A Dictionary of All Religions and Religious Denominations/Judaizing Christians

JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS. The rise of this denomination is placed under the reign of Adrian. For when this emperour had razed Jerusalem to its foundations, and enacted severe laws against the whole body of the Jews, the greatest part of the christians, who lived in Palestine, to prevent their being confounded with them, abandoned the Mosaic rites, and chose a bishop, named Mark, a foreigner by nation, and an alien from the commonwealth of Israel. Those who were strongly attached to the Mosaic rites separated from their brethren, and founded at Pera, (a country of Palestine,) and in the neighbouring parts, particular assemblies, in which the law of Moses maintained its primitive dignity and authority.

There were, however, in the apostolic age judaizing christians, which set Christ and Moses upon an equal footing of authority ; these were afterwards divided into two sects, widely different both in their rites and opinions, and distinguished by the names of Nuzarene and Ebionites which see.