Changes

==Early history of Messianic Judaism==

==Early history of Messianic Judaism==

Messianic Judaism predates Christianity by several decades, and Christianity evolved from the Messianic Judaism of the first century. [[Jesus]] and his [[disciple]]s (''talmidim'') were all Jews; furthermore, as the Bible clearly states He came to earth to be the prophesied Messiah of Judaism, not to form a new religion. Whether the early Jewish followers of Jesus "left" Judaism to follow him is still debated today.

Following Messiah Yeshua's death and resurrection, his messiahship was proclaimed by these Jewish followers, called Nazarenes, who continued to observe Jewish law and worship in the [[synagogue]]. [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] informs us that they were based in [[Jerusalem]] under the leadership of [[Saint Peter|Simon bar Yona]]. As members of this group began to travel in order to spread the [[Gospel]], it began to drawm more members from among the [[Samaritans]] and provinces.  

The first people to be known as Christians were the Gentiles in [[Antioch]] ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2011:20,21,26;&version=9; Acts 11:20,21,26]) but Christianity was still widely considered to be a sect of Judaism. In 70 AD, the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] general [[Titus]] sacked the city of [[Jerusalem]] and the [[Second Temple]] was burned down. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews died during the revolt.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html ''The Great Revolt''] Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Many Jews were taken captive and deported to [[Italy]] where they were forced to build the [[Colosseum]] in [[Rome]]. The emperor [[Vespasian]] then introduced a tax (the "Fiscus Judaicus") to be paid by all Jews to finance the reconstruction of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Even after construction was completed, the tax was still levied, and was used as a measure to deter people from converting to Judaism.<ref>Lendering, Jona [http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/fiscus/judaicus.html ''Fiscus Judaicus''] "Articles on Ancient History" Livius. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Well into the second century, Gentile Christians were also required to pay the ''fiscus judaicus'' and persecuted as a sect of Judaism. To escape this persecution, Gentile Christians sought to widen the division between themselves and the Jews, and their practices became less and less Jewish.

The first people to be known as Christians were the Gentiles in [[Antioch]] (Acts 11:20,21,26) but Christianity was still widely considered to be a sect of Judaism. In 70 AD, the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] general [[Titus]] sacked the city of [[Jerusalem]] and the [[Second Temple]] was burned down. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews died during the revolt.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html ''The Great Revolt''] Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Many Jews were taken captive and deported to [[Italy]] where they were forced to build the [[Colosseum]] in [[Rome]]. The emperor [[Vespasian]] then introduced a tax (the "Fiscus Judaicus") to be paid by all Jews to finance the reconstruction of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Even after construction was completed, the tax was still levied, and was used as a measure to deter people from converting to Judaism.<ref>Lendering, Jona [http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/fiscus/judaicus.html ''Fiscus Judaicus''] "Articles on Ancient History" Livius. Accessed 18 February 2008</ref> Well into the second century, Gentile Christians were also required to pay the ''fiscus judaicus'' and persecuted as a sect of Judaism. To escape this persecution, Gentile Christians sought to widen the division between themselves and the Jews, and their practices became less and less Jewish.

==The wild olive branch==

==The wild olive branch==