Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki

<i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> (Faith Strengthened), written by the 16th-century Karaite Jewish scholar Isaac ben Abraham of Troki (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), was one of the most renowned Hebrew anti-Christian polemical works, meriting translation into most European languages. Troki authore...

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Main Author: Golda Akhiezer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Religions
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1465
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author Golda Akhiezer
author_facet Golda Akhiezer
author_sort Golda Akhiezer
collection DOAJ
description <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> (Faith Strengthened), written by the 16th-century Karaite Jewish scholar Isaac ben Abraham of Troki (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), was one of the most renowned Hebrew anti-Christian polemical works, meriting translation into most European languages. Troki authored his book during the Polish Reformation, a period marked by intense interactions and theological debates between Jews and Christians of various denominations. The author provides a comprehensive philological, grammatical, and historical analysis of the New Testament while relying heavily on the ideas and scriptural interpretations of radical Protestant theologians and Rabbanite scholars. <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> is unusual in a number of respects. This paper examines one such peculiarity—namely, the author’s view that the Torah and its commandments obligate Christians—as well as his eschatological model in which Christians will become part of Israel in the messianic age. His perspective is examined in our study with particular attention to the range of argumentative methods employed. Among these are the use of evidence from the New Testament, especially the accounts of Jesus and his disciples observing the commandments, and the contrast of early Christians’ conceptions and practices, which he views as close to the Mosaic law, with later Christian interpretations of the Old and the New Testament.
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spelling doaj-art-bcdffd5cd51e4242b98e75b7624cbe872024-12-27T14:50:22ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-11-011512146510.3390/rel15121465Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of TrokiGolda Akhiezer0The Department of Jewish History, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel<i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> (Faith Strengthened), written by the 16th-century Karaite Jewish scholar Isaac ben Abraham of Troki (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), was one of the most renowned Hebrew anti-Christian polemical works, meriting translation into most European languages. Troki authored his book during the Polish Reformation, a period marked by intense interactions and theological debates between Jews and Christians of various denominations. The author provides a comprehensive philological, grammatical, and historical analysis of the New Testament while relying heavily on the ideas and scriptural interpretations of radical Protestant theologians and Rabbanite scholars. <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> is unusual in a number of respects. This paper examines one such peculiarity—namely, the author’s view that the Torah and its commandments obligate Christians—as well as his eschatological model in which Christians will become part of Israel in the messianic age. His perspective is examined in our study with particular attention to the range of argumentative methods employed. Among these are the use of evidence from the New Testament, especially the accounts of Jesus and his disciples observing the commandments, and the contrast of early Christians’ conceptions and practices, which he views as close to the Mosaic law, with later Christian interpretations of the Old and the New Testament.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1465<i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i>anti-Christian polemicthe New Testamentthe Mosaic laweschatological modelthe conversion of Christians
spellingShingle Golda Akhiezer
Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki
Religions
<i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i>
anti-Christian polemic
the New Testament
the Mosaic law
eschatological model
the conversion of Christians
title Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki
title_full Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki
title_fullStr Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki
title_full_unstemmed Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki
title_short Does the Mosaic Law Obligate Christians? The Fate of the Gentiles in <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i> by 16th-Century Karaite Jewish Polemicist Isaac Ben Abraham of Troki
title_sort does the mosaic law obligate christians the fate of the gentiles in i hizzuq ʾemunah i by 16th century karaite jewish polemicist isaac ben abraham of troki
topic <i>Ḥizzuq ʾEmunah</i>
anti-Christian polemic
the New Testament
the Mosaic law
eschatological model
the conversion of Christians
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1465
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