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→Nazarites and the New Testament: de-linking
Two examples of Nazarites in the [[Old Testament|Hebrew Bible]] are [[Samson]] ([[Judges]] 13:5), and [[Samuel]] ([[I Kingdoms]] 1:11). In both cases, their mother made the vow before they were born, which required them to live an ascetic life, yet in return they received extraordinary gifts: Samson possessed strength and ability in physical battle, while Samuel was a [[prophet]].
This vow was observed into the intertestamentary period. [[I Maccabees]] 3:49 mention men who had ended their Nazarite vows, an example dated to about 165 BCEBC. [[Josephus]] mentions a number of people who had taken the vow, such as his tutor Banns (''Antiquities'' 20.6), and [[Gamaliel]] records in the Mishnah how the father of Rabbi Chenena made a lifetime Nazarite vow before him (Nazir 29b) — examples showing this practice was observed into the first century.
In modern [[Judaism]], this practice does not exist any more.
The [[Apostle Luke]] clearly was aware that wine was forbidden in Nazaritic ascetic practice, for the [[angel]] ([[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 1:15) that announces the birth of [[John the Baptist]] foretells that "he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." The implication is that John would take a lifelong Nazarite vow (see also [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 7:33).
Luke also mentions how [[Apostle Paul|Paul]] was advised to avoid the hostility of the Jews in [[Jerusalem]] by taking Nazaritic vows, a strategem that only delayed the inevitable mob assault on him ([[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] 21:20-24). When Paul is advised to take the Nazarite vow, although in the previous verse it is stated he is meeting with [[James the Just|James]], the author of Acts clearly ascribes the advice to the general group of elders. It is not clear whether this is because Luke confused the word ''nazir'' with ''netzer'' (meaning "branch," an allusion to [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 11:1), and felt it did not apply to James, or whether (as [[Judaizers]] might claim) Luke intentionally minimized James' importance as other Pauline Christians did. The ''Orthodox Study Bible'' notes that
:the vow of Paul is no compromise with Judaism. It is an expression of Christian charity from Paul, a Jewish Christian, toward the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem in order to dispel false rumors and to build their trust (p. 320).
[[Category:Asceticism]]
[[Category:Judaism]]
[[Category:Scripture]]
