A History of Christian Zionism: Philo-Semitism and the Expectation of Israel’s Restoration

Although Christianity began as a Jewish sect, by the second century is was overwhelmingly composed of Gentiles, with little emotional attachment to Judaism. By the mid-second century Marcion was denying the Torah and Justin Martyr, who claimed “we are the true Israel” and “You are sadly mistaken if you think that, just because you are descendants of Abraham according to the flesh, you will share in the legacy...” Increasingly early Christianity began to cast away from its Jewish roots...