Messianic History
- Thread starter visionary
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I know that my grasp at people or groups that kept the sabbath and the feasts while being worshippers of the Messiah Yeshua is about the only qualifications I am using for a criteria maybe a stretch in some peoples eyes. We know that "Messianic Judaism" is a relatively new discriptive term for the believers and finding that in ancient documents will be impossible. So what else can I do, Congregations scattered through the centuries will be gathering under various names and some times it is scant material on the details of the groups but if they meet the qualifications of faith I have mentioned, I will put them on this thread, whether they be gentile or jew. If anyone else runs into any infor from history that shows God's people who have similiar faith as we, please share it on this thread.
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Trying to trace down any leads on the early jewish synagogues that were worshippers of Yeshua is extremely difficult since they were persecuted by both the Jews and the Romans, as it was the one thing those two groups could agree on.
The name Christian was never used by the Jerusalem Church.
The names they called themselves were Nazarenes,
taking over the title used by their founder, Yeshua.
In Paul's trial before Felix in Caesarea, the lawyer for the prosecution, Tertullus made his remark:
They were also referred to, by themselves and others, as:
Followers of The Way
and
Ebionim
In the Qumran ("Dead Sea") Scrolls too the term ebionim is used in a very technical self-designatory sense. The term "Poor in Spirit" which we find in Matthew 5:3 is also found at Qumran (War Scroll 9:10 ; Community Rule: 4:3). As Eisenmann and Wise noted in their book Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: Eisenmann & Wise, Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: p233-235
The use of Ebionim as a term of self designation at Qumran is widespread, most notably in the pesharim, but also...in the...War Scroll.
The use of ebionim as a technical self-designatory term in Qumran does not necessarily suggests identity between the Qumran community and the original Jerusalem community led by James. [d] It does however tell us that the term was used as an honorific term to designate an almost contemporaneous group in a parallel theological system. Thus it is likely that there is more to the designation Ebionim than meets the eye. We can conclude:
Regardless of whether it was used in a technical or socio-economic sense, the important thing to note here is that the term was used in some instances to refer to all, or a part of, the Jerusalem community. The recurring theme of "the Poor" or "Poor in Spirit" in New Testament documents associated with the Jerusalem church showed that the term ebionim would have cropped up on many occasions in their theology.
http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/nazaebion.html
The Hebrew for the term "The Poor" is ebionim.
The Spirit of the Lord...has anointed me to bring the good news to The Poor
Luke 6:20 (=Matthew 5:3)
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are Poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."
The name Christian was never used by the Jerusalem Church.
The names they called themselves were Nazarenes,
taking over the title used by their founder, Yeshua.
In Paul's trial before Felix in Caesarea, the lawyer for the prosecution, Tertullus made his remark:
They were also referred to, by themselves and others, as:
Followers of The Way
and
Ebionim
In the Qumran ("Dead Sea") Scrolls too the term ebionim is used in a very technical self-designatory sense. The term "Poor in Spirit" which we find in Matthew 5:3 is also found at Qumran (War Scroll 9:10 ; Community Rule: 4:3). As Eisenmann and Wise noted in their book Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: Eisenmann & Wise, Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: p233-235
The use of Ebionim as a term of self designation at Qumran is widespread, most notably in the pesharim, but also...in the...War Scroll.
The use of ebionim as a technical self-designatory term in Qumran does not necessarily suggests identity between the Qumran community and the original Jerusalem community led by James. [d] It does however tell us that the term was used as an honorific term to designate an almost contemporaneous group in a parallel theological system. Thus it is likely that there is more to the designation Ebionim than meets the eye. We can conclude:
Regardless of whether it was used in a technical or socio-economic sense, the important thing to note here is that the term was used in some instances to refer to all, or a part of, the Jerusalem community. The recurring theme of "the Poor" or "Poor in Spirit" in New Testament documents associated with the Jerusalem church showed that the term ebionim would have cropped up on many occasions in their theology.
http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/nazaebion.html
The Hebrew for the term "The Poor" is ebionim.
Luke 4:18 (=Matthew 11:5)
The Spirit of the Lord...has anointed me to bring the good news to The Poor
Luke 6:20 (=Matthew 5:3)
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are Poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."
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The Way
Acts supplied another title used to designate the early community of the church:
In conclusion:
There is no reason to doubt that this too was a term used to designate the early community in Palestine around 40-60 CE. Eisenmann, James the Brother of Jesus: p599 Eisenmann & Wise, Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: p33
Speculations about the meaning of "The Way" are rife. I merely want to point out some tantalizing similarities between this designation and the Nazirite above. The term comes from Isaiah 40:3 "the Way in the Wilderness" which was connected in some way with John the Baptist. (Mark 1:1-4) In the Qumran Documents, Isaiah 40:3 (for instance in the Community Rule 1QS 8:14; 9:19-20) was interpreted as "to separate from the settlement of the Unrighteous men and go out in the wilderness and prepare The Way of God". The term Nazirite means "consecrated" or "separated one". This suggests a close relationship in the designation "The Way" and "The Nazarenes". Eisenmann, James the Brother of Jesus: 82, 161, 243
Acts supplied another title used to designate the early community of the church:
and
In conclusion:
There is no reason to doubt that this too was a term used to designate the early community in Palestine around 40-60 CE. Eisenmann, James the Brother of Jesus: p599 Eisenmann & Wise, Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered: p33
Speculations about the meaning of "The Way" are rife. I merely want to point out some tantalizing similarities between this designation and the Nazirite above. The term comes from Isaiah 40:3 "the Way in the Wilderness" which was connected in some way with John the Baptist. (Mark 1:1-4) In the Qumran Documents, Isaiah 40:3 (for instance in the Community Rule 1QS 8:14; 9:19-20) was interpreted as "to separate from the settlement of the Unrighteous men and go out in the wilderness and prepare The Way of God". The term Nazirite means "consecrated" or "separated one". This suggests a close relationship in the designation "The Way" and "The Nazarenes". Eisenmann, James the Brother of Jesus: 82, 161, 243
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I have always been disappointed that when the history of the body of Messiah is spoken of it usually follows the romanistic history not the history of its Judastic roots. Yeshua was a Jew, not a Roman!!You'll all see my questions here in the future, I am really looking for the actual history of the body of Messiah not how rome overtook it and attempted to reform the empire in the guise of "religion". Indeed it is a major miricle that the truth survived that terrible time of attempts to "dejudize" christianity and remake it in the image of rome.
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Indeed it is remarkable that the body of Messiah, that is the church, has a Jewish root and yet there were those who sought to kill that root! In the last few years after quite a bit of study I have come to this conclusion.
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Irenaeus' book against heresies is one of the earliest sources for Ebionium (late second century). Epiphanius (late 4th century) has quotes from the "Gospel of the Ebionites" in his book the Panarion, 30.13.1-8; 30.14.5; 30.16.5; 30.22.4, along with a general description of the Ebionites (which is of not uniform reliability). Also, all Jewish Christianity was lumped together as Ebionite by later critics. Of genuine interest are the traditions associating the Ebionites with certain villages east of the Sea of Galilee in the years after the Jewish War.
Some of these traditions are collected by Hugh Schonfield in his rare early book, According to the Hebrews (as I recall) and some of his later books on Christianity ("Those Amazing Christians", I believe).
Two very good Ebionite primary source, available in one of the older collections of writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, are the Kerygma Petrou and the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions. Though novelistic, they are, however, somewhat dry reading due to their sheer length, and it is hard to abstract the essential Ebionite beliefs at first read.
Hence I would recommend the synthesis of Ebionite beliefs by
Hans Joachim Schoeps
Jewish Christianity: Factional Disputes in the Early Church
Philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1969
by
Russell Gmirkin
to: orion@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il
Subject: Re: The Essene Name
From: RGmyrken@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 04:28:23 -0400
http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il/orion/archives/1996b/msg00531.html
Some of these traditions are collected by Hugh Schonfield in his rare early book, According to the Hebrews (as I recall) and some of his later books on Christianity ("Those Amazing Christians", I believe).
Two very good Ebionite primary source, available in one of the older collections of writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, are the Kerygma Petrou and the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions. Though novelistic, they are, however, somewhat dry reading due to their sheer length, and it is hard to abstract the essential Ebionite beliefs at first read.
Hence I would recommend the synthesis of Ebionite beliefs by
Hans Joachim Schoeps
Jewish Christianity: Factional Disputes in the Early Church
Philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1969
by
Russell Gmirkin
to: orion@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il
Subject: Re: The Essene Name
From: RGmyrken@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 04:28:23 -0400
http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il/orion/archives/1996b/msg00531.html
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"The name 'Ebionites' was first used in the 2nd century by the Christian writer Irenaeus to describe a Christian heretical sect. This strange name may go back to the very beginnings of Christianity. Many scholars cite, in this connection, the Apostle Paul's statement in his Epistle to the Romans (chapter 15) about a financial contribution that had been organized in Greece 'for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem'. The reference here is clerely to members of the original Christian community at Jerusalem who were in need. It has, however, been suggested that the expression 'the poor' may not just denote a state of poverty, but rather be an honorific title assumed by the Jerusalem Christians... the 'poor', which in Hebrew speech would be the 'Ebionim', the Greek word 'Ebionites'...Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 767.
"Ebionites ('Poor Ones'): Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah but kept many of their Jewish practices and split with Paul over his dismissal of Mosaic law or Torah. They believed that Jesus was human but not divine, accepted only the Gospel of Matthew, and disappeared after the 5th century. "Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996); pg. 386-387.
"Remnants of Jewish Christianity survived in various places in Palestine, Syria and Egypt until the 5th century. Its members clung to the original tenets of their faith, being characterized by their observance of the Mosaic Law, their belief that Jesus was of human origin, and their hostility to Paul. They are known only through the garbled and prejudiced accounts of orthodox Christian writers, who regarded them as heretics. They are named either as Ebionites or Nazarenes, and various strange beliefs and customs are ascribed to them; it is likely that some groups did adopt Gnostic ideas or held beliefs that stemmed from the Qumran Covenanters. "Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 768.
"EBIONITES: an early CHRISTIAN HERESY referred to by IRENAEUS whose BELIEFS are obscure. They are thought to have been a poor JEWISH CHRISTIAN SECT which rejected PAULINE CHRISTIANITY and affirmed the Gospel of Matthew. "LINK* Hexham, Irving. Concise Dictionary of Religion. Carol Stream, USA: InterVarsity Press (1994). (v. online 6 Oct. 1999)
"The theory that the Jerusalem Christians were called Ebionim has been further strengthened, but at the same time made more complicated, by the fact that the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls seems to indicate that the Qumran community may also have called themselves Ebionim. This Qumranic use would, accordingly, suggest that 'Ebionim' was truly an honorific Jewish title current at the time of Christ, and that common usage of it may indicate some connection between the Qumran Covenanters and the original Christian community at Jerusalem. But, however that particular issue may be assessed, what is important ihere is that fact that, if the Jerusalem Christians were indeed known as Ebionim, the evidence of Irenaeus reveals a surprising situation: namely, that by the 2nd century these original Christians, or their immediate descendants, were regarded as heretics by an orthodox Church Father such as Irenaeus. "Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 767.
"Ebionites ('Poor Ones'): Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah but kept many of their Jewish practices and split with Paul over his dismissal of Mosaic law or Torah. They believed that Jesus was human but not divine, accepted only the Gospel of Matthew, and disappeared after the 5th century. "Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996); pg. 386-387.
"Remnants of Jewish Christianity survived in various places in Palestine, Syria and Egypt until the 5th century. Its members clung to the original tenets of their faith, being characterized by their observance of the Mosaic Law, their belief that Jesus was of human origin, and their hostility to Paul. They are known only through the garbled and prejudiced accounts of orthodox Christian writers, who regarded them as heretics. They are named either as Ebionites or Nazarenes, and various strange beliefs and customs are ascribed to them; it is likely that some groups did adopt Gnostic ideas or held beliefs that stemmed from the Qumran Covenanters. "Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 768.
"EBIONITES: an early CHRISTIAN HERESY referred to by IRENAEUS whose BELIEFS are obscure. They are thought to have been a poor JEWISH CHRISTIAN SECT which rejected PAULINE CHRISTIANITY and affirmed the Gospel of Matthew. "LINK* Hexham, Irving. Concise Dictionary of Religion. Carol Stream, USA: InterVarsity Press (1994). (v. online 6 Oct. 1999)
"The theory that the Jerusalem Christians were called Ebionim has been further strengthened, but at the same time made more complicated, by the fact that the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls seems to indicate that the Qumran community may also have called themselves Ebionim. This Qumranic use would, accordingly, suggest that 'Ebionim' was truly an honorific Jewish title current at the time of Christ, and that common usage of it may indicate some connection between the Qumran Covenanters and the original Christian community at Jerusalem. But, however that particular issue may be assessed, what is important ihere is that fact that, if the Jerusalem Christians were indeed known as Ebionim, the evidence of Irenaeus reveals a surprising situation: namely, that by the 2nd century these original Christians, or their immediate descendants, were regarded as heretics by an orthodox Church Father such as Irenaeus. "Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 767.
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http://www.compassionatespirit.com/ebionites-article.htm
They existed just outside of Judea, in Galilee and present-day Syria and Jordan (the Decapolis, Gaulanitis, Perea, and Nabatea, and nearby regions). The exact origin of the Ebionites is debated, but those who held views characteristic of the Ebionites existed in the first century. The Ebionites originated no later than the second century (when they are mentioned by Ireneaus) and continued to exist at least down through the late fourth century (when Epiphanius describes conversations he had with them), and probably continued into the fifth century and perhaps beyond. There are no known modern groups which are direct lineal descendants of the ancient Ebionites.
Who Were the Ebionites?
The Ebionites (from Hebrew ebionim, "the poor") were a sect of early followers of Jesus. They were one of several "Jewish Christian" groups, early followers of Jesus who considered themselves Jews.
They thought of themselves as the true followers of Jesus, but were described as heretics by many early orthodox Christian writers. Some modern writers and groups, including a number of scholars, argue that the Ebionites represented the views of Jesus and of early Christianity better than other early Christian groups.
Sources
There are two chief sources for our knowledge of the literature and ideas of the Ebionites:
1. Descriptions of the Ebionites and brief quotations from their writings by the church fathers, most importantly Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Epiphanius of Salamis, all of whom considered the Ebionites to be heretics. The lengthiest and most complete of these comes from Epiphanius, who wrote his Panarion in the fourth century, describing and denouncing 80 heretical sects, among them the Ebionites (Panarion 30) and various other "Jewish Christian" and allied groups (Panarion 18, 19, 29, 53).
2. The pseudo-Clementine literature, especially the Recognitions of Clement and The Clementine Homilies, two third-century Christian works, are regarded by general scholarly consensus as largely or entirely Jewish-Christian and specifically Ebionite in origin. This can be found in volume 8 of the Ante-Nicene Fathers.
History of the Ebionites
The Ebionites were a group in the early Christian church which was "Jewish Christian" in orientation, claiming to be the descendants of the original church, observing the Jewish law as they interpreted it but also following Jesus. All of the sources specifically mentioned above agree that the Ebionites denied the divinity of Jesus and accepted the Jewish law. There is general agreement also that they believed in one God, the creator, thus rejecting the views of Marcion; and further that they rejected Paul.
According to Epiphanius, they rejected orthodox Christian beliefs about the divinity of Jesus, were vegetarians, opposed animal sacrifice, and rejected certain texts in the Jewish scriptures (most especially, those pertaining to animal sacrifice). They were loyal to the Mosaic law, but had an idiosyncratic view of that law. They called themselves Ebionites (based on ebionim, "the poor") because, they said, at the time of the apostles they gave all their possessions to the early church (Acts 4:32-35). The Ebionites claimed to have the biological relatives of Jesus among their own number, described by ancient writers as the "desposynoi" ("those who belong to the master").
Epiphanius describes a group which holds views remarkably similar to those in the Recognitions and Homilies. They accepted Jesus as the "true prophet," believe that Christ was in Adam, in the virtue of poverty, reject animal sacrifices, reject the false texts in the (Old Testament) scripture, are vegetarians, and practice daily baptism. Epiphanius says that the "false texts" that the Ebionites reject have to do with commands to offer animal sacrifice; the Homilies go on to describe a number of other passages considered unworthy of God, such as those the Ebionites considered to be questioning God’s omnipotence, knowledge, love, peaceful nature, and righteousness. Epiphanius quotes their gospel as ascribing the words to Jesus, "I have come to destroy the sacrifices" (Panarion 30.16.5), and as ascribing to Jesus rejection of the Passover meat (Panarion 30.22.4), analogous to numerous passages found in the Recognitions and Homilies (e.g. Recognitions 1.36, 1.54, Homilies 3.45, 7.4, 7.8).
They existed just outside of Judea, in Galilee and present-day Syria and Jordan (the Decapolis, Gaulanitis, Perea, and Nabatea, and nearby regions). The exact origin of the Ebionites is debated, but those who held views characteristic of the Ebionites existed in the first century. The Ebionites originated no later than the second century (when they are mentioned by Ireneaus) and continued to exist at least down through the late fourth century (when Epiphanius describes conversations he had with them), and probably continued into the fifth century and perhaps beyond. There are no known modern groups which are direct lineal descendants of the ancient Ebionites.
Writings of the Ebionites
No independent writings of the Ebionites are known to have survived to the present day. We know of such writings only because the church fathers refer to them and occasionally quote from them. Epiphanius describes a gospel of the Ebionites, an Ebionite "acts of the apostles," the "travels of Peter," and "the Ascents of James." Other church fathers, such as Jerome, sometimes quote from one or another of the gospels attributed to the Ebionites.
A number of other groups are described by ancient writers or modern scholars as "Jewish Christian." Among these are the Nazoraeans (the spelling is uncertain), Cerinthians, Symmachians (followers of the Ebionite scribe Symmachus), Elkasaites (the spelling is uncertain), Sampsaeans, and Ossaeans. Much less is known about these other groups than about the Ebionites. The relationship of these other groups to each other, whether they existed independently of each other, and what their views are, is debated by modern scholars and ancient writers. Epiphanius clearly distinguishes between "Ebionites" and the "Nazoraeans," but Jerome evidently believes (Letter 112) that they are both the same group.
It is generally agreed that the Cerinthians were not "Jewish Christian" at all, but only mistakenly described as "Jewish Christian" by the church fathers, and that the Elkasaites, the Sampsaeans, and Ossaeans — the latter two groups mentioned only by Epiphanius in ancient writings — are different names, as Epiphanius says, for the same group.
They existed just outside of Judea, in Galilee and present-day Syria and Jordan (the Decapolis, Gaulanitis, Perea, and Nabatea, and nearby regions). The exact origin of the Ebionites is debated, but those who held views characteristic of the Ebionites existed in the first century. The Ebionites originated no later than the second century (when they are mentioned by Ireneaus) and continued to exist at least down through the late fourth century (when Epiphanius describes conversations he had with them), and probably continued into the fifth century and perhaps beyond. There are no known modern groups which are direct lineal descendants of the ancient Ebionites.
Who Were the Ebionites?
The Ebionites (from Hebrew ebionim, "the poor") were a sect of early followers of Jesus. They were one of several "Jewish Christian" groups, early followers of Jesus who considered themselves Jews.
They thought of themselves as the true followers of Jesus, but were described as heretics by many early orthodox Christian writers. Some modern writers and groups, including a number of scholars, argue that the Ebionites represented the views of Jesus and of early Christianity better than other early Christian groups.
Sources
There are two chief sources for our knowledge of the literature and ideas of the Ebionites:
1. Descriptions of the Ebionites and brief quotations from their writings by the church fathers, most importantly Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Epiphanius of Salamis, all of whom considered the Ebionites to be heretics. The lengthiest and most complete of these comes from Epiphanius, who wrote his Panarion in the fourth century, describing and denouncing 80 heretical sects, among them the Ebionites (Panarion 30) and various other "Jewish Christian" and allied groups (Panarion 18, 19, 29, 53).
2. The pseudo-Clementine literature, especially the Recognitions of Clement and The Clementine Homilies, two third-century Christian works, are regarded by general scholarly consensus as largely or entirely Jewish-Christian and specifically Ebionite in origin. This can be found in volume 8 of the Ante-Nicene Fathers.
History of the Ebionites
The Ebionites were a group in the early Christian church which was "Jewish Christian" in orientation, claiming to be the descendants of the original church, observing the Jewish law as they interpreted it but also following Jesus. All of the sources specifically mentioned above agree that the Ebionites denied the divinity of Jesus and accepted the Jewish law. There is general agreement also that they believed in one God, the creator, thus rejecting the views of Marcion; and further that they rejected Paul.
According to Epiphanius, they rejected orthodox Christian beliefs about the divinity of Jesus, were vegetarians, opposed animal sacrifice, and rejected certain texts in the Jewish scriptures (most especially, those pertaining to animal sacrifice). They were loyal to the Mosaic law, but had an idiosyncratic view of that law. They called themselves Ebionites (based on ebionim, "the poor") because, they said, at the time of the apostles they gave all their possessions to the early church (Acts 4:32-35). The Ebionites claimed to have the biological relatives of Jesus among their own number, described by ancient writers as the "desposynoi" ("those who belong to the master").
Epiphanius describes a group which holds views remarkably similar to those in the Recognitions and Homilies. They accepted Jesus as the "true prophet," believe that Christ was in Adam, in the virtue of poverty, reject animal sacrifices, reject the false texts in the (Old Testament) scripture, are vegetarians, and practice daily baptism. Epiphanius says that the "false texts" that the Ebionites reject have to do with commands to offer animal sacrifice; the Homilies go on to describe a number of other passages considered unworthy of God, such as those the Ebionites considered to be questioning God’s omnipotence, knowledge, love, peaceful nature, and righteousness. Epiphanius quotes their gospel as ascribing the words to Jesus, "I have come to destroy the sacrifices" (Panarion 30.16.5), and as ascribing to Jesus rejection of the Passover meat (Panarion 30.22.4), analogous to numerous passages found in the Recognitions and Homilies (e.g. Recognitions 1.36, 1.54, Homilies 3.45, 7.4, 7.8).
They existed just outside of Judea, in Galilee and present-day Syria and Jordan (the Decapolis, Gaulanitis, Perea, and Nabatea, and nearby regions). The exact origin of the Ebionites is debated, but those who held views characteristic of the Ebionites existed in the first century. The Ebionites originated no later than the second century (when they are mentioned by Ireneaus) and continued to exist at least down through the late fourth century (when Epiphanius describes conversations he had with them), and probably continued into the fifth century and perhaps beyond. There are no known modern groups which are direct lineal descendants of the ancient Ebionites.
Writings of the Ebionites
No independent writings of the Ebionites are known to have survived to the present day. We know of such writings only because the church fathers refer to them and occasionally quote from them. Epiphanius describes a gospel of the Ebionites, an Ebionite "acts of the apostles," the "travels of Peter," and "the Ascents of James." Other church fathers, such as Jerome, sometimes quote from one or another of the gospels attributed to the Ebionites.
A number of other groups are described by ancient writers or modern scholars as "Jewish Christian." Among these are the Nazoraeans (the spelling is uncertain), Cerinthians, Symmachians (followers of the Ebionite scribe Symmachus), Elkasaites (the spelling is uncertain), Sampsaeans, and Ossaeans. Much less is known about these other groups than about the Ebionites. The relationship of these other groups to each other, whether they existed independently of each other, and what their views are, is debated by modern scholars and ancient writers. Epiphanius clearly distinguishes between "Ebionites" and the "Nazoraeans," but Jerome evidently believes (Letter 112) that they are both the same group.
It is generally agreed that the Cerinthians were not "Jewish Christian" at all, but only mistakenly described as "Jewish Christian" by the church fathers, and that the Elkasaites, the Sampsaeans, and Ossaeans — the latter two groups mentioned only by Epiphanius in ancient writings — are different names, as Epiphanius says, for the same group.
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But the internal evidence of the scrolls does not make the Essenes "ordinary joes." The so-called Temple Scroll suggests that they had a dream of rebuilding a new Temple of visionary dimensions after razing Herod's to the ground. The Copper Scroll suggests they had knowledge of the whereabouts of many Temple treasures and connections to some elements of the priesthood, although they had fierce opposition to the wealthy, elite, pro-Roman, Hellenizing Sadducean Temple establishment. They had a very particular Messianic expectation of the arrival of two "twin Messiahs": the "Aaronic Messiah" would be the legitimate anointed high priest and he would herald the "Davidic Messiah" who would restore the true sacred kingship. The War Scroll suggests that they had a vision of a cosmic conflict between the forces of light and darkness: the Gentile "kittim" or Romans against the "sons of light," namely, the Essenes. Other scrolls interpret biblical prophecies to describe current political events, offer strange apocalyptic and eschatological predictions, and incorporate some of the "pseudepigraphal" and "apocryphal" material of the Intertestamental Period. And the "Damascus" Document suggests that their leader, the Teacher of Righteousness, was persecuted by an illegitimate member of the priesthood they called the Wicked Priest, and put to death.
http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/carme.htm
http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/carme.htm
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Robert Eisenman, an independent scholar, notes that more may be at stake than just academic defensiveness. Eisenman notes that many of the names used by the Essenes to refer to themselves -- Zadokim (the Just), Ebionim (the Poor), Nazoreans (the Pure), Hasideans (Zealous for the law), etc. -- are also some of the appellations used by the entity known as the "early Church" or "Jewish-Christians" or "Jerusalem Church." Eisenman believes that the Zealots, Essenes, Nazoreans, etc. were all just names for one single movement with different aspects, but very specific goals: restoration of the legitimate anointed (Meshiach) king and high priest, expulsion of the Roman occupation and the pro-Roman Herodians and Sadducees, and religious reconstruction. Jesus, then, may have been a legitimate dynast (his genealogy from the line of David is given in two of the Synoptic Gospels), and a real political threat to the Romans , not the religious authorities of the Sanhedrin. After his death, Eisenman notes, Jesus' followers coalesced behind his brother James the Just, who may well have been the Essene Teacher of Righteousness; he was put to death by the pro-Roman high priest Phinehas, who is an excellent candidate for the Wicked Priest.
http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/carme.htm
http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/carme.htm
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The Palestinian historian Hegesippus (ca 90-180 CE) is quoted by the fourth century Church Father Eusebius as describing James the Just this way:
"But James, the brother of the Lord, who, as there were many of his name, was surnamed the Just by all, from the days of our Lord until now, received the government of the assembly with the emissaries. This emissary was holy from his mother's womb; he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat meat; nor razor touched his head, nor did he anoint himself with oil, and never used a bath [i.e., he did not go to the public warm baths, since we know from other sources that he bathed daily in cold water]. He alone was allowed to enter into the Place of Holiness [the Holy of Holies of the Temple], for he did not wear wool, but linen [the clothing of a High Priest], and he used to enter the Temple alone, and was often found upon his bended knees, interceding for the forgiveness of the people, so that his knees became as callused as a camel's, because of the constant importuning he did and kneeling before God and asking forgiveness for the people. . . . And indeed, on account of his exceeding great piety, he was called the Just [Hebrew tzadik, Righteous One], and Oblias [i.e., "The Wall", meaning "steadfast or just] or Ozleam [i.e., "Protector"] which signifies justice and protection of the people; as the prophets declare concerning him" (Hegesippus in the fifth book of his lost commentaries, quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 2:23; 5:6). [ *** recheck wording,***]
After Jesus' death James became the leader of the Nazaraean movement (Acts12:17; 15:13-29; 21:18-26 & Gal. 1:19; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2:23). According to I Corinthians 15:7, James was one of those to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection.
In I Chorinthians 15:7, it is recorded that Jesus appeared to his brother James after the resurrection. The Gospel according to the Hebrews also provides more detailed information about this event:
"Now the Lord, when he had given the linen cloth to the servent of the priest, went to James and appeared to him (for James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour wherein he had drunk the Lord's cup until he should see him rise again from among them that sleep), and again after a little, "Bring you," said the Lord, a table and bread", and immediately it is added", "He took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to James the Just and said to him: "My brother, eat your bread, for the son of Man is risen from among them that sleep" (from the Gospel of the Hebrews, as quoted by Jerome in Of Illustrius Men 2).
According to the Gospel of Thomas, after the death of Jesus, leadership of his followers fell to his brother, James:
The students said to Y'shua: "We know you will leave us. Who is going to be our leader then?"
Y'shua said to them:"No matter where you reside, you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake
heaven and earth came into being." (The Gospel of Thomas, saying 12)
The leadership role referred to here is explained as that of the first Bishop of the Jersualem church by Eusebius and other second century writers. The Gospel According to the Hebrews, in a story that may also be referred to in 1 Cor. 15:17, also affirms James the Just as the leader of the Nazaereans after the crucifixion:
"Now the Lord, when he had given the linen cloth to the servent of the priest, went to James and appeared to him (for James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour wherein he had drunk the Lord's cup until he should see him rise again from among them that sleep), and again after a little, "Bring you," said the Lord, a table and bread", and immediately it is added", "He took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to James the Just and said to him: "My brother, eat your bread, for the son of Man is risen from among them that sleep" (Quoted by Jerome; Of Illustrious Men 2).
"But James, the brother of the Lord, who, as there were many of his name, was surnamed the Just by all, from the days of our Lord until now, received the government of the assembly with the emissaries. This emissary was holy from his mother's womb; he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat meat; nor razor touched his head, nor did he anoint himself with oil, and never used a bath [i.e., he did not go to the public warm baths, since we know from other sources that he bathed daily in cold water]. He alone was allowed to enter into the Place of Holiness [the Holy of Holies of the Temple], for he did not wear wool, but linen [the clothing of a High Priest], and he used to enter the Temple alone, and was often found upon his bended knees, interceding for the forgiveness of the people, so that his knees became as callused as a camel's, because of the constant importuning he did and kneeling before God and asking forgiveness for the people. . . . And indeed, on account of his exceeding great piety, he was called the Just [Hebrew tzadik, Righteous One], and Oblias [i.e., "The Wall", meaning "steadfast or just] or Ozleam [i.e., "Protector"] which signifies justice and protection of the people; as the prophets declare concerning him" (Hegesippus in the fifth book of his lost commentaries, quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 2:23; 5:6). [ *** recheck wording,***]
After Jesus' death James became the leader of the Nazaraean movement (Acts12:17; 15:13-29; 21:18-26 & Gal. 1:19; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2:23). According to I Corinthians 15:7, James was one of those to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection.
In I Chorinthians 15:7, it is recorded that Jesus appeared to his brother James after the resurrection. The Gospel according to the Hebrews also provides more detailed information about this event:
"Now the Lord, when he had given the linen cloth to the servent of the priest, went to James and appeared to him (for James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour wherein he had drunk the Lord's cup until he should see him rise again from among them that sleep), and again after a little, "Bring you," said the Lord, a table and bread", and immediately it is added", "He took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to James the Just and said to him: "My brother, eat your bread, for the son of Man is risen from among them that sleep" (from the Gospel of the Hebrews, as quoted by Jerome in Of Illustrius Men 2).
According to the Gospel of Thomas, after the death of Jesus, leadership of his followers fell to his brother, James:
The students said to Y'shua: "We know you will leave us. Who is going to be our leader then?"
Y'shua said to them:"No matter where you reside, you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake
heaven and earth came into being." (The Gospel of Thomas, saying 12)
The leadership role referred to here is explained as that of the first Bishop of the Jersualem church by Eusebius and other second century writers. The Gospel According to the Hebrews, in a story that may also be referred to in 1 Cor. 15:17, also affirms James the Just as the leader of the Nazaereans after the crucifixion:
"Now the Lord, when he had given the linen cloth to the servent of the priest, went to James and appeared to him (for James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour wherein he had drunk the Lord's cup until he should see him rise again from among them that sleep), and again after a little, "Bring you," said the Lord, a table and bread", and immediately it is added", "He took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to James the Just and said to him: "My brother, eat your bread, for the son of Man is risen from among them that sleep" (Quoted by Jerome; Of Illustrious Men 2).
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The last reference to the Jerusalem church in the Christian scriptures is the reference to Paul's visit there in 57 C.E. At this time, James was still the Bishop of the Hebrew congregation there. Not many years after this, Peter, Paul, and James were martyred. Little is known of the first two deaths. Eusebius records only that "in his [Nero's] time Paul was beheaded in Rome and Peter was likewise crucified" (Eusebius, EH 2:25). The Epistle of Clement, 5. "Let us set before our eyes the good apostles: Peter, who because of unrighteous jealously suffered not one or two but many trials, and having thus given his testimony went to the glorious place which was his due. Through jealously and strife Paul showed the way to the prize of endurance; seven times he was in bonds, he was exiled, he was stoned, he was a herald both in the East and in the West, he gained the noble fame of his life, he taught righteousness to all the
world, and when he had reached the limits [literally, "pillars"] of the West he gave his testimony before the rulers, and thus passed from the world and was taken up into the Holy Place, -- the greatest example of endurance."
The PseudoClemintine Recognitions tells us a little of James's role as Bishop of the Jerusalem church. He received reports (I:66; cf. II:73), engaged in disputations (I:66-69), sent letters of authorization with official representatives (IV:35), and even gave specific tasks to Peter (I:72). James is referred to as "chief of the bishops" and is described counterpart to "Caiaphas . . . the chief of the priests." His leadership role, even over the apostles, is also described in Acts 21:17-22:23 where he is the one who articulates the rules to be followed by nonJewish converts. He first enjoins Paul to disabuse Jewish followers of his rumoured abandonment of the Law by participating in and paying for the ritual purification of four men who have been observing a Nazarite vow, and continues by declaring, "But as for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled [i.e., meat from animals that had not been ritually slaughtered with a knife as required by the Law] and from fornication" (Acts 21:25).
world, and when he had reached the limits [literally, "pillars"] of the West he gave his testimony before the rulers, and thus passed from the world and was taken up into the Holy Place, -- the greatest example of endurance."
The PseudoClemintine Recognitions tells us a little of James's role as Bishop of the Jerusalem church. He received reports (I:66; cf. II:73), engaged in disputations (I:66-69), sent letters of authorization with official representatives (IV:35), and even gave specific tasks to Peter (I:72). James is referred to as "chief of the bishops" and is described counterpart to "Caiaphas . . . the chief of the priests." His leadership role, even over the apostles, is also described in Acts 21:17-22:23 where he is the one who articulates the rules to be followed by nonJewish converts. He first enjoins Paul to disabuse Jewish followers of his rumoured abandonment of the Law by participating in and paying for the ritual purification of four men who have been observing a Nazarite vow, and continues by declaring, "But as for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled [i.e., meat from animals that had not been ritually slaughtered with a knife as required by the Law] and from fornication" (Acts 21:25).
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James the Just was very popular with the Jewish community in general. According to Eusebius, he was widely known in the Jewish community as "Rigteous and Oblias [meaning "bulwark of the people"]" Under his inflence the Nazarene movement grew until his death in 63 C.E, as Hegesippus goes on to say:
Some of the seven sects, therefore, of the people, mentioned by me above in my commentaries, asked him what was the door to Y'shua? and he answered: "That he was the Saviour." From which, some believed that Y'shua is the Messiah. But the aforementioned heresies did not believe either a resurrection, or that he was coming to give to every one according to his works; as many however, as did believe, did so on account of James. As there were many therefore of the rulers that believed, there arose a tumult among the Jews, Scribes and Pharisees, saying that there was danger, that the people would now expect Y'shua as the Messiah. They came therefore together, and said to James: "We entreat you, restrain the people, who are led astray after Y'shua, as if he were the Messiah. We entreat you to persuade all that are coming to the feast of the Passover rightly concerning Y'shua; for we all have confidence in you. For we and all the people hear the testimony that you are just, and you respect not persons. Persuade therefore the people not to be led astray by Y'shua, for we and all the people have great confidence in you. Stand therefore upon a wing of the Temple, that you may be conspicuous on high, and your words may be easily heard by all the people; for all the tribes have come together on account of the Passover, with some of the Gentiles also. The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees, therefore, placed James upon a wing of the Temple, and cried out to him: "Oh you just man, whom we ought all to believe, since the people are led astray after Y'shua that was crucified, declare to us what is the door to Y'shua that was crucified." And he answered with a loud voice, "Why do you ask me respecting Y'shua the Son of Man? He is now sitting in the heavens, on the right hand of Great Power, and is about to come on the clouds of heaven." (Ps. 110:1 & Dan. 7:13). And as many were confirmed, and glorified in this testimony of James, and said, Hosanna to the son of David, these same priests ans Pharisees said to one another: "We have done badly in affording such testimony to Y'shua, but let us go up and cast him down, that they may dread to believe in him." And they cried out: "Oh, oh, the Just himself is deceived," and they fulfilled that which is written in Isaiah: Let us take away the just, because he is offensive to us; wherefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings [Is. 3:10].
"Going up therefore, they cast down the just man, saying to one another: "Let us stone James the Just." And they began to stone him, as he did not die immediately when cast down; but turning round, he knelt down saying, "I entreat you, O Lord God and Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Thus they were stoning him, when one of the priests of the sons of Recheb, a son of the Rechabites, spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet, cried out saying: "Cease, what are you doing? Justus is praying for you." And one of them, a fuller, beat out the brains of Justus with the club that he used to beat out clothes. Thus he suffered martyrdom, and they buried him on the spot where his tombstone is still remaining, by the Temple. He bacame a faithful witness, both to the Jews and the Greeks, that Y'shua is the Messiah. Immediately after this, Vespian invaded and took Judea. (Hegesippus as quoted by Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2:23)
Josephus also records the death of James the Just this way:
Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he [the High Priest Ananus] assembled the sanhedrin of the judges, and brought before them the brother of Y'shua, who was called Messiah, whose name was James, and some others, [or some of his companions;] and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done. (Josephus, Antiquities 20:9:1)
According to Eusebius, his version of Josephus's works contained the following in relation to the destruction of Jeusalem and the Temple in 70 C.E.:
"These things happened to the Jews to avenge James the Just, who was brother of him that is called the Messiah, and whom the Jews had slain, not withstanding his pre-eminant justice." (Josephus quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 2:23)
Some of the seven sects, therefore, of the people, mentioned by me above in my commentaries, asked him what was the door to Y'shua? and he answered: "That he was the Saviour." From which, some believed that Y'shua is the Messiah. But the aforementioned heresies did not believe either a resurrection, or that he was coming to give to every one according to his works; as many however, as did believe, did so on account of James. As there were many therefore of the rulers that believed, there arose a tumult among the Jews, Scribes and Pharisees, saying that there was danger, that the people would now expect Y'shua as the Messiah. They came therefore together, and said to James: "We entreat you, restrain the people, who are led astray after Y'shua, as if he were the Messiah. We entreat you to persuade all that are coming to the feast of the Passover rightly concerning Y'shua; for we all have confidence in you. For we and all the people hear the testimony that you are just, and you respect not persons. Persuade therefore the people not to be led astray by Y'shua, for we and all the people have great confidence in you. Stand therefore upon a wing of the Temple, that you may be conspicuous on high, and your words may be easily heard by all the people; for all the tribes have come together on account of the Passover, with some of the Gentiles also. The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees, therefore, placed James upon a wing of the Temple, and cried out to him: "Oh you just man, whom we ought all to believe, since the people are led astray after Y'shua that was crucified, declare to us what is the door to Y'shua that was crucified." And he answered with a loud voice, "Why do you ask me respecting Y'shua the Son of Man? He is now sitting in the heavens, on the right hand of Great Power, and is about to come on the clouds of heaven." (Ps. 110:1 & Dan. 7:13). And as many were confirmed, and glorified in this testimony of James, and said, Hosanna to the son of David, these same priests ans Pharisees said to one another: "We have done badly in affording such testimony to Y'shua, but let us go up and cast him down, that they may dread to believe in him." And they cried out: "Oh, oh, the Just himself is deceived," and they fulfilled that which is written in Isaiah: Let us take away the just, because he is offensive to us; wherefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings [Is. 3:10].
"Going up therefore, they cast down the just man, saying to one another: "Let us stone James the Just." And they began to stone him, as he did not die immediately when cast down; but turning round, he knelt down saying, "I entreat you, O Lord God and Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Thus they were stoning him, when one of the priests of the sons of Recheb, a son of the Rechabites, spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet, cried out saying: "Cease, what are you doing? Justus is praying for you." And one of them, a fuller, beat out the brains of Justus with the club that he used to beat out clothes. Thus he suffered martyrdom, and they buried him on the spot where his tombstone is still remaining, by the Temple. He bacame a faithful witness, both to the Jews and the Greeks, that Y'shua is the Messiah. Immediately after this, Vespian invaded and took Judea. (Hegesippus as quoted by Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2:23)
Josephus also records the death of James the Just this way:
Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he [the High Priest Ananus] assembled the sanhedrin of the judges, and brought before them the brother of Y'shua, who was called Messiah, whose name was James, and some others, [or some of his companions;] and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done. (Josephus, Antiquities 20:9:1)
According to Eusebius, his version of Josephus's works contained the following in relation to the destruction of Jeusalem and the Temple in 70 C.E.:
"These things happened to the Jews to avenge James the Just, who was brother of him that is called the Messiah, and whom the Jews had slain, not withstanding his pre-eminant justice." (Josephus quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 2:23)
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The Jerusalem church was largely scattered after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Luke had written that the Jerusalem Christians had fled Jerusalem before its fall because of a prophecy of Jesus:"And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains..." (Luke 21:20-21a). Mark 13:14 and Matt 24:16 record a similar oracle by Jesus.
According to the fourth century church historian Epiphanius, the early Christians did, indeed, flee Jerusalem: "When the city was about to be conquered by the Romans all the disciples were warned by an angel to remove from the city which was shortly to be destroyed. They became refugees and settled in Pella, a town in Transjordan belonging to the Decapolis" which lies about fifty miles north of Khirbit Qumran and about seventeen miles south of the Sea of Galilee.
The earliest nonscriptural reference to the flight to Pella may be in the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions (I, 36 and 39), although the statement is not explicit enough to be certain: "Everyone who, believing in the Prophet who had been foretold by Moses, is baptized in His name, shall be kept unhurt from the destruction of war which impends over the unbelieving and the place itself."
Eusibius, in the fourth century, is the first to explicitly mention the exodus: "The people belonging to the church at Jerusalem had been ordered by an oracle revealed to approved men on the spot before the war broke out, to leave the city and dwell in a town of Peraea called Pella" (EH III:5).
According to the fourth century church historian Epiphanius, the early Christians did, indeed, flee Jerusalem: "When the city was about to be conquered by the Romans all the disciples were warned by an angel to remove from the city which was shortly to be destroyed. They became refugees and settled in Pella, a town in Transjordan belonging to the Decapolis" which lies about fifty miles north of Khirbit Qumran and about seventeen miles south of the Sea of Galilee.
The earliest nonscriptural reference to the flight to Pella may be in the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions (I, 36 and 39), although the statement is not explicit enough to be certain: "Everyone who, believing in the Prophet who had been foretold by Moses, is baptized in His name, shall be kept unhurt from the destruction of war which impends over the unbelieving and the place itself."
Eusibius, in the fourth century, is the first to explicitly mention the exodus: "The people belonging to the church at Jerusalem had been ordered by an oracle revealed to approved men on the spot before the war broke out, to leave the city and dwell in a town of Peraea called Pella" (EH III:5).
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The Damascus Document of the Qumran sect provides a possible link between them and the Nazarenes who fled Jerusalem, since its authors describe themselves as "those who escaped to the north" and formed a "New Covenant in the Land of Damascus" which includes the territory from the city of Damascus about 85 miles north of Pela and Pela itself. The possible identity of the Qumran sect as a branch of the Nazaraeans is intriguing but ellusive. Both fled to land in Coele-Syria, the Syrian frontier lands north of Jerusalem. Both spoke of a New Covenant.
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Because of Jewish persecution of the Nazoraeans and the political turmoil that culminated in the reconquest of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., no immediate successor was appointed in the Jerusalem church. This changed after the return to Jerusalem, where a Jewish church was reestablished and continued to exist until the revolt of 135 C.E. According to Eusebius, after the death of James, the Apostles selected Simeon, a cousin of Jesus, to fill the position of Bishop over the believers in Jerusalem:
"After the martyrdom of James and the capture of Jerusalem which instantly followed, there is a firm tradition that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord who were still alive assembled from all parts together with those who, humanly speaking, were kinsmen of the Lord--for most of them were still living and they all took counsel together concerning whom they should judge worthy to succeed James and to the unanimous tested approval it was decided that Symeon son of the Clopas, mentioned in the gospel narrative, was worthy to occupy the throne [i.e., the position of Bishop] of the Jerusalem see. He was, so it is said, a cousin of the savior, for Hegesippus relates that Clopas was the brother of Joseph" (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History. 3.11.1)
"After the martyrdom of James and the capture of Jerusalem which instantly followed, there is a firm tradition that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord who were still alive assembled from all parts together with those who, humanly speaking, were kinsmen of the Lord--for most of them were still living and they all took counsel together concerning whom they should judge worthy to succeed James and to the unanimous tested approval it was decided that Symeon son of the Clopas, mentioned in the gospel narrative, was worthy to occupy the throne [i.e., the position of Bishop] of the Jerusalem see. He was, so it is said, a cousin of the savior, for Hegesippus relates that Clopas was the brother of Joseph" (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History. 3.11.1)
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The election of Simeon had not been uncontested. Another candidate, Thebouthis, was also considered, but Simeon was selected specifically because he, unlike Thebouthis, was according to Eusebius (who is quoting Hegesippus) "another cousin of the Lord" (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 4:22, 4ff). Thus, leadership of the movement continued to be held by kinsmen of Jesus. In fact, Eusebius quotes (Ecclesiastical History 4.22). This passing of leadership to other relatives is reminiscent of the same dynastic pattern that is seen later in Islam. The kinsmen of Jesus held a special reverence in the early church. They were known as the desposyni, a Greek term meaning "beloved of the Lord."
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