Quite right. The Latin term "Judea" described this Roman province. Prior to this the Greeks called this region 'Idumea', which means -- land of the Edomites. Since the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar, the predominant population was Babylon's ally the Edomite. They were rewarded the spoils of war and the vacated land of Judah. King Herod himself was an Edomite. The cultural mores of that time dictated that one does not rise to power unless they were of kinship of the population. The temple itself was referred to as "Herod's temple" because Herod heavily contributed to it. In 66 CE, when the Roman general Vespasian swept into Jerusalem, Judaism was a cultic, oral religion, with Herod's massive temple as its lodestar. Everything happened in the temple complex. Even today, Judaism is 95% Pharisaism.
The above epitomized what Jesus experienced earlier. During the blessed time of Jesus, Pharisaism was a cultic, oral religion, with Herod's massive temple as its lodestar. Everything happened in the temple complex. The temple did not represent God's truth (much like we are seeing today in many Christian churches). However, the rites and sacrifices made in the temple were blasphemous to God. What were these transgressions to which the massive temple was utterly destroyed, in which Flavius Josephus recorded that it was erased and no one could tell it ever existed? He himself as a boy went to the temple and grew up there.
The Israelites during Jesus' time were actually a very small minority and most of them settled in the area of the Sea of Galilee.
Most Christians don't realize Judaism is a newer religion than Christianity is and Christianity has NEVER been based on Judaism. This is a inconvenient truth and publicly a taboo subject. Believe it or not, Judaism was created to confront the spread of Christianity - using the Bible as a prop and also to conceal Judaism's ritualistic practice of blood-letting. The proof is of course in writing and can be found in Judaism's foundational Passover text.
Judaism's foundational Passover text is not from the Old Testament but rather the Haggadah, a thoroughly Talmudic work. (M. Hoffman III, "Judaism Discovered"). The Talmud was compiled as a result of the absolute destruction of Herod’s temple, in which every stone was carried away leaving no trace of it’s existence. In it we learn:
In 70 CE, Vespasian's son Titus razed the massive temple to the ground. A quote from the Talmud:
"Where was God under the rubble?" wondered the Rabbis. "How to praise him now that the temple was gone?" The sages agreed: Jews would have to BECOME a people of the book, or they would disappear.
Hence, they were NOT a people of the book before this time.
Jesus work was always concerning the Israelites. "But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me." -- John 10:26-27
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” -- Matthew 15:24
Quite right. The Latin term "Judea" described this Roman province. Prior to this the Greeks called this region 'Idumea', which means -- land of the Edomites. Since the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar, the predominant population was Babylon's ally the Edomite. They were rewarded the spoils of war and the vacated land of Judah. King Herod himself was an Edomite. The cultural mores of that time dictated that one does not rise to power unless they were of kinship of the population. The temple itself was referred to as "Herod's temple" because Herod heavily contributed to it. In 66 CE, when the Roman general Vespasian swept into Jerusalem, Judaism was a cultic, oral religion, with Herod's massive temple as its lodestar. Everything happened in the temple complex.
During the blessed time of Jesus, Pharisaism was a cultic, oral religion, with Herod's massive temple as its lodestar. Everything happened in the temple complex. The temple did not represent God's truth (much like we are seeing today in many Christian churches). However, the rites and sacrifices made in the temple were blasphemous to God. What were these transgressions to which the massive temple was utterly destroyed, in which Flavius Josephus recorded that it was erased and no one could tell it ever existed? He himself as a boy went to the temple and grew up there.
The Israelites during Jesus' time were actually a very small minority and most of them settled in the area of the Sea of Galilee.
Most Christians don't realize Judaism is a newer religion than Christianity is and Christianity has NEVER been based on Judaism. This is a inconvenient truth and publicly a taboo subject. Believe it or not, Judaism was created to confront the spread of Christianity - using the Bible as a prop and also to conceal Judaism's ritualistic practice of blood-letting. The proof is of course in writing and can be found in Judaism's foundational Passover text.
Judaism's foundational Passover text is not from the Old Testament but rather the Haggadah, a thoroughly Talmudic work. (M. Hoffman III, "Judaism Discovered"). The Talmud was compiled as a result of the absolute destruction of Herod’s temple, in which every stone was carried away leaving no trace of it’s existence. In it we learn:
In 70 CE, Vespasian's son Titus razed the massive temple to the ground. A quote from the Talmud:
"Where was God under the rubble?" wondered the Rabbis. "How to praise him now that the temple was gone?" The sages agreed: Jews would have to BECOME a people of the book, or they would disappear.
Hence, they were NOT a people of the book before this time.
Jesus work was always concerning the Israelites. "But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me." -- John 10:26-27
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” -- Matthew 15:24