n a Jewish sect that recognizes only the Hebrew Scriptures as the source of divinely inspired legislation and denies the authority of the postbiblical tradition of the Talmud; the sect arose in Iraq in the eighth century
Nehemia Gordon in Jerusalem Post There's a lot of confusion because of the Karaites in Eastern Europe. They became 'cultural Karaites' and rejected Judaism - and say that they're not Jews,explains Gordon.