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Greek Culture and the Growth of Multiple Judaisms

Explore the political events, Roman occupation, and diverse nature of Judaism in the period between the two testaments, including the concept of the Messiah.

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Greek Culture and the Growth of Multiple Judaisms

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  1. CHAPTER 10 Between The Two Testaments: Greek Culture And The Growth of Multiple Judaisms

  2. Reading: S. L. Harris, Understanding the Bible. 7th or 8th edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007/2011 Chapter 10 or 9, “Between the Two Testaments: Greek Culture and the Growth of Multiple Judaisms,” pp.308-337/282-314.

  3. Political Events: • The Maccabean Revolt (beginning ca. 168 B.C.E.); • supported by many of the Hasidim (“Pious Ones”); • the Revolt was precipitated by Antiochus IV’s attempts to eradicate Judaism (167-164 B.C.E.): • Antiochus’ desecration of the Jerusalem Temple (168 or 167); • Atrocities perpetrated on Torah Loyalists; • faithful martyrs for Judaism, e.g., Mattathias (d. 166), Judas Maccabeus (d. 160); • rededication of the Temple (165 or 164).

  4. Political Events (Contd.): - in 142 B.C.E., an independent state was established, ruled by a Maccabean Dynasty known as the Hasmoneans; - Judah independent under Hasmoneans (142-63 B.C.E.)

  5. Maccabean Period (ca. 160-76 B.C.E.)

  6. The Roman Occupation of Judea in 63 B.C.E: • Pompey came as a Roman military leader to settle a dynastic dispute between two brothers contending for the Hasmonean throne: • John Hyrcanus II (63-40; d. 30); and • Aristobulus II (67-63; d. 49);

  7. Political Events (Contd.): (See Table 3.1 “Some Major Events….”, pp. 42-44/40-42) • Pompey installed John Hyrcanus II (63-40 B.C.E.) as High Priest and Ethnarch (provincial governor) over a Jewish State much reduced in size and prestige; • A change in title from “King” to “Ethnarch”; this is significant; • The Jewish rulers were now mere puppets of Rome; • The Holy Land was merely another Province in the Roman Empire;

  8. Political Events (Contd.): • Roman appointed Herod as King (40-4 B.C.E.); • map of the kingdom of Herod (ca. 4 B.C.E.) - see Textbook, Fig. 10.1/9.1, p. 310/283; • he was the son of an Idumean (Edomite) governor and a Jewish mother; • he was unpopular with Jews; • a tyrant and a murderer; • undertook an elaborate building program; • he transformed Jerusalem and its Temple; • elaborate building projects throughout the land;

  9. Political Events (Contd.): • On Herod’s death, his Kingdom was divided among his three sons: • Herod Archelaus (4 B.C.E.-6 C.E.): Over Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; • A despot; • The Emperor Augustus eventually banished him to Gaul.

  10. Territory of Herod and His Three Sons.

  11. Political Events (Contd.): • Herod Antipas, the second son: ruled Galilee and Perea (4 B.C.E.-39 C.E.); • an unpopular leader; • Jesus labelled him “the fox” (Luke 13.32); • He ordered John the Baptist beheaded; • Gave Jesus a private hearing after his arrest (Luke 23.6-12); • this Herod is the one mentioned most often in the New Testament;

  12. Political Events (Contd.): • Herod Philip II: • The most able of the three sons; • Reigned (4 B.C.E.-34 C.E.) over the area northeast of the Sea of Galilee.

  13. Territory of Herod and His Three Sons.

  14. Political Events (Contd.): • The Jewish wars against Rome (66-73 C.E.); • Thus, the historical period during which the canon of the Hebrew Bible was completed and the first books of the New Testament were written is bracketed by two Jewish Wars of Independence: • The Maccabean Revolt (168-142 B.C.E.): resulted in the establishment of an independent Jewish State; and • Jewish wars against Rome; ended with the total annihilation of the Jewish political community.

  15. The Diverse World Of First Century Judaisms: • Judaism fragmented into a variety of religious parties or denominations; • in the Wars of the Jews (2.8.2), Flavius Josephus, describes the three major groups: • Pharisees; • Sadducees; • Essenes; • In addition there were: • Zealots; • (The Samaritans).

  16. The Messiah: First-century Expectations: • Hard to find agreement among first-century Jewish groups about the nature of the Messiah; • Some groups did not make expectation of the coming Messiah a major part of their religious hope; • The Sadducees denied that there would be one;

  17. The Essenes anticipated two separate figures: • A priestly Messiah, descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses and Miriam; and • A political Messiah, descended from King David.

  18. The Messiah: First-Century Expectations: • The Christian view that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah was not accepted by mainstream Judaism; • Jesus’ crucifixion was a “stumbling block” (1 Cor 1.23) to scripturally literate Jews; • Thus, Mark has to emphasize the unexpected or “hidden” quality of Jesus’ Messiahship.

  19. Israel’s Concept of the Messiah - a General Picture: • The Hebrew word is Mashiah and it means “anointed one” (in Greek, the word Christos is used to translate Mashiah); • Refers to the anointing of persons singled out and commissioned by God for some special purpose (Ps. 2.2; 18.50; 20.6; 28.8; 45.7; etc.) • e.g., the kings of ancient Israel were anointed; • All of Israel's Davidic kings were literally Messiahs, “anointed ones”; • They ruled as Yahweh's “sons”, adopted as such at their coronation (Ps. 2.7);

  20. Messianic claimants before and after Jesus: • Josephus reports that several Jewish rebels against Roman domination were also messianic pretenders, i.e., they assumed the function of Israel's AnointedKings; • The most famous messianic claimant was Simon Bar Kochba, who led the second Jewish revolt against Rome in 132-135 C.E.;

  21. A Christian View of the Messiah: • Jesus does not present himself as a military or political Saviour of Israel; • Jesus’ kingdom does not belong to this world (John 18.36); • the Gospel writers were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah whose life the Hebrew Prophets, especially Isaiah, foresaw; • in Christian interpretations of the Messiah, Jesus became the “prophet like Moses” (Deut 18.15-20) and the mysterious “suffering servant” (Isa 52.13-53.12; see also Psalm 22);

  22. A Christian View of the Messiah (Contd.): • The Christian view of the Messiah is a paradox: • a God-Anointed (Christos - a popular title that Christians use for Jesus) King who is rejected and dies; but, • whose voluntary death is a triumph over forces of darkness and evil; and • A source of hope for mortal humanity.

  23. Questions: 1. Describe the Maccabean Revolt under the headings: a) leaders; b) when; c) against whom and for what reasons; and d) successes or failures. 2. Describe the Roman occupation of Judea under the headings: a) when; b) military leader and one of his first actions; and c) the position of Jewish rulers. 3. Describe the Herods and their territory of the New Testament period. 4. The historical period during which the canon of the Hebrew Bible was completed and the first books of the New Testament were written is bracketed by two Jewish wars of independence. Describe these wars under the headings: a) leaders; b) time; c) against whom and for what reasons; and d) successes or failures..

  24. 5. During the First-Century C.E., the Judaism of Palestine was fragmented, according to Josephus (Wars of the Jews [2.8.2]), into various groups. Describe these groups. 6. What was the nature of the Messiah according to the various groups within Judaism during the First-Century C.E? 7. Describe in a general way the Christian, First-Century C.E. view relative to Jesus of Nazareth. In what way is the early Christian view of Jesus a paradox? 8. What does the Hebrew word Mashiah mean and for whom was it used? Who is an important, Second-Century Jew who was a Messianic claimant? SHALOM!

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