Messianic History

[visionary]

ABU’L FARAJ, Gregory , also called BAR-HEBRAEUS(1226-1286) born in Melitena, son of the Aaron the Jewish physician who cured Saurnavinus, a Tartar general from a disease. Master of Greek, Syriac and Arabic, student of philosophy, theology and medicine, he became an Anchorite in Antioch and ordained Bishop of Gubos at the age of twenty by Mar Ignatius, Patriarch of Saba, then again Maphrian of the Eastern Church at forty. From then on, he was known as Bar-Hebraeus. As bishop of the West Syrian Jacobite church, he was renowned for his justice, integrity, great learning and cosmopolian leadership. His writings span a wide sphere including commentaries on Scripture, moral treatises (Ethikon), on commerce, science, astronomy, medicine, logic, philosophy, history, poetry, humorous fables and devotions. While clear and resolute on matters of church doctrine, he shunned ecclesiastical disputes as an abomination. "During his forty years' episcopate he was never known to have received a farthing from anyone …like Paul, he sought to be chargeable to no man and therefore supported himself by his own scholastic ability, giving his labors freely to the cause he loved. Churches were erected wherever he went. Even the Mohammedan body who would be naturally opposed to his belief held him in great respect. At his death, none were found in the Jacobite church to equal his spiritual stature. He was appropriately named Abu'l Faraj, meaning "father of comfort."

http://www.israelinprophecy.org/ENGLISH/live_site/brief_list-most_famous_messianic_jews.html

 

[visionary]

I received this Pm that I would like to share with you as it has some very interesting links.

Henaynei
Sh'ma Yisrael Adoni Echad

Early Messianics

Quote:
Originally Posted by visionary
I also ran into this statement and would like any information regarding these congregations that were mentioned in another porting on a old thread.

Since I can't post in yur thread and I had some information about which you were asking I thought I'd pass some on via PM.

Here are some interesting articles and research on early Messianics...

http://afii.org/jorge.htm

and one in particular...

http://www.messianicassociation.org/...chtenstein.htm

http://messianicart.com/davar/articl...chtenstein.htm

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ichtenstein%22

Thought you'd enjoy these

b'Shalom
Henaynei

 

[Hadassah]

This is all really great reading. And thank you Henaynei for Pming those links for us to read on!

 

[AbiYah]

Here are some things I had.
I hope it is ok to post them here?

The following comes from Talmud Shabbat 116A.

In this discussion several rabbis are discussing when a Torah scroll can be burned if damaged or defiled.The general consensus is that even in scrolls that have damaged or blank spaces must not be burned.

Then the topic comes around to the scrolls or the GILYON or blank spaces in the Books (plural) of the Minim or (Nazarene heretics) and how they should be handled. The word GILYON means gospel or good tidings.So the issue here is the places in the gospels (BOOKS OF THE MINIM) that contain the Divine Name. HOW SHOULD THOSE HERETICAL BOOKS BE HANDELED? SHOULD THEY BE BURNED?

In verse 16 below one rabbi asks if their Torah scrolls with the Divine or Sacred Name are the issue. Another answers NO. He is referring to the gospel (blank spaces) of the MINIM. In other words the gospel books not the Torah scrolls. As you can see below, one rabbi says that on a weekday when its not Shabbat we must get the GOSPEL BOOKS and remove the DIVINE NAMES before we burn the books and another who disagrees with him and states that those books are such trash that he would burn them even without REMOVING THE DIVINE NAMES!!!!!! even if he had to take the books to a heathen temple should a Nazarene follow and chase him to get the gospels back.

Though Talmud is not scripture, it is a wonderful historical confirmation of what many of us already knew in our spirits ....That the original gospels or Books of The Minim [Nazarenes] DID HAVE THE DIVINE NAME!

...For if they did not contain them, why would the rabbis spend all their time deciding how to get rid of the gospels without desecrating the DIVINE NAME in them. The actual text appears below from th SONCINO TALMUD ON CD ROM:

Come and hear: The blank spaces above and below, between the sections, between the columns, at the beginning and at the end of the Scroll, defile one's hands. 13 — It may be that [when they are] together with the Scroll of the Law they are different.

14 Come and hear: The blank spaces
15 and the Books of the Minim
16 may not be saved from a fire, but they must be burnt in their place, they and the Divine Names occurring in them. Now surely it means the blank portions of a Scroll of the Law? No: the blank spaces in the Books of Minim. Seeing that we may not save the Books of Minim themselves, need their blank spaces [DIVINE SACRED NAMES] be stated? — This is its meaning: And the Books of Minim are like blank spaces.
It was stated in the text: The blank spaces and the Books of the Minim, we may not save them from a fire. R. Jose said: On weekdays one must cut out the Divine Names which they contain, hide them,
17 and burn the rest. R. Tarfon said: May I bury my son if I would not burn them together with their Divine Names if they came to my hand. For even if one pursued me
18 to slay me, or a snake pursued me to bite me, I would enter a heathen Temple [for refuge], but not the houses of these [people], for the latter know (of God] yet deny [Him], whereas the former are ignorant and deny [Him], and of them the Writ saith, and behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial.
19 R. Ishmael said: [One can reason] a minori: If in order to make peace between man and wife the Torah decreed, Let my Name, written in sanctity, be blotted out in water,
20 these, who stir up jealousy, enmity, and wrath between Israel and their Father in Heaven, how much more so;
21 and of them David said, Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate then with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
22 And just as we may not rescue them from a fire, so may we not rescue them from a collapse [of debris] or from water or from anything that may destroy them.
R. Joseph b. Hanin asked R. Abbahu: As for the Books of Be Abedan [Ebionites},
23 may we save them from a fire or not? — Yes and No, and he was uncertain about the matter.
24 Rab would not enter a Be Abedan, and certainly not a Be Nizrefe [HOUSE OF NAZARENES];
25 Samuel would not enter a Be Nizrefe[HOUSE OF NAZARENES], yet he would enter a Be Abedan [HOUSE OF EBIONITES]. Raba was asked: Why did you not attend at the Be Abedan? A certain palm-tree stands in the way, replied he, and it is difficult for me [to pass it].
26 Then we will remove it? — Its spot will present difficulties to me.
27 Mar b. Joseph said: I am one of them
28 and do not fear them. On one occasion he went there, [and] they wanted to harm him.

Footnotes
15) Jast. s.v. iuhkd translates, the gospels, though observing that here it is understood as blanks. V. Herford, R.T., ‘Christianity in the Talmud’, p. 155 n. (21) Not only do they themselves go astray from God, but lead many others astray from Him. (25) hprmb hc; a meeting place of the Nazarenes, Jewish Christians, where local matters were discussed and religious debates were held. (Levy). [Ginzberg, MGWJ LXXVIII, p. 23 regards it as the name of a Persian house of worship meaning the Asylum of Helplessness]. 29) Uncensored text adds: R. Meir called it (the Gospel) ‘Awen Gilyon, the falsehood of blank Paper; R. Johanan called it ‘Awon Gilyon, the sin of etc. On the whole passage v. Herford, op. cit., pp. 161-171.

This was from a very old email, so I do not remember who emailed and from every source.

 

[visionary]

Saved by God's name... Cool

 

[AbiYah]

That's what I thought too!

 

[visionary]

http://www.netzarim.co.il/

The Netzarim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matityahu

"...strips away centuries of redactions and places the historical figure from Nazareth squarely into the Jewish world of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the first century... including Hebrew reconstructions, comparisons to Greek and Hebrew resources, and easily understood line-by-line interpretations... stunning, and inescapable, realization that Judaic Halakhah remained valid to Yehoshua and the Netzarim… NHM restores distinctions long blurred in Christianized versions. Cited is Elisha Qimron's 1994 book on a Dead Sea Scroll illuminating the debate among first-century Judaic sects over Oral vs. Codified Halakhah, the body of Jewish law supplementing Scriptural law." (Journal of the International Society of Bible Collectors, Bible Editions and Versions, 2002.07-09, vol. 3 #3, p. 20-21).

 

[visionary]

The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue, Oxford historian James Parkes; Eric Gilmore (z"l) Memorial Edition

"I was thinking this would be just another book about anti-Semitism written from the opinion of another self-proclaimed 'scholar' trying to cover up Christian responsibility. I ended up walking away with my mouth hanging open — not what I had expected at all. Like the Netzarim materials, the author, Scholar James Parkes, deals only with proven fact. A Christian himself and more specifically an Anglican clergyman, Parkes exhausts just about every conceivable authoritative source (His library consisted of 20,000 items and 400 manuscripts): official decrees of kings, emperors, priests, bishops, monks, to even writings of poets and play writers. Parkes even reveals even anti-Jewish feelings within even the NT texts! All of which are authoritatively and irrefutably unanimous in the fact that Christianity does not possess pro-Jewish 'Hebrew Roots,' but rather misojudaic and anti-Semitic roots. Please also note scholar Parkes was one of the first Christians in the Western world ever to trace back the Christian roots of anti-Semitism. He also gave expert evidence at the 1935 trial at Geneva and named pioneer of Jewish Studies — it doesn't get anymore authoritative than this folks! A MUST READ!" John F., North Brunswick, NJ

 

[visionary]

The Passagii, or Passageni, a sect whose name is first mentioned in the acts of the synod of Verona, seem to have been unique in that they required the literal observance of the Mosaic law, including the Jewish Sabbath and circumcision. It is possible they are identical with the Circumcisi spoken of in the code of Frederick II. As late as 1267 and 1274 papal bulls call for the punishment of heretics who had gone back to Jewish rites, and the Passagii

See Döllinger, II. 327; Alphandéry, 168 sqq.

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc5.ii.xii.v.html

 

[visionary]

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=6765260

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ORIENTAL STUDIES
VOL. XXIII



Jewish Influence On Christian Reform Movements
BY
LOUIS ISRAEL NEWMAN, PH.D.

NEW YORK
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
1925

 

[rdclmn72]

The description given for the early messianic jews by the area described is sephardic, is there a reason for this?
What other details can you provide for the iberian penninsula as being a focus for migration(dream/vision/prophecy) I wish I could remember more details.
After the migration to the Iberian penninsula, what happened to those that stayed in palestine?

 

[visionary]

I didn't know this but the blood line of the Passagii may have been Levi.

http://www.britam.org/levi.html

 

[A_Pioneer]

Messianic Judaism and the Early Church
Messianic believers often cite the fact that Jesus and all his disciples were originally Jewish. They argue that Gentiles had a place within the the Jewish context of the faith, evidenced by the recorded biblical debate of having the new Gentile converts follow Jewish law and the decision by the Jerusalem Council to forego the requirement of proslyte conversion for Gentiles to be included in the faith.

Messianics further argue that as a result of persecution, the Early Church adopted a minimalist perspective to win converts so as to survive, and in so doing, had inadvertently minimized the importance of converts following Apostolic law, and the importance of the Jewishness of the faith, evidenced by the reducing of the Passover Seder to a simple service of flat bread and wine, removal of the understanding of mikvah (baptism) in conversions, and by the later adoption of pagan customs in the worship practices of the new adherents. They argue that followers of Christianity were erroneously anti-semetic in their approach to Judaism, well before Constatine came to power and legalized the approach of the Gentilized church, and cementing the Jewish-Christian split.

http://experts.about.com/e/m/me/messianic_judaism.htm

Very Good!

Joh 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

 

[visionary]

Ignatz Lichtenstein (1824 - October 16, 1909) was an Hungarian Orthodox Rabbi who wrote "pamphlets advocating conversion to Christianity while still officiating as a Rabbi. Mein Zeugnis [“My Testimony”], Heft II (Budapest: Hornyánszky, 1886).
Die Liebe und die Bekehrung [“Love and Conversion”], Heft III (Budapest, 1886).

HE was not yet 20 when he became a Rabbi, and after officiating for several years in different communities in northern Hungary, Isaac Lichtenstein finally settled as District Rabbi in Tapio Szele, where he remained for nearly 40 years, laboring ceaselessly and unselfishly for the good of his people.

As was inevitable, no sooner did official Jewry realize the significance of Rabbi Lichtenstein's position and writings than a storm of persecution broke loose upon him. From the Jewish pulpit and in the Press anathemas were hurled at his head, and he who but a few weeks before was classed among the noblest leaders and teachers was now described as a disgrace and reproach to his nation — all because he dared pronounce the hated name of Jesus.

From his official place as District Rabbi he continued to teach and to preach from the New Testament. This was a touching testimony to the strong attachment of his own community, which alone had the power to make request for his dismissal, Judaism being a state religion in Hungary.

The Papacy soon learned of the existence and significance of the man, and a special emissary from the Pope visited Tapio Szele with tempting offers if he would but enter the service of Rome. To all he had but one reply: "I will remain among my own nation, I love Messiah, I believe in the New Testament; but I am not drawn to join Christendom. Just as the prophet Jeremiah, after the destruction of Jerusalem, in spite of the generous offers of Nebuchadnezzar and the captain of his host, chose rather to remain and lament among the ruins of the holy city, and with the despised remnant of his brethren, so will I remain among my own brethren, as a watchman from within and to plead with them to behold in Jesus the true glory of Israel."
http://www.messianicassociation.org/bio-lichtenstein.htm

 

[visionary]

http://www.messianicassociation.org/profiles.htm

1506 - Alfonso de Zamora - Rabbi
Alfonso de Zamora, a Rabbi, publicly declared his faith in Messiah Jesus in 1506. Working with Paul Nunez Coronel and Alfonso d'Alcala, two other Jewish believers, he uses his knowledge of Hebrew, Aramaic, Chaldean, and other languages to help develop a six-volume multilingual work known as the Polyglot Bible. He also writes a Hebrew grammar, a Hebrew dictionary, a dictionary of the Old Testament, and a treatise on Hebrew spelling.

 

[visionary]

The description given for the early messianic jews by the area described is sephardic, is there a reason for this?
What other details can you provide for the iberian penninsula as being a focus for migration(dream/vision/prophecy) I wish I could remember more details.
After the migration to the Iberian penninsula, what happened to those that stayed in palestine?

Can anyone find out about the sephardic? I can't seem to.

 

[visionary]

1621 - Malachi ben Samuel - Polish Rabbi
Malachi ben Samuel, a Polish Rabbi, comes to faith in Messiah around 1621, several years after being impressed by a Yiddish translation of the New Testament. He is particularly surprised that marginal references to the Hebrew Scriptures are not distorted, as he had been told they would be. He writes, "My heart became full of doubt. No man can believe the pain and ache that assailed my heart. I had no rest day or night.... What should I do? To whom should I speak of these things?" He finally feels he has no choice but to believe.

 

[visionary]

EDZARD, Esdras (1629-1708) Hegrew up studying Hebrew and the Talmud, and then studied in Leipzig, Wittenberg, and Basel, earns a doctorate in 1656 and begins working among the Jews of Hamburg. He provided free instruction in Hebrew, helped the poor, and explained to all the gospel. From 1671 to 1708, Edzard led 148 Jews to baptism in his church. He emphasized post-baptismal teaching and counseling, and almost all of those baptized persevered in faith. During his fifty years as a Jewish missionary among the Jews of Hamburg, he was called “a veritable apostle to the children of Israel. He left a sum of money for the benefit of proselytes and Jews, which fund still had its beneficiaries in the 19 th century. http://www.israelinprophecy.org/GERMAN/live_site/brief_list-most_famous_messianic_jews.html

 

[GeratTzedek]

These posts are great.

I only read the very beginning and very end of this thread, due to time constraints, so if I'm repeating someone else's comment, forgive!

It needs to be said that in addition to persecuting believing Jews who chose to remain within Jewish community, the Church in history (and I'm not being specific in that term, but mean Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants) assimilated the overwhelming vast majority of Jewish converts into gentile living, and away from covenantal observance -- and that is no small wrong. It's insidious. For a Jew not to keep shabbat is sin. For the historical gentile church to insist any Jew , even if they are converts, not keep shabbat, to even tell them it is now sin for them to so, and so cause them to stumble ... that's just wicked.

I am grateful for those gentile churches who have done an about face on this, and hope to see it from the rest soon.

The insistence on Jewish assimilation seems to be strongest in Eastern Europe, and NOT specific just to Eastern Orthodoxy by any means, so we need to pray for the many churches there. It seems to be more of a cultural thing -- anti-Semitism in general is strongest there, and still has clutches on the churches.

 

[visionary]

From Blunt's Dictionary of Sects and Heresies, we read:

"They observed the Law of Moses (except as to sacrifices) circumcision, the Sabbath, distinction of clean and unclean foods all forming part of their system and hence, they were also called, 'Circumcisi, circumcissi, or circumsisi. .....
http://www.giveshare.org/churchhisto...lecture13.html