What is a Jew anyway?
Specifically, does a Gentile who converts
to Judaism become a “Jew”? Many people today say so, and quite a few religious
Jews agree with them. There is even a Judaic ritual called giyyur by which, it is alleged, a Gentile becomes Jewish.
Tracey R. Rich says, “A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.
Now, if that’s a scriptural answer, there
are an awful lot of Jews out there. But the Bible does not appear to use the
word “Jew” that way. There is considerable elasticity in the term, but
in neither Testament does it dovetail perfectly with the
modern, secular usage or even the definition of many Orthodox Jews.
Curious? Let’s have a look at some history.