Hiding Christ’s Jewish Heritage
“Seldom does it dawn upon the traditional Christian
the fact that Christ, as depicted in the New Testament,
was a faithful “Orthodox Jew” with a completely
different “religious belief system” than that of
a typical Christian today.”
—RETURNING TO THE JEWISH ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY
Craig M. Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
“Christianity has its roots in Judaism
and in the Jewish people.”
—RETURNING TO THE JEWISH ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY
Craig M. Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
“In The New Testament – all the disciples of Christ
were Jewish. The very concept of a Messiah is
nothing but Jewish. It was Jews who brought the
“good news” to the Gentiles. The Lord’s Supper is
rooted in the Jewish Passover and Sabbath traditions
and the entire “New Testament” is built on the Hebrew
Bible.
—RETURNING TO THE JEWISH ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY
Craig M. Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
“the first generation of Christians regarded themselves
as faithful Jews, and saw their faith and hope in the
Jewish Messiah as the fulfillment of Judaism.
So when we start thinking about Christianity,
we have to understand its very Jewish roots…”
—RETURNING TO THE JEWISH ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY
Craig M. Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
“Three hundred years after the death of Christ –
the Roman Empire altered the teachings of the
Messiah – almost beyond recognition – as it
conformed it to their already existing pagan ideas
surrounding their sungods.”
—JESUS’ RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM
DID YOU KNOW IT CHANGED?
WHO DID IT…AND WHEN?
Craig M. Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
The “Christianity” Constantine endorsed
was different from that practiced by Christ
and the apostles. The emperor accelerated
the change by his own hatred of Jews.
“Constantine himself said, “Let us then have
nothing in common with the detestable Jewish
crowd.”
-(Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3, 18-19,
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 1979,
second series, Vol. 1, pp. 524-525).
“Christianity, in its earliest beginnings,
was part of Judaism… it was a sect, among
a number of varieties of Judaism in the Roman Empire.”
—The First Christians
Wrestling with their Jewish Heritage
Wayne A. Meeks:
Woolsey Professor
Biblical Studies Yale University
“as late as the 4th and 5th century, we have evidence
of Christians still existing within Jewish communities,
and we have evidence of members of Christian communities
participating in Jewish festivals.”
—The First Christians
Wrestling with their Jewish Heritage
Wayne A. Meeks:
Woolsey Professor
Biblical Studies Yale University
“the tensions that most people associate between
Jews and Christians do not occur before the fourth
century, when Christianity becomes the official
religion of the Roman Empire, under Constantine.”
— Early Tension between Christians and Jews
Eric Meyers: Professor of Religion and Archaeology
Duke University
“The real secret of Constantine and the bishops of Rome
is their cunning introduction of sun worship and paganism
into Christianity. It was done so shrewdly that,
incredibly, it has been veiled within the faith for
centuries. Through Constantine, paganism and Christianity
joined hands in the Roman Empire.”
–Beyond The Da Vinci Code
by Alan Parker, Th.D
“Among the contemporaries of John the Baptist
was a young man named Joshua (Jehoshua), a name
which was later translated into Greek as Jesus.”
-Jews and Christians in Rome’s Golden Age
by Frank E. Smitha
“Like the Essenes and John the Baptist,
Jesus was a devout Jew. He claimed that he
had come to fulfill Judaic law and the word
of the prophets, and he preached in Synagogues.
He commanded his listeners to follow the
commandments of God.”
-Jews and Christians in Rome’s Golden Age
by Frank E. Smitha
“The fact that Jesus (Jehoshua) was a Jew
has not gone unrecognized. Libraries and
bookstores are replete with volumes bearing
such (information)…. The point is more than
simply a historical observation. The claim that
“Jesus was a Jew” may be historically true,
but it is not central to the teaching of the church.
The problem is more than one of silence.
In the popular Christian imagination,
Jesus still remains defined, incorrectly…”
-The Christian Century
Misusing Jesus
How the church divorces Jesus from Judaism
by Amy-Jill Levine
“When Jesus was arrested and executed,
his followers scattered to their homes,
but soon they gathered again in Jerusalem.
As Jews they continued to worship at
Jerusalem’s temple…. They saw themselves
as a group favored by Yahweh(Jehovah) within
Judaism. According to the New Testament…
they looked forward to a second coming
of Jesus(Jehoshua) since his resurrection and to his
bringing with him the new order that Jews
had been expecting with the Messiah.”
-Jews and Christians in Rome’s Golden Age
by Frank E. Smitha
“During the first century, the followers of Jesus
saw themselves as righteous members of God’s chosen
people of Israel. Luke was among these followers,
declaring that the followers of Jesus had inherited
Israel’s legacy as God’s chosen people.”
-Jews and Christians in Rome’s Golden Age
by Frank E. Smitha
“Among the new converts were Jews from
outside Judea — people referred to in Acts 6
of the New Testament…Peter and his group
traveled from one Jewish community to another
in cities along the coast of the eastern
Mediterranean Sea. They proselytized with
greater zeal than did the Jews in Jerusalem.
In the Jewish communities of these cities
the number of believers in Jesus (Jehoshua)
the Messiah – grew in numbers.”
-Jews and Christians in Rome’s Golden Age
by Frank E. Smitha
From a “Hebrew-Based” Religion
to a “Pagan-Roman Farce”
“Roman authorities viewed the spread of Judaism
as a threat to Rome. Jews were scorned for
refusing to burn incense before the emperor’s statue
— worse than Americans refusing to salute their flag.
Jews, including the followers of Jesus… were disliked
for their quarrelsome denunciations of gods other
than Yahweh (Jehovah), and they were often the
targets of mockery and violence.”
-Jews and Christians in Rome’s Golden Age
by Frank E. Smitha
“The Romans absorbed the Greek prejudices
against the Jews…..”
-Judeophobia – History and analysis
of Anti-semitism, Jew-Hate and anti-“Zionism”
Chapter 2 – in the Pagan Ancient World –
Alexandria and Rome
by Gustavo Perednik
” With the supposed conversion of the Roman
Emperor Constantine, the nature of Christianity
began to undergo a rapid and radical transformation.
In the year AD 325, the Council of Nicea was called
together by the new Emperor. The anti-Israel spirit
of this meeting can be seen in some of the statements
of the council : “Let us then have nothing in common
with the most hostile rabble of the Jews…. let us
withdraw ourselves… from that most odious fellowship
of the Jews.” The triumphalistic Church of Constantine
was now effectively cut off from its Jewish roots.
It would receive its sustenance from the
Greco-Roman and pagan culture around it.
It could no longer be truly biblically-based.
The trend would continue to modern times.”
-HOW DID A NICE JEWISH CHURCH
BECOME GENTILE?
by Jim Gerrish
“Now the Church had behind it the full power
of the Roman Empire. Any dissent would be
looked upon as criminal. From this point on
the sword of the Empire and not the sword
of the Spirit would determine church doctrine
and practice. There is no doubt that this council
was an important turning point in the history
of the Church. Israel was cast aside and the
Church officially became the (tool of Rome).
The triumphalistic Church of Constantine was now
effectively cut off from its Jewish roots.
It would receive its sustenance from the
Greco-Roman and pagan culture around it.
It could no longer be truly biblically-based.”
-HOW DID A NICE JEWISH CHURCH
BECOME GENTILE?
by Jim Gerrish
“The traditional Christian Church has forgotten,
and even rejected, her Jewish roots.”
-The History of The Church vs The Synagogue
by Wayne Bedwell
“The name ‘Jesus’ is derived from the
ancient Hebrew name “Jehoshua”.”
-Smiths Bible Dictionary
“The word ‘Jesus’ is the transliteration
of the Hebrew ‘Jehoshua’, meaning ‘Jehovah
is Salvation’. ”
-The Carholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 8, p. 374
” ‘Jesus’ was not the Messiah’s name
when He walked the earth.”
-The True Name of The Messiah
by Neil Bornhoft
Attempts to Destroy Knowledge
of Christ’s True Name
and His Jewish Heritage
“IN 1415,THE CHURCH OF ROME
TOOK AN EXTRAORDINARY STEP
TO destroy all knowledge of two Second Century
Jewish books that it said contained ‘the true name
of Christ.’
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“Later, in a similar manner, Pope Alexander VI
(1492 –1503) ordered all copies of the Talmud
destroyed. The Council of the Inquisition required
as many Jewish writings as possible to burn with
the Spanish Grand Inquisitor, Tomas de Torquemada
(1420 –98), responsible for the elimination of 6000
volumes at Salamanca.”
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“In 1550,Cardinal Caraffa, the Inquisitor-General
procured a Bull from the Pope repealing all
previous permission for priests to read the
Talmud which he said contained ‘hostile stories
about Jesus Christ ’. Bursting forth with fury
at the head of his minions, he seized every copy
he could find in Rome and burnt them.
Solomon Romano (1554) also burnt many thousands
of Hebrew scrolls and in 1559 every Hebrew book
in the city of Prague was confiscated.”
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“The mass destruction of Jewish books
included hundreds of copies of the Old Testament
and caused the irretrievable loss of many original
hand-written documents. In an attempt by the church
to remove Rabbinic information about Jesus Christ
from the face of the earth, the Inquisition burnt
12,000 volumes of the Talmud.”
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“In the mass destruction of Jewish writings,
the church overlooked two particular British
documents that also recorded ‘the true name of
Jesus Christ ’. They survive to this day in
the British Museum and are called the Chronicles
and the Myvyean Manuscript treasured ancient
documents with a very early origin.”
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“Supporting evidence (for Christ’s True Name)
was also found on early First Century gold,
silver and bronze coins discovered at the site
of an ancient mint at Camulodunum (Colchester)
in Britain. “Thus the testimony of the Briton
coins establishes clearly and positively the
historicity of the traditional ancient ‘Chronicles ’
as authentic historical records.”
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“The evidence is compelling, and additional
supporting clues are found on a mysterious
headstone in Germany, in Vatican art treasures,
and in a series of coded sentences in the
Shakespearean Plays. Further concealed
information was left in the form of specially
created statues commissioned by a Catholic priest
and positioned in a small hilltop church in
Southern France. Coded ciphers were also
secreted into the first English-language
printings of the Bible and a combination
of all clues provides interlocking information
and presents a new insight into the origin of
Christianity (and of Christ’s True Name.”
-What Was The Church Trying to Hide?
by Tony Bushby
“Two things indicate that Yehoshua
is the proper Hebrew name for Jesus.
Thus, it can be concluded that in
post-exilic times of the Biblical era,
the names Yeshua and Yehoshua were regarded
as equivalent.”
– The Names Yeshua and Yehoshua
Yehoshua in the Septuagint
Yehoshua in the Hebrew Bible
by Dr. James Price, professor of Hebrew
“(From A.D. 200 to 500 ancient rabbis compiled
their commentaries on the Bible, Jewish social
customs and historical events in the Talmud.
Because it was compiled by rabbis who were
leaders in rabbinical academies, the Talmud
is considered to be very authoritative by Jews,
even to this day. “
—[Missler, Chuck,
“The Creator Beyond Time and Space”,
1996 The Word For Today, p.165]
“As far as the Talmud is concerned,
it is evident that the old uncensored editions
of the Talmud associated Jesus of Nazareth
with the name Jehoshua. This is demonstrated
by the following passage: Sotah 47a
Our Rabbis have taught: Always let the left
hand thrust away and the right hand draw near.
Not like Elisha who thrust Gehazi away with both
his hands and not like ‘ Jehoshua b. Perahiah
who thrust one of his disciples away with both
his hands).11 Here, the editor’s footnote reads:
[(11) MSS. and old editions read Jesus (Jehoshua)
the Nazarene. R. T. Herford sees in Gehazi a
hidden reference to Paul. Cf. his Christianity
in Talmud and Midrash, pp. 97ff.] “
– –The Names Yeshua and Yehoshua
Yehoshua in the Septuagint
Yehoshua in the Hebrew Bible
by Dr. James Price, professor of Hebrew
“Another interesting passage indicates that
the Talmud recorded the changing of the spelling
of a name frp, Yehoshua to Yoshua. Arachim 32b
And the other?13 – He [Ezra] had prayed for mercy
because of the passion for idolatry and he removed
it, and his merit then shielded them even as
the booth. That is why Scripture reproved Joshua,
for in all other passages it is spelt : Jehoshua,
but here, Joshua.14 “
– –The Names Yeshua and Yehoshua
Yehoshua in the Septuagint
Yehoshua in the Hebrew Bible
by Dr. James Price, professor of Hebrew
“the Talmudic evidence indicates that
historically the Jews regarded the name
of Jesus as ‘Yehoshua’ 
.”
– The Names Yeshua and Yehoshua
Yehoshua in the Septuagint
Yehoshua in the Hebrew Bible
by Dr. James Price, professor of Hebrew
“The founder of Christianity never heard Himself
called ‘Jesus Christ’ during His life. He was known
by His Hebrew name Joshua (Jehoshua). Even after
the crucifixion, He was referred to as Joshua or
Jehoshua, the Messiah. It wasn’t until many years
later, when His name was changed into Greek, and
became Jesus the Christ.”
– Colliers magazine of Sept. 11, 1937
Paul Parnell
“It is interesting that throughout his life,
Jesus Christ never did hear himself called
by that name.”
— “Man’s Great Adventure,”
by Edwin W. Pharlow, professor of history,
Ohio State University.
“The plan of the Greeks was simple,
they merely dropped the Hebrew terminology
of names which referred to the Hebrew deity,
and substituted the name, or letters, referring
to the name of the supreme deity, Zeus.”
-The Faith Magazine
Volume 69
“It is known that the Greek name endings
with sus, seus, and sous which are phonetic
pronunciations for the chief Greek god of
Olympus – were attached by the Greeks
to names and geographical areas
as means to give honour to their
supreme deity, Zeus.”
-Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
by Professor J.C.J Melfurd (1983, pg 126)
“It is simply amazing to think that all
these years, hundreds of years, mankind
has been calling the Saviour by the wrong name!!
It’s hard to give up the name of Jesus
because it’s so deeply ingrained in us
and much has been said and done in that name.”
-Gospel of The Kingdom
True Names and Title
Dr. Henry Clifford Kinley
1931 – Ohio USA
“Thus the whole form and character
given to his church by Christ was destroyed
and lost. Messiah was dethroned.
It was no longer the church of Christ.
(Instead) It was fashioned upon the principles
of paganism… And upon this, it has been
since modeled…in every country!”
—Noel,
Union of Church and State, pg. 37
Rome Corrupted Christianity 