| A | B |
|---|
| Tanach | Judaism's holy book mad up of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; known as the Old Testament in Christianity. |
| Bar Mitzvah | Jewish ceremony celebrating the passage of a boy into adulthood. |
| Bat Mitzvah | Jewish ceremony celebrating the passage of a girl into adulthood. |
| Bible | The sacred book of Christianity, which includes the Old Testament and the New Testament. |
| Jerusalem | Holy city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. |
| Judaism's three groups | Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform |
| Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) | Jewish weekly holiday, observed on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. |
| Haggadah | A reading that help the Jews remember the Israelites' escape from Egypt. |
| Ten Commandments | Ten laws that God gave to Moses to give to the Israelites. |
| Three Major divisions of Christianity | Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant |
| Easter | Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
| Communion | Reenactment of the last meal that Jesus ate with his disciples. |
| Gabriel | Visited Mary to tell her she had been chosen |
| Allah | All-powerful god of Islam. |
| Muhammad | Allah's prophet on earth, founder of Islam. |
| Mecca | Holiest city of Islam, in Saudi Arabia. |
| Kaaba | Shrine in the holy area of Mecca. |
| Koran | The holy book of Islam, considered by Muslims to be the divein word of God. |
| pilgrimage | A journey to a sacred place. |
| muezzin | Caller who summons Muslims to prayer. |
| Brahman | Universal spirit, or "World Soul," of Hinduism. |
| karma | Hindu belief that one's actions determine what happens to one in the future, both in his life and the next. |
| castes | Divisions of Hindu society. |
| puja | Simple Hindu ceremony of worship. |
| reincarnation | Hindu belief that after death the soul is born again into a new body. |
| Vedas | Holy writings of Hinduism, written over 3,000 years ago. |
| yoga | Special Hindu discipline, involving breathing and physical exercise. |
| Buddha | An enlightened or awakened one. |
| dharma | Truths of reality, taught by the Buddha. |
| Mahayana | Form of Buddhism practiced mainly in Central and East Asia. |
| Nirvana | State of mind described by Buddhism as free from all suffering. |
| Siddhartha Gautama | Founder of Buddhism, who lived 2,500 years ago. |
| stupas | Structures built by Buddhists to house relics. |
| Shinto | Ancient religion of Japan. |
| Theravada | Form of Buddhism practiced mainly in Southeast Asia. |
| Zen | Form of Japanese Buddhism that emphasizes meditation. |
