The Old Testament is the story of G_d's attempts to cultivate His people (The House of Israel) in the gospel of the Atonement amongst the weeds of paganism. In the Old Testament, in anicipation of Christ, Christ is referred to as the coming "Messiah". This is a difference in language, rather than theology.
Ancient Jews were Christians (Would you feel better referring to them as Messiahanists,instead of ancient Christians?) waiting upon the Lord's arrival whom they referred to as "Messiah". Unfortunately, Jews rejected Christ as their "Messiah", effectively turning away from the prophecies of all of their ancient Old Testament prophets. In so doing, Jews splintered from their ancient Christianity creating their own religion, referred to today as Judaism.
Referring to Judaism as being older than Christianity, proves that you don't understand modern Christianity's connection to the House of Israel, or the House of Israel's (represented by the only remaining tribe - Judah, at the time of Christ) anticipation of Christ's arrival and atonement of the sins of those who came before Christ (them) and after Christ (us).
Point me to the FIRST mention of this, chapter and verse.
Ancient Jews were Christians (Would you feel better referring to them as Messiahanists,instead of ancient Christians?) waiting upon the Lord's arrival whom they referred to as "Messiah".
I would feel a lot better about calling them "Messiahanists" than Christians. But it would still depend on when the first mention of the COMING Messiah was in the old testament as to when you could start calling them Messiahanists. What were they BEFORE this time?
In so doing, Jews splintered from their ancient Christianity creating their own religion, referred to today as Judaism.
It still seems to me that Judiasm came well before Christianity and if anything splintered off it was Christianity from Judiasm. Admittedly, Christianity is now the larger of the religons, but I still feel Judiasm came first.
In the Old Testament, the word mashiach means a "king" (literally, "the one who has been annointed"). It is a political, not spiritual, concept that has no meaning comparable to the meaning of the English word "messiah." Later, during the Babylonian exile, the Jews hoped for the restoration of an independent Judea and began to foretell the coming of the "Messiah," i.e., the return of a legitimate Jewish king. Nowhere in the OT does the word "messiah" have anything like the meaning that the Christians later gave it.
You persist in the same error. The tribe of Judah was NEVER part of the House of Israel. It was part of the House of Judah. All 12 Tribes were ISRAELITES, but only the 10 "Lost Tribes" were designated House of Israel.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not Jews, but were Hebrews. Some Jews are Hebrews, but not all Hebrews are Jews.
Where then were these "Lost Tribes" at the time of Christs arrival? Enlightenment is only a click away, at my Profile.