The Setting

It is commonly accepted that Christianity is a by-product of Judaism and, in fact, includes the Old Testament books in the Christian Bible, but how Christianity interprets those writings is often in stark contrast to the way they were perceived by Semitic Judaism. Today, the Christian approaches the Old Testament books from a Westerner’s viewpoint, and sees in them prophecies pointing to Jesus and a future era. To the Jews, these writings speak of their past and a Jewish messiah. The result is like the proverbial comparison of apples and oranges, or trying to fit round pegs into square holes. Eastern values dressed in Western clothing simply do not make the same statement. Passages are taken out of context and applied to the wrong timeframe, or simply misunderstood.

The birth of Christianity occurred years after the life of Jesus and is the product of Hellenistic (Greek language and culture) thinking and writings. It purportedly tells the story of Jesus but that story has been polluted by pagan thinking and Western culture. Anyone who wishes to know as much as possible about the life of Jesus and the development of Christianity must at least have a basic understanding of Jewish history, customs, and beliefs.

To bridge from two thousand years ago, to the confused, 21st century Christian view of that world, I would like to quote from Robert Eisenman's introduction to his James the Brother of Jesus, pp. xx-xxi.

There is in this period one central immovable fact, that of Roman power. This was as elemental as a state of nature, and all movements and individual behaviour must be seen in relation to it. But the unsuspecting reader is often quite unaware of it, when inspecting documents that emanate from this time or trying to come to grips with what was actually a highly charged and extremely revolutionary situation in Palestine.

This is the problem we have to face in this period, not only where individuals are concerned, but also in the documents that have come down to us. For example, in the Gospels, probably products of the end of this period, one would have difficulty recognizing that this highly charged, revolutionary situation existed in the Galilee in which Jesus wanders peacefully about, curing the sick, chasing out demons, raising the dead, and performing other 'mighty works and wonders'.

But in the parallel vocabulary of the War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness—a key document from the Dead Sea Scrolls treating the final apocalyptic war against all Evil on the earth, led by the Messiah and the Heavenly Host—these same Messianic 'mighty works and wonders' are the battles God fights on behalf of His people and the marvelous victories He wins….

On the other hand, where the Gospels are concerned, we are in a peaceful, Hellenized countryside, where Galilean fishermen cast their nets or mend their boats. Would it were true. The scenes in the New Testament depicting Roman officials and military officers sometimes as near saints or the members of the Herodian family—their appointed custodians and tax collectors in Palestine—as bumbling but well-meaning dupes also have to be understood in the light of this submissiveness to Roman power.

The same can be said for the scenes picturing the vindictiveness of the Jewish mob. These are obviously included to please not a Jewish audience but a Roman or a Hellenistic one. This is also true of the presentation of the Jewish Messiah—call him 'Jesus'—as a politically disinterested, other-worldly (in Roman terms, ergo, harmless), even sometimes pro-Roman itinerant, at odds with his own people and family, preaching a variety of Plato's representation of the Apology of Socrates or the Pax Romana.

The Israelites believed that through them the entire world would be saved; all nations would be drawn to the one true God, who would establish his kingdom on earth, and all nations would come together in perfect, loving, fellowship and serve Him. All they had to do was attain a state of perfect obedience to God. They believed that when they obtained that point of perfection required by God, then He would send his Messiah to establish his kingdom on earth. The reality of that kingdom was as near or distant as Israel’s subservience to God.

Palestine—First Century BC.

In the year 63 BC, the Roman leader, Mark Anthony, appointed Herod the Great tetrarch of Galilee, in Palestine. The appointment caused a lot of resentment among the Jews because Herod was the son of an Idumean father and an Arabian mother. According to Deuteronomy 17:14-15, Jews were to be ruled by a Jew, not by a foreigner. The influx of Roman influence only aggravated the already chaotic social disorder between the Jewish and Hellenistic cultures. The Israelites also saw the recent occupation by Rome as fulfillment of prophecy, so the entire nation was possessed by a religious frenzy. Every event, whether political, social, or economic was scrutinized and dissected for signs and events that might present an indication of the times, and herald the coming of the Messiah. The people were neurotic and excitable. Fictitious writings, part apocalyptic prophecy, part moralistic science fiction, circulated freely.

Herod’s role was not an easy one. As the puppet monarch of the Romans, he had to obey them. At the same time, he had to appease the Jews, who despised him. In 31 BC, a severe earthquake destroyed many houses and killed thousands of people in Jerusalem. Herod initiated an extensive building program, constructing new markets, an amphitheater, and a royal palace. In 20 BC, he started rebuilding the temple.

On the material level, with all the building projects, expansion of his territories, and the development of economic resources, Herod did much for his country, but none of his efforts endeared him to his subjects. He sent lavish gifts to the Roman rulers and honored the emperor by building a magnificent new port, Caesarea, which was intended to rival Alexandria. All of these projects cost money, which was raised through taxation. According to the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews & Wars of the Jews, there were two annual taxes that ran close to twenty percent, extremely high for a pre-industrial society.

A golden eagle, the symbol of Roman power, was erected on top of the gate of the new temple. Emperor Augustus ordered and paid the priests of the temple to sacrifice twice daily, on behalf of himself, the Roman senate, and the Roman people. The Jewish people began to believe rumors that Herod had violated Jewish tombs by stealing golden objects from the tombs of David and Solomon, but what inflamed the Jewish people’s hatred for Herod most was his love for Rome—an affection that earned him the title, "the emperor's friend".

In the political and religious arenas, the lines were hazy. Herod incurred the hatred of the Sadducees when, upon becoming king, he ordered the execution of forty-five Sadducean members of the Sanhedrin. He then replaced the Sadducean high priest with a Pharisee and began selling the office to the highest bidder, thus breaking the hereditary line of priesthood. In this way, he effectively assumed power over the temple and courts. Since many of the Sadducees were from wealthy backgrounds, they were more able to purchase positions and thereby ingratiate themselves with the royal family to form a third party—the Herodians. It appears that the Sadducees held nominal control within the government, while the Pharisees were more popular with the public. However, turncoats from both parties made alliances with the Herodians; some for personal gains, others through political convictions. The final result was the re-establishment of party lines between those who welcomed the invaders and those who upheld the Mosaic Law and resisted the occupation.

By the early first century, Jerusalem and all of Palestine were in racial, religious, and political turmoil. The two main religious/political parties, the Pharisees and Sadducees, had been striving for dominance for nearly two hundred years. During that period their grip on power had been tied directly to the ruling regency. With much intrigue, subterfuge, and outright hostility, each party vied to install and support the ruler who would be most sympathetic to their values. Of course, kings and would-be kings courted and rewarded those backers.¹

According to the New Testament Gospels, the Pharisees and Sadducees were the opponents of Jesus—the ones he referred to as "vipers" and "whited sepulchers". However, if we compare them to other contemporary religious or political parties, it becomes evident that the issues were perceived values; both groups were rife with corruption and dissentience. Within the historical records of that era, little is known about their teachings and beliefs. Both groups were pious in their service to the Law—as they interpreted it.

The Pharisees were the larger, more popular group, with a reputation for understanding the Torah and ancestral laws. And where they recognized the Tanakh (the Torah, Prophets, and Writings) as the word of God; the Sadducees revered only the Torah—the five books of the Law. The Pharisees believed in spirits and the resurrection of the dead; the Sadducees denied the existence of angels and the possibility of an afterlife. Though not as numerous or popular as the Pharisees, they, too, had a large following, mainly from the wealthy upper class.

It is speculated that years before, possibly during the reign of John Hyrcanus (c. 134-104 BC), a pious, conservative group had become disgusted with the greed, wickedness, and political infighting among the rulers and people, and came to the conclusion that Israel, as a nation, would never reach the required level of perfection. They reasoned that perhaps God only required a select few, living in perfect accord with His will, to usher in his kingdom.² Accordingly, they separated themselves from what they considered a polluted society and established communes in the wilderness areas. Later, they became known as the Essenes, the people of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They also began to study and rewrite prophecies of the conditions they believed must exist in the last days, prophecies that spoke of famines and pestilence, war, persecution, public strife, and tumult. As the national conditions deteriorated, there was no shortage of signs.

Under such conditions, it is only natural that insurrectionist groups would arise in opposition to the Roman occupation. Two such groups were the Zealots and the Sicarii. Josephus, the Jewish historian and military commander who fought against the Romans in the Jewish War, makes reference to the Zealots in his book, The Wars of the Jews. There he describes them as robbers and brigands who used their opposition to Gentile rule as an excuse to kill and pilfer—Jews as well as Gentiles. The terms “robbers” and “brigands” for the Zealots may be questioned, but the Sicarii truly were assassins, and they did kill both Romans and Roman sympathizers. However, it's almost certain that the reason was political or religious, rather than personal. The relationship of these groups with the Essenes was very complex, and will be considered further in the next chapter.

Another segment of the populace we should consider includes common citizens. Regarding the sects we've mentioned, it has been estimated there were probably only twenty thousand or so Pharisees, even fewer Sadducees, and, according to Philo, an Alexandrian Jew who lived during the time of Jesus, about four thousand Essenes. These groups made up a very small percentage of a population that numbered in the millions. Obviously, we should attempt to understand the role that the large, civilian segment of the population might have played upon historical events.

What was their lifestyle like? What were their religious and political convictions? For the most part, they were of the simple working class: uneducated, unassuming, and in most cases, poor people who lived their lives following the trades and religions of their parents and forefathers. Their interest in religious and political affairs was secondary to their need to survive. And we must not overlook the fact that a large percentage of that population was composed of pagan Gentiles who had no regard for the Jewish God.

Up to this point, the lifestyles of this large segment of the population were similar, but religious and social differences necessitate diverse lifestyles; so it was with the Palestinians. For centuries, especially following the encroachment of Hellenism, Gentiles had built separate cities, often right beside Jewish cities. That segregation also extended into geographical areas that were either predominately Jewish or Gentile. Jews might live in Gentile cities, or visa versa, but they did so at their own peril.

Naturally, the Jews observed the Sabbath, Jewish festivals, food Laws, and might even make pilgrimages to the temple. They believed in the Jewish God, attempted to live holy lives, and followed the dictates of the Torah, all in simple faith. In many ways, they were like Christians today who follow the teachings of their parents, attend church, and keep the Lord's Day; but have a very superficial knowledge of the Bible.

In a world that was suffering the invasion of foreign armies, new philosophies, and conflicting religions, the people were definitely concerned about day-to-day events—but their main agenda was survival. Also, a large segment of the population had been caught up in the fervor of messianic expectations. This introduces the group we're most concerned with; the followers of Jesus—the Nazarenes. While Jesus lived, they were composed of messianic Jews. As Jesus' doctrines were almost identical with those of the Essenes, we should assume they were connected in some way.

Of course, the Gentiles had their own gods, their own philosophies, and their own personal reasons for hatred. For centuries, they and their forefathers had lived in a land ruled by Jews and had suffered the abuse of racial and religious discrimination. Then the Jewish theocracy began to crack underneath the pressure of Hellenist and Roman influences.

Judaism had long struggled against the influences of Grecian Hellenism. Then, with the influx of Roman values, philosophies, and laws, the devout watched helplessly as their theocratic beliefs were violated and voided. Anger, frustration, despair, desperation and fanaticism were only a few of the emotions that smoldered within their hearts. Some of the more zealous sects objected when the Herodians began to interfere with the personnel and offices of the temple. Not only did they consider Herod and his offspring Gentiles, but they condemned their custom of inter-family marriages as incest, as testified by John the Baptist’s ministry against Herod Antipas. In addition, the Herodians, in cooperation with some of the temple priests, had opened the temple to Gentiles, accepting their unclean gifts and offering sacrifices on their behalf. The temple priests were not only divided along party lines, but also according to class—high and low—with the high priests holding pre-eminence because of their wealth and social status. There was greed, corruption, avarice, and rioting within the temple and priesthood.

Unrest and rebellion increased toward the end of Herod's reign. In 8 BC, the monastery at Qumran, home of the Essenes, was swept by a deliberate, destructive fire for which Herod was thought to be responsible. Then he became ill, and a riot broke out when two popular teachers and their students removed the golden eagle from the temple gate. The teachers and students were burned alive.

Upon Herod's death, the kingdom was divided among his sons: Herod Antipas, Philip, and Archelaus, who became ruler of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea. During the Easter celebration, riots broke out. The teachers and students who had been burned were regarded as martyrsl. Angry mobs demanded retribution. Three thousand Jews were killed by the Romans before order could be restrored. When things calmed down, Archelaus went to Rome to be crowned by the emperor. In his absence more rioting occurred. There were three rebel leaders: Judas, (the one Josephus referred to as a robber); Simon, a royal slave; and a shepherd named Athronges. Archelaus' troops were unable to control the rebels and the Roman governor of Syria had to intervene. Two thousand more people were crucified. Archelaus' rule was so inept that he was banished to Gaul in about 6 BC. Judea then became a province of Syria, under the governorship of Publius Sulpicius Quirinius.

Until then, the Jews had been taxed according to their produce. However, Quirinius was ordered to reorganize the tax structure on a monetary basis. While the taxes probably would not have been higher, the Jews were faced with two other problems. First, they would have to convert their property into money, which meant a farmer would have to borrow money in the case of a poor harvest. Even more detestable, the coins would bear an image of the goddess Roma or the divine emperor--to the Jews, a violation of the first Commandment. A Pharisee named Zodok, and a scribe from Galilee, named Judas, stirred the people up by declaring that God was Israel's only Lord--and that it was blasphemous to pay tribute to anyone else. Little is recorded of the revolt that followed. Judas is referred to in the Acts of the Apostles (5:37), where it is implied that he was killed. Josephus denounced him, blaming him and other rebels for the destruction of Jerusalem and their nation.

Throughout the Roman occupation, rioting and insurrections fueled by messianic hopes were commonplace in Judea. When Pontius Pilate was the procurator of Judea, uprisings had been occurring regularly lfor nearly forty years, and would continue to occor, even beyond the destruction of Jerusalem. From the death of Herod to the defeat of Bar Kosiba, in about 134 AD, leaders of varying degrees of credibility stepped forward, each claiming to be the Messiah of God. They lead unsuccessful revolts and died.

The Jews felt desecrated and longed for a savior, a messiah who would free them from their enemies and establish a kingdom of God on earth, in which they would be the rulers. Daniel 7:13-14, written in about 160 BC, during the period of Greek oppression, described the Messiah. God would give him a kingdom, "that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed". Popular Jewish hopes were still held for a warrior king, born in the image of King David, a messiah who would save his people and free them from enslavement. The messiah was not a god or an aspect of God, but was to be entirely human, although backed by the supernatural might of God. A Jew proclaiming himself a god at the time of Jesus would have been stoned for blasphemy, but it was no blasphemy to claim to be a messiah, a man.

During the latter reign of Herod the Great, some scholars calculated that seventy-six generations had passed since the world's creation, and there was a well-known prophecy that the Messiah would return in the seventy-seventh generation to deliver Israel from foreign rulers.³ A generation later, when Jesus came upon the scene, all signs and prophecies seem to welcome him as that Messiah.

Notes

1 – Michael  Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr. & Edward Cook, Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translations, Introduction; pp.17-19, 30-33.

2 – Michael  Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr. & Edward Cook, Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translations. There were numerous copies of this work, commonly known as the Community Rule, found in different caves; 1Qs, 4Q255-264a & 5Q11, p.139, Col. 9, lines 3-7.

3 – This  story is most likely connected with a Jewish legend derived from the First Book of Enoch in which the judgment was to take place seventy-seven generations after Enoch. Apparently there were different versions because Luke's genealogy of Jesus seems to be based upon the same concept. He wanted to show that Jesus was of the Davidic line so he inserted a couple of extra names. By doing so he introduced a system in which a well known leader appeared every seventh generation; that is, Enoch (7), Abraham (21), David (35)—and of course, down to Jesus(77). See Livius, Articles on Ancient History, (http://www.livius.org/men-mh/messiah/messiah_15b.html)