Aside from a mutual belief in the
Old Testament,
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
and
Rastafari closely align in essence, tradition, and heritage, as both are
Abrahamic religions
The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran.
Jewish tradition ...
. However, the philosophy behind many customs is what truly differentiates the two religions. There are stark differences in some core beliefs in regards to the messianic prophecies, apprehensions behind traditions, and even dietary restrictions. However, they are more similar rather than different on a vast spectrum of ideas, values and ethics.
Messianic prophecies
A primary comparison to make between Rastafari and Judaism is that both religions believe that there will be a coming of the
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
, although they do not agree on who that Messiah is or will be. In the Jewish religion "The Messiah will indeed be a king from the house of David who will gather the scattered of Israel together, but the order of the world will not be radically changed by his coming."
This is in contrast to
Nyabinghi
Nyabinghi or Nyabingi is a prominent figure in the history of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, where religions or 'possession cults' formed around her.
Probably via a 1930s article, the term "Nyabinghi" was introduced to Jamaica. There, it was adopted ...
and
Bobo Ashanti
The Bobo Ashanti (also variously called Bobo Shanti and Bobo Shanty), also known as the Ethiopian African Black International Congress (EABIC), is a religious group originating in Bull Bay near Kingston, Jamaica. The title of Bobo Ashanti essenti ...
belief, in which they believe Jesus, in the form of
Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...
, the emperor of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
from 1930–1974, is their Messiah; and the
Twelve Tribes of Israel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, thro ...
, who believe that Selassie was simply a divinely-appointed monarch and Jesus himself is the Messiah (or ''Messiyah''). Many Rastafari believe Haile Selassie's lineage can be traced back to
King Solomon and the
Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba ( he, מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא, Malkaṯ Šəḇāʾ; ar, ملكة سبأ, Malikat Sabaʾ; gez, ንግሥተ ሳባ, Nəgśətä Saba) is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she bring ...
, and is thusly known as the
Solomonic dynasty
The Solomonic dynasty, also known as the House of Solomon, was the ruling dynasty of the Ethiopian Empire formed in the thirteenth century. Its members claim lineal descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Tradition asserts ...
.
The perspective on the coming of the Messiah in Judaism are akin to that of Rastafari in that, "The Messiah will indeed be a king from the house of David who will gather the scattered of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
together, but the order of the world will not be radically changed by his coming."
In addition to the belief that all Jewish people across the globe will become docile to the teachings of the Torah, is the prophecy of world peace and order.
The root of the Rastafari Messianic belief came from
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...
's prophecy in which he states "Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer."
The rise of Halie Selassie's reign came promptly after Marcus Garvey's remarks, validating his prophecy and granting Selassie with the divine title of "God of the Black race"
among some Rastafari.
Jewish vs. Rastafari laws
Since both Rastafari and Jews use the Old Testament as their
holy scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
, they both follow more or less the same principles, ideals, values and ethics as one another. However, interpretations of laws in the Old Testament varies between the two groups. An example of a law both Rastafari and Jews follow would be the restriction of any alterations to the hair. It is said in
Leviticus 19:27: "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard", in Leviticus 21:5: "They shall not make any baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh" and in Numbers 6:5, "All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he spareth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow."
This explains the long sideburns and beards of religious Jews as well as the dreadlocks associated with observant Rastafari.
References
{{Rastafari
Judaism and other religions
Rastafari