The Orthodox Netzarim were the original Torah followers of Rabbi Eashua (Jesus) of the first century C.E. This is fully documented by Rabbi Harvey Falk and others. The Religious Community of Orthodox Netzarim is a religious association of men and women, old and young, united in their commitment to Torah study. We are not associated with modern day Christianity, "Messianic" or any new age or new religious groups or cults.
In the city of Jerusalem, the organizational structure of the ecclesia and the party of the Nazarenes begin to take shape. As we have seen James the brother of Jesus becomes the opposition high priest to the temple priestly hierarchy of the Sadducees. The Deputy Sagan, the Apostle John and the Ab-Beth-Din, the Apostle Peter begins their services as leaders in the congregation which soon numbers between eight to ten thousand.
The Apostle Andrew apparently stays in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Matthew Levi the scribe and lawyer having good relationship with the Sadducee hierarchy make a good liaison public relations person with the Judean political leadership. Simon Zealotes, still a zealot for the Jewish cause remains in the political center of Judea and Judas Iscariot, the Sicarii, a man with murderous traits and traitor to his rabbinic master is found hanging from a tree. Was this intentional suicide or was he murdered by the Sicarii as a traitor to the cause of the zealots for turning Jesus over to the Sadducees and temple authorities to be put to the cross as a rebel aspirant to the throne of David.
Joseph of Arimathea, a Roman Decurion and protected under Roman law and also a confidant of Pilate was still living in the vicinity of Jerusalem. He, a former member of the Sanhedrin and the Jewish Senate was now a fully revealed follower of Jesus and was stripped of his Sanhedrin membership. Under his Roman protection Joseph of Arimathea was able to protect the Bethany family, the extended family of Jesus including the brothers of Christ, Mary the mother of Jesus, Cleopas the brother to Joseph, Jesus’ father, Salome and the Zebedee family who were also relatives found respite from Jewish Sadducean persecution because of the powerful status of Joseph of Arimathea in the government of Rome.
According to the Life of St. Mary Magdalene composed by Rabanus Maurus Archbishop of Mayence (776-856 CE) we have the history of the early ecclesia from the life of those closely associated with Mary Magdalene. The 16th century copy of the Life of St. Mary Magdalene is richly bound and ornate copy of Rabanus now in the Magdalene College Library at Oxford, contained six manuscripts and according to the author in the ‘Prologus’ stated that it was compiled from existing records and manuscripts of still older date.
According to the Homilies of Rabanus, the hereditary estates of Joseph of Arimathea, reputed to be one of the richest men in Jerusalem, and the Bethany family who were children of a Syrian governor were all liquidated and the proceeds of these estates were given to the ecclesia for the ministry of the poor. Lazarus quickly finds a responsible position as the first bishop of Bethany and the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha becomes a home ecclesia called a congregation and known for centuries later as a House of Prayer.
We are dedicated to living a Torah observant lifestyle in a modern day setting, without compromising God-given truths of the Scriptures, as taught by the historical teachers of the Torah including Rabbi Eashua (Jesus) and those whom he appointed.
The history of the early Nazarene Ecclesia began with one of the most amazing charismatic moments in religious history. There in the Upper Room at Pentecost the early apostles of the risen Christ were worshiping in ‘one accord’ when tongues of fire fell on all the occupants of that room on Mount Zion. This symbolized to them that the Lord of the heavens had sent His Shekinah or Ruach HaKodesh ( Holy Spirit) to confirm His presence within their midst. It was here that the Greek and the Jews become one in Eashua (Jesus).
Along with these sacred rituals came the confirmation that their salvation and forgiveness for sins came without the need of the ritual temple ‘sin’ offering sacrifice. Here the Nazarene religious beliefs merged with the Essene and Zadokite doctrines in opposition to the temple animal sacrificial system.
James the Just, the Tzadik and High Priest of the Nazarenes
With the Nazarenes, we are also introduced to the greatest tzaddik or righteous man outside of the The Orthodox Netzarim were the original Torah followers of Rabbi Eashua (Jesus) of the first century C.E. This is fully documented by Rabbi Harvey Falk and others. The Religious Community of Orthodox Netzarim is a religious association of men and women, old and young, united in their commitment to Torah study. We are not associated with modern day Christianity, "Messianic" or any new age or new religious groups or cults.
We are dedicated to living a Torah observant lifestyle in a modern day setting, without compromising God-given truths of the Scriptures, as taught by the historical teachers of the Torah including Rabbi Eashua (Jesus) and those whom he appointed. haMoschiach (Jesus the Messiah) that was known in the first century Judaism. Here on this same mount, James the Just (Ya’akov haTzaddik) and the apostles of Yahshua established a Nazarene community that in social culture appeared to be like the Essene commune in Qumran. It was a communistic community in which all believers shared common resources among themselves. They had a Sanhedrin of the Nazarenes patterned after the Great Sanhedrin of Judaism in Jerusalem. James the Just served as the nasi or high priest of the Nazarene sect of Jewish believers.
Three centuries later, the 4th century Christian historian, Epiphanius the bishop of Constantia, who despised the Jewish religion and all the various sects that surrounded it, made this statement about James the Just. Read closely how cogently the enemies of The Orthodox Netzarim were the original Torah followers of Rabbi Eashua (Jesus) of the first century C.E. This is fully documented by Rabbi Harvey Falk and others. The Religious Community of Orthodox Netzarim is a religious association of men and women, old and young, united in their commitment to Torah study. We are not associated with modern day Christianity, "Messianic" or any new age or new religious groups or cults.
We are dedicated to living a Torah observant lifestyle in a modern day setting, without compromising God-given truths of the Scriptures, as taught by the historical teachers of the Torah including Rabbi Eashua (Jesus) and those whom he appointed. A record of historical information that:
This Sanhedrin had argument after argument lined up…
from all sides he’d be bombarded by their words…
one question beginning before the last one ended…
and James, like his brother…
…was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. (IS 53:7)
Things would reach a fever pitch.Silence in the face of an attack can be most
convicting…and most infuriating.
Each member of the attacking swarm would vie for position…
to claim the perfect point, ask the pivotal question.
They’d also be jostling for a position near to James…
so that when he relented, they would be seen as victor…
anger on the rise, pushing and shoving replace arguments…
and the end comes soon after James says this…
Why do you ask me about Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits in
heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and he will soon
come on the clouds of heaven!
So similar to the words that Jesus said to set off his Sanhedrin:
You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power
and coming with the clouds of heaven. (MK 14:62).
Now, one time friends become wild accusers…
face to face, chest to chest, nose to nose…
arguments breaking out among themselves.
It’s recorded that they threw James from that pinnacle…
but it’s entirely possible that they just continued to push to
the edge and one person shoved…at just the wrong time.
And the description of the next step of pride…
written a thousand years ago by Bernard of Clairvaux…
