משומד _M’shoomad_ literally signifies destroyed one; but it is used by
the Jews to denote a brother Jew who embraced the religion of Jesus. It
is rather curious that the first time the word is made use of, according
to the Jews’ own showing, appears to have been by Jesus, against those
Jews who disbelieved him. The following passage――reproaching the Jews
for their infidelity and blasphemy――occurs in the הולדות ישו _Toledoth
Jeshu_――a most blasphemous production, purporting to give a narrative
of Jesus Christ:――
מי הם אותם המשומדים שאומרים עלי שאני ממזר ופסול הם ממזרים ופסולים
Indeed, whenever a converted Jew gets an opportunity of comparing notes
with an unconverted one, it always appears most palpably that the
epithet משומד _M’shoomad_ is more applicable to the latter than to the
former; for the former generally can prove to demonstration, that he is
a faithful follower of Moses and the Prophets, whilst the latter can do
no such thing.