Ebionites

During the era of early Yahosheanism, there were adherents who observe the laws of Yahweh according to Prophet Moses of old but do not require to impose it on others.  There were other Yahosheans who believe the same law of Yahweh and want it to be obligatory upon all Yahosheans.  Yames the Just who was a biological relation to Yahoshea Meshiyach was one of the apostles that favoured observation to strict Hebrew religious tradition upon all converts though accepted the outcome of the first Council of Yerusalem that allowed freedom of non-“Yudaizing” to the gentile converts.

Origin of the Sect

One of the early related movements to Yahosheanism that prescribed for total Yudaizing of all converts was the Ebionites.  This movement was splinter group from the mainstream Yahosheanism during the 1st century Ad. The Ebionite movement was viewed from the Ptolemaic  perceptive of the early Apostolic Fathers who regarded it as a heretic as it rejected  some degree of generally held Yahoshealogy and having an improper fixation on the laws of Yahweh of the Prophet Moses covenant.

The name “Ebionite” was  taken from the Hebrew word, “Ebyonim” or Ebonim” that mean “the Poor” or “poor ones.” The term was often referred to early Yahosheans who were known for “voluntary poverty” and later became identical to a break-away group of the early Yahosheanism.

The Ebonites regarded Yames the Just as their religious model or leader although Yames did not lead such body. Rather,  he was the assembly leader to the mainstream Yahosheanism in Yerusalem.

Based on the true scriptures, Apostle Peter was appointed to lead the movement.  Later writings or account of the apostles expressed the prior roles of Yames the Just (relation to Yahoshea) and Yohanan (John) as pillars to the Yerusalem station of the movement.

During the first Council of Yerusalem, Apostle Paul urged for abrogation of the Hebrew religious laws upon the non Hebrew converts.  This position was supported by Peter who was a core Hebrew religious believer based on his dream and conversion of Cornelius the centurion.

Yames the just ruled the opinions in favour of exclusion of gentiles to Hebrew religious traditions prior to baptism.  This was an evidence that Yames was an important figure within the assembly station at the city of Yerusalem during the era of early apostles.

That may be the reason of the Apostolic fathers like Essebius subjected Yames as the Primate or Bishop of Yerusalem. After the murder of Yames the Just,  the movement fled to Pella-Jordan to escape the fury of the future Emperor Titus.  The movement was led by Symeon of Yerusalem to the Jordan territory.

After Bar-Kochba revolt, the Yerusalem was totally taken by Roman authority and expelled all Hebrews from the land and renamed the city as “Aelia Capitolina”. History bore that for the Yahosheanism of Yerusalem station to remain in the renamed city, it required its members to adopt Greek names and titles including the station leaders that later became known as Bishops or Primates in Christianity.

The Ebionites continued as the successors of the early apostles and adopted Yames the Just as their leader as they existed into 2nd and 3rd century AD. The movement  was listed as one of the heretic Schisms by the Roman church during the 4th century.

As narrated, the Ebionites claim to the dynasty of apostolic succession.  The Ebionites rejected Paul as one of the apostles and rejected all his works.  This was based on his role towards abolition of compulsory circumcision for non-Hebrew converts.

The Ebionites alleged that Paul was a Greek citizen who converted to Yudaism in order to marry a daughter of a Hebrew high priest of Hebrew but was rejected by the lady and such disappointment made Paul to abandon Yahudaism and became converted to Yahosheanism.  This allegation by the Ebionites was recorded by some apostolic father such as Epiphanus.

The Ebionites were terribly against Hellenism and many of them were murdered for such position.

Ebionite's View On Yahoshea's Nature

(Yahoshealogy)

The Ebionites held that Yahoshea Meshiyach was the adopted son of Yahweh and rejected many of the central view of Yahosheans over Yahoshea Meshiyach.  The Ebionites rejected the pre-existence and divinity of Yahoshea, his virgin birth, atoning death and physical resurrection.

The movement held that Yahoshea Meshiyach was the biological son of Miriam and Yoseph who by virtue of his righteousness was adopted or chosen by Yahweh to be the “Meshiyach” or prophet like Moses of old.

These were areas of distinction between Yahosheanism and Ebionites. Yahosheans held to high Yahoshealogy while the Ebionites held to low Yahoshealogy. Yahoshealogy means the “nature of Yahoshea” known as the “Christology” to the Christians.

Ebionite's Authority

The Ebionite was a growth from Yahosheanity after the first Hebrew – Roman War in 67-70 Ad.  It based on the religious model of Yames the Just and rejected the Pauline Yahosheanity.  The movement adopted the dynasty of apostolic succession of Yahoshea's relatives.  It strongly believe on the Hebrew religious practices and scriptures especially on areas not adulterated by the scribes and Pharisees.

The movement was strict on observation of commandments of Yahweh as covenanted with Prophet Moses. They prescribed that such was compulsory for all Hebrews and Gentiles that accept to Yahosheanism.  They believe that obedience to those laws are condition for one to be holy, righteous and be in communion with Yahweh. Like Yahosheans, the Ebionites hold to the tradition of legalism as against Gracean movement that was later adopted by Christianity.

 On New Testament Scriptures, the Ebonites accepted the only Hebrew or Aramaic version of the account of Matthew which it regard as the “Book of the Hebrews” as additional script to unadulterated. “Book of Torah” which is presently identified as the “Old Testament”.

Since the movement did not accept the pre-earthly existence and divinity of Yahoshea Meshiyach, it did not accept the first two chapters of the account of Matthew that relate those subjects but accepted from the account of his baptism.

The Ebionite’s writings did not survive the persecution it went through from both Pauline Yahosheanity and Roman authority.  The “Book of Matthew” that was called the “Gospel of the Hebrews” by the Ebionites was an earlier version of the account of Matthew that pre-date the textual harmony or canon that were composed by Greek converts or scholars.

There is speculation among scholars that the “Gospel of Barnabas” may have been based on Ebionite’s writings.

As the Apostolic fathers were polemical against Ebionitse, such must be responsible for the lost of the writings of the movement.  Since the Ebionites were against Gentile Yahosheanism (Pauline Yahsheancity) the possibility of storing of their works was impossible.

Other Practices Of Ebionites

                The Ebionites made departure from doctrines of mainline Yahudaism as well as Yahosheanism.  As accounted by some apostolic fathers like Ephiphanius of Salamis, the movement engaged in excessive ritual bathing. This practice was carried out daily by an Ebionite.  The daily emersion is held as a means of spiritual and bodily cleansing since the movement hold strongly to spiritual and bodily cleanliness.

Ebionites were known for practice of vegetarianism.  They hate killing of animals either for foods or sacrifices.  The gospel of the Hebrew that was main scripture of the Ebionites portrayed Yahoshea Meshiyach and Yohannan the Baptist as vegetarians.

The Gospel of the Ebonites carried the term “Locusts” of Yahannan the Baptist as “honey cake”.  All accounts of the Apostolic fathers relate that practice of vegetarianism was high among the Ebionites.

The movement possessed a hierarchy of celestial messengers (Angelology) which they took so high in their spiritual practices.  The Ebionites claimed that Yahoshea Meshiyach was an arch celestial messenger who incarnated and adopted as the son of Yahweh based on his practice of plainess and righteousness. This is called the tradition of “Adoptionalism”. They revered celestial messengers, identified them by their names and used their names during invocations and prayers.

The movement opposed to animal sacrifice as seen within many mainline Yahudian worshippers.  They observed Passover feast like Yahosheans on the evening of 13th day of Abib (April) with unleavened bread and water and rejected the “breaking of bread” on the morning of the first day (Sunday) as was held in some gentile Yahoshean's stations. It is interesting to note that the breaking of bread  on the first day of the week was a Pauline Yahoshean's practice which the gentile brethren adopted and later to be transformed into Eucharist as previously observed by pagan traditions as Osiris and Adonis.

Spread And Duration Of Ebonites

Ebonites as earlier mentioned came out of the mainstream Yahosheanism after the first Hebrew – Roman war in 67-70Ad. Supposedly, the movement may have some relationship with Essenes because both shared some related views and practices.  After the first Hebrew-Roman war, the Essenes, Yahosheanism, Ebonites and Nazarenes shared same fate (persecution) from either the Hebrew authority or Roman empire.

Based on this fact, both movements inter changed converts and dispersed the same period and direction. Both groups faced higher challenges during the era of the 2nd Hebrew – Roman war as they were accused by followers of Bar-Kokhba of insubordination and sabotage to his acclaimed messianic position.

Some Ebonites fled to Pella in Jordan and continued their strict obedience to the laws of Yahweh as covenanted by Prophet Moses. They were termed as heretics by Roman authority and gentile Yahosheans and were often persecuted. Some Ebonites were forced to adopt Yahosheanism as modeled by the gentiles while many were murdered for their resistance.

There were evidence of Ebonite that settled at Cyprus in 4th century.  They were encountered at Arabian cities of Tayma and Tilmas around 11th century.  The Ebionites were located at Medina and Hejaz during 12th century.

The activities of Ebionites at the Arabian cities contributed to the development of Islamic view of Yahoshea Meshiyach.  Equally, there were some Ebionites who became Muslims during the early era of Islam. One of the earliest believer of the prophethood of Mohammed was named Waragah Ibn Nawfal who was an Ebonite. He was a distant cousin of Prophet Mohammed and the Muslims hold him as one of the pious men that had deep knowledge of Yahosheanism.

As Muslim was based on monotheism, it cherished the Ebonite's practices who reject the polytheistic method of Christendom as obtainable in its tradition of trinity and veneration of icons. Muslimism and Ebionites shared  similar view over Yahoshea's humanity as they argue against his pre-earthly nature and virgin birth.

Conclusion

Ebionites were converts of Hebrew Yahosheanism but maintained a separate movement and different in some central practices of the mainstream Yahosheanity.

They were short-lived because of the persecution of the true followers of Yahoshea Meshiyach by the Hebrews, gentile Yahosheans and the Roman authorities.

They were branded as heretics by early apostolic fathers for their firm grip to laws of Yahweh as carried in his covenant with Prophet Moses. Since they did not exist within the authority or governance of the mainstream Yahoshea, they made some departure from some real doctrines and creeds that were put in place by Yahoshea Meshiyach that were carried along by his assembly at Yerusalem.

For such reason, they were splinter-group that set a schism contrary to Yahosheanism. Although, the Ebionites resembled and related to Yahosheanism but it was never the true path laid by the Hebrew messiah on whose shoulder is rested with the duty of saving mankind. Again, as the Ebonite movement was never led by the comforter of mankind as promised by Yahoshea Meshiyach, it can never claim to succession or continuation to the works of Yahoshea Meshiyach.

Therefore, all modern religious traditions that claim their roots from Ebonites must rethink and seek for the comforter since such is the only officer vested with the power to restore all real values of what Yahoshea Meshiyach and his apostles stood for.