Publisher's Synopsis
"This book is dedicated to studying the Karaite Mourners of Zion - the leading faction within the Karaite movement during its formative period (9th-11th century). Like all Karaites, the Mourners claimed that the Rabbinic Oral Law was not given by God but is rather the 'commandment of man' (Isaiah 29.13). Therefore they called for a return to the Hebrew Bible. According to the Karaite Mourners, neglecting the Bible caused also the neglect of the Land of Israel. For them the Oral Law was a tool of the Jewish people to strike roots in the exile. Therefore they developed a Messianic doctrine which encouraged the Jewish people not only to return to the Bible, but also to immigrate to the Land of Israel in order to accelerate the redemption. The Karaite Mourners' leadership practiced what they preached. From their cradle in the exile of Babylonia and Persia they came to Jerusalem, where they created a community that was called Shoshanim (lili
