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Show .,.,.. , . ' , - " , , , . ; : " , ,,:;,,,:1,::,.., ...., ........., .. ..,...,. .... ''''- - . ,....,...:.,., , . , .. ' '''''''..."4:--'''''''''- ''' . , - .,. ; ' .::t, - ,.,.?::: , 'Where ,,didNitfiely "'IT originate? NN 1 ,:.., . , ... , , , :., ., :. , , , ,,, .,.. , 4 ,, . .., -.- , .. - - ' , , . ., - : , - l'. , ,. t,', , . ' ' . ' . .. ' NNNN . , ., ,, - ' 4, . ; t ti , , a--4 '''''k ,:iS,,:,,004 ;! .. ,.1.:: ,, ?,,.kot ,f el'1,1r:'0".'-7-.t1- p.. 1: -- 76 .N( 1 'o .1;,, .1 10,104;161 .... , .4. ..,,, ';',:;7": , ' 7,, ,!:.'.; it, ,..'''-- ', AN ,,,,,-.- -- ;,4 ,k Ur- 7"':.ito. '''''- ', ,,, '''''''' .t....cS:X2r:;4:4.;;;......;;.--:7-,::','"'::..,;- , ,,c.,,pt,t.1, I .r ,;kid.: ,..:: - , .. ..: ., ,..:, ,:- . , , - 2 .,,,..,.:., :.,.:. ., Church article NeWs ,, , - . .: , ,,,,, , :: claim was ' presided .over by John the Baptist. ,Could this be true? Dnize And John The Baptist The Druze people attach great importance to Jo lin the Baptist and to his role in reestablishing the gospel during Jesus' ministry upon the earth. They believe the Messiah was the teacher of the gospel and that John's mission consisted in the last week, a , .,,,..,:,, ,,: - - , ,oaltkl.t,,. ,1 , ,,,,,v,,, A414., - ., .,, ,, , 4, i , , , , , , , , , , . . , , , ,, , ,, , - - ,.. .,::...i.,;,,,,,,,,..,,t.,,,..i..,..,, descendaney from Abraham' , baptism by immersion and a belief in the 1 trace their ,ancestry back to Abraham. Dr. Phillip K. Hitti, who was reared among the Druze and formerly of the American University at Beirut, believes the Druie originated out of earlier groups who had their roots in Persia and Mesopotamia, the homeland of Abraham. Dr. Hitti has done extensive re- search' on the background of theDruze people. In hisstudy, "The Origins of the Druze People and Religion."1 he reports the results of his comprehensive study of available literature on this Interesting sect which he found in various libraries in the world. Dr. Hitti, who is skilled in Arabic, He- Dr. Selim DrItze Prince and orthopedie surgeon completing medical residency in Salt Lake' City, discussed some of the beliefs interesting and practices of his people.These concepts, accordingto Dr. include the ruze-belier that the Gospel -- - in putting Christ's-principle- s-into effective operation in his was preached to all of us in a church. It is John the Baptist state, a concept of continuous revelation, and a sfrom.Nhom the' claim to have received their authority which belief that the gospel was to this Adam to they believe they-ho- ld been and has given -, day. restored several times during beThe importance the Druze the world's history. These liefs also include acceptance attach to themission of John -- brew;-- French, German a n d of the principle of baptism by the Baptist, together with their English, made what is believed belief that their church deimmersion, a "word of wisto be the, most. exhaustive scends frail the Dead Sea dom," the practice of bestowstudy of Druze origin. He conCovenanters (Essenes) shovld ing religious authority,, on cludes that sometime in the be extremely interesting to worthy young men at age second or third century A. D., in of disthe students the gathertwelve, a belief recently an Arab tribe came from Mesocovered Dead Sea Scriptures. ing, and conviction of literal potamia into the Valley of the Seib:gars who have worked on descendency from Abraham. Euphrates where their memof fact translation the with that Sea for the Dead the Along bers were Christianized. Then Scrolls are almost unanimous centuries the Druze people they moved into the mountains in their opinion that John the have called themselves "The in Lebanon. Here, these people Church of the Latter-Day- , Baptist was a established prosperous agricuof the are sect member these concepts religious particularly ltural communities. Due to the that lived at the Qumran Cominteresting to members of thefact that they were Christian Church of Jesus Christ of Latmunity. The fact that he came Arabs they were disliked and ter-daout of the wilderness, baptized Saints. They also show feared,, by their Arab neighimmersion and to the remarkable similarity by preached bors Later, as they' continued the coming of the Lord; original teachings of Jesus and to adhere to their original to the religious beliefs and coupled with the simplicity of Christian beliefs, they also beCovand doctrine his Dead the Sea of the rigid practices came extremely un popular conof his trans. in found the enanters as personal humility among the paganized Christian duct and attire, provide strong lation of their scriptures re churches of the day and, con evidence, according to these cently discovered in caves near were severely perseveralty, was John that Sea. Dead scholars, the from all 'sides. In the secuted Essene of member the group. Some Questions seventh and eight centuries The Druze claim in respect to Druze when the teachings of MuhamWho are the people? in general, Seem John would, mud spread rapidly throughWhat is the origin of their a in coincide to remarkable out this area, the Druze people Interesting religious beliefs way with these conclusions. held rigidly to their ristill and practices?. They believe that it was John beliefsand e--Is it possible that these 'peo-- s gthe who for the way prepared sisted conversion to pie might have had direct ac-- Messiah and who, after the cess to original Christian, Consequently; the Moslem's beginning of Christ's ministry considered this group to be a teachings before they were the responsibility was given religious thOrn Art theirside corrupted by Creek, Roman' and the authority-to-reestab- --and did everything possible to and other outside influences church. his lish eradicate them. Dr. Hitti Fe- and before Constantine made Origin of the Druze cords the contents of ancient them into his state religion? The Druze people, whose , Moslem documents which di: The Druze claim they are residence in the Holy Land can rected their follower&to exterdescendants,of the Dead Sea be traced back some 900 years, minate the Druze without Covenanters and believe that believe that their antecedents mercy. Also he has preserved they originate out of the first Christian Church which they go back much further into an!Pubus.tr.cl by ,Columbia Univer.sitv tiquity. The leaders of this , Press. 1928, Vol. 28, Columbta Lint. Spelled Druze pr Drusethe formes' people today believe they can versa., Oriental Studies. inat-Christia- rt- -r- -- ' - ;1, ,...: , 14 :, ...,.:: : .,c.,, :.': , .. :.: :.,. y L , , , -- ' N.., ,: 1(.74,"., s,..,.,::::,.,-.- , ...:..,,, .... , ... N AN - ,, ' , 0. PRESTON ROBINSON By - ,:.',. ,,,,, ., , DOWN' FROM THE CrrAISEL--Typi- cal Druze woman walks down the road - from the ancient citadel t in the background. , The Druze claim literal 3 - . ; ., , .C41 , ! - . ::,: .... , , , , .-,- :,, ::,:::.:: -- , ,: :47; :.4::::.1. ::44,,,,,,,,,,,:.:,.,,,..,;,,,,,;r!,r,,,,- -, ,, ' ;,....: ,.,,,..! '''',..'4127''''.:i,..:::?.,-- - f. r.-- , ,: :, . , ' ',::.:- :,. , - .': 4.41 ,N;:i.;:.,, .:.4 ,,,,,Z.54tr4,... ,. , ., ', ,,,,it:,,,::-:4.:,- ..4,4 .......- , ' :'..'''. 'IA: , : t ...::;,..:..,:::4':',:-rii:w.,-.:Y.,..::::.- ,'::' 14 o: ,c,,..,- - , , . NT- - 1 . ., , It's- ::;;Wil":,',,,, .,:! ,.,,, ,' , . , . 1 - :.".7.1.4.4.0. ,,, , , 4 , , - 1 to .t.,:::. '"' . , ., , ' I , -- - e.' . : , , .. . - : ., , : .... , - ' , , --- - ,i ''...:: ',.:ii..:4ii..i.iiag.'''''''''''''''''. , , ., - ,,::, , , - : , - records which show that the Darazi responded, it is claimed, Helenized and 11 o manized - to the call cif who Christian churches in the area said to him, "proceed into refused to accept the Druze as Syria and spread the cause in brothers and issued their own . the imountains because the orders to eliminate them. people are quick to follow."2 These persecutions and pres.. Alllakim ras the young Fall-mit) sures drove the Druze people Caliph (A.D. who denied the Moslem faith emore deeply into their moun- tam n fortresses and also suc. and joined the philosophers at The Druze now be- ceeded in forging them into a was a di- lieve cohesive that who unified, group of diety vine manifestation , fought valiantly for their lives who came specifically to reand who developed a deep sense of inter-groubrother. - store the gospel. The dogmas preached by hood. These forces combined to brand the Druze as a bellig. - Darazi, vv'ho was later- repudiated by the "mountain people", erent, ferocious people who and the concepts taught by practiced mystic al religious . auton- Hamzah, another disciple of rites in their consisted of 'the, con- omous communities. As was ' fession of the unity of God, true in early Mormon history, belief in the successive mania considerable amount of high- human ,ly prejudiced and emotional lit- - t festations of diety-I- n form, accePtance of erature now exists about Druze as the last and greatest of beliefs and practices. It is only minifestations, belief in throukh the most pains-takinthe concept of predestination; research that this literature belief in the transmigration of can be penetrated to determine souls, and recognition of the what is fact or fiction. five superior ministers Who ... In A. D, 973, a group of phil- partake of the divine essence. osophers, most of whom were These ministers, according to from the Islamic world, met in Ilamzah, were intelligence or Cairo and established the al- he universal mind, the nniver-Azhar Mosque. The original al soul, the advocate or the objective of this institution one who prepares the way, the was to teach the truth of the follower and the philosopher Old and New Testaments and explains or sheds light on the Gospel of the Koran. These ,the teachings. three books, these philosophers These philosophical concepts believed, contained the pure re- were apparently readily ac- of which Abraham ha ligion cepted by ,the "mountain been distored both by th ti- because they, Pnalet'e'ci and, Christians and by the Moslem . first from the teachings d found . originally ' of the missionary Darazi,,,,were as a mosque, soon became responsible 'for the Druze Cairo University which - name which these People now been has centuries the through reluctantly accept. These'. the theological seminary of the dogmas constitute the Islamic world and the guardian mystical aspects of the Drtize of the Arabic language. Today, and, added to the Chris( and one of the it beliefs outlined in of the world. great universities Dr. l article in last .,' Soon after the folinding of week's Church News, constimissionaries of the I tute the fundamentals faith began . Druze religion. -tit-all teaching' their gospel The records assembled and who would listen., They en- studie' by Dr. Hitti provide no countered seve re opposition positive proof of the origin of from' ,surrounding - Moslems, the Druze Christian concepts. influence the but were- able to See DRUZE on Pan 8 , "mountain people" who were , to In doctrines. their De2 receptive t;i1rdesba7. - 996-1020- ( - . - I - self-ruled- - -- - - the - . , , - . A. a 1016, the missionary '1701.1: .. 11 0 ra 69. Week Ending March 21,, 1959 CHURCH-- 3 H - - , - |
