When Yahushua (Jesus) arrived on the scene in the early first century and began preaching, he did so as a Jew in a Jewish context. His talmidim (disciples) we all Jews who practiced Judaism as it was understood in the second temple period. So how did what was simply another sect of Judaism become Christianity? What were the historical and theological changes that resulted in an anti-Semetic religion claiming a Jewish Messiah? This work, drawing on a variety of historical sources, traces the history of the Natzrim (the followers of the Nazarene) from "Pentecost" to Constantine. It explains the historical reasons for the abandonment of Judaism and the theological justifications developed to support it. In addition, it explains the role of Jew and Gentile in the early community and what they could or should be. The consequences of these changes were, and are, catastrophic for both Jew and Gentile. By understanding them, we can rebuild what Yahushua intended for his people.
