03.04 Inter-Testament Background (c. 400 B.C. – A.D. 30)

03.04.10 Jewish Families Taken to Egypt; Ptolemy Dynasty of Egypt Rules Judah; The Parthian and Roman Empires Begin to Rise

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03.04.10 319 B.C. Jewish Families Taken to Egypt; Ptolemy Dynasty of Egypt Rules Judah; The Parthian and Roman Empires Begin to Rise

A time of political upheaval was about to begin.  For the next 122 years the Jews of Jerusalem and surrounding Promised Land were governed by their high priests, who were essentially puppet governors controlled by the Greek overlords in Egypt. For the most part, these rulers were mild in light of other sovereigns.[1] The Greek Ptolemy Soter captured Jerusalem without a fight on the Sabbath day because the Jews refused to “work” on that day. He took 120,000 Jews to surrounding villages of Alexandria as slaves.[2] They became the principle settlers in a city where the Jewish population would grow to over one million and where the Hebrew Bible would be translated into Greek.[3]  This was the first translation of the Hebrew text and was needed because the Jews of Egypt had lost their Hebrew tongue.

At the same time, the Seleucids expanded their kingdom and founded the cities of Seleucia and Antioch.  Seleucia was located in the eastern section of the kingdom along the banks of the Euphrates (modern Iraq and Iran), while Antioch was in Syria along the Orontes River.  Rivalry between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies soon led to military sparring.  Finally, a great battle took place at Raphia, near Gaza where Ptolemy conquered the Seleucids.  However, within a few years, Ptolemy died and left a five-year-old son to reign.  Hearing this, the Seleucids attacked again and conquered Judah. The dark days of the Jewish people were about to begin.

In the meantime, the Romans were growing into a powerful military force in the peninsula of Italy, and were on one conquest after another.  By the second century, they fought the Greeks and won, after which they sailed to northern Africa where they laid conquest to Carthage. This was about the same time the Seleucids took control of Judah, meaning that there was war everywhere.

Also at this same time, far to the east in the Old Persian Empire, a province known as Parthia grew strong and seized control of the Empire by defeating their Seleucid overlords. The Parthians had developed highly skilled cavalry bowmen for which the Seleucids had no defense.  These bowmen, who thundered across the deserts on horseback were the terror of the age; the primary reason the Parthian King Arsaces led his people to victory.  Eventually his empire covered a massive territory from the Euphrates to the Indus River.  Fearing the Parthians wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea, the Romans recognized them as a formidable threat, and hence, six decades before the birth of Jesus they moved into the land of the Jews to establish a frontier protective buffer.

The Parthians had obtained considerable knowledge of the Jewish faith from the exiles who had been relocated into their land centuries earlier by King Nebuchadnezzar.  It would be the Parthians who would send the magi to honor the infant Jesus.  Jewish believers from Parthia were also present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9).  Clearly, the Jewish exiles were responsible for infiltrating the entire Middle East and parts of Central Asia with the anticipation of a coming messiah.[4]

[1]. Metzger, New Testament. 18.

[2]. Josephus, Antiquities 12.1.1 and 12.2.1.

[3]. See “Septuagint” in 02.02.25.

[4]. Dresden, “Parthians.” 3:661.



03.04.11 Greek Seleucid Era Begins

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03.04.11 311 B.C. Greek Seleucid Era Begins

Seleucus I, who was a cavalry officer under Alexander, took control of Babylon marking the beginning of the Seleucid Era.  (A decade later Syria is captured.)   Seleucus I (312-280 B.C.) founded the Seleucid dynasty of Syria which ruled Syria, Asia Minor, Babylon, Samaria, and Judah (but Samaria and Judah disputed with the Ptolemies).  The Seleucids ruled from 323 to c. 125 B.C., but in the final years, their empire was being lost to competing empires a section at a time.[1]

[1]. Blaiklock, “Seleucids.” 16:1911-12.



03.04.12 Greek Seleucid Control of the Holy Land is Secured

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03.04.12 301 B.C. Greek Seleucid Control of the Holy Land is Secured

However, the land of the Jews became the disputed territory between the Seleucid and Ptolemy dynasties.  It was the curse of living on the land bridge that connected Africa with Asia and Europe – and being sandwiched between the northern Arabian Desert and Mediterranean Sea – that they were constantly faced with invading armies on the march.[1] They lived in constant tension, never knowing when an invading army would steal their food and other supplies. Finally, in 301 B.C. one of the greatest battles of antiquity took place at the Ipsus in Phrygia, west-central Anatolia. There an estimated one hundred thirty thousand troops from both the Seleucid and Ptolemaic armies fought each other. Antigonus I was killed in battle and his son Demetrius became the Seleucid king.  However, in the century to come there were five major wars between the Egyptian Ptolemies and Syrian Seleucids (274-272, 260-252, 246-241, 221-217, and 201-198).  Whenever the Egyptians marched north or the Syrians marched south to Egypt, they crossed the Holy Land stealing food and whatever other supplies were needed.[2] If there was ever a land that needed peace and rest, it was the region of Naphtali and Zebulon – two Hebrew tribal areas on which the international highway lay – the Via Maris. 

[1]. For a study of historical maps of this region, see Nebenzahl, Kenneth. Maps of the Holy Land. New York: Abbeville Press. 1986.

 

[2]. Cate, A History of the New Testament and its Times. 66.

 



03.04.13 Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt; Greek Translation of Scripture

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03.04.13 283 B.C. Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt; Greek Translation of Scripture

Ptolemy Philadelphus became the king of Egypt as the result of the demise of the Greek Empire. According to Josephus, his Jewish subjects suggested that he free Jewish slaves since their God placed him in power.  He not only approved their request but he also sent gifts to the temple in Jerusalem and gathered Jewish scholars to translate the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek.[1] Tradition says that 72 scholars were gathered on the island of Pharos near Alexandria and there they produced the Greek translation in 72 days, hence the Latin name Septuagint meaning seventy.[2] Many believe this to be a fanciful legend even though some Jewish writings even claim to have the names of the original translators. That translation became known as the Septuagint, and is commonly referred to as “LXX.”[3]  This was a major step in preparing the world to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ nearly three centuries later.

Evidently, the Jews enjoyed the comforts of Egypt and favor of the king as a half-century later they built a synagogue for the royal family.  Between the years 246 and 221 B.C. in Schedia, Egypt, the synagogue was constructed, and while it has since been destroyed, its dedication inscription was discovered.  It is the earliest reference to a synagogue and reads:

For King Ptolemy and Queen Berenike, his sister and wife, and for their children the Jews built the synagogue.

Schedia Synagogue Inscription[4]

 

Clearly, the Jews of Egypt had become rather wealthy and were on friendly terms with their monarch. This may be reason the king encouraged the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Epistle of Aristeas (285-247 B.C.) claims to be a reliable account of how the translation was made.  The royal librarian, Demetrius of Phalerum, suggested to the reigning Egyptian king, Ptolemy Philadelphus that a copy of the Jewish Torah should be placed in the royal library.  The king then sent him to Jerusalem with a caravan of gifts to present to the High Priest Eleazar.  The Priest sent seventy-two elders, six from each tribe, to a remote island where they could work in peace.  Supposedly, it took only seventy-two sessions and, hence, the name “Septuagint” came about.  This Epistle might be somewhat fanciful, but it reflects the diligence with which the Jews translated their Torah. The number 72 was rounded off to 70, and symbolized by the Roman numerals LXX.   While no one gives the time element of the legend any credibility, the fact that the first translation came from Egypt at this time has been firmly established.

It should be noted that at this point, history clarifies the debate as to whether Jesus sent out 70 or 72 disciples (Lk. 1:1-16 vs. Mt. 11:20-24). In Egypt there were 72 scholars who translated the Hebrew Scriptures but for ease of conversational shorthand, people spoke of “the 70.” In fact, in good Jewish tradition, their names have been preserved as well.[5] Likewise Jesus sent out 72 disciples as recorded in Matthew, but for ease of conversation, Luke said there were 70.

03.04.13 (2)

[1]. Josephus, Antiquities 12.2.4-15.

[2]. https://www.ccel.org/bible/brenton/intro.html. Retrieved December 30, 2014.

 

[3]. See 02.02.25 and a brief discussion by Dr. Petra Heldt at 02.04.01.V.

 

[4]. Horsley, New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity. 3:121-22.

[5]. B. S. J. Isserlin of the University of Leeds has an article titled The Names of the 72 Translators of the Septuagint based upon the Pseudepigraphic Letter by Aristeas (47-50) to his brother Philocrates written in the 2nd century B.C.  It was later repeated by Philo of Alexandria as well as Josephus in Antiquities 12.2.7 (57). The article by Isserlin is available at https://www.jtsa.edu/Documents/pagedocs/JANES/1973%205/Isserlin5.pdf  Retrieved June 29, 2015

 



03.04.13 Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt; Greek Translation of Scripture

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03.04.13 283 B.C. Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt; Greek Translation of Scripture

Ptolemy Philadelphus became the king of Egypt as the result of the demise of the Greek Empire. According to Josephus, his Jewish subjects suggested that he free Jewish slaves since their God placed him in power.  He not only approved their request but he also sent gifts to the temple in Jerusalem and gathered Jewish scholars to translate the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek.[1] Tradition says that 72 scholars were gathered on the island of Pharos near Alexandria and there they produced the Greek translation in 72 days, hence the Latin name Septuagint meaning seventy.[2] Many believe this to be a fanciful legend even though some Jewish writings even claim to have the names of the original translators. That translation became known as the Septuagint, and is commonly referred to as “LXX.”[3]  This was a major step in preparing the world to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ nearly three centuries later.

 

Evidently, the Jews enjoyed the comforts of Egypt and favor of the king as a half-century later they built a synagogue for the royal family.  Between the years 246 and 221 B.C. in Schedia, Egypt, the synagogue was constructed, and while it has since been destroyed, its dedication inscription was discovered.  It is the earliest reference to a synagogue and reads:

 

For King Ptolemy and Queen Berenike, his sister and wife, and for their children the Jews built the synagogue.

 

Schedia Synagogue Inscription[4]

 

Clearly, the Jews of Egypt had become rather wealthy and were on friendly terms with their monarch. This may be reason the king encouraged the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Epistle of Aristeas (285-247 B.C.) claims to be a reliable account of how the translation was made.  The royal librarian, Demetrius of Phalerum, suggested to the reigning Egyptian king, Ptolemy Philadelphus that a copy of the Jewish Torah should be placed in the royal library.  The king then sent him to Jerusalem with a caravan of gifts to present to the High Priest Eleazar.  The Priest sent seventy-two elders, six from each tribe, to a remote island where they could work in peace.  Supposedly, it took only seventy-two sessions and, hence, the name “Septuagint” came about.  This Epistle might be somewhat fanciful, but it reflects the diligence with which the Jews translated their Torah. The number 72 was rounded off to 70, and symbolized by the Roman numerals LXX.   While no one gives the time element of the legend any credibility, the fact that the first translation came from Egypt at this time has been firmly established.

 

It should be noted that at this point, history clarifies the debate as to whether Jesus sent out 70 or 72 disciples (Lk. 1:1-16 vs. Mt. 11:20-24). In Egypt there were 72 scholars who translated the Hebrew Scriptures but for ease of conversational shorthand, people spoke of “the 70.” In fact, in good Jewish tradition, their names have been preserved as well.[5] Likewise Jesus sent out 72 disciples as recorded in Matthew, but for ease of conversation, Luke said there were 70.

 

[1]. Josephus, Antiquities 12.2.4-15.

[2]. https://www.ccel.org/bible/brenton/intro.html. Retrieved December 30, 2014.

 

[3]. See 02.02.25 and a brief discussion by Dr. Petra Heldt at 02.04.01.V.

 

[4]. Horsley, New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity. 3:121-22.

[5]. B. S. J. Isserlin of the University of Leeds has an article titled The Names of the 72 Translators of the Septuagint based upon the Pseudepigraphic Letter by Aristeas (47-50) to his brother Philocrates written in the 2nd century B.C.  It was later repeated by Philo of Alexandria as well as Josephus in Antiquities 12.2.7 (57). The article by Isserlin is available at https://www.jtsa.edu/Documents/pagedocs/JANES/1973%205/Isserlin5.pdf  Retrieved June 29, 2015

 



03.04.14 Third Century B.C. Greek Influences Challenge Jewish Values and Traditions

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03.04.14 Third Century B.C. Greek Influences Challenge Jewish Values and Traditions

The real genius of Alexander was how he united conquered lands.  He understood the power of culture to mold people and believed that if all shared the same values they would live in harmony.[1] The problem was, as both the Greeks and Romans discovered, that the Jews were not easily molded to conform to Greek values. As the time of the Messiah’s coming was drawing nearer, the influence of dominating pagan cultures intensified. While the pinnacle of this influence was in the era of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (early 2nd century B.C.), it was, nonetheless, increasingly attractive to Jewish youth.[2]

Whereas in most conquests, the dominant power merely desired peace and taxes from the subjugated people, the Greeks desired much more – they desired to change the conquered culture into the Greek culture. Since they were now the world’s manufacturing and seafaring nation, as well as renowned merchants, they settled in various countries to establish businesses. Many moved into Syria and to the cities east of the Jordan River that would later be known as the Decapolis cities. As such, there were a number of influences that radically changed the social, political, and religious landscape of the Promised Land. A summary is listed below, but was previously described in greater detail.[3]

  1. The gods of the Canaanites and neighboring tribes were given Greek names. But since the Jewish people did not have an idol, the Greeks were bewildered at their religion. The Jews, in turn, looked upon their overlords as idol worshippers. There was always a high level of cultural tension between the two groups, unlike the Jews and Greeks in Egypt who got along very well with each other because each group recognized the value of the other.
  1. The Greek religion honored strength and wealth while Judaism honored kindness and charity.
  1. The Greeks introduced poets, philosophers, artists, medical doctors and scientists while Judaism honored rabbis.
  1. New types of public buildings – theaters, baths, and inns were introduced.
  1. The Greeks introduced sports, and a gymnasium was built near the temple.[4] The gymnasium was the Greek center of communal life, education, business, as well as a place of exercise and bathing. There is little question that the Hellenized Jews promoted the gymnasium, much to the dissatisfaction of orthodox Jews.[5] The authors of 1 and 2 Maccabees commented on the importance of the gymnasium just prior to the Maccabean Revolt.[6]
  1. By the early first century (A.D.), Jewish healers and exorcists used formulas and practices that were nearly identical to those used by their Greek and Roman neighbors.
  1. Jewish literature had an increased emphasis on the following points:[7]
  1. An increased emphasis on Jewish traditions, especially in light of the encroaching Hellenism. With these, there were various related theological issues debated and emphasized.
  1. An increase of Apocalyptic literature which emphasized the coming of a political messiah and an end of the age – eschatology.

Young men who competed in sports event did so completely nude.[8] The word gymnasium is from the Greek word gymnos, meaning naked (1131),[9]  because the Hellenists loved the human body. Therefore, some young men from priestly families chose to have the sign of circumcision surgically removed, with a procedure known as epispasm.[10] This was so they could hide their Hellenistic Jewishness and participate in the games without being identified as being Jewish. It should be noted, however, that some scholars believe that the sporting events and gymnasium were not established in Jerusalem until later during the reign of Herod the Great in the year 27 B.C.[11]   What is clearly known is that young Jewish men had the sign of circumcision removed during the reign of Herod the Great and continued to do so until the temple was destroyed after which all Jews were reduced to dire poverty.

It should be noted that while the Greeks established the gymnasium for the creation of a strong mind and physical body,[12] the Romans seldom accepted it and the orthodox Jews hated it.  The Romans believed gymnastics had little military value and it encouraged idleness and immorality. Instead, in the early days of the Roman Republic, young men were trained in the Campus Martius, that is, military training of combat, forced marches, camp life, etc. The writer of 1 Maccabees 1:11-64 (see below) indicates that a gymnasium was built in Jersalem, but its location is unknown. Whether it even functioned as such by the time of Christ is also unknown.

Clearly, the Hellenistic culture of the Greeks was making inroads upon the Jewish people. This offended the pious Jews (called the Hasidim, meaning pious ones), but wealthier Jews enjoyed the new cultural offerings and soon “Hellenized” Jews became the despised persons of their Hasidim brothers. For the Hellenized Jews, their old orthodox religion was seen as interfering with attaining their pleasures of life.[13]  In later years, the Romans replaced the Greeks but the culture war did not change. The Romans did not have their own culture per se, but accepted and promoted Greek Hellenism.

[1]. Du Toit, Guide to the New Testament II, 437.

 

[2]. See also 02.04.01-11; 03.05.12; 1 Cor. 1.

[3]. See also 02.04.01-11; 03.05.12; Cate, A History of the New Testament and its Times. 68-70.

 

[4]. The issue of who built the gymnasium and where it was, is a problem for historians and archaeologists. Josephus said Herod the Great built one but other sources indicate that Jason, in the early second century B.C., also built one. Questions persist, such as, Was Herod’s gymnasium a remodeling of the earlier one or was it a completely new structure? The mystery remains. Scott, Jr. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. 82.

 

[5]. Sanders, “Jesus in Historical Context.” 436-37.

 

[6]. 1 Macc. 1:14; 2 Macc. 4:12; 4 Macc. 4:9.

 

[7]. Fischer, The Gospels in Their Jewish Context. (Lecture on CD/MP3). Week 6, Session 1.

 

[8]. Niswonger, New Testament History. 24.

 

[9]. Scott, Jr. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. 127; Vine, “Naked, Nakedness.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. 2:425.

[10]. See also 02.01.10.

 

[11].  The sporting events of 27 B.C. included gladiator fights and wild animals fighting and devouring condemned criminals, much to the delight of Gentile spectators. But since there is only one account of a gladiator and wild animal fight in Jerusalem, the conclusion by scholars is that there must have been an incredible Jewish protest against this form of barbaric entertainment. See Goodman. “Under the Influence.” 62, 65.

 

[12]. The gymnasium was not only for physical training and sporting activities, but also an educational environment with a school of learning.

 

[13]. Golub, In the Days. 68-72.

 



03.04.15 Non-Rabbinic Writings Begin: Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha, and the Dead Sea Scrolls

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03.04.15 200 B.C. Non-Rabbinic Writings Begin: Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha, and the Dead Sea Scrolls  

In response to the Hellenistic influences, concerned Jews as well as some leaders responded with various forms of legalism. It appears that every religious sect had one or more individuals who either wrote of actual events or of expected apocalyptic events,[1] and the latter far exceeded the former.

One of those religious sects was the Essenes (02.01.06), who copied many ancient books for more than two centuries that eventually became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls (02.02.06). Many of these manuscripts were deposited in clay jars that were hidden in caves at the time of the destruction of the second temple (A.D. 70), but were later discovered between 1948 and 1956.  These writings provide modern scholars insight into life in the time of Jesus.

In addition to the Essene writings, another genre appeared that would eventually become known as the Apocrypha (02.02.03) and Pseudepigrapha (02.02.24).  Some of these books tend to be of an apocalyptic nature: some future judgmental event is described to deliver Israel from her enemies. Other writings reflect the encroachment of Hellenistic thinking into Judaism, and the first “liberal” writers restructure basic elements of the Torah and other Hebrew writings.  Not all were accepted by the Jews, but everyone knew of them.

Finally, ancient writers gave various opinions of what the messiah would be like – from defeating foreign dominating powers to exorcisms.  Within The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, are three books that have unique verses to a future king who would defeat Satan and his demons. Therefore, when Jesus came and freed people from demonic control, His performance was what some expected.[2] On the other hand, chapter 17 of the Psalms of Solomon, written between 40 and 30 B.C., clearly expresses the idea of overthrowing a foreign dominating power which was obviously Rome. Therefore, when Jesus made no mention of any political aspirations, His performance was not what some expected. Yet Psalms of Solomon 17 also presents a comprehensive picture of the ideal messiah who is from the line of David – an image that was well established in the minds of the Jewish people in the time of Jesus only a few decades later.

[1]. See “Apocalyptic Literature” in Appendix 26.

[2]. See 11.02.09 for more information.

 



03.04.16 Syria and Jerusalem Come Firmly Under the Control of the Greek Seleucids

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03.04.16 198 B.C. Syria and Jerusalem Come Firmly Under the Control of the Greek Seleucids

Antiochus III of the Syrian Seleucid dynasty captured control of the Jewish state from the Egyptian Ptolemies who had controlled it since the death of Alexander the Great.  This battle was fought at Panias, a village later known as Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus asked Peter his famous question, “Who do people say that I am?”   The Greek Seleucids maintained their district capital in Damascus, Syria, and from there they controlled Samaria, Judah, and Jerusalem.  The Jewish people welcomed Antiochus III because he granted them the right to practice their faith according to the traditions and laws of their fathers. They were also exempted from taxes for three years.

However, after the death of Antiochus III, Antiochus IV reigned. The freedom of religion the Jews once enjoyed changed radically to deadly persecution. The change not only intensified the culture war between pious Jews and the Greeks, but also between Hellenistic Jews and the Hasidim. The Hellenists had obtained considerable influence among the priests and Levites in the temple. As will be shown, for pious Jews this was a time of hell on earth.



03.04.17 Antiochus IV Epiphanes, King of Syria Controls Jerusalem

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03.04.17 176-164 B.C. Antiochus IV Epiphanes, King of Syria Controls Jerusalem

Since the time of Alexander the Great, the Greek kings had an unofficial policy of tolerance toward the Jews and their religion.  All villages and communities throughout the Greek Empire adopted the Hellenistic lifestyle with the exception of the Jews.  When Antiochus IV (215 – 164 B.C.), who changed his name to Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“Epiphanes” meaning, “the illustrious one” as well as “the manifest god”),[1] became king of the Syrian district, he changed the policy and was determined to make the little Jewish enclave conform to the rest of Greek society.

The Syrian Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes took control of Judah without a struggle. Before the Hasmonean rebellion, there was a strong absolute prohibition against war or even carrying weapons on the Sabbath.  Therefore, when Antiochus sent his general, Ptolemy Lagus, to capture Jerusalem, he did so on the Sabbath and there was absolutely no resistance. The Jewish prohibition of conflict on the Sabbath was so strong, that Josephus recorded that some priests decided not to fight on that day, and they were slaughtered.[2] When the Jews realized that their doctrine would be their annihilation, they decided they had to fight, even if it was on the Sabbath (1 Macc. 2:29-40).

Antiochus was undoubtedly the most significant character of the Inter-Testamental Period, as he left a lasting and horrific legacy.  Two apostate priests who competed against each other in various endeavors in the temple aided his evil schemes.[3]  The irony of biblical prophecy is that to fully understand the prophecy, it must be fulfilled (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12).  He was a brutal and vicious dictator, worse than Herod the Great in that he attempted to convert the Jews to the pagan Greek culture.  Those who refused were killed.  His lasting influence upon the Jews cannot be overstated, but unfortunately, is seldom studied. There is not so much disagreement on what the Bible says, but rather, on what it does not say.

Antiochus was determined to convert the Jews to paganism and remove any evidence of Jewish culture from the face of the earth.  His commander, Nicanor, advertised the sale of Jewish slaves throughout the Greek cities at the cheap rate of ninety “bodies” for only one talent.[4]

Jews in later generations were convinced that the Messiah would come after Antiochus, an interpretation they based on the prophecies of Daniel.  But their difficulty with that interpretation is how to solve the “sevens” the prophet Daniel mentioned.[5]  It was resolved with a figurative interpretation rather than a literal understanding.  Then as the years went by after the defeat of Antiochus there was an increased expectation that the Messiah would come.  Therefore, the horrific actions of the king and the divine intervention during the Maccabean Revolt that followed are significant in understanding the expectations of the Jews in the time of Christ.

03.04.17.A. COIN OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES

03.04.17.A. COIN OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES. LEFT: The image of Antiochus IV (ruled 175-164 B.C.) RIGHT: Olympus Zeus is seated, holding Nike. Some coins depicted him as “god manifest” which was offensive to the Jewish people. The fact the he considered himself to be “the God” is evident from his coins. Internet Photograph.[6]

 

Antiochus was a man who desired absolute power and wealth. He controlled Judah as it was the land bridge with critical international highways. This provided him with an important source of revenue: taxation of traveling caravans.  His greed inspired him to pass over the rightful successor to the throne, Seleucus Philopator, and ushered in an era of immense pain and suffering for the Jewish people in his attempt to destroy the Jewish faith and replace it with Hellenistic philosophy. He brought forth the “abomination of desolation” with a dozen major points that were recorded in the books of Maccabees in the second century B.C.:[7]

  1. The temple in Jerusalem was dedicated to his god, Zeus Olympus (2 Macc. 6:2). This was the ultimate “abomination of desolation.”
  1. He erected an altar over the existing altar and offered a pig sacrifice to Zeus Olympus (1 Macc. 1:54, 59; 4:43-47).
  1. He instituted a month-long celebration of his birthday (2 Macc. 6:7).
  1. He instituted the worship of the god Dionysus with a processional march (2 Macc. 6:7).
  1. He forbade the observance of the Sabbath and all Jewish festivals.
  1. He forbade sacrifices and reading of any Scriptures.
  1. Any Jews who violated his laws were sentenced to death.
  1. Jews were not permitted to enter their own temple.
  1. The Sanhedrin was terminated.[8]
  1. He sold the position of temple priesthood.
  1. He imported temple prostitutes, used the temple facility as a brothel as part of pagan worship.
  1. He stole all of the treasures in the temple, including the veils of fine linen, so that the building was left bare.

The Roman senator and author Publius Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 56 – 117) recorded an account of Antiochus and the chaotic political environment in his book titled, Histories.[9] Tacitus said that after Antiochus, the Jewish leaders, later known as Sadducees, established their own “princes” who were nearly as brutal as some of their pagan monarchs. They certainly lacked the biblical qualities and values of leadership.

When the Macedonians became supreme, King Antiochus strove to destroy the national superstition, and to introduce Greek civilization, but was prevented by his war with the Parthians from at all improving this vilest of nations; for at this time the revolt of Arsaces had taken place. The Macedonian power was now weak, while the Parthian had not yet reached its full strength, and, as the Romans were still far off, the Jews chose kings for themselves. Expelled by the fickle populace, and regaining their throne by force of arms, these princes, while they ventured on the wholesale banishment of their subjects, on the destruction of cities, on the murder of brothers, wives, and parents, and the other usual atrocities of despots, fostered the national superstition by appropriating the dignity of the priesthood as the support of their political power.

            Tacitus, Histories 5.8[10]

 

When Tacitus referred to the “national superstition” of the Jews, he meant the Jewish religion. Romans, Greeks and all other pagans could not understand how anyone could worship an invisible god. Furthermore, the non-Jews had difficulty with the Jewish people not working one day of the week, as well as their dietary restrictions. To them, this religious lifestyle was clearly superstitious.

Another writer of history, Polybius (200  – 117 B.C.), used a play on words in his description of Antiochus. Since Antiochus gave himself the last name, Epiphanes, meaning he was the bodily manifestation of a god, Polybius played with that name and referred to him as Epimanes meaning mad, or Antiochus the insane.[11]

Antiochus Epiphanes, nicknamed from his actions Epimanes, “The Madman,” would sometimes steal from the court, avoiding his attendants and appear roaming wildly about in any chance part of the city with one or two companions.

Polybius, The Histories of Polybius 26:1[12]

 

Among the other evils this dictator invented was the creation of a myth known as “Blood Libel” that would haunt the Jews into the twentieth century. According to Flavius Josephus, Antiochus essentially said in order for the Jews to fulfill their required ritual laws,

That they used to catch a Greek foreigner and fatten him thus up every year and then lead him to a certain wood pile, and kill him, and taste of his entrails, and make an oath upon this sacrificing a Greek, that they would ever be at enmity with the Greeks; and that they threw the remaining parts of the miserable wretch into a pit.  

Josephus, Against Apion 2.8 (95)

 

Variations of this myth caused persecutions and martyrdom for the Jews at the hands of so-called Christians throughout the Church Age.  It was a popular slander in Nazi Germany and is taught as historic fact in Islamic countries today.

Antiochus is credited for grouping various Greek cities into ten districts for administrative and taxing purposes.  These became known as the “Decapolis cities” by the time of Jesus as the Greek name poleis means cities.  They were Seleucia, Galaditis (Transjordan) and Beit She’an (Scythopolis) in northern Israel. The towns or cities east of the Jordan River are Damascus, Philadelphia (Amman), Rafna, Garada, Sussita (Hippos), Dion, Pelia (Pella), Jerash (Gerash), and Canatha. The historian Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D. 23 – 79), better known as Pliny the Elder, in his work titled Natural History, listed the ten as: Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Dium, Pella, Canatha, and Gerasa.[13] However, another historian Claudius Ptolemy (A.D. 60-168), wrote in his book titled Geography, a different list of names.[14] Clearly, the ancients had different opinions of what they considered to be a district, city or village. While the number of cities is uncertain,[15] it is known that there were ten administrative districts for military and tax purposes, which were instituted by Pompey in 63 B.C.[16]

03.04.17.Z MAP OF THE REGIONS OF THE DECAPOLIS CITIES

03.04.17.Z MAP OF THE REGIONS OF THE DECAPOLIS CITIES.  The Decapolis Cities, designated with the red dot, were administrative capital cities established by the Greeks. Courtesy of International Mapping and Dan Przywara.

[1]. See footnote “c” by Whiston in Whiston, ed., The Works of Josephus. 350.

 

[2]. Josephus, Antiquities 12.6.2 (271-77). Josephus received his information from Agatharchides of Cnidus, who lived in Alexandria in the second century B.C.; Oppenheimer, “Oral Law in the Books of Maccabees.” 34.

[3]. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. 4.

[4]. Barrois, “Trade and Commerce.” 4:682.

[5]. See Appendix 15 concerning Daniel’s prophecy.

 

[6]. http://www.museumsurplus.com/HolylandCoinsPAGE1.htm. Retrieved November 6, 2014.

 

[7]. Grabbe, Judaism from Cyrus to Harian. 258.

[8]. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. 67.

[9]. This book The Histories, is not to be confused with another historical work by Tacitus titled The Annals of Imperial Rome.

 

[10]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/tac/h05000.htm Retrieved February 17, 2012. While Josephus wrote of the priestly ideals of the Jewish theocracy, Tacitus wrote of the senatorial ideals of the Roman republic. Tacitus wrote of politics and imperial wars, and was not concerned about the social-economic conditions of the lower classes.

 

[11]. Grabbe, Judaism from Cyrus to Harian. 248; Metzger, New Testament. 19.

[12]. Polybius authored The Histories of Polybius, a/k/a The Histories, which describes the rise of the Roman Republic to a world power between the years 264-146 B.C.

 

[13]. Gaius Plinius Secundus, Gerasa. Natural History 5, 74.

 

[14]. Claudius Ptolemy. Geography 5, 14, 18.

 

[15]. See “Decapolis” in Appendix 26.

 

[16]. Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ. (Video “E”).



03.04.18 Zadokite Priesthood Ends; Temple Priesthood Sold; The Essenes

Bill Heinrich  -  Jan 15, 2016  -  Comments Off on 03.04.18 Zadokite Priesthood Ends; Temple Priesthood Sold; The Essenes

03.04.18 171 B.C. Zadokite Priesthood Ends; Temple Priesthood Sold; The Essenes.

Until this time, the office of high priest was an inherited position, handed down from father to son. From the time of Solomon the Jewish priesthood was always selected from one family, that of Zadok. However, the once-held belief that the name was derived from Zadok, a high priest in Solomon’s court has some serious etymological difficulties.[1] The Zadokite High Priest Onias III had a brother who was the leader of the Hellenist party. His Jewish name was Joshua, but he preferred to be called by his Greek name, Jason. As was so often the case in human history, one brother caused the death of another for the sake of power and wealth. A tragedy such as this occurred here as well.

At one time, Jason offered Antiochus IV a huge sum of money to be positioned as high priest. The king accepted the bribe, sent Onias on a state trip to Antioch to answer trumped-up charges of treachery.  In route, he was assassinated and Jason became the new high priest. This level of religious corruption existed almost continuously until the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70.[2] As evil as this act was, later, during the days of Jesus, the religious and political corruption was much worse.[3] As a result, many survivors of the Zadok family isolated themselves and became known as the Essenes who are credited today with having written the Dead Sea Scrolls. The former high priest realized that his future in the Holy Land was rather bleak, so he relocated to Egypt.  There Ptolemy Philometor gave him permission to build a temple at Leontopolis, about 200 miles south of Alexandria.[4]  It is the only temple other than the one in Jerusalem where sacrifices were offered to God.

In the days of Jesus, the Jewish temple in Leontopolis, in southern Egypt,[5] added to the social and religious tensions in Judaea. Even though Egyptian Jews felt an allegiance to Jerusalem, the leaders in the Holy City were quite displeased with a competing temple.[6] The rabbis in Jerusalem were already disturbed by the translation of the Bible into Greek, a feat that was accomplished in Egypt in the previous century. The result was Jewish anti-Semitism – antagonism and bitterness between these two Jewish groups.

In the meantime, Antiochus was not unique in his decision to sell the office of high priest.  It was common in ancient times that a king would develop an extremely loyal supporter who controlled the temple and the religious affairs of the people.  In a similar manner, years later the Herodian family placed, or “sold” the same office to Annas, and later to Caiaphas. This enhanced the controlling powers and improved the wealth of the monarch.

Another example of a priesthood being sold was uncovered by archaeologists in Egypt. In this papyrus document, Pekebkis, the son of Marsisouchus, made a generous offer to purchase the position of prophet (high priest).  This document, dated A.D. 146, reads in part as follows:

To Tiberius Claudius Justus, administrator of the private account,[7] from Pakebkis, son of Marsisouchus, exempted priest[8] of the famous temple of Soknebtunis also called Cronus…. I wish to purchase the office of prophet[9]  in the aforesaid temple, which has been for sale for a long time, on the understanding that I shall … carry the palm-branches and perform the other functions of the office of prophet and receive in accordance with the orders a fifth part[10]  of all the revenue which falls to the temple, at a total price of 2,200 drachmae instead of the 640 drachmae offered long ago by Marsisouchus, son of Pakebkis, which sum I will pay, if my appointment is ratified, into the local public bank at the customary dates; and I and my descendants and successors shall have the permanent ownership and possession of this office forever with all the same privileges and rights, on payment [by each one] of 200 drachmae for admission.  If, therefore, it seems good to you, my Lord, you will ratify my appointment here in the city upon these terms and to write to the strategies about this matter, in order that the due services to the gods who you love may be performed…. Farewell, the 10th year of the Emperor Caesarea.

Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antonius Augustus Pius, Tubi 10.[11]

 

[1]. Guignebert, The Jewish World in the Time of Jesus. 162; Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. 123-24.

 

[2]. Bruce, New Testament History. 56-58.

 

[3]. Grabbe, Judaism from Cyrus to Harian. 249; Blaikie, A Manual of Bible History. 393; Golub, In the Days. 82-86.

[4]. Golub, In the Days. 229-32, 238-39.

 

[5]. See my comments on this temple in “Babylonian Captivity” in 03.02.15.

 

[6]. See “Babylonin Captivity” in 03.02.15.

 

[7]. All real estate in Egypt was considered to be the private property of the monarchs (with certain religious leaders exempted), and therefore, any income derived from these lands belonged to the royal treasury.

[8]. The holder of a religious office did not have to pay taxes to the Egyptian government, which was a puppet agent of the Romans.

[9]. “The prophet” was most likely the high priest who was also responsible for all financial matters of the temple, as he would be if he owned any other business.

[10]. “Fifth part” would be funds donated to the pagan temple as well as funds derived from the crops raised on sacred lands and controlled by the temple.

[11]. Barrett, The New Testament Background. 32-33.



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