Introduction |
Conclusion |
Essenes |
Teaching |
References
Introduction
This page looks at the Ebionites, who seem to have emerged as a Christian sect in the first century CE. They apparntly rejected the teachings of Paul, and did not believe that Jesus was the "virgin born" son of God - and thus were possible forerunners of the Arian heresy.
Until the discovery of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" at Qumran, the Ebionites were only known through the hostile works of early Christian writers. Origen (c. 185-232 CE) describes them two groups of heretics: one a Judaic believing that Jesus was a miracle working prophet, and the other a gnostic sect believing Christ to be a spirit. Both seem to have rejected Paul as an apostle [ee]. Earlier writers tended to call the former sect "Ebionites" and the later "Nazarenes", but the distinction (and when it arose) is unclear. [ce].
The Essenes and the Ebionites
The Ebionites seem to have arisen from the Essenes [re], who themselves were described by Josephus as one of the four main sects of Judaism - the others being Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots. [te].
The Essenes seem to have first appeared in the years after 200 BCE. They were led by a figure known as "the Teacher of Righteousness", and had beliefs very similar to those later attributed to Jesus. They referred to themselves as "brother" and "sister"; rejected the authority of the High Priests; and opposed divorce. The "Righteous Teacher" is believed to have promised that two Messiahs would come to save the Essenes within a generation, before he was killed by the Hasmonean King and Priests possibly at the instigation of the Pharisees [ae].
Dr James Tabor of the University of North Carolina explains:
"The Ebionite/Nazarene movement was made up of mostly Jewish/Israelite followers of John the Baptizer and later Jesus, who were concentrated in Palestine and surrounding regions and led by 'James the Just' (the oldest brother of Jesus), and flourished between the years 30-80 C.E. They were zealous for the Torah and continued to walk in all the mitzvot (commandments) as enlightened by their Rabbi and Teacher, but accepted non-Jews into their fellowship on the basis of some version of the Noachide Laws (Acts 15 and 21). The term Ebionite (from Hebrew 'Evyonim) means 'Poor Ones' and was taken from the teachings of Jesus: 'Blessed are you Poor Ones, for yours is the Kingdom of God' based on Isaiah 66:2 and other related texts that address a remnant group of faithful ones. Nazarene comes from the Hebrew word Netzer (drawn from Isaiah 11:1) and means 'a Branch' - so the Nazarenes were the 'Branchites' or followers of the one they believed to be the Branch. The term Nazarene was likely the one first used for these followers of Jesus, as evidenced by Acts 24:5 where Paul is called 'the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.'... So the term Nazarene is probably the best and broadest term for the movement, while Ebionite (Poor Ones) was used as well, along with a whole list of other terms: Saints, Children of Light, the Way, New Covenanters, et al. We also know from the book of Acts that the group itself preferred the designation 'The Way' (see Acts 24:14, 22, etc.). The term 'Christian,' first used in Greek speaking areas for the movement, actually is an attempt to translate the term Nazarene and basically means a 'Messianist.'" [te]
In short, Tebor posits that Christianity first arose from the Essene community at Qumran, based on teachings dating back to the mid-second century CE.
Ebionite Teaching
Although Irenaeus (c. 125-191 CE) refers to a Gospel used by the Ebionites, this survives only in fragments copied by Epiphanius - who was extremely hostile to their teachings. We do know that it is similar in content to the Gospel of Matthew, but that it contains no geneaology or birth narrative for Jesus. It presents both Jesus and John the Baptist as vegetarians, and has Jesus say that he has come to abolish sacrifices. Traditional scholars have suggested that it was written in Syria or Palestine in the mid-second century [ee].
The Ebionites taught that "Christ" was a supernatural entity which embued Jesus at his baptism, and left him at the crucifixion [ge]. they referred to Jesus as "son of Man". (It is interesting to note that other characters in the Old Testament were referred to as "son of God") [tj]. Most tellingly, it is unclear whether the Ebionites believed in the physical resurrection of Jesus [me].
The sect appears to have fractured in to Gnostic and Arian traditions, as the now-orthodox traditions of Christianity took control from second century CE onwards.
Conclusion
The Ebionites are candidates for being the first "Christians". Their community existed from around 200 BCE onwards, and was led by the "Righteous Teacher", and then perhaps by John the Baptist, and then perhaps by a teacher called Jesus.
Although their history and beliefs in uncertain, the Ebionites clearly present a different version of the birth of Christianity from the now traditional view.
Please mail me with any comments of further information.
References
- Nazarenes and Ebionites - An Introduction, AncientPaths.org. [ae]
- Ebionites, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908. [ce]
- Ebionites, Encyclopedia.com. [ee]
- The Messiah Papers, Genesis of Eden Diversity Encyclopedia. [ge]
- The First Church: The Convocation at Pentecost, Mystae.com. [me]
- Ebionites, Dr M D Magee, Christianity Revealed, Askwhy Publications [re]
- Nazarenes and Ebionites, Dr James Tabor, University of North Carolina [te]
- The Nazarenes (The Ebionites), Tomb of Jesus.com [tj]
- The Gospel of the Ebionites, EarlyChristianWritings.com [we]
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