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traditional Jewish law (halakha) defines Jewish identity matrilineally — that is, if your mother is Jewish, you are Jewish, regardless of your father’s identity. This is relatively unusual among world religions, and your observation that it has sometimes been interpreted as implying a “bloodline” component is one reason anti-Jewish prejudice has historically latched onto it.

Let’s unpack the background and comparisons:


1. Why Judaism uses matrilineal descent


2. Is this unique to Judaism?

While Judaism’s matrilineal religious identity rule is distinctive, there are some analogues — though not identical — in other traditions:

Tradition / GroupLineage RuleNotes
SamaritansMatrilinealLike Jews, Samaritan status passes through the mother.
Some tribal/ethnic religionsMatrilineal clan membershipFound in matrilineal societies (e.g., Akan, Minangkabau) but these are more about clan inheritance than religious faith per se.
Hinduism (caste)Usually patrilineal, but some regions have matrilineal caste rulesReligious identity normally follows the father in Vedic tradition, though Kerala’s Nairs historically followed matrilineal inheritance.
ZoroastrianismPatrilineal in most sectsA child of a Zoroastrian father (and sometimes mother) may be accepted; strict orthodoxy resists conversion.
IslamPatrilineal for communal affiliation, but religious status via confessionChildren of a Muslim father are presumed Muslim, regardless of mother; reversed from Judaism.
ChristianityNo descent rule; baptism defines membershipHowever, in medieval Iberia, “limpieza de sangre” (purity of blood) introduced hereditary ideas of Jewishness, ironically borrowing the notion from anti-Jewish prejudice rather than doctrine.

In short: Judaism and Samaritanism are the only major surviving religions that formally define religious status through the mother. A few small matrilineal traditions exist, but they are tied to ethnicity or clan rather than theological principle.


3. Why this has been linked to “blood” ideas


Summary:
Yes, Judaism is essentially unique among major faiths for defining religious identity through maternal descent. This stems from ancient rabbinic decisions rooted in social stability and certainty of lineage, not from a belief in “blood” or racial inheritance. Other religions usually follow patrilineal or purely voluntary affiliation rules, with only a handful of small groups (like Samaritans) sharing Judaism’s matrilineal structure.


If you’d like, I can compile a historical table showing when and where various religions codified their descent rules, which would make the comparison even sharper. That way you can see when matrilineality emerged and how rare it truly is.