Jews do not convert to Karaite Judaism or for that matter any other form of Judaism.  Once you become knowledgeable as to the practices of a particular form of Judaism and agree with its principles of faith you become a member of that branch.  It is no different with Karaite Judaism and our Introduction Course is designed to teach those principles which are the fundamentals of our faith.

Joshua son of Nun was our prophet, leader and scribe who stood by Moses’ side at Sinai and with Moses later lead the Children of Israel through 40 years of wanderings in the desert. Surely if anyone, other than Moses, knew whether God gave an Oral Torah to Moses at Sinai, it would have been Joshua, upon whom the Torah says YHWH placed his spirit. Yet the words in the Book of Joshua refute the notion of a separately transmitted Oral law to Moses by stating:

 And afterward he [Joshua] read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that walked among them.

Joshua read the law of Moses to the Israelites to acquaint the Jewish people with the laws of the Torah and to teach them to carry out the covenants, statutes, ordinances and commandments that YHWH had given to the Children of Israel. Yet, our Rabbinic brethern claim that an oral torah was simultaneously transmitted to Moses.  The Book of Joshua, however, which goes into great detail about Joshua's reading of the law to the Israelites, fails to give the slightest hint as to how Joshua could have read the 'oral law'.  Karaites believe that significantly after God gave the written Torah to Moses, the "oral" or supplementary laws were developed by those who failed to search the Scripture for its proper meaning.  Karaites believe that an honest and thorough search of the Hebrew Bible answers most of the questions which the Talmud seeks to address. This belief distinguishes and separates Karaism from the rest of today’s Jewish movements.  We seek to educate our fellow Jews, so that all of Israel may return to the Judaism of the Bible.

Here are some other compelling verses and reasons why Karaites believe that YHWH did not give Moses an oral law:

a. “And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord...” (Exodus 24:4)

b. “And I will give thee the tables of stone, and a law, and commandment which I have written; that thou mayest teach them” (Exodus 24:12)

c. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words...” (Exodus 34:27)

d. “If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law.” (Deuteronomy 31:10)

e. “And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests, sons of Levi...” (Deuteronomy 31:9)

f. “Take this book of the law...” (Deuteronomy 31:26)

g. “When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.” (Deuteronomy 31:11)

h. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.” (Joshua 1:8).

i. “After that, he read all the words of the Law, the Blessing and the Curse, just as is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua failed to read in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the strangers who accompanied them.” (Joshua 8:34-8:35)

j. “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.” (Nehemiah 8:5).