FRDB Archives

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.


Go Back   FRDB Archives > Archives > Religion (Closed) > Biblical Criticism & History
Welcome, Peter Kirby.
You last visited: Today at 03:12 PM

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 02-20-2008, 08:46 AM   #1
SLD
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Posts: 4,109
Default Eucharist has Jewish roots?

In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism. Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?

TIA

SLD
SLD is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 09:22 AM   #2
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 5,679
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
IIs the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?
Not god, but the Messiah:
"Israel can expect no Messiah because they consumed [lit. "ate"] him in the days of Hezekiah"--Sanhedrin 99a.
No Robots is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 10:44 AM   #3
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Charleston, WV
Posts: 1,037
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism.
The Eucharist probably has its origins in the Jewish Sabbath and Holy-day meals, as this article from the Jewish Encyclopedia states, with my emphasis:

Quote:
The Sabbath and Holy-Day Meals: These, which in later times assumed the character of simple family repasts permeated by the spirit of genuine domesticity, were originally Banquets of the Pharisaic brotherhood, enlivened by song and discussions, at which the men reclined; the women and children—if they took part at all—not being considered as among the number present. Wine at the opening and closing of the meal was deemed an indispensable feature; over it the benediction and a blessing of sanctification of the day were offered by the one who presided at the table and broke the bread. Perfumes and ointments as well as a variety of dishes were characteristics of these meals, to the preparation of which some would devote a whole week (Ber. viii. 5; Tos. Ber. vi. 5; Tos. Beẓah, ii. 13, 14; Beẓah 16a; Pes. R. xxiii.; Geiger, "Urschrift," p. 123; idem, "Jüd. Zeit." iv. 105 et seq.). These Banquets might not be held, however, at the time of the public discourses. "Two great families held such on Saobath eve and Saturday noon at such an improper time, and were exterminated for such transgression" (Gi��*. 38b). Three meals are prescribed for the Sabbath; one on the preceding evening; another at noon (to which some add a breakfast in the forenoon); and the third in the late afternoon (Shab. 117b et seq.). The Passover-eve meal also, although eminently a family feast, perhaps as early as Mishnaic times (Pes. x. 4), had originally the character of a banquet, at which the Pharisaic brothers sat together eating and drinking, singing hymns, and reciting or expounding chapters from Holy Scripture, as may be learned from the Pesaḥ Haggadah and the New Testament story of the last supper (Matt. xxvi. and parallels).

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD
Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?
No.
John Kesler is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 02:33 PM   #4
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mondcivitan Republic
Posts: 2,550
Default

I was under the impression that the Christian eucharist was an adaptation of "love meals" in which a meal was set out by the community, mainly for the benefit of the poor among them. However, I am not sure exactly what evidence there might be for these among Jews or anyone else for that matter. If one were to ask me, this might seem more appropriate for a "voluntary association" such as one might find in a city environment. Jewish synagogues were a subtype of voluntary association, but voluntary associations were also common in other forms among groups with common lots in life.

DCH

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism. Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?

TIA

SLD
DCHindley is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 02:45 PM   #5
Regular Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 147
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism. Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?

TIA

SLD

Certainly the eucharist has its roots in the sacrificial system...specifically in Exodus 24 where the sacrifice is eaten in a fellowship meal, as in:
Ex 24:8
8 Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, "See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
NRSV

In the NT, it is the "new covenant," where Jesus' sacrifice replaces the old.

Thanks,
Timetospend is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 03:34 PM   #6
Contributor
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: London UK
Posts: 16,024
Default

Quote:
Pharisaic

Hmmm.

And agape meals are from Acts - which was used in the 1960's by Billy Graham et al in things like Jesus People to hippify xianity.
Clivedurdle is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 04:52 PM   #7
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mondcivitan Republic
Posts: 2,550
Default

The Agape feast, or love-feast, was an early Christian banquet or common meal featuring a Eucharistic ritual. It centered on the bread and wine of nearly universal Christian practice, and included ritual elements of the Jewish Passover Seder and of Mediterranean funerary banquets. These Hellenic funeral banquets were also called agape feasts, agape referring especially to selfless love or God's love for humanity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape_feast

Agape

The celebration of funeral feasts in honour of the dead dates back almost to the beginnings of the worship of the departed - that is, to the very earliest times.
[...]
The faithful, united in bodies, guilds, corporations or "collegia", admitted coarse, intemperate men among them, who degraded the character of the assemblies.

These Christian "collegia" seem to have differed but little from those of the pagans, in respect, at all events, of the obligations imposed by the rules of incorporation.

There is no evidence available to show that the collegia from the first undertook the burial of deceased members; but it seems probable that they did so at an early period. The establishment of such colleges gave the Christians an opportunity of meeting in much the same way as the pagans did - subject always to the many obstacles which the law imposed.

Little feasts were held, to which each of the guests contributed his share, and the supper with which the meeting ended might very well be allowed by the authorities as a funerary one. In reality, however, for all faithful worthy of the name, it was a liturgical assembly.
http://www.piney.com/AgapeCE.html

etc

DCH

Quote:
Originally Posted by Timetospend View Post
Certainly the eucharist has its roots in the sacrificial system...specifically in Exodus 24 where the sacrifice is eaten in a fellowship meal, as in:
Ex 24:8
8 Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, "See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
NRSV

In the NT, it is the "new covenant," where Jesus' sacrifice replaces the old.

Thanks,
DCHindley is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 05:19 PM   #8
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mondcivitan Republic
Posts: 2,550
Default

The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity (or via: amazon.co.uk)

By James S. Jeffers
http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/b.../toc/code=1589

Chapter 4: Influences on Christian Organization

Voluntary Associations For three centuries Christians were unable to meet and worship freely because Christianity was not recognized by the Romans as a legal religion. Except in rare cases, the Romans did not attempt to hunt down Christians and prevent them from meeting. But Romans were nervous about unsanctioned organizations, fearing that they could be politically subversive.
[...]
Despite this, the Christians did meet, and did so regularly. Somehow they managed to escape the notice of the authorities most of the time. One way they did this was to register as one of the kinds of associations allowed by Rome. This way they could legally meet, with the knowledge of the authorities and without scurrying around in the dead of night. At the end of this section, we will consider whether such legal “cover” led these groups to adopt the forms and procedures of pagan voluntary associations. Contrary to popular thinking, the Christians in Rome did not escape detection by holding services in the catacombs, their underground cemeteries. These catacombs were public knowledge, they had no large assembly areas, and the odor could not have been tolerated for long.
The Romans used voluntary associations (collegia) as a way to exercise some control over gatherings of persons within the Empire. The associations organized for a variety of reasons, but most of the clubs were religious associations organized around the worship of a specific deity. As the name implies, persons voluntarily joined these groups. The Romans neither encouraged nor discouraged membership in an association. They allowed the groups to meet freely, to collect funds and to hold various rituals, but they prohibited the clubs from undertaking any kind of political activity.
[...]
Associations also hosted regular banquets. The collection of membership dues let them stage banquets in imitation of the wealthy in a style individual members otherwise could never afford. These banquets were given in honor of the patron deity of the group, but often were not primarily a religious observance. This is similar to the agape feast of some early Christians, as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:20-34, including both a common meal and a celebration of Communion.
http://www.ivpress.com/title/exc/1589-4.pdf

DCH

Quote:
Originally Posted by DCHindley View Post
I was under the impression that the Christian eucharist was an adaptation of "love meals" in which a meal was set out by the community, mainly for the benefit of the poor among them. However, I am not sure exactly what evidence there might be for these among Jews or anyone else for that matter. If one were to ask me, this might seem more appropriate for a "voluntary association" such as one might find in a city environment. Jewish synagogues were a subtype of voluntary association, but voluntary associations were also common in other forms among groups with common lots in life.

DCH

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism. Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?

TIA

SLD
DCHindley is offline  
Old 02-20-2008, 09:52 PM   #9
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Alberta
Posts: 11,885
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism. Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?

TIA

SLD

It is an archetypal reality and would belong in every mythology. In Buddhism "This is Buddha" is equal to our "This is my Body" and "This is my Blood" . . . which would not be true if you add a perverted slant to it.

Yes, archetypal simply because it is true.
Chili is offline  
Old 02-21-2008, 12:34 AM   #10
Regular Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Europe
Posts: 219
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SLD View Post
In another board, a Christian made the claim that the Eucharist was actually Jewish in origin. Outside of the fact that Jews ate bread and drank wine, I can't see any connection to Judaism. Is the idea of symbolically eating god and drinking his blood anywhere in Judaism?

TIA

SLD
He was probably referring to the Didache version of the Eucharist.
Check this: http://www.leaderu.com/theology/passover.html
ph2ter is offline  
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:30 PM.

Top

This custom BB emulates vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2015, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.