The history and the definition of the Holocaust also known as the Shoah (Hebrew) is exceptionally complex. Basically it can be stated that it was the Holocaust was the murder or genocide of the European Jews during world war 2. The word Holocaust is derived from the Greek word 'Holokauston' which, on itself, is a translation of the Hebrew word 'Olah'. In ancient times, Olah was a burn sacrifice ritual for God. The word Shoah in Hebrew (only used for the genocide of the Jews during WW2) literaly means: "catastrophe".