Talmidaism
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Template:MergeDisputed; Jewish Christians; Ebionites Talmidaism is a loose grouping of sects (such as the Ebionites), who follow the Torah, practice what they believe to be biblical Israelite customs and traditions, accept Jesus as a Jewish prophet, but reject the authority of Paul of Tarsus, the Christian Trinity and the divinity of Jesus. They see themselves as the spiritual descendants of the early 'Jewish Christians' of the first and second centuries.
The most profound emphasis of Talmidaism (or The Way) is the immediate and joyful presence of God; that God is always with us, and not just far away in a distant heaven; that God cares for each and everyone of us, regardless of who we are, or what we have done, or how far we have come in our spiritual journey. Talmidaism teaches that God loves us, and is concerned about each and every one of us individually.
The second most important emphasis in Talmidaism is the Kingdom of God. Talmidaism teaches that we should exercise kindness and compassion in our daily practice of religion. Without care, consideration and concern for others, anything else we might do is pointless. The Way emphasises that all deserve to be included in the kingdom of God - the poor, the outcast and the rejected, and not just those whom religious teachers have judged to be righteous.
Talmidaism acknowledges that all human beings are imperfect, but reject the Christian idea of Original Sin.
While the founders of the movement were originally gentiles, and raised as Christian, they see themselves as fully Jewish. However, except for any descended from a documented Jewish maternal line, they are not considered Jewish by the Jewish community; Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism do not consider these groups to be Jewish. Even Talmidis with documented descent from a Jewish maternal line would still be considered apostates by all Jewish denominations.
Talmidis are not messianic, since they do not see Jesus as any kind of messiah, and reject the idea of a messiah-saviour (see 'View of the Future'). They also do not accept the authority of the Christian New Testament.
Talmidis do not accept the authority of Talmud or other rabbinic literature; like Karaites, they view these as a collection of human decisions.
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Introduction
Talmidis call themselves 'Followers of the Way' (B'ney ha-Derekh in Hebrew). It is the earliest appellation of the Jewish followers of Jesus of Nazareth (see Acts 22:4, 24:14). Their faith is referred to as 'The Way' in Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 24:22. It is called ‘the Way of God’ three times (Matt 22:16, Mk 12:14, Lk 20:21), and ‘the Way of the Lord’ just once (Acts 18:25). This is in fact what the original Israelite religion was referred to as (Gen 18:19, Judges 2:22, 2Kgs 21:22, Prov 10:29). It is a possible indication that, rather than start a new religion, the ancient community of the Way strove to restore the old one (Talmidis believe that Jesus was called to restore the original intent of Torah - piety and justice).
Where religion is concerned, there is a strong emphasis on the centrality and One-ness of God, on God's eternal covenants with the Jewish people, and on the observance of Torah. They reject the authority of the Talmud and all other rabbinic literature.
Talmidis do not view Jesus as God, lord, messiah, or son of God. They accept him as a fully human, Jewish prophet, born of normal birth. They believe he was called by God to warn of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, and of the Roman exile; to restore the original intent of Torah; and to proclaim the immediacy of the Kingdom of God. There is also a strong emphasis on the social relevance of his message to the poor and socially disadvantaged.
They reject any notion of Jesus' divinity, and do not connect his death with any kind of salvation or atonement, viewing his death solely as the unjust, cruel death of a Jewish man of God at the hands of the occupying Roman authorities. They also reject such concepts as original sin and the virgin birth. Unlike Christianity, Jesus is not held in greater esteem than Moses.
They emphasise humility and compassion as the basis of their religious faith, and encourage members towards an intense, personal and emotional relationship with God. They also try to promote a simple and direct approach to all matters of religion.
They view James the Just (aka Jacob the Pious, or Ya'aqov ha-Tsaddiq in Hebrew) as the rightful successor to Jesus, rather than Peter, and honour him as a holy, Jewish man of God.
Writings
Talmidis have developed various works such as the Sefer Yeshua`, a book of the Jewish sayings of Jesus of Nazareth gleaned from the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and Thomas. They also have their own version of the 'Epistle of James', called the Iggeret Ya'aqov, and a de-Christianised version of the Didache, called Torat ha-Shlichim. Along with several other works, these books are used as teaching aids and inspirational tools. They are not however seen as authoritative, and do not have the same standing as the Torah and the books of the biblical Prophets.
Talmidis do not believe first-century Jews in Galilee and Judea viewed the Book of Esther as canonical; as a result, the Talmidi canon of scripture does not contain this book.
Both biblical Hebrew and Jewish Aramaic are used as liturgical languages (for example, the Aramaic version of the 'Our Father' - the Abbun d'bishmayya - is said as part of one's morning prayers).
Ancient History
Introduction
The ancient history of the earliest Jewish followers of Jesus of Nazareth is contentious. Christianity views these followers as primitive Christians; that Paul of Tarsus was the greatest apostle of the Christian faith; that Peter was the successor to Jesus; and that the Council of Jerusalem (viewed as the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church) resolved early conflicts between Jewish and Gentile Christians. What follows is a treatment of that history viewed through the eyes of Talmidis.
Galileans and Emissarians
It is thought that shortly after Jesus' death, there were two main centres of the Community of the Way. The first were the Galileans (Acts 9:31), originating from Jesus' ministry in Galilee, and probably centred in Capernaum. The second were a group referred to by Talmidis as the ‘Emissarians’, who evolved from the ministry of Jesus' Apostles (‘Emissaries’) in Judea, centred in Jerusalem.
James the Just
Talmidis see James the Just as the true successor of Jesus, not St Peter. He was chosen to lead the Community of Followers of the Way in about 32 CE. In his book, 'James, brother of Jesus', Pierre Antoine Bernheim writes that several texts found at Nag Hammadi give James a pre-eminent position in the early Follower community. He is presented as the main beneficiary of the teaching of Jesus. In the Gospel of Thomas (12:1-2) Jesus designates James the Just as the one whom his disciples are to follow after his own departure. In the 'Apocryphal Letter of James', Jesus reveals his teaching to James and Peter, the pre-eminence of James being suggested several times. In contrast, Simon Peter (St Peter, or Shim`on Keyfa in Aramaic) was chief Elder and leader only of the Emissarian movement.
Evidence of the Emissarians
The Emissarians had communities in Judea and Samaria. In Acts 2:44, Luke writes that Followers in Judea were devout in following the teaching of the Emissaries (Apostles). By common consent, they were regular in attendance at prayers in the Temple (Acts 1:14, Acts 2:46). Emissarianism was a form of religious communism, since Followers held everything in common (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35). They would sell their goods and possessions and distribute the proceeds to all, according to individual need. They did not hold any of their possessions as their own, but held everything as common property (Acts 4:32). None were in want, as all those who owned lands or houses sold them, and brought the price they realised and laid it at the feet of the Emissaries (Acts 4:34). It seems that money poured in, as they managed to gain some influential women as converts (Acts 13:5, Acts 17:4). It appears that they carried on a healing ministry. The sick were often brought into the street for the Emissaries to minister to them (Acts 5:15). Simon Peter and John son of Zebadee would go up to the Temple to pray at the afternoon service at 3 o'clock (Acts 3:1), and Philip became the leader of the Emissarians in Samaria (Acts 8:5).
The Hellenicists
There then arose a conflict with the Greek-speaking Followers of the Way. In Acts 6:1-5, Luke writes that Greek-speaking Followers felt that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of alms. A full council of the community's elders was convened, and it was decided to select seven lay members of the Greek-speaking community to oversee the distribution of alms to their own members. The seven members mentioned in Acts 6:7 (Stephen, Philip, Prochoros, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolaos) all have Greek names. What happened in effect, was that Greek-speaking Followers (‘Hellenicists’) were given permission to form their own group or ‘school’.
Whereas the Emissarians were devout and attended Temple, the Hellenicists held to a strong rejection of the Temple and all it stood for, as evidenced in Stephen's speech before he was stoned to death (Acts 7). As a result, the Hellenicists were sought out by the High Priest's police under a general persecution. Hellenicist Followers first dispersed around Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1), and then further afield (Acts 11:19) to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch in Syria.
Paul of Tarsus
While the New Testament paints a picture of Paul of Tarsus carrying out a general persecution of all 'Christians', according to the Talmidis, only the Hellenicist movement to which Stephen belonged was persecuted, because of their condemnation of the institution of the Temple; the Emissarians in Judea and Samaria, and Galilean Followers were left alone and did not suffer the same persecution.
This persecution sees the entry onto the world’s stage of a man whom Talmidis see as a troubled convert and then an apostate from all historically accepted forms of Judaism. In Acts 23:6, Luke claims that Paul was a Pharisee, and throughout his Epistles (letters), Paul attempts to display Pharisaic training. However, Talmidis maintain that if Paul took orders from the High Priest to persecute 'Christians', he couldn’t have done so as a Pharisee, since Pharisees did not take orders from Sadducees. In his book, 'The Mythmaker', Hyam Maccoby expounds the view of the ancient Ebionites (also held by modern Talmidi Jews) that Paul was in fact a Gentile convert to Judaism, who became a captain of the High Priest’s police, and undertook a persecution of the Hellenicists in this capacity.
Paul expounds many views and beliefs (such as apocalypticism) that were until then held only by minor sects and fringe movements. Talmidis maintain this can be explained if Paul is understood as having been an officer in the Temple police; this would have given him ample opportunity to be influenced by the wide variety of fringe beliefs of sectaries who would preach in the Temple at Festival Times. It is also thought that his connections with Judaism must have started after about 30 CE, otherwise he would have met Jesus himself. For the same reason, he could not have been taught by Gamaliel (as claimed in Acts 22:3).
Talmidis consider Paul of Tarsus's family to have been of pagan gentile origin, often betraying his pagan past in the ideas and beliefs he introduces in his letters. For example, death as atonement for sin, and the drinking of the body and blood of Christ for salvation, is similar to the pagan mystery religions of the Mediterranean, and are not unique to Christianity; they were for example features of the native god of his home town, Baal Taraz. In contrast, the death of a god-man atoning for sin is alien to Judaism; animals, not men or gods, were sacrificed for sin. Even the symbolic eating and drinking of a god-man's flesh and blood would have been abhorrent to Jews, since it is cannibalism, and the drinking of blood is expressly forbidden by Torah.
Paul takes a martyr-like pride in being turned away from the synagogues of Jews who refuse to listen his message. In reality, he was turned away because his teachings were taken directly from contemporary pagan mystery religions. Jews of that time would have known his teachings were alien to Judaism; unfortunately, Paul's Gentile Believers would not have realised this, and instead hailed him as a persecuted hero.
The Council of Jerusalem
After his so-called conversion, Paul began to cause problems within the Hellenicist community in Antioch, Syria. For example, he taught that Gentile converts, and even Followers who were born-Jews, did not have to keep kosher. Paul’s teaching was greatly at variance with that of the Way. As a result, Paul was summoned to a meeting of a full Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). The evangelist Luke describes a reconciliation and compromise, and that everyone went away happy. However, in his letter to the Galatians (chapter 2), Paul can barely conceal his anger over what happened. It is the view of Talmidis that Paul – and in effect, Christianity – was expelled from Judaism at the Council of Jerusalem in about 49 CE.
Paul claims that the issue was over circumcision – that loyal Jewish Followers of the Way insisted that circumcision was essential for salvation. However, Judaism has always seen circumcision as a sign of acceptance of the Covenant between God and Abraham; it has nothing to do with salvation. The reason why circumcision was insisted upon, was that there was nothing else that Christian teaching had that would identify it as a Jewish sect. As a result, Paul and Christianity were expelled from Judaism at this Council in Jerusalem in 49 CE.
The leader of the Council, James, makes a pronouncement (Acts 15:19-21) which from its content, implies that he did not view Paul’s Christian Believers as Jews. Rather, he understood them as Gentiles trying to follow the God of Israel, since he lists the Noachide laws – the seven laws of Israel’s God incumbent upon Gentiles. Talmidi Jews contend that he would not have emphasised these laws if he had still considered Paul's Christians to be Jews.
Whereas Christianity views St Peter as leader of the first Christian community, Talmidis see him as a man who eventually came to side with Paul of Tarsus, taking on much of his Gentile Christian teaching. As a result, he was stripped of his position as Chief Elder of the Emissarian movement, and exiled to Rome.
James the Just was stoned to death in 62 CE. The High Priest Hananiah took advantage of a 3-month gap in the appointment of a new Roman Governor, and had him executed. According to Josephus, eighty Pharisees objected, and were put to death as well. The period of his leadership is seen as the golden age of the Talmidi Jewish community, when there was relative unity and the upholding of the original ideals of the Way. His successor was Simon son of Clophas.
The Flight to Pella
In his book, ‘The Pentecost Revolution’, Hugh J. Schonfield contends that underlying the Christian ‘Book of Revelation’, there is a Jewish work written by Jesus' Jewish followers. In it, this book warns of the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Talmidis believe that, as a result of this (and because of Jesus' own prophetic warnings), many Followers of the Way left Judea and settled around Pella (modern Kirbet Fahil, Jordan). Those who remained in Judea either perished or were taken away as slaves, sharing the fate of their fellow Jews.
After the destruction of Jerusalem, the community of Followers of the Way was in disarray. One main group emerged out of the ashes, and is the only Talmidi sect actually named in history – the Ebionites. Another group emerged centred on Peter’s teachings – the Nazarenes. These were, in effect, Christian Jews, holding orthodox Christian beliefs, but practising Jewish customs. Nazarenes are not viewed as Talmidis, but rather as a Judaic sect of Christians.
The Benediction of the Heretics
In the early second century CE, at the behest of Gamaliel II, Shmuel HaKatan formulated a curse, the ‘Birkat ha-minim’ (the Blessing of the Heretics) against informers and various groups viewed as heretics (Hebrew minim) comprising at least two dozen different sectarian groups, including Sadducee, Gnostic, and Nazarene Jews. This event is viewed by Talmidis as the date of the schism between Judaism and Talmidaism.
Before the Second Jewish Revolt in 135 CE, there was a sizable community of Followers of the Way in Sepphoris, the chief city of the Galilee. However, contact between Rabbinic Jews and them was limited, since they were viewed as heretics. Their testimony was not accepted in Jewish courts, and Rabbinic Jews were forbidden to eat meat, bread, and wine with them, use their scrolls, eat food slaughtered by them, or mourn their deaths.
After the death of Simon bar Clophas in 109 or 110 CE, there was a succession of Nasis (religious presidents of the community) up to 133 CE. Thereafter, without organised leadership, the Ebionites began taking on the beliefs of other religious groups, such as Gnostics and Christians. In so doing they lost their unique identity and went into centuries of decline.
In his book, 'A History of Jewish Christianity', Hugh J Schonfield writes that these syncretist sects may have existed right up until the 10 century CE. He speculates that the prophet Mohammed might even have been given hospitality by the descendants of one of these sects in the Syrian desert, and that this was how he came into contact with those who believed in a human Jesus; as a result, Islam views Jesus as a human prophet.
From the 10th century onwards, there was no organised community of Followers of the Way. Over the next one thousand years, various writers, theologians and philosophers have secretly adopted positions close to traditional Talmidaism, but individuals remained isolated, often afraid to openly express their views for fear of mainstream Christianity.
Modern History
In the mid-1980s, after years of study and prayer, and encouraged by the writings of historians such as Hugh J Schonfield, Hyam Maccoby and Geza Vermes, the converts "Shemayah ben Ger" Philips and Shmu’el ben Naftali (formerly Ricky Ferreira, born in Ceylon of mixed Portuguese Marrano descent) rejected the Christianity they had been raised in, and came to adopt a Talmidi Jewish position. Shemayah reinvigorated the Ebionite movement, and Shmu’el set up an umbrella group to encompass all the major Talmidi sects.
Relations with the Jewish Community
Talmidis do not missionise Jews, because they do not see Jews as needing converting - they are already Yahwists. In fact, Talmidis have assisted former lapsed Jews to return to Rabbinic or Karaite Judaism, as well as directing Gentiles and Messianics wishing to convert to mainstream Judaism. Since Talmidaism attempts to emulate what it sees as the pluralist, non-sectarian Common Judaism of the 1st century CE, Talmidaism is in favour of a varied and diverse Jewish community. They hope for a united yet diverse Israel and Judah, one under Torah and the God of Israel. They are strongly opposed to the missionising of the Jewish community by Christians.
Talmidis accept all Rabbinic Jews, Karaite Jews, and even secular and atheist Jews of Jewish descent as Jews. Any religious Jew who believes in one, indivisible God, and in the authority of the five books of the Torah, and who allies their fate, identity and culture with that of the Jewish people, are honoured and respected by Talmidis as Jews. They see as family all the House of Israel, not just one small part of it.
Talmidis feel a certain affinity with Karaite Jews, even though the feeling is not returned. Like Talmidis, Karaites also reject the authority of the Oral Law and Talmud. However, there are some practical differences between them: Talmidis celebrate Hanukkah but not Purim, and Karaites observe Purim but not Hanukkah. Karaites do not have any light or heat in their homes on the Sabbath; Talmidis by contrast extinguish lights not needed, and enkindle lights needed, well before the beginning of the Sabbath. On the whole, Talmidis have a more flexible approach to Torah.
Organisation
Each sect has a Paqid, or Chief Elder. The everyday life of the community is run by lay elders (z'qeinim), and Talmidis are taught by scribes (soferim). Communal decisions are taken by a 'Council of Three' (Sanhedrin ha-shalosh), which function in the same way as a rabbinical Beit Din.
Observances
Talmidi observances are based on their understanding of the culture of 1st century Galilee and Judea, and their understanding of Torah. Their observances differ from those of rabbinic Judaism in many ways. The first part of this list are the main differences based upon their rejection of the Oral Law, and are customs shared with Karaites:
- they observe New Moon festivals (since they are biblically enjoined observances)
- their months begin on the day of the sighting of the New Moon
- they observe the New Year at the beginning of the first Jewish month, not the seventh
- New Year begins in Aviv (determined biblically by the sighting of ripe barley in Israel)
- their Shavu`ot always falls on a Sunday, and is celebrated as the festival of First Fruits, not of the giving of the Torah
- at Sukkot, they don't wave a lulav - the "four species" of greenery; they build their booths out of them
- they wear techelet (blue cords) on the corner fringes of their tallitot (prayer shawls)
- they don't wear t'fillin (phylacteries or prayer boxes) on their foreheads; they feel this practise is an over-literal reading of the passages following the Shema`)
- the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) is Yom Tru`ah (Day of Shout & Trumpet), not Rosh ha-Shanah (New Year); this is the day they celebrate their joy in Torah, when the whole of the Book of Deuteronomy is read in public between daybreak and noon
- they don't have Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law) (see Yom Tru`ah)
- they do use the Holy Name of YHWH in their private prayer
- they don't have a ban on the eating of meat and milk together (they view this as a misreading of what not to do at the Festival of First Fruits - forbidding Israelites to follow a Canaanite practise of actually boiling a kid-goat in its mother's milk)
The following customs are today unique to Talmidaism, based upon their understanding of 1st century Galilean and Judean custom and tradition:
- they don't observe non-biblical festivals (apart from Hanukkah / Festival of Lights, which they consider a national festival)
- they don't require ha-tafat dam brit (ritual cutting to draw blood) of a male convert who is already circumcised
- they have elders (z'qeinim) and scribes (soferim), not Rabbis
- they have a Sanhedrin ha-shalosh (Council of Three), not a Beit Din
- their Bibles do not contain the Book of Esther
- they don't observe Purim (they believe it was originally a local Babylonian Jewish festival)
- they count down the candles at Hanukkah, not up (i.e. eight on the first day, one on the last)
- they don't wear kippot (or skullcaps - they view this as a Muslim practise adopted by Jews)
- they don't rock when they pray
- they read Torah in three years, not one.
View of the future
Whereas Christians have an apocalyptic view of the future, Talmidis have a positive view of the future, based on the sayings of the biblical prophets. The 'days of trial and tribulation' mentioned so often by the Jews of the 1st century CE, are understood by Talmidis to refer specifically to the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 CE, and the exile under Roman oppression, rather than an apocalyptic 'end-time'.
The most concise guide to the future can be seen in Ezekiel 37:15-28, which describes the sequence of events to come.
- the tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel will be reunited with the tribes of the southern kingdom of Judah (37:19)
- the exiles will be gathered together in the land of Israel (37:21)
- A new nation will be forged (37:22a)
- One king, a descendant of David, will be set over them all (37:22b, 37:24, 37:25b)
- and finally, the Temple will be rebuilt (37:26b, 37:27)
Talmidis do not believe in a personal messiah - that a Messiah will come to save us. Rather, that God Himself will act in human affairs to direct the future, and that an anointed descendant of David will be one of the end-products of God's actions, together with the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. In short, they accept the idea of a Davidic messiah-king, but not a messiah-saviour.
The Kingdom of God plays an important part in Talmidi outlook. They believe that the Reign of God exists here and now, and that we all have a duty to spread the justice and peace of God's reign. However, there is also a hope in what the kingdom of God can be in the future - a time of universal peace, where nations shall hammer their swords into ploughshares, and no one shall know or learn of war anymore.
See also
- Nazarene
- Karaite Judaism
- Comparing and contrasting Judaism and Christianity
- Supersessionism
- Judeo-Christian
- Christianity and Jewish prophecy
- Christianity and anti-Semitism
- Jewish Christians
- Messianic Judaism
External links
- Followers of the Way (http://members.lycos.co.uk/Talmidi/The_Way.html)
- Ebionite Community (http://ebionite.org)
- World Fellowship of Followers of the Way (http://www.talmidi.org)