List of events in early Christianity
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- See also: Schisms among the Jews and Origins of Christianity
The split between Pharisaic/Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity is commonly attributed to the Destruction of the Second Temple in 70 or the postulated Council of Jamnia of 90 or the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132-135, but these are all simplifications of history. Various events contributed to or marked the widening split between Christianity and Judaism. The following is a listing of these events:
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[edit] List of events marking changes in the relations between Christians and Jews in early Christianity
[edit] First century
- John the Baptist, considered the "forerunner of Christ", is beheaded by Herod Antipas, c 30
- actions of Jesus "cleansing the temple" and trial by Sanhedrin according to the Gospels, both actions widely considered to have some historical basis, c 30-33
- Peter's speech at the Jerusalem Temple accusing the Israelites of killing Jesus according to Acts 3:12-4:4, c 34, see also Responsibility for the death of Jesus
- Stephen before a Sanhedrin, his speech and stoning according to Acts 6:8-8:1, c 35
- Crisis under Caligula, 37-41, proposed as the first open break between Rome and the Jews[1]
- Baptism of Cornelius the Centurion by Peter according to Acts 10, traditionally considered the first gentile convert to Christianity[2]
- martyrdom of James, son of Zebedee by Agrippa I according to Acts 12:1-2, c 44
- Paul's proselytization of gentiles as "Apostle to the Gentiles" (see also Proselytes and Godfearers), 1st mission c 45
- Claudius's expulsion of Jews from Rome[3], 49
- "Incident at Antioch"[4] where Paul accused Peter of Judaizing, but even Barnabas sided with Peter, c 49
- Council of Jerusalem, c 50, which allowed gentile converts who did not also "convert to Judaism", or another interpretation: decreed proto-Noahide Law[5]
- development of Christian scripture, starting with Paul's epistles c 57 and the gospels c 70.
- Paul, persecuted by the Jews of Jerusalem, on charges of Antinomianism, is saved by the Romans and sent to Rome, Acts 21:1-28:31, however, the 1st bishop of Jerusalem, James the Just, is stoned at the instigation of the High Priest, 62
- Destruction of the Second Temple and institution of the Fiscus Iudaicus, the Roman annual head tax on all Jews to pay for upkeep of the Jupiter Capitolinus temple in Rome instead of the Jerusalem Temple, Vespasian orders arrest of all descendants of King David according to Eusebius' Church History 3.12, 70
- Woes of the Pharisees, Lament over Jerusalem[6], Great Commission[7], c 80, earlier if actually spoken by Jesus
- hypothetical Council of Jamnia, c 90
- Domitian applied the Fiscus Iudaicus tax even to those who merely "lived like Jews"[8], c 90
- Titus Flavius Clemens (consul) condemned to death by the Roman Senate for conversion to Judaism, 95
- John 6:60-6:66 records "many disciples" (who were largely Jewish) leaving Jesus after he said that those who eat his body and drink his blood will remain in him and have eternal life (6:48-59, for interpretations of this passage, see Transubstantiation), c 95, earlier if actually spoken by Jesus
[edit] Second century
- Epistle to the Hebrews and the New Covenant, c 100, possibly earlier if attributed to Paul
- The 3rd bishop of Antioch, Ignatius's Letter to the Magnesians 9-10 against the Sabbath in Christianity[2] and Judaizers[3], c 100
- crucifixion of the 2nd bishop of Jerusalem, Simeon of Jerusalem, c 107[9]
- Rabbi Tarfon possibly advocated burning the Gospels, c 120, but this is a disputed reading.[10][11][12] See gilyonim.
- controversial claim of Simon bar Kokhba to be the Jewish Messiah, 132-135, rejected by Rabbinic Judaism, final result of the revolt was the expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem which was rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina, end of "bishops of the circumcision" according to Eusebius' Church History 4.5
- controversial claim of Marcion against the Jewish Bible, c 144, rejected by Proto-orthodox Christianity
- Epistle to Diognetus polemic against the Jews, c 150
- Martyrdom of Polycarp implicates the Jews, c 150
- Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew[4], c 150
- Octavius of Marcus Minucius Felix, for example[5]: "XXXVIII.—To the Jews. Evil always, and recalcitrant ...", c 180
- excommunication of Quartodecimanism by Pope Victor I, c 190
- Tertullian's Adversus Judaeos/An Answer to the Jews[6], c 200
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ H.H. Ben-Sasson, A History of the Jewish People, Harvard University Press, 1976, ISBN 0674397312, The Crisis Under Gaius Caligula, pages 254-256: "The reign of Gaius Caligula (37-41) witnessed the first open break between the Jews and the Julio-Claudian empire. Until then — if one accepts Sejanus' heyday and the trouble caused by the census after Archelaus' banishment — there was usually an atmosphere of understanding between the Jews and the empire ... These relations deteriorated seriously during Caligula's reign, and, though after his death the peace was outwardly re-established, considerable bitterness remained on both sides. ... Caligula ordered that a golden statue of himself be set up in the Temple in Jerusalem. ... Only Caligula's death, at the hands of Roman conspirators (41), prevented the outbreak of a Jewish-Roman war that might well have spread to the entire East."
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Cornelius: "The baptism of Cornelius is an important event in the history of the Early Church. The gates of the Church, within which thus far only those who were circumcised and observed the Law of Moses had been admitted, were now thrown open to the uncircumcised Gentiles without the obligation of submitting to the Jewish ceremonial laws. The innovation was disapproved by the Jewish Christians at Jerusalem (Acts 11:2-3); but when Peter had related his own and Cornelius's vision and how the Holy Ghost had come down upon the new converts, opposition ceased (Acts 11:4-18) except on the part of a few extremists. The matter was finally settled at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15)."
- ^ Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Claudius XXV.4, referenced in Acts 18:2
- ^ Gal 2:11-21, Catholic Encyclopedia: Judaizers see section titled: "The Incident At Antioch"
- ^ Augustine's Contra Faustum 32.13: "The observance of pouring out the blood which was enjoined in ancient times upon Noah himself after the deluge, the meaning of which we have already explained, is thought by many to be what is meant in the Acts of the Apostles, where we read that the Gentiles were required to abstain from fornication, and from things sacrificed, and from blood, that is, from flesh of which the blood has not been poured out."
- ^ Matt 23:37-39, Luke 13:31-35
- ^ The Great Commission advocates Jesus' teachings for all nations whereas Rabbinic Judaism advocates full Jewish Law only for Jews and converts with the Seven Laws of Noah for other nations.
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia: Fiscus Iudaicus, Suetonius's Domitian XII: "Besides other taxes, that on the Jews [A tax of two drachmas a head, imposed by Titus in return for free permission to practice their religion; see Josephus, Bell. Jud. 7.6.6] was levied with the utmost rigor, and those were prosecuted who, without publicly acknowledging that faith, yet lived as Jews, as well as those who concealed their origin and did not pay the tribute levied upon their people [These may have been Christians, whom the Romans commonly assumed were Jews]. I recall being present in my youth when the person of a man ninety years old was examined before the procurator and a very crowded court, to see whether he was circumcised."
- ^ possibly with Jewish involvement: Eusebius' Church History 3.32.4: "And the same writer says that his accusers also, when search was made for the descendants of David, were arrested as belonging to that family." Sidenote 879: "This is a peculiar statement. Members of the house of David would hardly have ventured to accuse Symeon on the ground that he belonged to that house. The statement is, however, quite indefinite. We are not told what happened to these accusers, nor indeed that they really were of David’s line, although the ὡσ€ν with which Eusebius introduces the charge does not imply any doubt in his own mind, as Lightfoot quite rightly remarks. It is possible that some who were of the line of David may have accused Symeon, not of being a member of that family, but only of being a Christian, and that the report of the occurrence may have become afterward confused."
- ^ Kuhn (1960) and Maier (1962) cited by Paget in ‘The Written Gospel’ (2005), pg 210
- ^ Friedlander (1899) cited in Pearson in ‘Gnosticism, Judaism and Egyptian Christianity’ (1990)
- ^ Rabbinic discussion of gilyonim: [1]