Abstract
The word karaim comes from the Aramaic-Hebrew word kara- meaning "to read, to call". Karaim is derived from the word karai by adding the plural suffix -im. It is one of the common words in Hebrew and Arabic. Karaite or Karaim Judaism, commonly known as Karaite Judaism (~Torahists, that is, those who only recognize the authority of the Written Law (Torah), emerged in the lands of Iraq after the rise of Islam, AD X-XII. It is a sect that has been the strongest opponent of traditional Orthodox Judaism for centuries. Or Karaism is a Jewish sect that rejects the Talmud, that is, the products of verbal tradition, which is the work of humans, and accepts only the Tanakh (~Old Testament) as the holy book. This sect has similarities and differences in the basic principles and religious dogmas of the world view of the Sadducees and Essenes, which are other sects of Judaism. The founder of the sect, Anan ben David, took the basic rules and principles of the sect from Abu Hanifa (ra.), the founder of the Hanafi sect, whom he met in prison.
In this article, detailed information were given about the rise of Karaism, its founder Anan ben David, the successors of Anan ben David, the similarities and differences of Karaism between the Sadducees and Essenes from other Jewish sects, the 10 Commandments, which are considered as the basic ethical rule of those who belong to the Karaite religion, and the ideological predecessors of Karaism, the Isevis and Yudganis. In addition, the article deals with the religion-based traditions and customs of the Karaite Turks residing in the Crimea and Lithuania-Trakai, which are the remnants of the Caspian State.