C. Goodspeed. PROSELYTE.— 1. Derivation of the name.—
irpod-qXvTos (from irpoffipxoixai) means lit. ' one who has arrived at a place,' hence 'a stranger,' 'a so- journer.' In the LXX it is frequently used as the equivalent of the Heb. "13 (see Expos. IV. x. [1894] p. 264). By NT times it had acquired the technical meaning of 'one Avho was a convert to Judaism from heathendom,' without any indication of place of residence being involved. This special meaning had also been gradually acquired by -\i (see W. R. Smith, OTJC'^ p. 342 n. ; also Oxford Heb. Lex. s.v. -li), and also by the Aramaic icivi (LXX yeLuipas).
2. Classes of proselytes. — In the time of Christ many foreigners had fully embraced Judaism, and were called ' proselytes ' ; there were also others, far more numerous, who had partially adopted Jewish doctrines and customs. The latter are in- dicated in the NT hy ae^o/xevoi (Ac 13« W^ 17"-" 18^) and (Popoufieuoi. \tov Q^bv'l (10^ IBis-^s). These words indicate that they reverenced Israel's God and in part obeyed the Law, but had not fully entered into the fellowship of Israel. These divi- sions correspond to those of the Mishna, where -\i is a fully admitted proselyte, and the term n^in -la (lit. a resident alien) is applied to those who were more loosely attached to the Jewish worship. Later Rabbis expressed the same distinction by the phrases ' proselyte of Righteousness' {^"^^ir^ "iji), as contrasted with ' proselyte of the Gate ' {-^vk'T^ la).
(«) Proselytes properly so called (NT TrpoarjXvroi ; Mishna nj ; Rabbinic name pi'sii, i3). These were heathen by birth, who had been admitted to full fellowship in Jewish worship. Three observances were required for their admission : (I) Circum- cision. (2) Baptism, which was analogous to the ceremonial purifications so frequently required of the Jews (Schiirer, HJP u. ii. 321 ; also Eders- heim, LT ii. 745). Some have maintained that the baptism of proselytes did not originate so early as „the time of Christ, but the Mishna incidentally refers to it as if it had been long in use. (3) The offering of a sacrifice, by which atonement was made for tiie sins of the proselyte. Those thus admitted undertook to observe the whole Law (cf. Gal 5^), and they were granted privileges almost
equal to those of an Israelite. Such are referred to in Mt 2315, Jn 122o, Ac 2" 6^ 13^3_
(6) Those denominated in the NT ae^o/j-evoi or (po^ovixevoi (Mishna aa'in -iJ ; by the Rabbis -\]iwn -\i). The Talmud represents these as keeping what were denominated ' the seven precepts of Noah ' — com- prising the duties which were considered incum- bent upon all men, even outside Israel (Aboda Zara,6ib). These precepts were : (1) obedience to those in authority ; (2) reverence to the name of God ; (3) abstinence from idolatry, (4) from forni- cation, (5) from stealing, (6) from murder, (7) from flesh with the blood in it (Sanh. 566). [The decision respecting the obligations incumbent upon Gentile converts (Ac 15-'^) shows some agreement with these precepts].
Since ac'in "13 means one permanently dwelling in the country of Israel, the Talmud involves that all who were allowed to dwell in Palestine were required to keep the pre- cepts of Noah ; but this was never actually enforced — it was theoretical only.
Persons who, without becoming full ' proselytes of Righteousness,' inclined to a greater or less extent towards Jewish doctrines and j^ractices are referred to in the NT, Mt S^-i^, Lk V'^^, Ac 10^
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3. Proselytizing in the time of Christ. — The
religious restlessness of heathenism, which favoured the introduction of Oriental creeds into the West, afibrded an opportunity for Jewish proselytizing. The moral earnestness and monotheism of Judaism commended it to those who, having lost faith in heathen deities, were seeking a more rational and ethical creed. The Greek-speaking Jews, who were to be found in all the great cities of the Roman Empire, carried the knowledge of the Mosaic Law into the midst of heathendom, and presented their faith in a form calculated to win the approval of their neighbours. This accom- modation to their surroundings in the way of representing their creed was partly unconscious, through their contact with Gentile thought, and partly an intentional emphasizing of the moral side of Judaism, while merely national and cere- monial features which might repel inquirers were minimized (Schiirer, II. ii. 297). Hence, in spite of the scorn which Roman writers heaped upon the Jews (Tac. Hist. v. 2-8 ; Juv. Sat. vi. and xiv. ; Cic. pro Flacco, 28), numerous adherents were gained, who either fully or partially accepted Judaism (Jos. c. Apion. ii. 40, Ant, XX. ii. 3). Many of these converts were Avomen (Jos. BJ II. xx. 2 ; also Ac
1350 1614 174)_
From these proselytes a very considerable revenue was received by the Temple authorities (Jos. Ant. XIV. vii. 2). This pecuniary advantage from the spread of Judaism stimulated activity in prose- lytizing, such as that noticed by Christ in Mt 23'^. Some Jews fraudulently enriched themselves from the gifts of proselytes (Jos. Ant. XVIII. iii. 5). Such unworthy motives for proselytizing were condemned by Jesus (Mt 2'S^^).
Illustrations of the fanatical zeal of the Jews in making proselytes are found in Jos. Life, 23, Ant. XIII. ix. 1, xi. 3, XV. 4, XX. ii. 1, BJ n. xvi. 10,