Greek in Israel
Photo Source:
Anonymous
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| People Name: | Greek |
| Country: | Israel |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 3,700 |
| World Population: | 10,378,900 |
| Primary Language: | Greek |
| Primary Religion: | Christianity |
| Christian Adherents: | 91.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 0.40 % |
| Scripture: | Complete Bible |
| Ministry Resources: | Yes |
| Jesus Film: | Yes |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | Greek |
| Affinity Bloc: | Eurasian Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
There is a Greek diaspora in many parts of the world, including Israel. They have been in what is now Israel for over 1,000 years. Their numbers diminished in Israel since the 700s when the Arabs took over the entire area.
Greeks are descendants of migrants from the Balkan Peninsula who came to Russia partly in the eighteenth century and mainly in the nineteenth century. This migration resulted from the political situation in the Balkans and the Russian-Turkish wars, leading to significant population movement. The Christian population, oppressed and ruthlessly looted by the government of the Ottoman Empire, viewed Russia as their liberator from centuries of Turkish oppression. They left their homes and followed the Russian army masses.
In the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the Greek rebels from Greece fought on the Russian side, and after the war, a considerable part of them settled in the Crimea. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Greek settlements had lost their military importance. The Greeks who lived in the steppe districts in the Crimea and on the coast used the Tatar language (they were called Greeks-Tatars). The other part, which lived in the mountain regions, preserved their own language, which was a dialect of the modern Greek language. This group was called "Greeks-Hellens."
What Are Their Lives Like?
In Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Church is the second largest land owner after the Israeli government. They are selling chunks of land in Israel and the West bank. Though they are small in number, the Greeks hold power in Jerusalem.
What Are Their Beliefs?
They are Greek Orthodox. Greeks in Israel are religious but lack understanding of their need for a close relationship with the living God.
What Are Their Needs?
Greeks in Israel are Christian, but not many put Christ first in their lives.
Prayer Points
Pray for Greeks in Israel to have the spiritual hunger it takes to put Jesus Christ first in their lives.
Pray for Greek Christians to take Christ to Muslims and Jews and disciple them in his ways.
Pray for spiritual revival in the Greek Orthodox Church that will be based on Christ, not ethnicity.