Nazarene

Nazarene
    adj 1: of or relating to the Nazarenes or their religion
    2: of or relating to the town of Nazareth or its inhabitants
    n 1: a member of a group of Jews who (during the early history
         of the Christian Church) accepted Jesus as the Messiah;
         they accepted the Gospel According to Matthew but rejected
         the Epistles of St. Paul and continued to follow Jewish law
         and celebrate Jewish holidays; they were later declared
         heretic by the Church of Rome [syn: {Nazarene}, {Ebionite}]
    2: an early name for any Christian
    3: an inhabitant of Nazareth
    

Nazarene \Naz`a*rene"\, prop. n. [L. Nazarenus, Gr. ?, fr. ?
   Nazareth.]
   1. A native or inhabitant of Nazareth; -- a term of contempt
      applied to Christ and the early Christians.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Judaizing Christians in the
      first and second centuries, who observed the laws of
      Moses, and held to certain heresies.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Nazarene
This epithet (Gr. Nazaraios) is applied to Christ only once
(Matt. 2:23). In all other cases the word is rendered "of
Nazareth" (Mark 1:24; 10:47; 14:67, etc.). When this Greek
designation was at first applied to our Lord, it was meant
simply to denote the place of his residence. In course of time
the word became a term of reproach. Thus the word "Nazarene"
carries with it an allusion to those prophecies which speak of
Christ as "despised of men" (Isa. 53:3). Some, however, think
that in this name there is an allusion to the Hebrew _netser_,
which signifies a branch or sprout. It is so applied to the
Messiah (Isa. 11:1), i.e., he whom the prophets called the
_Netse_, the "Branch."

  The followers of Christ were called "the sect of Nazarenes"
(Acts 24:5). All over Palestine and Syria this name is still
given to Christians. (See {NAZARETH}.)