EclipseEventSigns
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<<< WARNING: This thread will challenge your preconceived and accepted beliefs of the history of the early Church. If you are not prepared to investigate the references given before commenting, then please stop and move on to a different thread. >>>
This scholarship was found in "The Aramaic Period of the Nascent Christian Church" by C. C. Torrey written in 1952.
The Talmud is a written record preserving Jewish religious discussions and concerns. Even though it was collated and published during the early centuries AD, its goal was to preserve what up to that point had been faithfully passed down by memory. Therefore, much of its content reflects concerns from much earlier than when it was published. A very important point is that it is not written in Greek. It also is not written in Hebrew; which surprises many who come across that fact. Actually, it was written in Aramaic.
Most are not aware that the Talmud does contain information which sheds light on particular details about Christians during the decades after the resurrection of Messiah Jesus. Christianity developed out of Judaism. After all, Jesus was a Jew. His first disciples were also called from the Jewish nation. They were devout Jews, faithfully attending synagogue and practicing the Feasts of the Lord during the year. Even after trusting in Jesus, they attended synagogue where ever they travelled and where ever the Jewish exiles lived throughout Mesopotamia and Asia. This is demonstrated by Paul (Acts 17:1-2). There was a toleration of this Christian sect by those following Judaism. They were allowed in the synagogues and could talk about religious matters freely. The early Christian community gained many followers in this way.
This situation changed in around 80 AD. This is when Gamaliel II issued an edict that added a curse on Christians (who were called Nazarenes) in the daily prayer. Any Christian attending synagogue was now at a crossroads. Deny Christ by saying that prayer or permanently remove themselves from the Jewish community.
However, the Talmud records a situation from that period of time when Christians were at least tolerated. Hated, but tolerated. The evidence of how Christians were hated is found in:
https://www.sefaria.org/Shabbat 116a:10
"Rabbi Meir would call the Christian writing, the Evangelion, the wicked folio [aven gilyon]; Rabbi Yoḥanan called it the sinful folio [avon gilyon]."
Already at this point the New Testament writings had been copied and shared so widely, that even the Jewish leaders were aware of them and referred to them using a pun in a most derogatory way. They were already being referred to as "Evangelion" in Greek - the "good news". The Jewish rabbis referred to them in their own language using similar sounding words meaning "wicked folio" or "sinful folio".
This term shows up in another section of the Talmud:
https://www.sefaria.org/Tosefta_Yadayim
2:4 "These render the hands unfit:..."
2:5
"The threads and the straps [used] to bind together [sections of a] scroll -- even though he has no right to make [these bindings] permanent, they defile the hands. The containers [designated for storing] scrolls and the bands [used to tie scrolls], and the ark of the scroll -- whenever they are pure, they defile the hands. The blessings -- even though they contain contain the letters [of God's name] and many matters of Torah, they do not defile the hands. The [Avon]gilyonim (i.e., the writings of the Evangelists) and the scrolls of the heretics do not defile the hands. The scrolls of Ben Sira and all scrolls that are written from that point forward -- they do not defile the hands."
In this section, there is the discussion of what parts of scrolls and writings will defile the hands of the devout. Surprisingly, the writings of the Christians (using the derogatory term "avon gilyonim") are said to not defile. What is that all about? It all has to do with the contents. Any written scroll containing the name of God was treated with the utmost respect. The Tetragrammaton, the 4 letter name of God. Obviously the Jewish religious scrolls of what is called the "Old Testament" contained this 4 letter name throughout. But the Jewish rabbis recognized that the Christian writings - the Good News ALSO contained a form of the name of God.
However, in the entire text of the New Testament in Greek, the name of God in the form of the Tetragrammaton does not appear once. Not once! Not even in transliteration. So what written documents are the Jewish rabbis referring to? What do they respect yet also hate those who wrote it?
Well, the text of the New Testament written in Aramaic DOES contain the name of God recognized as a variation of the Hebrew name. Therefore, this written material had to also be treated with respect. Add in the evidence that the primary language of the Jewish people of that time was Aramaic, and it makes perfect sense that the first literature of the Christians would also be written in their primary language. Not Greek. They were referred to in Greek by their enemies as a term of derision.
They were tolerated as part of the Jewish community until such time as they had to make a hard decision. By that time, the Gentile Christian community had grown to such an extent that it was just natural to form separate community with brothers and sisters in Christ and leave the Jewish community behind.
This scholarship was found in "The Aramaic Period of the Nascent Christian Church" by C. C. Torrey written in 1952.
The Talmud is a written record preserving Jewish religious discussions and concerns. Even though it was collated and published during the early centuries AD, its goal was to preserve what up to that point had been faithfully passed down by memory. Therefore, much of its content reflects concerns from much earlier than when it was published. A very important point is that it is not written in Greek. It also is not written in Hebrew; which surprises many who come across that fact. Actually, it was written in Aramaic.
Most are not aware that the Talmud does contain information which sheds light on particular details about Christians during the decades after the resurrection of Messiah Jesus. Christianity developed out of Judaism. After all, Jesus was a Jew. His first disciples were also called from the Jewish nation. They were devout Jews, faithfully attending synagogue and practicing the Feasts of the Lord during the year. Even after trusting in Jesus, they attended synagogue where ever they travelled and where ever the Jewish exiles lived throughout Mesopotamia and Asia. This is demonstrated by Paul (Acts 17:1-2). There was a toleration of this Christian sect by those following Judaism. They were allowed in the synagogues and could talk about religious matters freely. The early Christian community gained many followers in this way.
This situation changed in around 80 AD. This is when Gamaliel II issued an edict that added a curse on Christians (who were called Nazarenes) in the daily prayer. Any Christian attending synagogue was now at a crossroads. Deny Christ by saying that prayer or permanently remove themselves from the Jewish community.
However, the Talmud records a situation from that period of time when Christians were at least tolerated. Hated, but tolerated. The evidence of how Christians were hated is found in:
https://www.sefaria.org/Shabbat 116a:10
"Rabbi Meir would call the Christian writing, the Evangelion, the wicked folio [aven gilyon]; Rabbi Yoḥanan called it the sinful folio [avon gilyon]."
Already at this point the New Testament writings had been copied and shared so widely, that even the Jewish leaders were aware of them and referred to them using a pun in a most derogatory way. They were already being referred to as "Evangelion" in Greek - the "good news". The Jewish rabbis referred to them in their own language using similar sounding words meaning "wicked folio" or "sinful folio".
This term shows up in another section of the Talmud:
https://www.sefaria.org/Tosefta_Yadayim
2:4 "These render the hands unfit:..."
2:5
"The threads and the straps [used] to bind together [sections of a] scroll -- even though he has no right to make [these bindings] permanent, they defile the hands. The containers [designated for storing] scrolls and the bands [used to tie scrolls], and the ark of the scroll -- whenever they are pure, they defile the hands. The blessings -- even though they contain contain the letters [of God's name] and many matters of Torah, they do not defile the hands. The [Avon]gilyonim (i.e., the writings of the Evangelists) and the scrolls of the heretics do not defile the hands. The scrolls of Ben Sira and all scrolls that are written from that point forward -- they do not defile the hands."
In this section, there is the discussion of what parts of scrolls and writings will defile the hands of the devout. Surprisingly, the writings of the Christians (using the derogatory term "avon gilyonim") are said to not defile. What is that all about? It all has to do with the contents. Any written scroll containing the name of God was treated with the utmost respect. The Tetragrammaton, the 4 letter name of God. Obviously the Jewish religious scrolls of what is called the "Old Testament" contained this 4 letter name throughout. But the Jewish rabbis recognized that the Christian writings - the Good News ALSO contained a form of the name of God.
However, in the entire text of the New Testament in Greek, the name of God in the form of the Tetragrammaton does not appear once. Not once! Not even in transliteration. So what written documents are the Jewish rabbis referring to? What do they respect yet also hate those who wrote it?
Well, the text of the New Testament written in Aramaic DOES contain the name of God recognized as a variation of the Hebrew name. Therefore, this written material had to also be treated with respect. Add in the evidence that the primary language of the Jewish people of that time was Aramaic, and it makes perfect sense that the first literature of the Christians would also be written in their primary language. Not Greek. They were referred to in Greek by their enemies as a term of derision.
They were tolerated as part of the Jewish community until such time as they had to make a hard decision. By that time, the Gentile Christian community had grown to such an extent that it was just natural to form separate community with brothers and sisters in Christ and leave the Jewish community behind.
