Authors' Note: Originally conceived by Plato and Aristotle as a construct to explain the universe, the Great Chain of Being, known in Latin as scala naturae, organized all beings and matter in a hierarchy, descending from heavenly powers through humans, animals, plants and minerals.
In medieval times, the concept was expanded as a rationale for the Divine Right of Kings, and to deny unapproved social mobility.
Authors' Note: (khah-ray-DEEM)
Various groups of strictly Orthodox or haredi Jews represent an expanding demographic in Israel, assembling in particular neighborhoods (such as the suburbs of Jerusalem) where they carry out their lifestyle, rejecting and disdaining the secular environment, preferring a world characterized by observance of laws derived from the Torah (Old Testament). Their traditional dress reflects the groups' roots in 19th century Ashkenazi religious communities in northern Europe. The name (the plural noun form) originates from a biblical reference to those who tremble at the word of God.
With large families (averaging 7 children per female), these groups made up 4% of Israeli citizens in 1980, and 13% in 2021.
Various groups of strictly Orthodox or haredi Jews represent an expanding demographic in Israel, assembling in particular neighborhoods (such as the suburbs of Jerusalem) where they carry out their lifestyle, rejecting and disdaining the secular environment, preferring a world characterized by observance of laws derived from the Torah (Old Testament). Their traditional dress reflects the groups' roots in 19th century Ashkenazi religious communities in northern Europe. The name (the plural noun form) originates from a biblical reference to those who tremble at the word of God.
With large families (averaging 7 children per female), these groups made up 4% of Israeli citizens in 1980, and 13% in 2021.
Authors' note:
gnostic: adjective derived from the Greek noun gnosis; pertaining to or possessing spiritual knowledge or insight
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