Who were the Netzeritas? What the original community of Yeshua?

“The Branch that flows into silence may hold the fate of an entire town.”

1. General framework: protocristianismo and judaism of the Second Temple

1.1. Christianity as a movement, intra-jewish

Between the 30 year and approximately 70 d.C., the followers of Jesus were seen by themselves and by the environment– as a jewish movement internalnot as a new religion:

• They believed that the God of Israel had fulfilled his messianic promises in Jesus.
• Continued frequenting the Temple of Jerusalem, synagogues and the jewish calendar (Saturday, holidays).
• Read the Scriptures in Hebrew/aramaico (Torah, Prophets, Writings) and performed everything in the light of Jesus.

Within this world of jewish-christian to recognize several labels in the NT:

• “The Way” (hā-Dérej) – Acts 9,2; 19,9.
• “Nazarenes” – Acts 24,5.
• Later, in Antioch, the name will be shown “christians” (Acts 11,26).

The Nazarenes / Netzarim they are, indeed, the followers of Jesus are identified by their connection with Nazareth and, for some, with the title messianic “netzer” (branch).

2. The term “Netzer”, “Nazareth” and “Nazarene / Nazoreo”

2.1. Netzer: title messianic

In Isaiah 11,1 reads:

“There shall come forth a shoot (netzer) from the stump of Jesse...”

In the exegesis, jewish and christian, ancient, this text is understood as a prophecy messianic: the Messiah as a “branch” of the lineage of David.

There arises the hypothesis (not unanimous, but influential) that:

• Nazareth could be related etymologically with netzer.
• “Jesus the Nazoreo / Nazarene” not only would it be a name (“from Nazareth”), but a play on words with the title “Branch messianic”.

2.2. Nazōraios / Nazarēnos in the NT

The NT uses two Greek terms:

• Nazōraios / Nazōraîos (Ναζωραῖος / Ναζωραῖοι)
• Nazarēnos (Ναζαρηνός)

The first, Nazōraios, is the one that appears in Facts 24,5when the lawyer Tértulo accuses Paul of being “a ringleader of the sect of the nazōraioi”.

This term:

• It can work as adjective religious (“of the group of nazoreos”), rather than merely geographic.
• Resulted in Hebrew, rabbinical, to Notzrim (נוצרים) = “christians”.
• In Arabic of the quran is reflected as Naṣārā (نصارى) = “christians”.

3. Nazarenes in the New Testament

3.1. The accusation against Paul

In Acts 24,5, before the procurator Felix, Tértulo says:

“We have found this man (Paul) as a plague... and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.”

This indicates that:

• The christian movement was considered to be a “haíresis” (sect) within judaism.
• They were identified by their relationship with Jesus the Nazarene.

3.2. Name internal and external name

• Themselves followers of Jesus, according to Facts, they seem to prefer the name “The Way” (Acts 9,2; 19,9; 24,14,22).
• “Nazarenes” is a label accusatory / externalhowever , consolidated as a general designation of christians in the jewish context, and then in contexts semitic (Hebrew and Arabic).

In this first phase, “Nazarenes” = virtually all christians of jewish origin.

4. The Nazarenes in the patristic sources and beans

With the passing of the centuries, the term no longer designates all christians but a subgroup jewish-christian-specific.

4.1. Epiphanius of Salamis (Panarion 29)

Epiphanius (fourth century), devotes a section of his Panarion to Nazarenes:

• The located in Coele-Syria, Decapolis (Pella) and Basanitis (Cocabe).
• Claims that they are descendents of the jewish christians who fled from Jerusalem to Pella before the siege of 70 d.C.
• Stresses that are jews by birth who believe in Jesus as the Messiah but observe the Torah (circumcision, sabbath, Kashrut, holiday) like the rest of Israel.

4.2. Jerome

Jerome, in his commentaries, and letters, he speaks of the Nazarenes as those:

“who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old Law” (paraphrase).

For Jerome:

• Follow the Torah, but they believe that Jesus is the Christ.
• Use a gospel in Hebrew/aramaico, which he calls “Gospel according to the Hebrews” or “Gospel of the Nazarenes”probably a version semitic Matthew.

4.3. Jewish tradition and Arabic

• In the Hebrew rabbinic and medieval christians are called Notzrim (derived from netzer / Nazōraios).
• In the Qur'an, christians are al-Naṣārā (“Nazarenes”).

This shows that, for a half-jew and half-islamic, the normal thing was to call the christians “Nazarenes / Netzarim”, while preserving the memory of this first group.

5. Profile doctrinal and practical of the Nazarene / Netzarim

The descriptions of Epiphanius, Jerome, Eusebius, and others allow you to sharpen, with caution, the group:

5.1. Jewish identity

• Consider that remain jews; do not abandon his people, nor the Law of Moses.
• Practice:
  • Circumcision.
  • Shabbat.
  • Calendar of holidays biblical (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, etc).
  • Food laws (Kashrut).

In this they resemble other groups, jewish-christians as the Ebionitesbut with nuances important.

5.2. Christology

The sources portray them as a group:

• Recognize Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.
• In some accounts, accept the virgin birth and, at least for part of the tradition, the divinity of Christ; this differentiates them from certain Ebioniteswho saw Jesus as a man adopted or chosen by God without a virgin birth.

Conclusion: his christology is highest that of the Ebionites classics, though probably not identical to the orthodox nicene later.

5.3. Relationship with the Law and with Paul

Here is one of the key points:

• The Torah is mandatory for the jews (including themselves).
• There is debate about how much to accept the Paul's mission to the gentiles:
  • Some sources say that reject Paul (see it as an apostate from the Law).
  • Other indicate an attitude that is more nuanced, accepting its existence, but with suspicion.

In any case, are located in the polo the “judaizers”: christianity must remain united to the practice of Law.

5.4. Scriptures and texts own

Patristic sources point out that the Nazarenes used:

• The whole of the Old Testament.
• A good part of the New Testament available in his time.
• A gospel in the Hebrew/aramaico, known by the fathers as:
  • Gospel according to the Hebrews,
  • Gospel of the Nazarenes,
  • possibly related to Matthew.

This text:

• Is lost; it is only preserved fragments quoted by Jerome, Origen, and others.
• Presents a christology of its own and a strong emphasis on James, the brother of the Lord, a leader of the Jerusalem community.

“The one that remains faithful to the Torah knows the heart of the Messiah.”

6. Nazarenes in the map of the current judeo-christian

In the protocristianismo find a range of currents:

1. Community of Jerusalem (James, Peter, John).
2. Hellenistic (Stephen, Philip), more open to the gentiles.
3. Pauline communitiesmostly gentiles, with an emphasis on freedom in respect of the Law.
4. Ebioniteswith christology low, rejection clear of Paul and obligation of the Torah for all.
5. Nazarenes / Netzarim, that:
   • Retain a jewish identity, and the Torah,
   • Recognize Jesus as the Messiah (and, in part, with elements of high christology),
   • Stood as a bridge between the primitive community of Jerusalem and posterior sectors of christianity, jewish conservative.

The separation between:

• Christians, jews, observant of the Law (Nazarenes and others),
• and gentile christians they leave to observe,

it is one of the fundamental axes of conflict of the century, I–II, visible already in Galatians, Acts 15, etc

7. Historical evolution and decline

7.1. After 70 d.C.: from Jerusalem to Pella

After the War, Jewish-Roman and the destruction of the Temple (70 ce.C.):

• Ancient tradition holds that the jewish-christians fled to Pellain the Decapolis, by following the warnings of Jesus.
• Since there are reconfigured as rural communities, in areas such as Basanitis and regions around the Dead Sea.

The Nazarenes were to be the heirs of this “christianity of Jerusalem in exile”,.

7.2. Centuries II–IV: coexistence tense with the “Great Church”

• While christianity gentile is institutionalized and defines his / her identity not jewish (rejection of the circumcision, the change of emphasis from Saturday to Sunday, etc), Nazarenes remain as minority marginal.
• For the Fathers of the Church, are a “sect”:
  • They believe “good” about Christ, but
  • They are suspected by continue keeping the Law.

Epiphanius included in a catalogue of “heresy”, while acknowledging that use the same books that he both the Old and the New Testament.

7.3. Disappearance (or transformation)

To the V–VI centuries:

• The majority of scholars believes that the Nazarenes they disappear as an identifiable group, absorbed:
  • or rabbinical judaism (when you are leaving the faith in Jesus),
  • or Gentile church (when you are leaving the full observance of the Law),
  • or, simply, exterminated/dispersed in the context of multiple wars and persecutions.

Some authors connect speculative memory of the Nazarene with groups later on, such as:

• The Nasranis the Indian christians of st. Thomas), also called “Nazarenes”.
• Some see echoes in the traditions of the communities baptists as the mandaeans (Nasoraeans), although there is already talk of another religious system, gnostic and non-christian.

These connections, I insist, are hypothesis, no consensus firm.

8. “Netzarim” and “netzeritas” today: modern reconstructions

In actuality, there are groups that call themselves Netzarim / Nazarenes or “judaism nazarene”:

• Root movements messianic-jewish, which aim to reconstruct the original christianity as a form of judaism that recognizes Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah.
• They usually claim:
  • Observance of the Torah,
  • Hebrew name of Jesus (Yeshua),
  • Titles such as Netzer (the Branch), connecting Isaiah 11 with Nazareth.

From the point of view of historical-critical:

• These currents can inspiration in the Nazarene old,
• but there are a continuity demonstrable; are modern reconstructionswith many contemporary elements (eschatology, readings of Qumran, etc).

9. Importance of the Nazarene / Netzarim in the protocristianismo

To understand the birth of christianitythe Nazarenes are key because they represent:

1. The living memory of Jesus jew:
   A Messiah insert in Israel, not a separate religion.
2. The model of community that I wanted to continue to be jewish and christian at the same time:
   To believe in Jesus as the Messiah without abandoning the covenant of the Torah.
3. A mirror is uncomfortable for the “Great Church” the gentile:
   The Fathers of the Church considered to be heretics, not by denying Christ, but by do not leave the Law.
4. A reminder that the early centuries were not monolithic:
   There was multiple christianities (jews and gentiles) before it is consolidated the canon and the orthodoxy.

10. Synthesis

1. Name and origin
   • “Netzeritas / Netzarim” is derived from netzer (“branch”) and the Nazarenes / Nazoreos, the group of jewish-christian primitive connected to Jesus of Nazareth.
   • In the NT, “sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24,5) designates the christian movement as a flow within judaism.
2. Identity
   • Jews of birth continue observing the Torah strictly.
   • Consider Jesus the Messiah of Israel, possibly with a christology relatively high (at least in some sectors).
3. Texts
   • Use the Old Testament.
   • Use a gospel in the Hebrew/aramaico (Gospel of the Hebrews / of the Nazarenes), associated with Matthew, now lost except for fragments.
4. Relationship with other groups
   • It is located between:
     • the Ebionites (more radical, christology, lower rejection of Paul),
     • and the Gentile church paulina (which leaves the full observance of the Law).
   • For the Parents, are heretics by continuing to be too jewish.
5. Historical destiny
   • Arise from the christianity of Jerusalem, probably a refugee in Pella after 70 d.C.
   • They disappear as an identifiable group to the V–VI centuries, absorbed or erased by history.
6. Today the concept of “Netzarim”
   • Some movements in modern attempt to revive this model: judaism nazarene / netzarita.
   • Historically they are rereadings contemporarynot continuity demonstrable.