Jewish Church (the Nazarenes) retained its Jewish identity, functioning as the remnant of Israel in the midst of the Jewish community. By the 7th century, though, Jewish Christianity basicly disappeared.
Nazarenes
There is Biblical and extra-Biblical evidence that such Messianic Jewish community life existed. Ya-akov (James) wrote to the "twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (James 1:1), giving advice on their community life that he assumed was made up mainly of Jewish followers of Yeshua.
In two places in the Book of Acts, James reveals his emphasis on Messianic Jewish community life. In Acts 21:20, he introduces his expectation that Jews should live as Jews.
"When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: 'You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.'" (Acts 21:20)
This concept implies that these thousands of believers were identifying with other Jewish believers in community life, in congregational life. In contrast, in Acts 15:19-21, James tells us that Gentiles should not be pressured to live as Jews, though they are permitted to investigate Jewish life if they so desire.
"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath." (Acts 15:19-21)
Messianic Jewish Movement
Estimated 40-137 AD Rabbi Akba is the one attributed to being a leading contributor to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha. He is referred to in the Talmud as "Rosh la-Chachamim" (Head of all the Sages). He believed Bar Kokba to be the Messiah. He accordingly limited the Messianic age to forty years, as being within the scope of a man's life. Akba has been said to have taken an very active role in the Bar Kokba revolt of 132-136 AD with his disciples numbering 12,000 (Gen. R. lxi. 3), 24,000 (Yeb. 62b), and 48,000 (Ned. 50a). The Bar Kokhba revolt was a rebellion of the Jews of Judea Province, led by Simon bar Kokhba, against the Roman Empire. He suffered martyrdom on account of his transgression of Hadrian's edicts against the practice and the teaching of the Jewish religion. Jewish sources relate that he was subjected to a Roman torture where his skin was flayed with iron combs.
Now why would this man be important to Messianic Judaism? One.. He is very influential in writings, in his powerful position, and what he does with it towards the new fledgling group of Messianic followers of Yeshua. For those not familiar with the schism that separated Messianic Judaism from the rest of Judaism, this Bar Kokhba revolt was it. Yeshua followers were not going to side with this false messiah and join the rebellion. It was at that point it became clear to the Bar Kokhba revolters that "if you are not for us then you are against us".
Let me back up a moment and explain something. "Rabbi" means teacher and as Yonah pointed out "My Master". The concept of "Rabbi" is central to the Talmud's idea of eternal life. Without a "Rabbi", one cannot possibly acquire eternal life, according to Talmud. Talmud declares that all Rabbis are infallible. Akiba's Talmud also declares that Yeshua is but one of 70 rabbis, and He must go along with what the majority says.
But that was not how it started. In around 40 AD the Pharisees, who were at this stage not opposed to the movement, had a wait and see attitude. This is typified by the statement of Rabban Gamaliel, Nassi or head of the Sanhedrin, a great leader of the Pharisees and thus the majority of the Jewish people in
Acts 5:34-39 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas [i.e. Yehuda or Judah] the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
After the destruction of the Temple, only two "Judaisms" survived, the Pharisees and the Nazarenes. The followers of the Pharisaic halacha (Jewish Law, literally "The Way To Walk") gathered under the leadership of Yokhahan Ben-Zakkai and reorganized the Sanhedrin. In Jerusalem, the followers of the Nazarene developed their own halacha and gathered under the leadership of Simeon, who replaced Yaacov HaTzaddik ("James the Just"), brother of Yeshua, in 63 CE.
Acts 24;5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Judeans, throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" . . .
The infighting among the Jews over which Messiah culminated the complete split during the revolt. Maccoby's Revolution in Judea gives the inital view that the Nazarenes were labeled as heretics in 90 C.E. His later book, The Mythmaker revises this date to the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt.
Thus a new Jewish sect arose known as the Nazarenes under the leadership of....James, based on the belief in Yeshua's continued Messiahship. The Pharisees did not regard this sect as heretical. Indeed, the Nazarenes were regarded as being within the Pharisee party until about 90 [C.E.].
- (Revolution in Judea, p168)
In about 90 [CE] the Nazarenes were finally expelled from the Jewish Synagogue and became a heretical group in Judaism as well as Gentile Christianity.
From the Encyclopaedia Judaica article "Amidah" (italics by me for emphasis. Note that it was not directed against Gentile-Christians, but Jewish ones, i.e., Nazarenes or Nozerim)
The view, voiced already in some late talmudic sources (e.g., Ber. 28b), that Birkat ha-Minim (benediction 12), introduced in Jabneh by Samuel ha-Katan, at the request of Rabban Gamaliel II, was the added benediction is, therefore, not correct. Nor is there sufficient foundation for the theory that prior to the introduction of this latter benediction the total number was only 17. The sources (e.g., Tosef., Ber. 3:25, et al.) clearly indicate that Samuel did not add a new benediction to those existing up to then, but added either a new point or enlarged on the meaning of a previously known benediction, as Shel Paroshin ("concerning the dissidents") or Shel Resha'im ("concerning the wicked"). He did this by applying it specifically to Jewish heretics. It is generally assumed that this new formulation was meant to force the Judeo-Christians out of the Jewish community; in the Genizah version, the word Nozerim ("Christians") actually occurs. Medieval Christian censorship viewed this paragraph as a malediction directed against all Christians; this accounts for the many changes and "corrections" that were introduced into it.
Further information comes from the Encyclopaedia Judaica article "Birkat Ha-Minim" by Meir Ydit (quoted fully, italics by me for emphasis)
BIRKAT HA-MINIM (Heb. [...], "benediction concerning heretics"), the 12th benediction of the weekday Amidah. This benediction, which varies in wording among the different rites, invokes divine wrath upon "slanderers," "wickedness," "Thine enemies," and the "kingdom of arrogance," and adores [G-d], "who breakest the enemies and humblest the arrogant [sectarians]." Prevailing scholarly opinion, based upon Ecclesiasticus 36:7, holds that this prayer originated during the Syrian-Hellenistic oppression in the time of the Second Temple, and that it was directed against those Jews who collaborated with the enemy. At that time, the prayer was known as the "Benediction to Him Who humbles the arrogant." A century later the imprecation was directed against the Sadducees, and it was designated as the "Benediction concerning the Sadducees." Under Rabban Gamaliel II (first century C.E.) this prayer was invoked against the Judeo-Christian and Gnostic sects and other heretics who were called by the general term min (plural minim). To avoid any suspicion of heresy, the hazzan had to be certain to recite this prayer in public worship. If he omitted it by error, he had to return and recite it, although such a regulation does not apply to any other benediction (Tanh. B., Lev. 2a).
Although some scholars hold that there were only 17 benedictions prior to the inclusion of this prayer into the Amidah, others contend that Birkat ha-Minim was the 19th.
The formulation of this prayer is ascribed to Samuel ha-Katan, who revised its text after it had fallen into oblivion (Ber. 28b). The many different historical situations in which this prayer was used are reflected in the variant readings still extant. The text has been further confused as a result of censorship during the Middle Ages. In geonic times, this prayer was invoked against poshe'im ("sinners") or, as Maimonides read it, against apikoresim ("heretics"), whereas in the Mahzor Salonika and in the Roman Mahzor it refers to meshummadim ("the apostates"). This term was further changed into ve-la-poshe'im, which later became ve-la-malshinim ("slanderers"). In some versions other expressions were substituted for the word minim: e.g., "all doers of iniquity," regardless of origin and nationality. The Sephardi ritual retained minim. Instead of the passage "and all the enemies of Thy people," as in older versions, the modified Ashkenazi and Roman rites read: "and they all." The phrase malkhut zadon ("kingdom of arrogance") by which the Roman Empire was meant, was changed by Amram b. Sheshna (Amram Gaon) into "the arrogant," as in most rites. The concluding phrase "who breakest the enemies and humblest the arrogant" (Siddur Amram Ga'on) was replaced in some versions, by: "who breakest the evildoers" (Siddur Sa'adyah Ga'on and Maimonides). From the historical evidence, it is clear that this prayer was never meant to be directed against non-Jews in general, but rather against Jewish heretics and gentile persecutors of the Jews. Nevertheless Jews were often accused of including a special imprecation against Christians in their statutory prayers. In modern times, the text has further been adjusted and many prayer books substitute the impersonal "slander" and "evil" for "slanderers" and "evil doers." In several Reform rites, the prayer has been modified or omitted.
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