Judaism background: Israelites and Noachites

[Agemegos]

Note: this is a background enquiry about historical Judaism of the 1st Century CE, and thread for speculating about a fictional SF setting of the distant future in which no [further] revelation has occurred. It's about a fictional setting for roleplaying games, not the real world.


I have read (in Johnston's History of Christianity, for example) that in the middle of the first century after Christ there were a lot of people in the Roman Empire who though not of the Jewish people yet believed in God and feared Him (in the sense in which that is appropriate). These people mostly did not convert to Judaism in the sense of becoming Jews; they were recognised as non-Jewish God-fearers. Not being of the people of Israel, they were not considered to be party to God's covenant with Moses, and were not subject to the full detail of the Mosaic Law. There were, however, subject to God's much less stringent covenant with Noah, and were referred to by Jews as "Noachites". The Noachites were not required to take part in Temple sacrifice, and I think were even forbidden from sacrificing at the Temple. The Israelites considered them inferior in the sight of God, which rankled, and when Christianity became available they converted rapidly to the more welcoming faith.

So I'm thinking about a world in a fictitious future in which Cartesian dualism has been fatally undermined by advances in neurology, and in which therefore a sophisticated thinker might believe in the Creator but cannot believe that a person is an immaterial spirit that directs the actions of a mere shell of a material body. Certain religious groups founded refuges among the stars where they could raise their children not to think about those awkward things nor be subject to other disturbing influences of an increasingly secular, materialistic, and skeptical world culture. Unfortunately for everyone concerned, religious groups on Earth adequate and motivated to defend the isolation of these emigrations died out while the colonisation rights were still valuable, and the religious pioneers of these worlds were joined and sometimes swamped by later migrants from Earth who were not motivated by the same religious isolationist impulse.

In this setting Covenant is a world that (after a joint effort in terraforming) was originally settled by a number of slightly different Jewish religious-separatist and religious-utopist group, a secular-Jewish group, and an Israeli national-separatist group. As religious belief and custom on Earth developed through the 2300s various other people took passage there either believing that their religious adoptions and innovations were natural fellows of Judaism, or believing that religious practice was a quaint old folkway and not really a big deal.

Might we then suppose that as at about 2885, after nearly five centuries of development in isolation, Covenant had re-developed the distinction between Israelites and Noachites, holding Noachites to the Covenant with Noah and civil law only, while holding Israelites to stricter laws but allowing them corresponding privileges? Note well that I am not supposing any wide return to a fundamentalist enforcement of all the bits I hate in Leviticus. The last three thousand years' rabbinical interpretation and qualification is still in force, and there have been eight centuries' more.

• On Covenant, can a Noachite be a rabbi?
  
• On Covenant, if a Levite man married a Noachite woman, could their sons be priests even though they weren't Israelites?
  
• On Covenant, can an Israelite choose to be a Noachite instead, or be reduced to the status of Noachite as an excommunication? Or is the covenant with God non-optional both ways?
  
• On Covenant, can a Noachite convert to Israeliticity?
  
• On Covenant, is circumcision a privilege allowed only to Israelites?

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

• On Covenant, can a Noachite be a rabbi?

That would depend on how orthodox you want to be. At one extreme, some say only a male Israelite over the age of 40 and learned in the Torah can be a rabbi; at the other, some say only the "learned in the Torah" part is necessary.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

• On Covenant, if a Levite man married a Noachite woman, could their sons be priests even though they weren't Israelites?
  
• On Covenant, can an Israelite choose to be a Noachite instead, or be reduced to the status of Noachite as an excommunication? Or is the covenant with God non-optional both ways?
  
• On Covenant, can a Noachite convert to Israeliticity?
  
• On Covenant, is circumcision a privilege allowed only to Israelites?

It's my understanding that descent in the Twelve Tribes is from the mother, not the father, and that it isn't optional. I may have been misinformed, but if my understanding is correct, then being an Israelite would be genetic rather than social - no giving it up, no taking it, no qualifying for the priesthood if your mother wasn't an Israelite. But I suspect this also depends on how orthodox you want to be.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by robkelk

It's my understanding that descent in the Twelve Tribes is from the mother, not the father, and that it isn't optional.

I understood that a kohan has to be patrilineally descended from Aaron, and that all kohanim were Levites. I was aware that Jewishness descends matrilineally, but I thought that membership of any particular tribe descended from the father.

[gjc8]

Obviously, quite a lot can change over 5 centuries, particularly with the different groups in the mix, but a few notes on present and/or historical circumstances.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

On Covenant, can a Noachite convert to Israeliticity?

While Judaism is not evangelical in the same sense that (say) Christianity, there is, both presently and historically, processes for accepting sincere converts.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

On Covenant, can a Noachite be a rabbi?

In the formal sense, with the role as a community authority, probably not. There's nothing preventing them from making a formal study of Jewish law, however. Further, I believe they are allowed to serve as religious leaders in communities for other Noachites.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

On Covenant, if a Levite man married a Noachite woman, could their sons be priests even though they weren't Israelites?

Traditionally, I think the answer is no. Note that Jews aren't supposed to marry non-Jews in the first place, and my impression is that Kohanim were (and are) held to a higher standard regarding these things. They're not even supposed to marry converts. And there are a number of things that can disqualify someone from priesthood even outside the issue of descent.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

On Covenant, can an Israelite choose to be a Noachite instead, or be reduced to the status of Noachite as an excommunication? Or is the covenant with God non-optional both ways?

Traditionally, I don't think so. That's one of the reasons, supposedly, that converts are discouraged: being Jewish means being held to a higher standard.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

On Covenant, is circumcision a privilege allowed only to Israelites?

Historically, the answer seems to be that circumcision was allowed and even encouraged for anyone living in Jewish lands.

[gjc8]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

I understood that a kohan has to be patrilineally descended from Aaron. I was aware that Jewishness descends matrilineally, but I thought that membership of any particular tribe descended from the father.

I believe you are correct.

Originally Posted by robkelk

That would depend on how orthodox you want to be. At one extreme, some say only a male Israelite over the age of 40 and learned in the Torah can be a rabbi; at the other, some say only the "learned in the Torah" part is necessary.

There are different interpretations of what makes a rabbi, but it doesn't seem to be over the matter of being Jewish; if anything, most less traditional interpretations seem to make rabbis more of a religious leader in the "leads the congregation" sense along the lines of Christian ministers, rather than opening it to non-Jews who are learned in the Torah (although they may well be more liberal about who qualifies as a Jew).

Originally Posted by robkelk

I may have been misinformed, but if my understanding is correct, then being an Israelite would be genetic rather than social - no giving it up, no taking it, no qualifying for the priesthood if your mother wasn't an Israelite. But I suspect this also depends on how orthodox you want to be.

You can't give it up. However, even orthodox congregations allow converts, although they are more stringent in assessing depth of commitment and more demanding in the process of conversion. And converts existed at least back to the first century period referred to in the OP, although perhaps not in the era of the Kingdom of Israel.
Edit: Although it's not always the case that converts have the same status as "born" Jews. They are recognized as a class distinct from Noachites, however.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by gjc8

In the formal sense, with the role as a community authority, probably not. There's nothing preventing them from making a formal study of Jewish law, however. Further, I believe they are allowed to serve as religious leaders in communities for other Noachites.

Okay, so if the courts are initially established as battei din, proceed in general justly and are not overthrown, then only Israelites will be able to become dayanim. The legislature and the executive might be an indiscriminate mix of Israelites and Noachites with no formal privileges for either, but the judiciary will be Israelite. Rabbis might shed the duties of a Protestant minister and re-specialise in expounding and interpreting the Law.

Noachites will either require their own cantors and "pulpit rabbis" or else will be confined to second-class religious status in which they receive pastoral care etc. from an Israelite rabbi.

Note that Jews aren't supposed to marry non-Jews in the first place, and my impression is that Kohanim were (and are) held to a higher standard regarding these things.

Good point, thank you.

[jeff_wilson]

"On Covenant, is circumcision a privilege allowed only to Israelites? "
I don't think so, and it's hard to see how such a prohibition could be enforced without causing much unrest.

The rest of the questions seem to be things that could have different answers in different denominations. One thing you may have overlooked is that not all Israelites have the same Torah; Samaritans, for example. Is there a reason to think they would be excluded from immigration to Covenant?

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

"On Covenant, is circumcision a privilege allowed only to Israelites? "
I don't think so, and it's hard to see how such a prohibition could be enforced without causing much unrest.

Okay then. Circumcision is a feature of the Mosaic covenant, not of the Noachite covenant. Is it likely to become prevalent among Noachites anyway, given that the circumcising religions and non-religious circumcision have been on the wane on Earth for three hundred years before the ancestors of the Noachites of Covenant rather inadvisedly set forth?

One thing you may have overlooked is that not all Israelites have the same Torah

Federalism. Tolerance. It's a collection of religious-isolationist settlements, not a doctrinaire utopia.

Samaritans, for example. Is there a reason to think they would be excluded from immigration to Covenant?

There are fewer than a thousand Samaritans in the world today, and the InterNet hasn't even started on them yet. My history has a couple of hundred years of religiosity in decline and intermingling races and cultures before emigration begins in earnest. If there are still Samaritans in 2160, and if any decide to leave the land of God's gift on a one-way spaceship, then I doubt that they will be significant in numbers.

[gjc8]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Okay, so if the courts are initially established as battei din, proceed in general justly and are not overthrown, then only Israelites will be able to become dayanim.

As with religious leaders, I believe that Noachites are allowed to be judges over other Noachites. Indeed, having and submitting to a court system is one of the Noahide laws, so at least in the absence of other systems, Noachites are required to appoint judges among themselves.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Okay then. Circumcision is a feature of the Mosaic covenant, not of the Noachite covenant. Is it likely to become prevalent among Noachites anyway, given that the circumcising religions and non-religious circumcision have been on the wane on Earth for three hundred years before the ancestors of the Noachites of Covenant rather inadvisedly set forth?

I'd say its more likely to remain common among WASP Noachites, esp since some of the conservative WASPs are like Jim & Tammy Bakker's outfit are very pro-Israel fellow travelers based on their second coming and end times doctrine. 2160 is another 5 generations of little PTLers traveling to Israel and helping build settlements and otherwise establishing social and economic ties with Israelis and with US-resident Jews.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

My history has a couple of hundred years of religiosity in decline and intermingling races and cultures before emigration begins in earnest. If there are still Samaritans in 2160, and if any decide to leave the land of God's gift on a one-way spaceship, then I doubt that they will be significant in numbers.

Samaritans aren't the only one, there are 150k Beta Israel for example. I'm just saying, there can be enough to mix in through the bottleneck of the colonization and proliferate during the isolation period to give a very different final demographic than the composition at the start. Esp if IIRC the initial wave of colonization included some marginal worlds; if the colony in question is under a bluer star but otherwise allows shirt-sleeve conditions, the darker-skinned Ethiopian Betas are at an immediate advantage re melanoma and squamous cell.