Jewish diaspora

Galut (Hebrew: גָּלוּת, also spelled golah or golah) is a Hebrew term that literally means "exile" or "dispersion." In Jewish history and theology, it refers to the condition of the Jewish people living outside the Land of Israel, particularly following the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE and the subsequent Roman exile in the 1st century CE. The concept of galut is central to Jewish identity and has shaped Jewish religious, cultural, and political life for centuries. It is often associated with themes of longing for return, as expressed in prayers and traditions such as the Passover seder and the blowing of the shofar. The term is also used in other contexts to describe the dispersion of other peoples, such as the Armenian diaspora (Hayots Galut in Armenian) or the Palestinian diaspora (al-shatat in Arabic).