Davka

Middle East/North Africa is not what most people think of when you say "dark skinned African."

steve_bnk

A perception problem. When one says Africa people immediatly think sub-Saharan and see Amercan blacks. They are only one of a number of races in the continentt of Africa.

Modern Christians tebd to see their faith in white caucsian images which is a fallacy.

An historical JC would likely have been dark skinned , short, and lean.

The Jewish envangelical followrs of JC spread the faith to Africa and Asia before it became established under the RCC in the Roman state.

aa5874

After the transfiguration?

spamandham

I think Justin Martyr comes pretty close. Are we counting Samaritans as Jews?

charles

I read that there is some dispute whether Justin was a Samaritan or a pagan living in ancient Neopolis. I don't know which one is the right answer. I thought I would mention it.

spamandham

I think the wiki page on him mentions that. If he was a pagan, he was a pagan very educated in Jewish theology and scriptures. That's possible of course.

dog-on

I wouldn't in this context, but an argument could be made.

dog-on

Good point though.

dog-on

Regarding Matthew and John, I know apologists like to cite Matthew as being very "Jewish", but he, like John, seem a bit too anti-Jewish to have been actual Jews, in my opinion.

This still leaves us with the mystery of why, for a religion that supposed got it's start in Jerusalem, there seem to be no contemporary commentaries by actual Jews, though we seem to have plenty by gentiles.

steve_bnk

There were many 'messiahs' in the region. JC didn't even get honorable mention by the Romans. Paul was messianic and apocolyptic. The end time was very near. I expect he was fairly ad hoc as time began to pass and the world kept going on. There was no need to make records.

JC as a rabbai didn't really invent anything new he had the Jewish traditions.

Is there a large number of Jewish documents for anything from the times?