The synagogue of the Karaite sect is older than all the synagogues in the Jewish
Quarter, including the Tifereth Yisrael synagogue. The Karaites attribute it to
the time of Anan Ben David, the founder of the sect in the eighth century, but this
is unlikely as its architectural design attest to its being built in the tenth century.
The Karaite sect in Babylon separated from Rabbinical Judaism in
the 8th century. They do not accept the Oral Law of the Mishna and Talmud as Halakha,
relying only on the written Bible for all rulings, in accordance with their interpretation
of the p'shat (plain meaning) of the scriptures. The first Karaites came to Jerusalem
at the beginning of the tenth century, to live in the city and mourn its destruction.
According to traditional legend, the building permit for the synagogue did not permit
windows. For that reason, the entire synagogue is built below ground level. Only
a tiny, weak light is able to penetrate through glass-covered chimneys into the
praying area.
