, Karaites hold every interpretation up to the same objective scrutiny regardless of its source.” (Source: Lichaa, Shawn; Gordon, Nehemia; Rekhavi, Meir. As It Is Written (Kindle Locations 28-36). Hilkiah Press. Kindle Edition.) 

COMING SOON: The Karaite Jews of America has a web page entitled About Karaite Judaism (https://www.karaites.org/about-karaite-judaism.html) that says “Check back soon for updates to this portion of our site, as we are significantly enhancing and expanding the content to present a true 360° of the Karaite Jewish heritage and experience.”