Nazirite

A Nazarite ( the Hebrew Nasir ( נָזִיר ), which is about as " ascetic " translate ) is in Judaism a man towards God voluntarily makes a special oath. Components of the oath are:

These provisions are found in the fourth book of Moses in the sixth chapter. Hair and beard of the Nazarite be shaved off the start of the fixed time ago.

In ancient Judaism the Nazarite brought after the expiration of this time to complete an animal sacrifice in the temple is, and hair and beard were again cut off. If the Nazarite but came close to a dead body, as when a man died suddenly in his presence, the previous time the oath was invalid and the counting of the days began again.

Usually, the oath time was done, as usual were the Jewish tradition by between 30 and 100 days. There was also a Nazarite for life, which have been chosen by their parents for this way of life. The best known among the latter were the judge, Samson, the prophet Samuel and John the Baptist. From the Christian apostle Paul is known that he took at least once on time this oath, and that other Jewish Christians in the early Jerusalem church this oath still contributed.

In Judaism today, after it has been impossible by the destruction of the Temple, complete the oath prescribed by the victim, this practice is less common. A prominent example of a Nasirärer of modernity is the Lithuanian- Israeli Rabbi David Cohen (1887-1972), honorable Rav haNasir called.

In addition, there are now some Rastafarians who have also taken the vow of a Nazarite, what the characteristic dreadlocks ( hair; " Filzlocken ") and the long beards a result. Rastafari is now used worldwide movement that originally sprung from Christianity and therefore has many Old Testament references.

Views on the importance of the oath ( beyond the religious obedience ) disagree in their research; some see it as a kind of therapy for alcoholism and depression, others a kind of second, voluntary priesthood, others a kind of magic that was associated with superhuman powers.