When the Kingdom of Judah returned from Babylon; after seventy years of captivity, they gradually regained nationhood. While in Babylon the Yehudi blended pagan and Hebraic beliefs into a system of oral teachings known as the tradition of the elders. (
Matthew 15:2-3)
Hasmonean John Hyrcanus; a dynamic priest-king of Judah, conquered the people directly to the south of Judah which were the Edomites. After thoroughly subjugating them, Hyrcanus gave the Edomites the choice of either death or conversion to the religion, language, and culture of Judah. This proved to be a catastrophic decision for the people of Judah, and a choice which Hyrcanus should have known as forbidden in Old Testament law (
Deuteronomy 7:1-5;
Leviticus 20:24,
Joshua 23:12-13;
Ezra 9:1-4;
Nehemiah 13:23-30). This is the point in history when the meaning of the names Judah, Judean, and Jew became convoluted. All citizens of Judea were Judean; however, not all citizens of Judea were descendants of Judah (Tribe).
There is Edom [Esau is called Edom in
Genesis 36:8]. And Edom is in 'Modern Jewry' Jewish Encyclopedia, 1925 edition, Vol. 5, p. 41. Even the encyclopedia on your shelf may inform you of these events, if one is sharp enough to understand the significance: “The Hasmonean dynasty conquered the Idumeans in the 100's B.C., and converted them to Judaism.” (World Book Encyclopedia, 1967, Vol. 6, p. 55)
The Romans, in the 1st century BCE, conquered much of the known world, ending the reign of the Greeks, as well as the reign of the Hasmonean dynasty in Israel. Around 40 BCE, the Roman Senate proclaimed Herod the Great as "King of the Jews." When Herod came to power, he solidified his position by bringing in relatives from Idumea and appointing many non-Judeans to important positions. And he killed the entire Sanhedrin except Hillel and Shammai. Herod was practicing Judaism, as many Edomites and Nabateans had been commingled with the Judeans and adopted their customs. The Edomites were called the Herodians in scripture and were politically aligned and supported Herod. The scriptures also prove many of the Pharisees were Edomites. The Pharisees told the Messiah that they had never gone into bondage. This could only apply to the Edomites living in Judea at this time, because the tribe of Judah was taken into captivity in 585 BC by Babylon.
John 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Two of the best known 18th century editions of the New Testament in English are the Rheims (Douai) Edition and the King James Authorized Edition and both contain the word “Jew." Yet, when the English language version of the Rheims (Douai) New Testament was first printed in 1582 the word "Jew" did NOT appear in it. Similarly the King James Authorized translation of the New Testament into English (begun in 1604) and first published in 1611, here too the word "Jew" did NOT appear. The original chroniclers used the Greek "Ioudaîos" to denote people who lived in Judaea, that is, in English, for "Judeans." The word "Jew" is a relatively modern invention used, seemingly indiscriminately and interchangeably, by 18th century redactors to describe Israelites, Judahites and Judeans.
The word, “Gentile”, originated from the Latin Vulgate translation, where the Roman doctrine claimed that Rome had inherited the promises made to Israel, that is, the Roman Church had become the “Israel” of the Bible. The inference of the word, “Gentile”, in the Roman Catholic context, is one who is “not of Rome”. In the English translations that were based upon the Latin Vulgate, this Latin word has carried on with a similar meaning but instead of meaning "not of Rome" it has become to mean "not of Israel". Gentile in Hebrew (Strong's H1471) Gowy, Gio, and Goyim means nation, people. And I will make of thee [Israel] a great nation (goy)... (
Genesis 12:2, KJV) The Greek word ethnos (Strong's 1484) literally means "nation." This word is used in the 2,000 year old Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word goy (Strong's 1471), which also means "nation." In the Greek texts the word Hellen = “Greek”, and is used thirty five times, but our translators have also chosen to translate this word (wrongly) as “gentile”, particularly in the Book of Romans. Ethnos and Hellen are quite different words! Consequently, the New Testament refers to two groups: The Uncircumcision (the Israelites outside the Judean nation) and the Circumcision (the Israelites inside the Judean nation). All of Paul’s writings were to the Israelites. He uses ethnos to refer to his outcast kinsmen of Israel because that is how they were addressed in the Old Testament Scriptures --
Genesis 19:4-6;
Psalm 22:27, 28;
Psalm 57: 9;
Psalm 67:4;
Psalm 81:8;
Psalm 108:3;
Psalm 117:1;
Isaiah 5:26;
Isaiah 11:12;
Isaiah 34:1;
Jeremiah 1:5,10. His children are still responsible to share the true light to all nations.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.
Many Christians today believe that Judaism is the faith of Hebrews or Israelites. But Judaism puts the Babylonian Talmud over the Tanakh or Old Testament. The Babylonian Talmud, composed of the Mishnah and the Gemara, was the final halachic authority in 500 CE that is accepted by the rabbis of Judaism. The Zohar (Kabbalah), come from nearly 1,600 years Judeans spent in plains of Shinar. Even their Rabbis know the distinction between Judaic and Hebraic teaching.
Rabbi Ben Zion Bokser wrote, "This is not an uncommon impression and one finds it sometimes among Jews as well as Christians. That Judaism is the religion of the Hebrew Bible. It is, of course, a fallacious impression. Judaism is not the religion of the Bible.” (Judaism and the Christian Predicament, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1967, p. 59).
Rabbi Moshe M. Maggal, President, National Jewish Information Service wrote: ". . . you will notice the great difference between the Jewish and Christian religions. But these are not all. We consider the two religions so different that one excludes the other . . . we emphasized that there is no such thing as a Judeo-Christian religion. There is not any similarity between the two concepts" (Letter of August 21, 1961).
The Mishna is a collection of rabbinic notes derived from the Jewish oral tradition. When Jesus walked the earth the Mishnah was known as the traditions of the elders. The Kabbalah is the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Old Testament was influenced by the mysticism of the Babylonian culture.
Matthew 15:2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, (Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?) 4. For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, and 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
When you combined the confusion of the Maccabean period; and Latin grammatical perversions of the modern era, you have created a counterfeit people who masquerade as “God’s Chosen People.” They are the Synagogue of Satan that Jesus referred to in Revelation chapters 2&3: verse 9. Look around and you will see the Antichrist Spirit of Judaism orchestrating Catholicism, Islam, Secret Societies and Governments to destroy the body of Christ in plain site by its hidden hand. This Kingdom of Iron and Clay; Rome and Edom, continues its deception on Christians who believe Judaism is Hebraism.
Selah