Without a doubt, Ancient Greece had a great influence on architecture in different parts of the world. Its calm and majestic beauty, harmony, and clarity continue to impress people today. The main distinguishing factor of Greek building art was the temple. Greeks liked building temples devoted to various gods. The oldest ruins of temples belong to the era of archaism when instead of wood as a building material, yellowish limestone and white marble began to be used. In this essay, I will discuss a marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis.
This image illustrates a reconstructed column, which initially was five times bigger in the temple of the Greek goddess of hunting and childbirth Artemis, located on the territory of modern Western Turkey. At the beginning of the twentieth century, this column was found during excavations in Sardis ( Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis, 2017). In 1926 it was given as a gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sardis, the capital of Lydia, was a strategic city that connected Anatolia and the Aegean coast. As reported by Yegül (n.d.), the Temple of Artemis at Sardis is a creative experiment in Greco-Roman architecture. Above all, it reflects the Empires successful attempt at the amalgamation of its cherished dual cultural and artistic heritage, combining Greek models and inspiration with new ideas in shaping structure and space (para. 20). According to Violatti (2014), the last Lydian king paid for the construction of the temple of Artemis to Greek craftsmen. Later this temple was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple is also the fourth largest Ionic temple in the ancient world. The remains of the temple preserved well- two columns are still intact.
Analysis
Greek architecture favored and often utilized white marble. This column is also made from marble in the Hellenistic period when Greek culture and elements of design were interwoven into the cultural traditions of many other states. As reported by the Met Museum, this column is not very tall, so it does not belong to the outer colonnade ( Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis, 2017). The ancient Greeks paid the primary attention to the beauty and harmony of the external appearance of the temple. For instance, this column is decorated with volutes on the top of the column, and beautiful carvings in between. This column is also typical of the Ionic order of architecture. Supported by the base, Ionic columns have more vertical flutes, narrow abacus, and carved frieze.
Influence on Contemporary Architecture
The architecture of Greece had an immense impact on all world architectural trends, including the Renaissance and the Neoclassical style. Many of the architectural masterpieces of the world emerged under the influence of Greek architecture and with the use of some of the elements of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles. In fact, the imprint of Greek architecture can be seen in modern public buildings such as major libraries, and churches. For instance, the White House in Washington DC also has majestic marble columns.
Greeks mostly built temples using beautiful materials, like marble and limestone, and decorated columns with nice carvings and volutes. Many of these buildings became pieces of global cultural heritage. Thus, Greek architecture has impacted the aesthetics of architecture up to modern days.
The artifact that was selected for this reflection is the marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis which can be found at the following link. It is originated from the Hellenistic period (300 B.C.). It is an iconic example of the Ionic order column which graced the Ancient Greek buildings. At its full height, the column would have been around fifty-eight feet high. The measurements suggest that this was a column from the porches or inner rooms of the famed temple (The Met, 2017).
The Temple of Artemis was constructed by the architect Hermogenes which emphasized the rules of symmetry and proportionality in the columns. Anionic order column stands on a base that allows its circumference to be more slender than other styles. Most have a standard of 24 flutes in the shaft. The entablature which the columns support is split into an architrave with three bands, a cornice, and a frieze.
The capital is specifically distinctive on the Ionic order. It features symmetrical volutes protruding on each side. In between, there is three-dimensional molding with an egg-and-dart design done in bas-relief. It is suggested that Ionic order columns take their aesthetic inspiration from female physical attributes compared to a more stout and plain structure of the male-inspired Doric columns. They became popular in Ancient Greece during a given period, as they provided a middle ground between the simplicity of Doric columns and the complexity of the Corinthian order. ( Ionic Order, n.d.).
The Longworth House Office building built in the first half of the 20th century is an example of the ongoing influence of Hellenistic architecture. It can be found at the following link. It was constructed for the use of the United States House of Representatives and is just one of several structures in Washington D.C. that efficiently uses marble columns for its façade.
The iconic public government buildings were constructed based on the revival of the Neoclassical architecture style heavily influenced by Greek architecture. The most prominent features include the use of symmetry, tall columns, and triangular pediments. Eight marble iconic order columns decorate the face of the Longworth Building while providing support for the entablature which holds the pediment on top of five porticoes. The Neoclassical architecture continues to borrow interior and exterior design elements such as trims and moldings on columns to create a sense of gravitas. (Architect of the Capitol, 2017).
The influence of Ancient Greek architecture is perceived in the contemporary era both for ideological and practical reasons. Scholars consider Ancient Greece culture to be the foundation of Western thought and civilization. Democracy became a symbol of Ancient Greece along with ruins of temples featuring the massive columns. Architects and planners of government structures like the Longworth Building attempt to portray the strong and time-tested roots of Democracy that governed one of the greatest historical civilizations and has now become a cornerstone of modern politics. On a more practical level, Hellenistic elements, columns, in particular, are a fusion of architectural efficiency and art.
Greek architecture was an innovational achievement as the mathematical progress of the time to construct perfectly symmetrical and proportional buildings. The interconnectedness of the column with other elements of the building allows for unparalleled structural integrity that has withstood through the millennia. The ideological nostalgia combined with excellent architectural design makes columns of the Hellenistic era a continuous influence on modern-day architecture.
The Metropolitan Museum features many significant exhibitions. One of the exponents in the Ancient Greece display is the Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis. It is an excellent illustration of the architecture of the era, which to this day remains an inspiration for many. Figure 1 is the image of the piece.
Figure 1. Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis. (n.d.).
Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis and its Origins
Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis is one of the remains of the architecture of ancient Greece, presented in the exhibition. The piece used to be more than fifty-eight feet in height when it was initially built. It is classified as a stone sculpture, and the material of the column is marble. As the description states, the design of its features foliate carving on the capital is unique among extant capitals from the temple, and the torus (foliated base), with its vegetal scale-like pattern, is also exceptionally elaborate ( Marble column from, n.d., para. 1). It is considered to be an ionic column in style because of how it was constructed.
The column was a part of the Temple of Artemis and was presented to the Metropolitan Museum by The American Society for the Excavation of Sardis in 1926 ( Marble column from, n.d.). It used to be a part of the interior, as it is is slightly smaller than others found at the site, which is an implication that it did not belong to the outside colonnade of the temple ( Marble column from, n.d., para. 1). The museum features two other columns; each can possibly be a pair for this one. However, it is not known for sure where exactly it stood in the temple. It is stated that the fluted shaft and the base are not original ( Marble column from, n.d.). The first one is a restored part, and the latter is a copy. This column is a good representation of the ancient Greek architecture as it features the design elements typical for the era. Many other examples that display the architecture of ancient Greece can be viewed today. In particular, the remains of the Temple of Allopo and the Parthenon (Sacks, 2005). Both buildings feature a similar symmetric design of the columns with the one, exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum.
Modern Architecture Inspired by Ancient Greece
The Museum of Modern Literature in Germany is an example of a contemporary building that was constructed using the principles from the ancient Greek culture. David Chipperfield designed it in 2002, and it was built in 2006 ( Museum of Modern, n.d.). While it looks modern and features a clean look without any specific decorations, the elements used here can be traced back to those in the ancient temples. Most notably, this building features columns and symmetry, which are reminiscent of those pieces displayed in the Metropolitan Museum. The architect utilized the same materials for the inside and the outside, to unify the building. He has successfully merged both the modern and ancients design techniques in this museum.
Overall, the presented column in the Metropolitan Museum is a display of the ancient Greek architecture. The Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis is a representation of the design and art of that time. The other examples that one can see today are the Temple of Allopo or the Parthenon. Both have the same column style, typical for the era. One of the examples of the influence that ancient Greece had on modern culture is The Museum of Modern Literature. In its structure, both contemporary and antique elements were used for construction.
Shaikh Zayed Mosque is a major tourist destination in the United Arab Emirates. The mosque is located in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan initiated the mosque. This structure depicts the best Islamic architecture in the UAE. Many people from different parts of the globe visit this mosque (Words from His Highness, the Minister of Presidential Affairs, 2014). The mosque offers new opportunities for discovery and learning.
My Sense of Shaikh Zayed Mosque
This mosque is one of my best structures in the United Arab Emirates (Cooke, 2014). The majestic structure is a good example of fashionable Islamic architectural design. The columns, carpets, and enormous chandeliers give the mosque the best image (Hammond, 2012). The mosque gives the best experience to every individual who wants to appreciate its magnificence and artistic splendor.
Direct Competitors
The mosque is a leading tourist destination in the UAE. The mosque faces direct competition from other structures such as the Burj Khalifa. The competition also comes from Al-Bidyah Mosque (Kolb, 2006). The mosque is an archaeological destination thus making it a leading competitor. The Sharjah Arts Museum is one of the best places to study Islamic art. This destination offers diverse objects and art collections in the UAE.
The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization (SMIC) displays some of the best religious documents and manuscripts (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, 2014). This destination attracts visitors who want to focus on the region’s Islamic culture and history. The Bastakia Quarter is also a magnificent heritage site. The competition also comes from various mosques such as Al Tajir, Al Habtoor, Abu Hail, Port Saeed, and Al Noor.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
The mosque displays the best Islamic architecture
The mosque offers proper coordination and leadership
The mosque portrays the best artistic splendor
It follows strict Islamic faith
The mosque has a modern library
Weaknesses
Some fees are required for admission
Mosque manners and dress codes are mandatory
The mosque is closed on Fridays
There are no schedules for tourist activities
Opportunities
The mosque portrays the best chandeliers and artworks
Many people in the region are Muslims
Muslims travel widely
The region’s economic and political climate supports tourism
Threats
Presence of direct competitors
The destination is unavailable on Fridays
The mosque has minimum festivals or events
The Islamic dress codes deter many visitors
There is insecurity associated with terrorism
Destination Branding
The destination uses every opportunity to inform the people about its features. The mosque advertises every exhibition and activity. The practices at the mosque always attract more visitors. The mosque communicates to more visitors using its website. The features in the mosque, such as chandeliers, carpet, and lighting systems make the mosque a spectacular destination (Planet, 2012).
Target Group
The mosque attracts every person interested in the people’s culture and tradition. The visitors should have “a positive attitude about the culture of the United Arab Emirates” (Davidson, 2012, p. 43). This explains why the destination attracts every Muslim from different parts of the globe. Most of the visitors are aged between 18 and 55.
Summarized Analysis of the Destination
The above strengths make the mosque one of the best tourist destinations in the region. The mosque provides new opportunities for discovery and learning. The visitor programs at the mosque continue to attract more people (Thomas, 2009). The SWOT Analysis explains why this mosque is one of the best tourist destinations in the UAE. Every visitor enjoys the splendor and tranquility of the mosque.
Improving the Destination
The country can improve this destination by informing more people about its programs. Improving security at the mosque will also attract more visitors. The mosque can also include new programs to attract more people. The mosque can examine the strengths of its direct competitors and make the best adjustments. This practice will eventually make the mosque one of the best destinations in the region.
Reference List
Cooke, M. (2014). Tribal Modern: Branding New Nations in the Arab Gulf. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Davidson, C. (2012). After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies. New York: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
Hammond, A. (2012). The Islamic Utopia: The Illusion of Reform in Saudi Arabia. New York: Pluto Press.
Kolb, B. (2006). Tourism Marketing for Cities and Towns: Using Branding and Events to Attract Tourists. New York: Routledge.
Planet, L. (2012). Lonely Planet Pocket Dubai (Travel Guide). New York: Planet Publishers.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center. (2014). Web.
Thomas, G. (2009). Frommer’s Dubai and Abu Dhabi Day by Day. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Words from His Highness, the Minister of Presidential Affairs. (2014). Web.
The eight components that make up a chapel program include worship, exterior elements, counseling, activities, staff support, and religious education areas, among other components. Exterior elements give impressions when visitors visit a chapel, including the chapel’s quality of services (Green, 2016). These elements include landscaping, chapel signs, and parking sections; landscaping elements aid in creating natural loveliness for guests visiting the chapel.
These elements may include flowers, trees, shrubs, earth berms, and water features. Landscaping provides defining of building entries and screening parking areas; chapels provide building entry signs on the location that gives visitors directions on the primary entrance. In addition, chapels require outside schedules that complement the building design, adjacent parking areas, and Well-lighted car park areas with satisfactory spaces for ultimate attendance events.
Chapel Program
There are possibilities that chaplains have short tenancies if their biblical knowledge contradicts to their significant degree spontaneity of objectives and goals. Such activities perpetuate and promote weak faith risks in Christian athletes, making some chaplains more worried about their admissions in sports inner sanctums than they are almost confronting and speaking out its evils. The authentic spiritual development of coaches and athletes can compromise the best sports chaplaincy culture in four varying ways whereby chapels have time restrictions. A chapel sermon usually lasts from 20 to 45 minutes, while church services last between 30 and 150 minutes (Linville, 2016). Therefore, chapel programs take 45 minutes or one and a half hours, depending on the particular assemblies and how the programs are done.
A church program can take an hour between sermon, prayers, musing, and other church events. For instance, in Greg Linville’s “Sports chaplaincy and North American society Strategies for winning in the clubhouse,” the author says he was recently requested to lead a chapel program where football teams played football. The author was notified only to take a maximum of 15 minutes for chapel and 5 minutes to lead the chapel programs that never took long hours (Linville, 2016).
Chapels often function as an intermediary between seminars and motivation talks and seldom look like formal worship services. Chapel participants specifically seek motivation and inspiration rather than divine growth, while some attend the chapel to attain their faith-based responsibilities, including parental, friendship, or partner accountabilities.
People a Chaplain Should Approach to Start a Chapel Program
The chaplain should approach the people when starting sports are the athletes and coaches who could be categorized as inflexible at Christianity. Some elite participants look to have convenience faith more than conviction faith. A sum of contestants who flop to reunite their confidence and generous lives consent sport overall (Mitaxa & Butler, 2016). The captivating of tall profile players and trainers to Jesus for the determination of conveying a podium for them to declare the word of God has been an eye of North American athletic chaplaincy departments. While on surfaces, this may appear like a moral objective. The authenticity of its significance similarly blemishes it.
Nevertheless, elite contestants who vocally decree Christ are more dedicated to accomplishment in-game than their confidence. They also lack the ground theologically and psychologically and often bomb to animate out their trust. They may find themselves uncovered theologically but then again individually and emotionally uncertain and as soon as their ethical slips become obverse page news (Mitaxa & Butler, 2016). Instead of supporting evangelism, such proceedings can harm and disrupt gospel actions. More prominently, they may hurt the trust of the persons concerned.
References
Green D. (2016). Sports chaplaincy at the Olympics and Paralympics: Reflections on London 2012. In A. Parker et al. (Eds.), Sports chaplaincy (pp. 55-67). Routledge.
Linville G. (2016). Sports chaplaincy and North American society: Strategies for winning in the club house. In A. Parker et al. (Eds.), Sports chaplaincy (pp. 32-43). Routledge.
Mitaxa N., & Butler C. (2016). Sports Chaplaincy Australia. In A. Parker et al. (Eds.), Sports chaplaincy (pp. 44-55). Routledge.
Traditional Taoism is the oldest system that contained the past beliefs of the Chinese. During that period when this system was applicable when both the shamanism and pantheism were common.
Some of the components that were in this system include the repeated occurrence of seasons, life and death of conscious human beings and their continuous generations. Another major component of this system was the mystery of the life origin. In the traditional Taoism, there were some scriptures like the I Ching where most essential readings appeared.
This scripture was composed of 64 hexagrams with each one of it carrying six yang lines. In this scripture, the readings included images, solutions of some problems, and the interpretations of the readings.
Due to the challenges of the ever-changing world, the people who were responsible in to providing solutions started seeking for unity and continuity among the people. High expectations of finding solutions in Tao were among the traditional thinkers. There were three known sources of Taoism in the traditional china, the first source was the ancestor whose name was the yellow Emperor who came up with the use of traditional Chinese medicine.
His wife was also famous through her act of teaching other women on how to obtain silk from silk worms. Through yellow emperor and his wife, there was introduction of the first Chinese characters. The second source of Taoism is the book “Tao Te Ching” the old book that contained supernatural issues, and its author was Laozi.
The third source was Chuang Tzu together with his book that was eponymous. Apart from these three major sources, other sources came up later introducing other traditional aspects to the system.
Taoism has influenced the culture of china for long period. The influence of Taoism came in different forms for instance, by philosophy, literature, and at times use of arts. Taoism also made some emphasize on getting the freedom for the human kind, understanding the human nature, and tried to obtain human retirement from the social works.
Taoism as well tried to bring the mystery and many questions relating to religious into light for everyone to understand. By use of arts, Taoism divided the life of the educated people into two groups such as social group and a private one.
The life of the educated people made use of the arts during their free time to pass different messages to other people in the community. For instance, a person may volunteer to make use of calligraphy or paintings to express a certain idea to the illiterate people in the community.
The use of poetry by these people was also common to interpret or clarify a certain aspect of life to their fellow leaned Chinese. Some educated Chinese went to an extent of conducting some researches on medicine that was useful for human use, and later passing the findings to the others through use of arts.
Between 1940 and 1982, Taoism faced many challenges in china whereby most of its operations remained stack for a long period. Most of their priests and other men who were working in church found themselves working in odd places as casual laborers without receiving any recognition as priests.
There were mass destructions of the infrastructure that were using, together with their holy sites. In 1982, some leaders started recognizing the importance of this tradition religion, and some of its aspects began restoration. Some of the Taoism temples started their operation, and continued to preach peace and unity among the Chinese people as it was doing before. Up to date Taoism is still a common belief in china because it has more than one billion followers. Globally, it is the second largest religion.
There was a major debate about the Taoism whether being a philosophy or a religion. Most of the people from western see Taoism as a philosophical aspect because Lao Tse and Zhuang Zi did not talk anything about worshipping or performing rituals, and they are the major people in Taoism.
On the other hand, some people refer it as a religion because the work of Lao Zi involved some rituals, and mentioning of works of gods. The debate leaves the relationship between the Taoist religion and Taiost philosophy being hard to understand. In this debate some sense of religious practices are present, and some arguments of philosophy are there. However, most of the religious practices originate from the background of Taoism.
Thien Hau Temple is among the most popular places of worship in china, it mostly devotes its worshipping activities to Mazu who is the goddess of the sea, and other cultures that relates to the sea like fishing or sailing in a boat. This temple was originally a church but later became a temple for celebrations, receiving blessings, and giving offerings as well as performing rituals.
The religious activities of this temple are also devoted to Guan Yu who is the famous god of resolving conflicts, righteousness and promoting a good relationship among people.
The other god that is involved in the Thien Hau Temple is Fu De who is the god responsible of the earthly materials like wealth and other beneficiaries. In this temple, the Buddhists have a site of worship.
The management of this temple is under Camau Association of America although it receives some other support from East Asian communities. One of the most important celebrations done in the temple is the celebration of the Mazu birthday on March 23 of every Lunar Calendar.
Many believers from all over the world come together, to share the happiness of this important day. The day is marked with different types of foods, lion dances, and other interesting games. Birthdays of Fu De, Guan Yu, and Dizang are also performed in this temple but not as big as of that of Mazu.
Another difference between the traditional Taoism temple and Thien Hau Temple are the activities that take place in each temple. In Thien Hau Temple, members from different societies meet in the temple to receive blessings as they perform some religious rituals. Many people gather to praise deities, while lion dancers perform continuously as a way of chasing evil spirits.
There are representatives from over 25 families who are supposed to gather with the rest of the community to light the firecrackers at midnight as a sign of celebrating Chinese New Tear.
Starting from the first day of the year to the fifteenth day, the ceremony continues out side the temple. Experts play drums and bells, as people specialize with vegetarian foods. On special days, people slaughters a big animal like a pig, roasted but they eat it away from the temple as a way of showing respect to the Buddhists.
Once the first fifteen days are over, people from different communities come together again to show their money needs to Mazu, as they give her what they had promised towards the year-end. Thien Hau Temple hosts even other types of ghost festivals for the communities to celebrate. The honor given to Mazu in Thien Hau Temple is out of her silence, which came from the fact that she did not cry when she was born.
Mazu was the seventh daughter in her family and her father and brothers were mostly fishermen. She was very courageous to take care of the fishing tools that her brothers were using. She used to guard even during the most risky moments. After her death, several fishermen and other sea workers decided to honor her acts.
Her identification color is red, which she used to wear most of the time. During her celebrations in Thien Hau Temple, her courageous acts are an inspiration to many people within the community.
Guan Yu is another god, a famous historical figure in East Asia, well known by his efforts during the civil war that resulted to the end of the Han Dynasty in china.
His efforts and contributions assisted in setting up the kingdom of Shu. That is why people called him the god of war, and receives much respect as he showed loyalty and righteousness. His symbol is a warrior with long beard, and holding weapons with his face painted red as a sign of loyalty.
His involvement in this royal fight did not lead to destruction of the kingdom but to the improvement of it. Some people expected the worst from this conflict but Guan Yu fought a fight of wisdom and full of righteousness. Many people honored him and that is why he is a celebrity in the Thien Hau Temple up to date. Fu De is a special earthly god worshipped by both the religion worshippers in the Thien Hau Temple and the Taoists. He is a god of wealth and riches and commonly found in every village to cater for the common affairs.
The major challenges that faced most villagers were agricultural and weather related problems. Although his powers were minimal, villagers were nowhere to turn for help. During the hard times of drought and famine, Fu De was the only hope for the people within the community. To some extent, his powers saved people in several cases, and that is why people decided to be honoring his acts.
Today his image is preserved in several altars, and house doors, where people go to beg him for wealth and their family wellbeing. His image portrays an elderly man, with white beard, executive hat, and a robe to show his administration aspects.
The Taoism Temple devoted most of its activities to Laozi who was the known author of Tao Te Ching book. His popularity came because of the fact that his conception took place while her mother was looking at a falling star. Another extra ordinary fact about him is that people believe that he stayed in his mother’s womb for 62 years.
There was also a super natural power during his birth as his mother was leaning against a tree. During that time, people knew him as a grown man, with grey hair and some physical appearances that showed his wisdom and ability to live long.
Some people regarded this as being reborn. According to her famous traditional sources, he is referred as the keeper who took good care of the royal court records. Through keeping watch of this royal court, he learned a lot from the Yellow Emperor and other wise people.
Although he was a man full of wisdom, he did not open a school but many people were seeking knowledge from him. He was a teacher to many students who were admiring his life, and wanted to be like him in their future lives.
Even royal disciples followed him for some pieces of advice and knowledge. Laozi had a wife and a son who later became a famous soldier. Although a great debate took place over whether Laozi issues were true or force, he remained someone worth celebration.
Most of people claimed that it was hard to prove his history, although some of his acts remained memorable up to date. Laozi is celebrated, as he was the founder of Daoism, a major religion that has many followers. During the time when Daoism became strong and gained some followers, people started recognizing his efforts and he became a god.
A sector for Daoists that was performing religious rituals and worshipped god emerged through which the Daoist tradition grew and developed. It reached a place where people started seeing Laozi as a personification of Dao, but Laozi claimed to have gone through many challenges to reach to such a point.
Despite all the arguments against Laozi, he became famous day after day especially because he founded the Daoism. He is the major god in Daoism who these believers trust and solves much of their problems.
After the first temple was destroyed in 560BCE, Israelites were taken as captives in Babylon. However, some of them were allowed to return by king Dariusafter 70 years in exile .They returned to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.During the second temple,several upheavals took place.
In the process, Jerusalem and its temple underwent several renovations, dismantling and rebuilding until its destruction in 70AD. During this period, foreignerswho took charge of Jerusalem included Ptolemic Egypt, Seleucids, Greeks, Romans and Armenians, among others. It is also during this period that factions emerged. Hardship was paramount as Roman empire imposed tough conditions on inhabitants.
In fact, survival was quite difficult. This promoted growth of factions. There were five factions namely, Pharisees, Essenes, Sicarii, Sadducees and Zealots. This paper will list four main factions during the second Temple and provide thoughts of Sicarii faction in detail (Yaron 2).
Thefour main factions during this period were Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Sicarii. Depending on their philosophical thoughts,they could be divided into two broad categories namely religious and political sects. The latter was sometimes known as a criminal faction and composed of Zealots and Sicarii. The former included Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees, also known as separatists in Hebrew, emphasized purity.
To achieve this, they separated themselves from all pleasures and follies of that period. They also detached themselves from people who did not uphold ritual purity. They were led by rabbinical courts, through rabbis as well as Sanhedrin. Even though Pharisees disliked Roman rule, they opted for peace, this is mainly because they feared Roman reprisals, which could destroy the whole nation (Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center 1).
The second faction (Sadducees) was mainly composed of rich priests who rejected leadership of rabbis as well as oral Torah. Their activities included corruption as they bought their way into offices. Moreover, they were closely liked to Romans. The third faction was composed of nationalists (Zealots).
This group of people had broken away from the first faction( Pharisees).They did this in order to fight Roman invasion. Even though Pharisees wanted to work without Romans, they resisted the temptation of fighting themopenly, instead, they opted for peace. On the other hand, Zealots purposed to fight them at all cost (Yaron 2).
The other faction(Sicarri), was initially against Roman rule. However, later on, they fought against any government. They were also known as dagger men because they used daggers to stab those they considered enemies. Their enemies were wealthy Jews seen to sympathize with Romans, Romans, as well as elites that known to have close links with priests. The Sicarii were led by Judas’s descendants (Judas from Galilee).
They believed in God’s sole rule over the Jews. They therefore undertook several assassinations in order to resist any other rule. The sect started off with resistance towards Roman rule but later developed foughtagainst all forms of governance. They were mostly predominant in Judea. They wereled by Judas’ grandson Ben Jair, who was later succeeded by his brother Eleazor. Their main objective was to put an end to direct rule of Romans over Jews.
To achieve this, they employed guerilla tactics. They also ensured that Roman sympathizes and collaborators were punished by death, among other ways. Most of their victims included Jewish elites who were associated with priesthood. Their main areas of activity were within Jerusalem, even though it extended to villages (Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center 1).
The human race is characterized by its high level of variance exhibited in clothing, language, ideologies and religion to name but a few. This differences which are mostly as a result of cultural diversity and socialization are not only visible in our ways of life but also in the religious tenets that guide us.
Through out time, man has engaged in the practice many religions each serving a specific purpose to its faithful. As a result, there are many religions through which various cultures attain their spiritual and moral bearings in a bid to bring themselves closer to a higher power (deity).
The different religions are differentiated in terms of beliefs, customs and purpose and are similar in one way or the other. This paper shall set out to describe my personal experience at a Jewish synagogue. To this end, I shall explain a ritual that I observed and its impact on my life. In addition, I shall highlight various aspects that I found intriguing at this place of worship. Considering that I am not Jewish, I shall also reflect on how the congregation treated me during the service.
Jewish synagogue: A brief overview
According to Rich, the Jewish community goes to the synagogue for prayers, Torah readings and teachings (1). These practices act as replacements for the ritual sacrifices practiced by Jews of older days. The synagogue has three main functions: firstly, it is a beit tefilah; which means a house of prayer.
In Judaism, group prayers play an integral part in strengthening faith. The synagogue presents the followers with an avenue through which this practice can be observed. Secondly, the synagogue is also a house of study where Jewish children are taught about their religion, culture and moral practices. This process is commonly known as the bat mitzvah. Thirdly, like most places of worship, the synagogue acts as a social gathering place where various social and charity events can be held.
My experience at the synagogue during Sabbath
A few weeks ago, I visited a Jewish place of worship called Temple Sinai which is located in Summit, New Jersey. My main aim was to observe a ritual that is commonly practiced by the Jewish community (the Sabbath prayers held on Friday evenings).
Considering that I was from a different religion and that this was my first time to enter a synagogue, I did not know what to expect. However, the little research I had done on this religion gave my some clues on how to behave and what the experience ought to be like (especially to a visitor).
This synagogue practices Reform Judaism. This means that they welcome innovation in their religious practices all the while preserving the traditions that founded the religion (Temple Sinai, New Jersey 1). Upon entry into the synagogue, I received a warm welcome from members of the congregation.
I was offered a small round cap familiarly known as a yarmulke. The main purpose of this cap was to show respect to God and the place of worship. As I came to learn, all men and women are expected to cover their heads while at the synagogue. After wearing the cap, I was directed to a sit on the front rows. The portion of the synagogue where prayer rituals are held is known as a sanctuary and it is located at the front of the synagogue facing Jerusalem.
The set up within the synagogue was most intriguing. There were some salient items which as I later learnt were not part of the décor, but significant attributes to the religious rituals held at the synagogue. Key among them was an Ark which resembles a cabinet and holds the Torah scrolls (Holy Scriptures).
In fact, the Ark is commonly known as the Aron Kodesh which translates to the “holy cabinet”. Slightly above the ark, there was a lamp (ner tamid). “This lamp symbolizes the commandment to keep a light burning in the Tabernacle outside of the curtain surrounding the Ark of the Covenant (Rich 1)”. Finally, there was a pedestal commonly referred to as the bimah onto which the torah scrolls are placed when they are being read (BBC 1).
The prayers that were cited were very methodical. Every time the scrolls were retrieved or returned to the Ark, all congregants were supposed to stand. In addition, I noticed that the curtains inside the Ark could be opened or closed in some prayers. This I came to learn was an honor given to members of the congregation. Similarly, English translations of the prayers and citations were made available. As such, a visitor could easily follow on the proceedings without the feeling of segregation or isolation.
Relevance of the Sabbath to Judaism
The Sabbath is among the commonly celebrated events in Jewish communities. The purpose of this celebration is to remind the Jewish community that everything that the earth provides is indeed gifts that God has presented to them. As such, Friday evenings are spent welcoming the Sabbath through prayers, blessings and feasts.
The prayers that I attended are part of the rituals that are practiced during this ritual. This means that there are other rituals practiced during Sabbath. However, the prayers at the synagogue presents the congregants with an opportunity to pray together, discuss various scriptures and get valuable teachings form their rabbi.
Personal reflection and conclusion
This experience was very insightful to me. Despite the fact that I attended the service out of curiosity, I was surprised to find that I actually learnt something. To begin with, the level of organization as exhibited by the congregants was impressive. Each member new their roles and they executed them perfectly.
Their attentiveness, mannerisms and respect for their place of worship was also very admirable. In a sense, I felt the presence of God in the synagogue. By participating in the prayers, I felt at peace and thankful for what I had. People always take life for granted and in most cases forget to give thanks to God for what they have achieved. This experience was a wakeup call for me. This is especially so in regard to the fact that we often forget to thank God in wealth and only as for his assistance during hardships.
Similarly, I was surprised to find out that there are some similarities between Judaism and Christianity. In both religions, some prayers are cited in unison. In addition, the lighting of the candle is symbolic in both religions. Finally, praying together is equally important to both religions. On the other hand, there were some notable differences. The covering of the congregants’ heads is not as important to Catholics as it is to Jews.
In addition, the sharing and breaking of bread in the catholic is done in the church (Sacrament) while the Jews do that in their homes. Despite our differences in modes of worship, we all seek to find spiritual fulfillment from our religions. It would therefore be a worthwhile endeavor if we could embrace the common aspects in our religions and tolerate the differences. This would in the end, ensure a harmonious coexistence within the human race.
Religious services in a mosque require strict observation of worship ethics and etiquette. Worship in a mosque entails subtle religious practices that are hard for a non-Muslim to practice. The unique and hard religious practices in the Mosque limit effective interaction of Muslims and non-Muslims causing more interreligious suspicion and doubt. The interreligious suspicion and doubt emanate from the preconceptions and misconceptions, which negatively affects interreligious interaction.
There are some preconceptions and misconceptions about Muslim religious practices during their worship services that lead non-Muslims to perceive Islamic religion as hostile and inhospitable. The multicultural and religious interactions have psychological implications to both the Muslims and the non-Muslims. This essay will explore the religious services in a mosque, preconceptions and psychological interaction of Muslims and non-Muslims.
Religious Service at a Mosque
As aforementioned, the religious services at the mosque are unique and strange to a non-Muslim. Muslims do not allow anybody to enter their Mosque unless one is a Muslim or identified and given permission because the mosque is the most holy place and strangers who do not profess Islamic faith should not defile it by entering into it.
The Quran prescribes standard etiquette and worship practices for the Muslims worldwide; therefore, there is no ambiguity in their worship due to the geographical location. The standard etiquette prescribes dressing code and worship practices, which must be followed strictly.
The non-Muslims are required to learn the etiquette because if they do not follow them in the mosque, they are deemed to profane the mosque intentionally and this creates many fears to non-Muslims. If a non-Muslim has to enter a mosque, he/she has to make formal request and upon approval, he/she can only enter when prayers are not session to be guided through the process of worship.
Muslims have religious services at specific times of the day. Before entering into the mosque, Muslims are required to be in their dress code and to remove their shoes at the entrance. After removing their shoes, they proceed to the washing place where they wash their feet, hands and feet prior to praying. Inside the mosque there are no seats, instead a soft carpet is spread on the floor unlike in churches where the congregation use seats.
The prayers of Muslims are recited while kneeling and bowing down facing Mecca followed by the Quran reading of the day then other routine prayer recitations follow. Conventionally, a male leads the worship service because women are strictly forbidden to enter mosque during their menstruation period, as they are unclean and unfit to worship. Smoking, eating, drinking and switch-on phones are forbidden in the mosque for they interfere with the worship service.
Preconceptions of Non-Muslims
The non-Muslims have many of preconceptions and misconceptions about Islamic religion and Muslims. There is misconception that associates Muslims with terrorists, violence and extremists. “This is the biggest misconception in the Islam; no doubt resulting from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam” (Ahmad, 2008, p. 22).
The media has stereotyped the Islamic religion and Muslims as violent, extremists and terrorists in the way they report events. For, terrorists are referred as Islamic terrorists, while instance countries are referred as Islamic countries but rarely do we have Christian countries. The Islamic religion has been associated with the vices in the society but in real sense, Islam is a peace-loving religion, which stands for total submission to God.
Another preconception is that the Islamic religion oppresses women. The teachings of the Quran do not support the oppression of women as it teaches that, “the most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife” (Ahmad, 2008, p. 23).
The non-Muslims perceive the Islamic women as oppressed lot due to their lifestyles and dress code. The Quran requires both men and women to wear decent and modesty clothes that depict dignity to the people around at any instance; regrettably, many non-Muslims perceive this as oppression towards women. Freedom of wearing any dress code is against the Islamic teachings, and this does not amount to women oppression, as many would want to believe.
There are other misconceptions concerning the way of worship and spread of Islamic religion. Majority of non-Muslims often presume that Muslims do not worship God the Creator, but they worship a lesser god, Allah. Nevertheless, this misconception arises from sheer ignorance.
Allah is an Arabic word for God the Creator. “Muslims believe that Allah’s sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history” (Ahmad, 2008, p .23).
Christians too believe in the same God but the differences exist on matters concerning the prophets that were sent by God. In their case, Muslims believe that Allah send Mohammed. Other misconception about Muslims is that they spread their faith through jihad war, all are Arabs, men are polygamous and Mohammed is their God. With all these misconceptions, a non-Muslim will definitely fear to enter a mosque or relate with Muslims.
Psychological Reactions
Muslims believe that their religion requires total submission to God and they guard this belief zealously. The mosque also is the most a sacred place of worship where non-Muslims should not enter, as they will profane the holy place. On the other hand, non-Muslims harbor many misconceptions about Muslims.
Therefore, if a Muslim encounters non-Muslim in a mosque during the course of worship, psychological mechanism of evaluation apprehension ensues. According to Myer (2008), “…when two or more people who, for longer than a few moments , interact with and influence one another and perceive one another as [us]” (p. 262).
This happens in an interactive process of social loafing, facilitation and deindividuation. Social loafing occurs when the non-Muslim receives guidance through the process of worship, while social facilitation occurs when evaluation apprehension increases on the part of Muslims. In this case, they perceive that non-Muslims are watching their way of worship.
Myer (2008) asserts that, “deindividuation represents a breakdown in evaluation apprehension because of decrease in self-consciousness, and an increase in group consciousness that can lead to more disinhibited behavior” (p. 263). The balance in social loafing, facilitation and deindividuation will give effective social interaction in the worship service.
Conclusion
Multicultural and religious misconceptions and preconceptions affect the effective interaction between people. The misconceptions and preconceptions of the Muslims and their religion limit the effective interaction of Muslims and non-Muslims in the mosque. For the worship service to be interactive despite barriers of misconceptions and preconceptions, the evaluation apprehension process requires reduced social loafing and increased social facilitation and deindividuation.
References
Ahmad, H. (2008). Misconceptions about Islam. The Islamic Journal, 6(3), 20-27. Print.
Myers, D. (2008). Social Psychology. New York: McGraw Hill.
A free form of worship is what Pentecostal churches across the world hold dear. Worshippers in a church service are at liberty to dance, scream and shout praises to God. True to the history of the church, the beliefs that God can be exulted, praised and worshiped without any inhabitations hold true to this day. The church is grounded on spiritual sensibilities based on Biblical teaching that God’s people should worship him in spirit and in truth. To this end, the church believe that the Holy trinity is to be revered, adored and exalted no matter what circumstances individual members may be faced with.
Unlike other churches where the pastor or service leader starts the service with a prayer, the congregants of the church I went to commenced the service with a hymn. According to the printed bulletin, this first section of the service would last for one hour. An engaging choir mellowed tune and after tune and for those not well versed with the wording of the songs, the song verses were on the multiple screens fitted all over the church hall. The choir’s members were dressed in casual black uniforms accessorized with African beads. One could not miss out the artistic nature of the design. The suaveness that they sang and danced to the songs was a clear indication that they had put enough time to prepare, rehearse and get the songs right.
The way that the instrumentalists handled the Piano, the guitar and the drums was also an indication that the church had invested in trained professionals who created the right atmosphere for worship. According to Pentecostal traditions, church leaders shoulder the responsibility of creating the right worship attitudes among the congregants. Accordingly, the worship atmosphere should be such that, even a person who had initially thought they had too many worries to join in the singing would have no option but to sing along the others. So far, this church had managed to do that. Everywhere I looked, everybody was engrossed in singing, dancing, swaying and lifting of hands. A realist would have trouble determining whether this was really true worship where people are conscious of the spirit nature of God, or simply religious excitement. The church can however be credited with fusing worship liberty with a scriptural order that makes the congregants aware of the various things that God has done.
Towards the end of the praise and worship segment, the songs were more relaxed and at this point I could sense that people were really connecting with God through the songs. Looking at the people seated on the front rows, one could sense that most of them were in deep contemplation as they sang, with eyes closed; some lifting their hands up, it was a solemn atmosphere. The songs slowly degenerated into loud prayers among the worshippers and after five minutes of individual prayers, one of the assisting Pastors took over the microphone and led the entire church in prayer. This was then followed by televised church news which were prerecorded and beamed to the church through the projector screens. Indeed modern technology has been infused in this church to cater for the voluminous numbers that attended the service. This was evident in the sound system, lighting and ventilation.
The Pentecostal church has overtime been reffered to as oral religion, as it relies on word power to give context to God’s word. True to this, some of the outstanding testimonies that the church had received through out the week were read. The contents delighted the church audience, mostly because they were personal revelations of how people had received blessings from God. One could not help notice that all testimonies gave credit to the church. This was closely followed by the offertory, presiding which a scripture was read encouraging the attendant to give back to God.
The main preaching was about worrying. According to the preacher, God’s people had been transformed by the pressures of modern living into worrying freaks. He told the congregation that most worries arise from the fact that Christians forget that God is in Control. He stressed the need for the congregants to have more faith in the promises of Jesus Christ, that God knows every detail of their lives. He also encouraged them to lead sinless lives in order to benefit from the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which he said would result in less anxiety. At the end of the service, the pastor prayed for the congregation that God would enable them to trust Him more and hence live worry-free lives.
By observing this church, one can tell, that worship plays a major role in their faith. Bible inspiration was also a major part of their actions including giving and tithing.
