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The Council of Jerusalem was the first Council in Christian history, and was held in Jerusalem circa 50 AD. The council was convened as the result of the cleavage within the early Christian community between those, such as James (the brother of Jesus), who believed the church must observe the rules of traditional Judaism and those, such as the Apostles Paul and Peter, who believed there was no such necessity. The council resolved that most Jewish law, including the requirement for circumcision, was not obligatory for gentile followers, possibly in order to make it easier for them to join the movement. However, the council did retain the prohibitions against eating meat containing blood, or meat not properly slain. It also retained the prohibitions against fornication and idol worshipping (see Acts 15). Some modern thinkers compare the rules of that council with the notion of Judaism's Noahide Laws.
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