James was referencing Leviticus 17 in reference to the ger toshav.
A
ger toshav is a gentile who accepts the authority of the
Torah and the
rabbis upon himself, but specifically as applied to gentiles. The term
ger toshav may be used in a formal or informal sense.
In the formal sense, a
ger toshav is a gentile who officially accepts the seven
Noahide Laws as binding upon himself in the presence of a
beth din (Jewish rabbinical court). In the
Talmudic discussion regarding the
ger toshav, there are two other, differing minority opinions (
Avodah Zarah, 64b) as to what the
ger toshav accepts upon himself:
[6][7]
- To abstain from idolatrous practices of any kind (detailed in Exodus 20:2–4, Deut 5:6–8).[2]
- To uphold all the 613 commandments in rabbinical enumeration,[2] except for the prohibition against eating kosher animals that died by means other than ritual slaughter, or possibly[6] (Meiri) any prohibition not involving kareth.
The accepted legal definition is the majority opinion that the
ger toshav must accept the seven Noahide Laws before a rabbinical court of three.
[2][6] Such a
ger toshav receives certain legal protections and privileges from the community, the rules regarding Jewish-Gentile relations are modified, and there is a Biblical obligation to render him aid when in need. The restrictions on having a gentile do work for a Jew on the Sabbath are also stricter when the gentile is a
ger toshav.
[8]
In the informal sense, a
ger toshav is one who accepts the Noahide Laws on his own, or alternatively, simply rejects idolatry
[2][6] (the latter issue is in particular brought up regarding
Muslims.)
[6] More formally, a gentile who accepts the Seven Mitzvot, although not before a
beth din, is known as
chasid umot ha'olam, which means "Pious People of the World."
[9] There is discussion among the halakhic authorities as to which of the rules regarding a
ger toshav would apply to the informal case.
[2][8]
The procedure has been discontinued since the cessation of the year of
Jubilee, and hence, there are no formal
gerim toshvim (plural) extant today. However, it can be argued that a great deal are "informal" ones,
[6] especially since it is possible to be a
chasid umot ha'olam even when the Jubilee Year is not observed.
[10]
ger toshav - Yahoo Search Results
(CLV) Ec 1:9
What occurred once, it shall occur again, And what was done, it shall be done again. There is nothing at all new under the sun.
(CLV) Ac 15:20
but to write an epistle to
them to be abstaining from
ceremonial pollution with idols, and
prostitution, and
what is strangled, and
blood.
Leviticus 17
7 No longer shall they sacrifice their sacrifices to hairy goat-demons after whom they have been prostituting.
An eonian statute shall this become for them throughout their generations. 8 To them you shall say:Any man from the house of Israel or from the sojourners who sojourn in your midst who should offer an ascent offering or a sacrifice 9 and not bring it to the opening of the tent of appointment to offer it to Yahweh, that man will be cut off from his kinsmen. 10 As for any man from the house of Israel and from the sojourners sojourning in your midst who should eat any blood, I will set My face against the soul eating blood, and I will cut him off from among his people, 11 for the soul of the flesh, it is in the blood, and I Myself have assigned it to you to make a propitiatory shelter over your souls on the altar; for the blood, in the soul it makes a propitiatory shelter. 12 Therefore I say to the sons of Israel:No soul at all of you shall eat blood; nor shall the sojourner sojourning in your midst eat blood. 13 Any man from the sons of Israel and from the sojourners sojourning in your midst who hunt a game animal or a flyer which may be eaten will pour out its blood and cover it with soil, 14 for the soul of all flesh is its blood; as its soul is it. So I said to the sons of Israel:The blood of any flesh you shall not eat, for the soul of all flesh, it is its blood. Everyone eating it shall be cut off.
This was the bare minimum to share table fellowship with Israel.