In her new book, A Reaction to Messianic Missionaries, author Cheryl-Michal Simani offers a fresh, exciting perspective on the missionary/counter-missionary controversy. The book addresses the development of the “Messianic Jewish” movement and the “Isaiah 53 Campaign” – an aggressive effort targeting Jews with misinformation to convert them to their disguised form of Christianity. It also outlines the conflicting historical paths of Judaism and Christianity. This is a dynamic perspective of the origins of Early Christianity, a must-read for anyone interested in who was or will be the Messiah.
In a fascinating interview, Rabbanit Cheryl-Michal Simani explores the inciting idea behind her book, the historical context that influenced it, and the authors, professors, historians and religious individuals that inspire her work.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
My husband encountered a dress as a religious Jew at the Kotel one Yom Kippur. He was shocked when this fellow tried to convince him to abandon his fast because “the Messiah had already come”. I was livid that incognito Christian missionaries would be so callous and sordid as to proselytize at our holiest site on our holiest day. Determined to write the “ultimate” rebuttal to missionaries, I began organizing my thoughts and researching all available material. Let it suffice to say that the joys of building a Jewish home and nurturing our contribution to the next generation superseded that venture. However, I never forgot my commitment. Upon hearing of the deep inroads made by Messianic Missionaries during many years, I felt very ashamed.
Q: In Part III, you explore the reasons why Jews reject Christianity. Can you elaborate on some of the unique perspectives you offer in this section and highlight key points that you believe differentiate your analysis from other works on the subject?
Two of several unique key points are as follows. First, the Christian Text Jesus is a synthesis of two historical Jews, whose stories were later meshed with popular mythologies. Yeshu haNotzri (“the shoot”) was a descendant of David, who died in 73 BCE. Yeshu, “who was called Ḳristos (Mashiaḥ)” was a Nazirite rabbi, who died in 28 CE. Both were involved in uprisings, betrayed by a friend, and executed. Second, Jews reject Christianity because its doctrines constitute a desecration of our concept of God. In the Christian Text, God breaks all Ten Commandments! For example, it accuses Him of committing adultery in order to make a god of flesh, so that He can murder Himself, while demanding we worship his idol. That’s four transgressions of the ten.
Q: You touch on the historical development of Judaism and Christianity, exploring their diverging paths. How did you approach researching and presenting this complex historical narrative?
Decades ago, I discovered Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough. Though his central theme seems hyperbolic, it was obvious to me that Christianity was culturally an offspring of ancient Western paganism. This led to research of the Eastern religions and the conclusion that certain Christian elements were borrowed from them. Later, I completely immersed my life in Judaism, and could not escape the fact that though it influenced Christianity, they stem from separate cultural path. A pattern began to emerge based on the Hegelian dialectic: Belief, the original cultural path; Counter-belief, encounter with new insights – domestic or foreign; and Synthesized-belief, a rejuvenated cultural direction. Traditional Western paganism was stagnant and dying. Absorbing elements of other cultural paths revived it as a new, dynamic movement – Christianity.
Q: Has the work of any other authors influenced your own?
The list of historical and anthropological texts that I have studied over the past thirty-plus years is extensive, yet I’m indebted to Walter Burkert, J. G. Frazer, and Cyrus Gordon. Professor Frank L. Holt, a leading expert on Alexander the Great, Hellenistic, and Roman history, mentors that section of this work. My thoughts on Christianity are reflective of my admiration for Bart Ehrman and Paula Fredriksen. The Harvard edition of Flavius Josephus: Complete Works, Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed, and Lawrence Schiffman’s Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls informed portions of my perspective on Judaism and Jewish history. My understanding of Hebrew and Greek texts is indebted to Professors Menachem Mansoor and Dora Pozzi, and authors J. A. Weingreen, Ernest Klien, and Frederick Danker.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
In the center of large table at which are seated the most brilliant minds of all times is a dazzling, multifaceted entity. Each sees and comprehends it from his unique perspective. Each culture has its own, inimitable, dynamic path to this central, essential source and purpose of our existence. Therefore, the path of each cultural journey is sacred. Judaism’s path is ancient, lush, and well-watered by expansive, crystal-clear pools of wisdom. All, regardless of their home-path, may, if they choose, come and drink from them. But none have the right to defile them nor dissuade Jews from partaking of their own cultural truths. Missionary activities spring from a desire for one cultural path to dominate and suppress another. It is reprehensible.
Q: What is your next project?
The Perplexing Puzzles of Biblical and Jewish History is a series of six controversial volumes on history, chronology, calendars, and theology. In Quest of Genesis: When, Where, Why? includes a reexamination of the lifespans of the patriarchs. The Enigma of the Exodus offers a comparative analysis of the Code of Hammurabi and the 613 Torah commandments. The Conundrum of the Conquest and Judges also provides a reconstruction of an ancient Hebrew calendar based on textual evidence. Chronicles of the Kings Reviewed includes a unique reexamination of Ptolemy’s Canon. Secrets of the Second Temple includes a hard-science review of the Elephantine Papyri. The first part of Unraveling the Strands of the Rabbinic Calendar, “The Case of the Missing 165 Years”, is still available on Academia.com.
About Cheryl-Michal Simani:
Cheryl-Michal Simani is a retired educator. For the past thirty-plus years, she has pursued historical research with a focus on Ancient Near Eastern chronology and calendric studies.
The interactions between the Jewish and non-Jewish cultures have been of primary interest to her. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in both Religious Studies and Ancient Greek, a Master’s in Education with an emphasis on Technology, and multiple teaching certifications. Her personal interests include genealogy/familial DNA research, ancient numismatics, gemology, painting, research, and writing. Currently, she is working on a series entitled The Perplexing Puzzles of Biblical and Jewish History.
