Is Judaism a Religion?

Jewish Ideas Daily ^ | 11/30/2011 | Lawrence Grossman

[Nonstatist]

Judaism is historically the culture and religion of a particular Semitic ethnicity.

What makes it "doubtful" is that the migration of the Ashkenazis is not really known, that the genome record is far from homogeneous, and that there has been plenty of serious speculation that they may in fact derive from the Khazars , a Turkic peoples who themselves had converted en mass in the 9th century.

Theres plenty of blue eyed , blonde haired Ashkenzi Jews out there to make one pause, I would think.

[Celtman]

Was Christ, for instance, Catholic or Jewish?

Catholic?  Of course not.

Jewish?  Of course.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I'm interested in the history of Jewish proselytizing, esp. in the era @00 BC - 100 AD or thereabouts.

Could you supply me with any links /internet sources? I'd like to do a little reading, just to get a grasp of what was going on.

Thank you.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Christ Jewish? Of course.

But --- setting aside for a moment the question of 'Catholic' ---was He Christian?

[Nonstatist]

I'm interested in the history of Jewish proselytizing, esp. in the era @00 BC - 100 AD

Thats a short window youre asking about, but Jews prosletyzed until it bcame punishable by death, around 400 AD.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for the link to that article. Very interesting.

I just picked those dates (200 BC - 100 AD) because I was under the impression --- and it may not have been an accurate impression --- that that's when most of the proselytizing was done. Roughly the same era as the spread of the very popular Septuagint translation of the books of the Law and the Prophets around the Mediterranean-wide civilization and beyond.

My knowledge is so limited I'm probably not even expressing my questions very well.

I am aware that there were sizeable Jewish communities outside of the Roman Empire, e.g. in Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran and along the Silk Road as far as the Indus and maybe as far as the western edges of China. What about them? Being outside of Roman Empire control, did they continue to proselytize?

And though you said conversion to Judaism was outlawed in 07, it must be noted that the Germanic tribes crossed the Rhine in 406, asnd Rome was sacked in 410. That ushered in an era of political disintegration lasting several hundred years, during which in much of the former Western Empire, nobody really was "in charge." Wouldn't that have opened a door (or as they say, a "window of opportunity") for Jewish activity?

I'm just pondering out loud. As I said, I know very little about this. That's why I'm interested.

Thanks again.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for the link to that article. Very interesting.

I just picked those dates (200 BC - 100 AD) because I was under the impression --- and it may not have been an accurate impression --- that that's when most of the proselytizing was done. Roughly the same era as the spread of the very popular Septuagint translation of the books of the Law and the Prophets around the Mediterranean-wide civilization and beyond.

My knowledge is so limited I'm probably not even expressing my questions very well.

I am aware that there were sizeable Jewish communities outside of the Roman Empire, e.g. in Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran and along the Silk Road as far as the Indus and maybe as far as the western edges of China. What about them? Being outside of Roman Empire control, did they continue to proselytize?

And though you said conversion to Judaism was outlawed in 07, it must be noted that the Germanic tribes crossed the Rhine in 406, asnd Rome was sacked in 410. That ushered in an era of political disintegration lasting several hundred years, during which in much of the former Western Empire, nobody really was "in charge." Wouldn't that have opened a door (or as they say, a "window of opportunity") for Jewish activity?

I'm just pondering out loud. As I said, I know very little about this. That's why I'm interested.

Thanks again.

[RobbyS]

Judaism today is a development of the sect of Pharisees who developed during the time before the birth of Jesus. Religious practice in the first Century was diverse. For most, but not all the Temple was the center of worship. When that disappeared, the sect of Sadducees disappeared as did the Essenes. The Pharisees then made the synagogues the center of worship, continuing to use them as they had for hundreds of years, but now gathering more importance. it is said that they stopped much of their out reach to the gentiles and made more exclusive, circled the wagons, so to speak, and kept to their own. The Christians went the other way, not as the Samaritan had done, or the Israelites s had done by taking in “foreign “women—such as Ruth—but to marry closely, like Semites were and are want to do anyway. It became the way to preserve their nations. Jews who did not think this way, became Christian or just disappeared into the pagan culture.

[Celtman]

But ... was He Christian?

Actually, my answer is no.  Does Christ follow Himself?  No, He is the unique Leader.  Did Christ die for his own (nonexistent) sins?  No, He died for our sins.  In short, for Christ to be a Christian is a self-contradictory paradox.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yes, you're right. I understand yhour point.

On the other hand, I suppose it depends on your definition. Did Christ do all things in conformity with the will of His Father in heaven? Yes. Did He live His life according to Christian principles? Yes.

And did He identify with Christians? When Saul of Tarsus was persecuting Christians, Jesus said, "Why are you persecuting ME?" --- So, Yes.

So in that sense, He was a Christian :o)