Were Jews Born or Made?

If you study the history of the Jews in the bible, any not circumcised were cut off from the tribe. Originally the tribe amounted to Abraham's 300+ servants and Ishmael, his only blood relative.

Jacob inherited all of these through Isaac, plus acquired more while serving his uncle Laban.

The number of Hebrews, also called Israel in Egypt needed the entire land of Goshen to live in.

They came out 400+ years later a mixed multitude and continued that way, and were considered Abraham's covenant seed through circumcision.

In Esther's day many became Jews after the Jews slaughtered thousands of Haman's followers.

““When a foreigner lives with you and wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, all his males must be circumcised, and then he may approach and observe it, and he will be like one who is born in the land—but no uncircumcised person may eat of it.” (Exodus 12:48)

“The same law will apply to the person who is native-born and to the foreigner who lives among you.”” (Exodus 12:49)

“And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:14) This would nullify the status of one born in the land.

 

So is most of the middle east. But any born of Isaac was given the boot to gentile status if not circumcised.

 

This is correct. But look at all the nations that came from Abraham.

By far the majority of Abraham’s descendants were not Israelites. Ishmael himself was in the covenant until expelled, but he had at that time no child. Later proceeded from him:

“Nebaioth and Kedar and Abdeel and Mibsam and Mishnah, and Duma and Massa, Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah — all these are the sons if Ishmael. (Gen. 25:13)

The sons of Keturah also were numerous: They were “Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.” (Gen. 25:2)

Although there were fourteen dukes, or chiefs, of Edom, (Gen. 36:15-19) let us count the Edomites as but one nation. Then we have twenty tribal groups, all of which were equally the descendants of Abraham after the flesh, but only one of which, the children of Israel, were in covenant with God and were “The Seed of Abraham” in the covenant sense. We may formulate our conclusion in the following sentence:

“The expression ‘Seed of Abraham’, in biblical usage, denotes that visible community, the members of which stand in relation to God through the Abrahamic Covenant, and thus are heirs to the Abrahamic promise.”

Albertus Pieters The Seed of Abraham

 

In the context of the seed of Abraham, it made one a Jew (member of physical Israel).

 

I agree with your position on Christians. But your take on Jewishness is not biblical It is Jewish custom popular today. If any were not circumcised, they were cut off and reduced to gentile status.

“And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:14)

This is important because when Jesus abolished circumcision on the cross, he removed unbelievers from Israel (Romans 11). Leaving only believers intact.

 

Jew = Religion, not race. And excommunication = gentile status.

 

It's a religion, not a race.

“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;” (Acts 17:26)