Abstract
From the early stages of its existence, the Karaite movement within Judaism, attached special theological meaning to Jerusalem. The theological and legal underpinnings of this view were established by a Karaite faction known as the ‘Mourners of Zion’. This article is a case study that traces the concept of Jerusalem among the Karaites of diaspora, especially those of the Crimea. It analyses an evolutionary process in which ardent messianism, focused on the holiness and centrality of the city, gave way to the integration of these concepts within everyday life and practices.