Authentic Netzarim

TEN HISTORICAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE "AUTHENTIC" NETZARIM:


By James Scott Trimm


There are many organizations now claiming an identification with the
ancient Sect of the Netzarim/Nazarenes. One even claims to be the
only "authentic" representation of Netzarim Judaism.
Many of these organizations differ substantially with what we know
historically about the ancient sect of the Nazarenes. The purpose
of this article is to outline some of the historical characteristics
which we know the ancient Nazarenes had, which many of these pseudo-
Nazarene organizations lack.

Beware of so-called "authentic" Nazarene/Netzarim Judaism that does
not have these characteristics. There is nothing
historically "authentic" about these groups.


1. Did not call themselves "Christians"

These sectarians... did not call
themselves Christians--but "Nazarenes,"...
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)


2. Accepted Yeshua as Messiah

The Nazarenes... accept Messiah
in such a way that they do not
cease to observe the old Law."
(Jerome; On. Is. 8:14).

They have no different ideas,
but confess everything exactly as
the Law proclaims it and in the
Jewish fashion-- except for their
belief in Messiah, ... They disagree
with [other] Jews because they have
come to faith in Messiah
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)


3. Were Torah Observant

The Nazarenes... accept Messiah
in such a way that they do not
cease to observe the old Law."
(Jerome; On. Is. 8:14).

They have no different ideas, but
confess everything exactly as the Law
proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion--
since they are still fettered by the
Law--circumcision, the Sabbath, and
the rest-- they are not in accord
with Christians.
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

4. Used both the Tanak ("Old Testament") and the "New Testament"

They use not only the "New Testament"
but the "Old Testament" as well,
as the Jews do...
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

5. Used Hebrew and Aramaic NT source texts.

They have the Goodnews according
to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew.
For it is clear that they still
preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet,
as it was originally written.
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

And he [Heggesippus the Nazarene]
quotes some passages from The Gospel
according to the Hebrews and from
"The Syriac" [the Aramaic], and some
particulars from the Hebrew tongue,
showing that he was a convert from the
` Hebrews, and he mentions other matters
as taken from the oral tradition of the
Jews.
(Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 4:22)

6. Believed in the Virgin Birth of Yeshua.

they believe that Messiah,
the son of God, was born of
the Virgin Miriam,
(Jerome; Letter 75 Jerome to Augustine)


7. Accepted the diety of Messiah... teaching that Elohim is ECHAD
but that there are "many (more

than two) 'powers' in heaven" including the Messiah.

They...declare that God is one [ECHAD]...
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

The Mishna states that the MINIM taught:

"There are many `powers' in heaven"
(m.San. 4:5)

Clearly the MINIM in this portion of the Mishna were Nazarenes(1)
and not Ebionites, since

Ebionites clearly rejected the deity of Messiah.

In the Gemara to this portion of Mishna (b.San. 38b) the Talmud
discusses various proof texts

that the MINIM used to support their teaching of "many powers in
heaven" including the Messiah.

R. Johanan sad: In all the passages which the Minim have
taken
[as grounds] for their heresy, their refutation is found
near at hand.
Thus: Let us make man in our image, (Gen. 1:26)
And God created [sing.] man in His own image; (Gen. 1:27)

Come, let us go down and there confound their language,
(Gen. 11:7)
And the Lord came down [sing.] to see the city and the
tower; (Gen. 11:5)

Because there were revealed [plur.] to him God, (Gen. 35:7)
Unto God who answereth [sing.] me in the day of my distress;
(Gen. 35:3)

For what great nation is there that hath God so nigh [plur.]
unto it,
as the Lord our God is [unto us] whensoever we call upon Him
[sing.]; (Deut. 4:7)

And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, [like]
Israel,
whom God went [plur.] to redeem for a people unto himself
[sing.], (2Sam. 7:23)

Till thrones were placed and one that was ancient did sit.
(Dan. 7:9)

Why were these [plurals] necessary? To teach R. Johanan's
dictum;
viz.: The Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing without
consulting
His Heavenly Court (literally "Family") , for it is written,
The matter
is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the
word of
the Holy Ones.(Dan. 4:14)

Now, that is satisfactory for all [the other verses], but
how explain
Till thrones were placed? (Dan. 7:9) One [throne] was for
Himself
and one for David [Messiah]. Even as it has been taught:
One was for Himself and one for David: this is R. Akiba's
view.
R. Jose protested to him: Akiba, how long will thou profane
the Sh'kinah?
Rather, one [throne] for justice, and the other for mercy.
Did he accept [this answer] from him or not? Come and hear!
For it has been taught: One is for justice and the other for
charity;
this is R. Akiba's view. Said R. Eleazar b. Azariah to him:
Akiba,
what hast thou to do with Aggada? Confine thyself to [the
study of]
Nega'im and Ohaloth [civil issues]. But one was a throne,
the other
a footstool: a throne for a seat and a footstool in support
of His feet (Is. 66:1).


This section of Talmud tells us that the MINIM used Tanak passages
in which Elohim was referenced

in a plural form as proof texts for their teaching of "many powers
in the heavens". Among their

proof texts were Gen. 1:26; 11:7; 35:7; Deut. 4:7; Sam. 7:23 & Dan.
7:9). The Rabbinic Jews

dismissed these as examples of Elohim speaking to "His Heavenly
Court" (literally "Heavenly

Family") i.e. the "watchers" of Dan. 4:14.


8. Accepted "Jewish Tradition" but not Rabbinic Halachah

They have no different ideas, but
confess everything exactly as the Law
proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion...
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

And he [Heggesippus the Nazarene]
quotes some passages from The Gospel
according to the Hebrews and from
"The Syriac" [the Aramaic], and some
particulars from the Hebrew tongue,
showing that he was a convert from the
` Hebrews, and he mentions other matters
as taken from the oral tradition of the
Jews.
(Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 4:22)

There are preserved for us five fragments from an ancient Nazarene
Commentary on Isaiah in which

the fourth century Nazarene writer makes it clear that Nazarenes of
the fourth century were not

following Pharisaic Rabbinical Halakhah. The following is taken
from the Nazarene commentary on

Isaiah 8:14:

And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of
stumbling
and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel…
The Nazarenes explain the two houses as the two houses
of Shammai and Hillel, from whom originated the Scribes
and Pharisees… [they Pharisees] scattered and defiled the
precepts of the Torah by traditions and mishna. And these
two houses did not accept the Savior…



9. Accepted Paul as an emissary to the Ephraimites and Gentiles.

The Nazarenes, whose opinion I have set forth above,
try to explain this passage in the following way:
When Messiah came and his proclaiming shone
out, the land of Zebulon and Naphtali first of all
were freed from the errors of the Scribes and Pharisees
and he shook off their shoulders the very heavy yoke
of the Jewish traditions. Later, however, the proclaiming
became more dominant, that means the proclaiming was
multiplied, through the Goodnews of the emissary Paul
who was the last of all the emissaries. And the goodnews
of Messiah shone to the most distant tribes and the way
of the whole sea. Finally the whole world, which earlier
walked or sat in darkness and was imprisoned in the bonds
of idolatry and death, has seen the clear light of the
goodnews.
(Jerome on Is. 9:1-4)


10. They wore Head Coverings

...false teachers, who, seeing that none of the
emissaries any longer survived, at length attempted
***with bare and uplifted head*** to oppose the
proclaiming of the truth...
(Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. )




Footnotes

(1) It is important to define an important Talmudic term MIN
(singular) / MINIM (plural).

The fourth century "Church Father" Jerome writes of the Nazarenes
and Ebionites:

What shall I say of the Ebionites who pretend to be
Christians?
Today there still exists among the Jews in all the
synagogues
of the East a heresy which is called that of the Minæans,
and which is still condemned by the Pharisees; [its
followers]
are ordinarily called 'Nazarenes'; they believe that Christ,
the son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, and they hold
him
to be the one who suffered under Pontius Pilate and ascended
to heaven, and in whom we also believe."
(Jerome; Letter 75 Jerome to Augustine)

Now Ebionites and Nazarenes were two distinct groups with varying
beliefs (the Ebionites split

off from the Nazarenes round 70 C.E.) but both of these groups were
known by Rabbinic Jews as "

Minim" or as Jerome calls them in Latin "Mineans".

According to the Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli,
Yerushalami and Midrashic Literature

Marcus Jastrow defines MIN "…sectarian, infidel… a Jewish infidel,
mostly applied to Jew

Christians". Jastrow uses the term "Jew-Christians" to refer to
Ebionites and Nazarenes although

these groups did not call themselves "Christians".

Many scholars believe that the term MIN began as an acronym for a
Hebrew phrase meaning "

Believers in Yeshua the Nazarene".