Notzrim

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The original Notzrim from Hebrew נֹצְרִים "sentry" or נוצרים "emerging form being moulded by a potter" (also Nasaraioi / Nasoraean) sect began as a kind of "New-Age" Gnostic movement during the reign of Alexandra Helene Salome among Helenized supporters of Rome in Judea. Epiphanius calls them Nasaraeans (Nasaraioi) distinguishing them from Nazoraeans (Nazoraioi נזרים) who came into existence amongst the Jews to oppose them and confirms the existence of their heresy before the Current Era.

Famous Notzri of the pre-Christian era (who lived during the reign of King Yannai -Alexander Jannnaeus) include a rebellious student mentioned in the Baraitas as Yeshu (Ha-Notzri) and his followers.

In Arabic they were known as N'saari. Epiphanius says it was unlawful for them to eat meat or make sacrifices. According to him they were Jews only by nationality who lived in Gilead, Basham, and the Transjordan. They revered Moses but believed he had received different laws from those acredited to him. As a result of Nazoraean efforts to bring the Nasoraeans back into the folds of Judaism, they also disparaged the Christian books as fiction though eventually, they emmerged towards the end of the 1st century as the Christians and Mandaeans [1] (http://www.geocities.com/mandaeans/nasoraean5.html). In the Mishnah the are often referred to as Minim. Besides the Mandaeans they have frequently been connected with Naaseni/Naasenians/Naassenes.

They were certainly the earliest key Gnostic sect. These days however the term is most commonly used to refer to various sects of Messianic Jews.