Jesus the Nazirite Not Necessarily from Nazareth
Tracing the evolution of Nazirite themes through the gospel of Mark
Mark is the oldest gospel and therefore a critical link in the evolution of Jesus Christ. Mark actually reveals itself as a fiction adapted from the letters of Paul. In this essay we will focus on how Mark depicted Jesus as a Nazirite in opposition to the ideals of Paul. We will also see how the later Gospels undermined Jesus’ claim to be a Nazirite. Mark is the crucial Gospel because in many ways it stands alone. It proves that many of Jesus’ attributes are discontinuous.
One of the first and central assertions of Mark is that Jesus came from “Nazareth” in Galilee (Mark 1:9). However Nazareth was not used as a place name in the time of Jesus. It would seem that Mark invented this word! The gospel of Matthew expands the claim of Mark, saying “he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene’” (Matthew 2:23). But the old testament never speaks of a “Nazarene” or a Nazareth. And Mark shows that Jesus is not simply “from Nazareth”; he is in fact a Nazirite.
The Jewish Bible describes the Nazirites in Numbers 6, when YHWH tells Moses:
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to YHWH as a Nazirite, they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins” (Numbers 6:2-4).
In Mark, Jesus enounces a Nazirite vow, saying “I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until I drink it anew in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). When Jesus is offered wine and myrrh before his crucifiction, he rejects it (Mark 15:23). And when a heckler forces vinegar upon the staked messiah, Jesus dies rather than taste it (Mark 15:36).
The definition of a Nazirite also contends: “During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to YHWH is over; they must let their hair grow long” (Numbers 6:5). Although Mark does not describe the length of Christ’s hair, Jesus became iconic as a long haired, unshaven fellow. This depiction stands in stark contrast to the teachings of Paul, who claims “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for it is just as if her head were shaved (1 Cor 11:4-5).
Paul says this right after saying “The head of every man is Christ” (1 Cor 11:3). Now, if Paul thinks a woman with an uncovered head is just as dishonorable as a woman with a shaved head, then he must think a man with a covered head is just as dishonorable as a man with long hair. Therefore Paul preaches against the Nazirite custom; he does not think Christ’s head should ever be covered. This is a clear example of Mark’s gospel contradicting Paul’s letters. Paul also advises, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).
One hurdle for Jesus in regards to the Nazirite vow is Numbers 6:6, “The Nazirite must not go near a dead body”. Jesus definitely breaks this rule when he revives a dead boy in Luke 7:15 and when he raises Lazarus from his tomb in John 11. But in Mark, Jesus only comes near one “dead” girl, and he denies that she is dead, proclaiming “The child is not dead but asleep” before waking her up. Thus in Mark, Jesus technically obeys the Nazirite vows. He does not come near a dead body.
The conception of the Nazirite as the savior of Israel has its roots in the Jewish Bible. Samson is the archetypal Nazirite, who is described in the book of Judges:
The angel of YHWH appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:3-5)
Note how both Samson and Jesus are the offspring of a miraculous birth. Samson’s mother is said to be barren, and Jesus’ mother is said to be a virgin (although Mark does not claim the immaculate conception). Also compare the preceding description of Samson to Luke’s description of John the Baptist: “he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb” (Luke 1:15). The story of John the Baptist is the very beginning of the gospel of Mark and the gospel more broadly. John is the forerunner of Jesus Christ; they are both baptists, unlike the cults in Jerusalem.
In Matthew, Jesus confirms that John the Baptist was a Nazirite, although Jesus suggests that he himself is not observing the vows. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! (Matthew 11:18-19). This is a big difference between Mark and the other synoptics – in Matthew and Luke, Jesus identifies himself as a winebibber.
The book of Amos reveals the thematic connection between the destruction of Jerusalem and its rejection of the Nazirites. In Amos, YHWH says “I raised up prophets from your sons and Nazirites from your young men. Is this not true, o children of Israel? But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets not to prophesy” (Amos 2:11-12) YHWH already told us the consequences of such: “[Judeans] reject the Law of YHWH and fail to keep His statutes; they are led astray by the lies in which their fathers walked. So I will send fire upon Judah to consume the citadels of Jerusalem.” (Amos 2:4-5)
Likewise, Jesus promises that the coming Son of Man will consume the citadels of Jerusalem, telling his disciple: “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Mark 13:2). Thus Jesus being a spurned Nazirite who motivates YHWH to wreck Jerusalem is a central pillar of his fulfillment of old testament scripture.