Mourners of Zion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mourners of Zion (Heb. Avelei Tziyon) is a term used to refer to a number of Jewish groups through the ages.

  1. The Karaite subsect founded by Daniel al-Kumisi in the late ninth century CE.
  2. Another Karaite community living in Constantinople in the late Middle Ages called themselves Mourners of Zion. They may have been exiles who left Jerusalem during the Crusades.
  3. A Jewish group living in the mountains of Yemen were described by Benjamin of Tudela as subscribing to this name. They fasted during the week and lived in caves.

Additionally, this term is vital in a phrase mentioned in relation to the Jewish mourning ritual. In mainstream Judaism, mourners are offered the condolence "המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים", "May the Omnipresent comfort you among the remnant mourners of Zion and Jerusalem" throughout the period of Shiva.