The Historical Bible
THE MAKERS AND TEACHERS OF JUDAISM
FROM THE FALL OF JERUSALEM TO THE DEATH OF HEROD THE GREAT
BY
CHARLES FOSTER KENT, PH.D.
WOOLSEY PROFESSOR OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE IN YALE UNIVERSITY
WITH MAPS AND CHARTS
1911
PREFACE
The period represented by this volume is in many ways the most complex and
confusing in Israel's history. The record is not that of the life of a
nation but of the scattered remnants of a race. It was inevitable that
under the influence of their varied environment, the survivors of the
Jewish race should develop very different beliefs and characteristics.
The result is that many different currents of thought and shades of belief
are reflected in the literature of this period; some of it is dross, but
much of it is purest gold. While the period following the destruction of
Jerusalem was a reflective and a retrospective age in which the teaching
of the earlier priests and prophets gained wide acceptance, it was also a
creative era. Fully half of the literature of the Old Testament and all of
the important writings of the Apocrypha come from these tragic five
centuries. Although the historical records are by no means complete, the
great crises in Israel's life are illuminated by such remarkable
historical writings as the memoirs of Nehemiah, the first book of
Maccabees, and the detailed histories of Josephus.
The majority of the writings, however, reveal above all the soul of the
race. Out of its anguish and suffering came the immortal poems found in
Isaiah 40-66, the book of Job, and the Psalter. Instead of the distinctly
nationalistic point of view, which characterizes practically all of the
writings of the pre-exilic period, the interest becomes individual and the
outlook universal. During these centuries Israel's prophets, priests,
and sages became not merely teachers of the nation but of humanity.
Conspicuous among the great teachers of his day stands the noble sage,
Jesus the son of Sirach, who gleaned out and presented in effective form
that which was most vital in the earlier teaching of his race. In his
broad, simple faith in God and man, in his emphasis on deeds and
character, as well as ceremonial, and in his practical philosophy of life
he was a worthy forerunner of the Great Teacher whose name he bore.
This period represents the culmination and fruition of the divine
Influences at work in Israel's early history. It was during this period
that Judaism was born and attained its full development, Israel accepted
the absolute rule of the written law, and the scribes succeeded the earlier
prophets and sages. Out of the heat and conflict of the Maccabean
struggle the parties of the Pharisees and Sadducees sprang into existence
and won their commanding place in the life of Judaism. Hence this period
is the natural historical introduction to the study of the birth and early
development of Christianity. It is also the link that binds the revelation
found in the Old Testament to that of the New.
The volume of literature coming from this period is so vast that it has
been necessary to abridge it at many points in order to utilize that which
is most valuable. This has been done by leaving out those passages which
are of secondary origin or value, and by preserving at the same time the
language and logical thought of the original writers. In the verbose and
voluminous writings of Josephus the resulting text is in most cases far
clearer and more useful; for the repetitious clauses found in the original
often obscure the real thought of the writer. No apology or explanation is
required for the use of such apocryphal writings as I Maccabees, Ben Sira,
the Wisdom of Solomon, or Josephus's histories, for these are required to
bridge the two centuries which intervene between the latest writings of
the Old Testament and the earliest writings of the New. They make it
possible to study biblical history as an unbroken unit from the days of
Moses to the close of the first Christian century, and thus concretely to
emphasize the significant but often the forgotten fact that God was
revealing himself unceasingly through the life of his people, and that the
Bible which records that revelation consists not of two disconnected parts
but is one book.
To two of my former students, the Reverend Harold B. Hunting and Ralph H.
Pierce, I am under obligation for valuable aid and suggestions in
preparing this volume for press.
C.F.K.
YALE UNIVERSITY,
_October_, 1911.
CONTENTS
THE EXILE AND REVIVAL OF THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY
Section XCI. THE JEWS IN PALESTINE AND EGYPT
Lam. 2:1-10, 5:1-18, Jer. 43:3-12, 44:1-14, 28.
I. The Significance of the Destruction of the Hebrew State.--II. The Book
of Lamentations.--III. Authorship and Date of the Book.--IV. Its Real
Character.--Numbers and Fortunes of the Jews Who Remained in Palestine.--
VI. Fortunes of the Jews in Egypt.--VII. The Jewish Colony at Elephantine.
--VIII. The Temple of Jahu at Elephantine.
Section XCII. EZEKIEL'S MESSAGE TO HIS SCATTERED COUNTRYMEN.
Ezek. 37, 40:1, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21b, 44-47, 41:1-8a, 43:1-9, 44:9-16,
23, 24, 45:1-8.
I. The Home of the Exiles in Babylon.--II. Their New Conditions and
Occupations.--III. Their Religious Life. IV. The Prophecies of Ezekiel.--
V. The Resurrection of the Dead Nation.--VI. The Divine Shepherd.--
VII. Ezekiel's Plan of the Restored Temple.
Section XCIII. THE CLOSING YEARS OF THE BABYLONIAN RULE
II Kings 25:27-30, Isa. 9:1-7, 11:1-10, 13:2-4, 11, 17, 18b, 19-22, Ezra
6:3-5, 5:14, 15, 1:5-6, I Esdr. 5:4-6, Ezra 3:2-4, 6b.
I. The Transformation of the Jews into a Literary People.--II. The
Literary Activity of the Babylonian Period.--III. The Holiness Code.--
IV. The Liberation of Jehoiachin and the Hopes of the Jews.--V. The Rule
of Nabonidus.--VII. Rise and Conquests of Cyrus.--VII. His Capture of
Babylon.--VIII. His Treatment of Conquered Peoples.
Section XCIV. THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
Hag. 1, 2, Ezra 5:3-6:14.
I. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah.--II. The Chronicler's Conception of the
Restoration.--III. Convulsions in the Persian Empire.--IV. Haggai's
Effective Addresses.--V. The Attempt to Stop the Rebuilding of the
Temple.--VI. The Significance of the Restoration of the Temple.
Section XCV. ZECHARIAH'S VISIONS AND ENCOURAGING ADDRESSES
Zech. 1:7-4:6a, 11-14, 8b-10, 6:9-15, 7, 8:1-8.
I. Zechariah's Ancestry and Point of View.--II. The Book of Zechariah.
--III. Problems and Hopes of the Judean Community.--IV. Zechariah's
Assurances of Jehovah's Care.--V. Preparations for the Crowning of
Zerubbabel.--VI. Disappointment of these Patriotic Hopes.--VII.
Zechariah's Later Exhortations and Predictions.
Section XCVI. ISRAEL'S TRAINING AND DESTINY
Isa. 40:1-4, 6, 31, 41:1-4, 8-10, 42:1-7, 10-15, 22-28, 44:1-5.
I. The Seventy Years Following the Rebuilding of the Temple.--
II. Spiritual Forces in Judaism.--III. Evidences that Isaiah 40-66 Were
Written in Palestine.--IV. Their Probable Date.--V. Their Literary
Characteristics.--VI. Their Theme and Purpose.--VII. Reasons Why Jehovah
Will Restore His People.
Section XCVII. CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS WITHIN THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY
Mal. 1:6-14, 2, 3, 4:1-3, Ps. 22:1-18.
I. Date of the Book of Malachi.--II. Neglect of the Temple Service.--
III. The Need of a Great Moral Awakening.--IV. The Lot of the Faithful.--
V. The Problem of Suffering in the Literature of the Period.
Section XCVIII. THE PROBLEM AND TEACHINGS OF THE BOOK OF JOB
Job 1, 2 3:2, 11, 13-15, 17, 19, 20-22, 25, 26, 4:1-7, 17-19, 5:17-22, 26,
27, 6:1-4b, 14, 15, 20-30, 7:1-6, 9-18, 20, 21, 8:1-6, 9:1-7, 16-20, 24,
31-35, 10:9-15, 20-22, 11:1, 7-9, 13-15, 12:1-3, 13:7-18, 21-25, 14:7-10,
13-15, 18, 19, 15:4-6, 16:1-4, 11-13a, 18-21, 18:1, 5-7, 19:1, 13-15,
23-27, 20:1-5, 21:1, 7-9, 22:1-5, 23, 27, 28, 23:1-6, 25:1-4, 26:1, 27:2,
4, 5, 7-9, 29:1-5, 30:15-21, 31:5-8, 35-37, 40:2, 8, 9, 38:2-7, 8-11,
39-41, 42:2, 3, 5, 8.
I. The Structure of the Book of Job.--II. Dates of the Different Parts.--
III. The Prose Story.--IV. The Poem of Job.--V. Progress in Job's
Thought.--VI. Significance of the Speeches of Job.
Section XCIX. THE TRAINING AND MISSION OF THE TRUE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH
Isa. 49:1-15, 50:4-10, 52:13-15, 53.
I. The Different Portraits of Jehovah's Servant.--II. The Prophet's
Purpose.--III. The Character and Condition of Those to Whom the Prophet
Appealed.--IV. The Task and Training of Jehovah's Servant.--V. Methods of
Jehovah's Servant.--VI. Realization of the Ideal of Service.
Section C. NEHEMIAH'S WORK IN REBUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM
Neh. 1-4, 6, 7:1-5a, 12:31, 32, 37-40.
I. Nehemiah's Memoirs.--II. Nehemiah's Response to the Call to Service.--
III. Obstacles that Confronted Him.--IV. His Plan of Work.--V. The
Restored Walls.--VI. Completion and Dedication of the Walls.
Section CI. NEHEMIAH'S SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS REFORMS
Isa. 56, 58:2-12, Neh. 5, 13:4-31.
I. Cruelty and Hypocrisy of the Jewish Leaders.--II. Nehemiah's Method of
Correcting the Social Evils in the Community.--III. The Historical Value
of Nehemiah 13.--IV. Regulations Regarding the Temple Service.--
V. Provisions Regarding Sabbath Observance and Foreign Marriages.--
VI. Significance of Nehemiah's Work.
Section CII. TRADITIONAL ACCOUNT OF THE ADOPTION OF THE PRIESTLY LAW
Ezra 7:1, 6-10, Neh. 7:73b-8:4a, 5, 6, 9-18, 9:1-3, 6-8. 32-38, 10:28-39b
I. The Ezra Tradition.--II. The Historical Value of the Ezra Tradition.--
III. The Facts Underlying It.--IV. Origin and Aims of the Priestly
Laws.--V. Their Important Regulations.--VI. Their Practical Effects.
Section CIII. THE JEWISH STATE DURING THE LAST CENTURY OF PERSIAN RULE
Ps. 36:5-10, Joel 2:1-29, Jos. Ant. XI, 7-8:2.
I. Prosperity of the Judean Community.--II. The Growth of the Psalter.--
III. The Prophecy of Joel.--IV. Hopes of the Jews.--V. Rule of the High
Priests.--VI. The Date of the Samaritan Schism.--VII. Its Nature and
Consequences.
THE GREEK AND MACCABEAN AGE
Section CIV. THE JEWS UNDER THEIR GREEK RULERS
I Mac. 1:1-4, Jos. Ant. XI, 8:7a, e, XII, 1:1b-d, g-j, 2:1a, 5d, e,
4:1d-f, 2a-f, 3b, 4a-c, 5a-c. e, 6a, 3:3a, b, c-e.
I. Josephus's Histories.--II. Alexander's Conquests.--III. The Jews in
Egypt and Alexandria.--IV. The Rule of the Ptolemies.--V. Fortunes of the
Jews of Palestine.--VI. Conquest of Palestine by the Seleucids In 311 B.C.
Section CV. THE WISE AND THEIR TEACHINGS
Prov. 1:2-6, 8:1-6, 13-27, 29-35, 13:14,20, 24:5, 12:10, 20:13, 23:16,
29-35, 29:20, 15:23, 19:11, 16:32, 23:36-28, 4:25-27, 14:15, 26:12, 27:2,
4:23, 11:6, 21:3, 15:1, 3:27, 14:21, 19:17, 25:21,22, 3:11,12, 1:5,6.
I. Structure and Authorship of the Book of Proverbs.--II. Date of the
Different Collections.--III. The Wise in Israel's Early History.--
IV. Their Prominence in the Greek Period.--V. Their Aims.--VI. Their
Methods.--VII. Their Important Teachings.
Section CVI. THE DIFFERENT CURRENTS OF THOUGHT IN JUDAISM DURING THE
GREEK PERIOD
Ps. 19:7-14, 46, 22:27-30, Jonah 1, 2:1,10, 3, 4, Eccles. 1:12-18, 2:1-17,
24-26.
I. The Ritualists.--II. The Legalists.--III. The Disciples of the
Prophets.--IV. The Date and Character of the Book of Jonah.--V. Its
Teachings.--VI. The Book of Ecclesiastes.--VII. Koheleth's Philosophy of
Life.
Section CVII. THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS THE SON OF SIRACH
B. Sir. 1:1-10, 2:1-9, 3:17-30, 4:2, 9, 10, 20-25, 28-31, 5:1-2,
6:2, 4-8, 14-16, 7:12, 13, 20-22, 28-30.
I. Date and Character of Jesus the Son of Sirach.--II. His Writings.--
III. The History of the Book.--IV. Its Picture of Jewish Life.--V. Rise of
the Scribes.--VI. The Teachings of Ben Sira.
Section CVIII. THE CAUSES OF THE MACCABEAN STRUGGLE
I Mac. 1:10-22,24-63.
I. The Character and Contents of I Maccabees.--II. Character and Contents
of II Maccabees.--III. Aggressive Character of Hellenic Culture.--
IV. Contrast between Hellenism and Judaism.--V. Apostasy of the Jews and
Perfidy of the High Priests.--VI. Character of Antiochus Epiphanes.--
VII. His Policy toward the Jews.
Section CIX. THE EFFECT OF PERSECUTION UPON THE JEWS
I Mac. 2, Dan. 7:1-27, 12:1-3.
I. The Uprising Led by Mattathias.--II. Party of the Hasideans or Pious.--
III. Date of the Visions in Daniel 7-12.--IV. Their Real Character and
Aim.--V. The Four Heathen Kingdoms and the Kingdom of God.
Section CX. THE VICTORIES THAT GAVE THE JEWS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
I Mac. 3:1-43,46-60, 4.
I. The Character of Judas.--II. Obstacles against which Judas Contended.--
III. Defeat of Apollonius and Seron.--IV. The Battle of Emmaus.--V. The
Battle at Bethsura.--VI. Restoration of the Temple Service.--VII. The New
Spirit in Judaism.
Section CXI. THE LONG CONTEST FOR POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE
I Mac. 5:1-23, 45, 54, 65-68, 63, 6:18-63, 7, 9:1-31, 10:1-21, 67-71,
74-76, 11:20-29.
I. The Political Situation.--II. The Jewish Attitude toward the Heathen
Reflected in the Book of Esther.--III. Campaigns against the Neighboring
Peoples.--IV. The Battle of Beth-zacharias.--V. Victories Over Nicanor.--
VI. The Death of Judas.--VII. Dissensions in the Syrian Court.--
VIII. Concessions to Jonathan.
Section CXII. PEACE AND PROSPERITY UNDER SIMON
I Mac. 11:38-40, 54-56, 12:39-53, 13:1-11, 20-30, 33, 43-53, 14:16-18,
38-49, 4-15.
I. Capture and Death of Jonathan.--II. Character and Policy of Simon.--
III. His Conquests.--IV. His Authority.--V. Completion of the Psalter.--
VI. The Religious Life Reflected in the Later Psalms.
Section CXIII. THE RULE OF JOHN HYRCANUS AND ARISTOBULUS
I Mac. 16:11-22, Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:3c-4b, 4d, 5, 6, Jos. Ant. XIII,
9:1d, e, Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:7a, b, Jos. Ant. XIII, 10:5, 6a, c, 7,
11:1a-c, 3a, 3e.
I. Murder of Simon.--II. The Syrian Invasion.--III. John's Military Policy
and Conquests.--IV. The Break with the Pharisees.--V. The Reign of
Aristobulus.
Section CXIV THE PHARISEES, SADDUCEES, AND ESSENES
Jos. Ant. XVIII, 1:2, 3a-c, 3d, 4a, b, 5a, b, Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:2-8,
9a-c, 10b, c, 11b, 12.
I. Influences that Gave Rise to the Jewish Parties.--II. Character and
Beliefs of the Pharisees.--III. Of the Sadducees.--IV. Of the Essenes.
Section CXV. THE LIFE AND FAITH OF THE JEWS OF THE DISPERSION
Jos. Ant. XII, 3:1a, VII, 3:3a, b, 10:2d-3e, XIII, 10:4, Wisd. Of Sol.
6:12-16, 7:25-8:1, 7, 1:1-8, 12-15, 2:23-3:1, 5:15, 16, 11:24-12:2,
15:1-3.
I. Conditions of the Jews in Antioch and Asia Minor.--II. In Egypt.--
III. The Jewish Temple at Leontopolis.--IV. Translation of the Hebrew
Scriptures into Greek.--V. Apologetic Jewish Writings.--VI. The Wisdom of
Solomon.--VII. Its Important Teachings.
Section CXVI. THE DECLINE OF THE MACCABEAN KINGDOM
Jos. Jew. War, I, 4:1-4c, 5c, 6a, c, 8c, d, 5:1-7:7.
I. The Character and Policy of Alexander Janneus.--II. The Effects of His
Rule.--III. Alexandra's Reign.--IV. Quarrels between Hyrcanus and
Aristobulus.--V. Rome's Intervention.--VI. Cause of the Fall of the Jewish
Kingdom.--VII. Political, Intellectual, and Religious Effects of the
Maccabean Struggle.
THE RULE OF ROME
Section CXVII. THE RISE OF THE HERODIAN HOUSE
Jos. Jew. War, I, 8:2, 4a, 5-7, 9b, 9:1, 3a-6b, 10:1, 2a, 3a, 4, 5a, b,
11:1, 4, 6, 12:3-5, 13:1a, Jos. Ant. XIV, 13:1, Jos. Jew. War, I, 13:7,
8c, 14:1b, 2, 4, 15:3, 4, 16:1, 17:1, 8, 9a, 18:1, 2c, 4a.
I. The Fruitless Struggle against Rome.--II. Antipater's Policy.--
III. Herod's Early Record.--IV. The Parthian Conquest.--V. Herod Made King
of the Jews.
Section CXVIII. HEROD'S POLICY AND REIGN
Jos. Jew. War, I, 19:1, 2a, 20:1, 2, 3b-4a, 21:13, 1-4, 6a-8a, 9a-10a, 11,
22:1-4, 23:1a, d, 2a-c, d-3a, 24:1a, 27:1, 2a, 6b, 28:1a, 29:2c, 30:5a,
31:1a, 33:1, 7, 8a.
I. Herod's Character.--II. His Attitude toward Rome. III. His Building
Activity.--IV. His Attitude toward His Subjects.--V. The Tragedy of His
Domestic Life.--VI. Effects of His Reign.
Section CXIX. HEROD'S TEMPLE
Jos. Ant. XV, 11:1a, 2c, 3a-l, 4a, g, 5a-g, h-k, 6.
I. Herod's Motives.--II. Preparations for the Rebuilding of the Temple.--
III. The Approaches to the Temple.--IV. The Organization of the Temple.
Section CXX. THE MESSIANIC HOPES AND THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF JUDAISM
Sibyl. Oracles, III, 7:67-84, 17:23-46, Enoch 46:1-3, 48:3-6, 49:27-29,
51:1, 2.
I. The Growth of Israel's Messianic Hopes.--II. The Kingly, Nationalistic
Type of Messianic Hope.--III. The Apocalyptic, Catastrophic Type.--IV. The
Ethical and Universalistic Type.--V. The Messianic Hopes of Judaism at the
Beginning of the Christian Era.
APPENDIX I. A PRACTICAL BIBLICAL REFERENCE LIBRARY
APPENDIX II. GENERAL QUESTIONS AND SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH.
LIST OF MAPS AND CHARTS
JEWISH AND CONTEMPORARY CHRONOLOGY FROM 597 TO 165 B.C.
THE EMPIRES OF BABYLONIA, PERSIA, AND ALEXANDER
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN PALESTINE DURING THE PERSIAN AND GREEK
PERIODS
THE JERUSALEM OF NEHEMIAH
CHRONOLOGY OF THE MACCABEAN AND ROMAN PERIODS
PALESTINE DURING THE MACCABEAN PERIOD
* * * * *
THE EXILE AND THE REVIVAL OF THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY
Section XCI. THE JEWS IN PALESTINE AND EGYPT
[Sidenote: Lam. 2:1-5]
How the Lord hath beclouded in his anger the daughter of Zion!
He hath cast down from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel,
And he hath not kept in remembrance his footstool in the day of his anger.
The Lord hath swallowed up without mercy every habitation of Jacob,
He hath thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah,
He hath struck to the ground, he hath polluted her king and her princes.
He hath cut off in the fierceness of his anger all of Israel's strength,
He hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy,
He hath burnt in Jacob like a flame, which devours on all sides.
He hath bent his bow as an enemy, he hath stood as an adversary,
He hath slain all the desirable men in the tent of Zion,
He hath poured out his fury as fire [on the daughter of Judah].
The Lord hath become like an enemy, he hath swallowed up Israel,
He hath swallowed up all of his palaces, he hath destroyed his fortresses,
And he hath multiplied in the daughter of Judah sighing and lamentation.
[Sidenote: Lam. 2:6,7]
He hath torn down as a vine his dwelling, he hath destroyed his assembling
place,
He hath caused to be forgotten in Zion, fast day and sabbath,
And hath spurned in his indignant anger, king and priest.
The Lord hath rejected his altar, he hath abhorred his
sanctuary,
He hath given up into the hands of the enemy the ark of the covenant,
They have made a din in Jehovah's house, as in the solemn feast day.
[Sidenote: Lam. 2:8-10]
Jehovah hath determined to destroy the wall of Zion,
He hath stretched out the line, he hath not held back his hand from
destroying,
He hath made rampart and wall lament, they mourn together,
Her gates have sunk into the ground, he hath destroyed her defences,
Her king and her princes are among the heathen, there is no law.
Her prophets also receive from Jehovah no vision.
Silent, upon the earth sit the elders of Zion;
They cast dust upon their heads; they are girded with sackcloth;
With heads bowed to earth are the daughters of Jerusalem.
[Sidenote: Lam. 5:1-7]
Remember, O Jehovah, what has befallen us,
Look and see our disgrace.
Our inheritance is turned over to aliens,
Our homes belong to foreigners.
We are orphans and fatherless,
Our mothers are like widows.
We drink our water for money,
Our wood comes to us by purchase.
The yoke upon our necks harasses us,
We are weary, but find no rest.
We have given the hand to the Egyptians,
And to the Assyrians, that we might be sated with food.
Our fathers sinned and are no more,
While we bear their guilt.
[Sidenote: Lam. 5:8-13]
Slaves have dominion over us,
With none to deliver from their hand.
We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
Because of the sword of the wilderness.
Our skin becomes hot like an oven,
Because of the glowing heat of famine.
They ravish the women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.
Princes are hanged up by the hand,
The person of the elders is not honored.
The young men bear up the mill,
And the children stumble under the wood.
[Sidenote: Lam. 5:14-18]
The elders have ceased from the gate,
The young men from their music.
The joy of our heart has ceased,
Our dance is turned into mourning.
The crown has fallen from our head;
Woe to us! for we have sinned.
For this reason our heart is faint,
For these causes our eyes are dim;
For the mountain of Zion is desolate;
The jackals walk over it.
[Sidenote: Jer. 43:8-12]
The word of Jehovah also came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, Take great
stones in thy hand, and bury them in the loose foundation in the
brick-covered place before Pharaoh's palace door in Tahpanhes in the sight
of the men of Judah; and say to them, 'Thus saith, Jehovah hosts, the God
of Israel, "Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadrezzar the king of
Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that you
have buried, and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. And he
shall come and shall smite the land of Egypt; such as are for death shall
be given to death, and such as are for captivity shall be given to
captivity, and such as are for the sword shall be given to the sword. And
he will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and will burn
them and carry them away. And he shall wrap himself in the land of Egypt,
as a shepherd puts on his mantle, and shall go forth from there in peace.
He shall also break the obelisks of Heliopolis and the temples of the gods
of Egypt shall he burn with fire."'
[Sidenote: Jer. 44:1-10]
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwelt in the
land of Egypt, who dwelt at Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in upper
Egypt, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Ye have
seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the
cities of Judah; and behold, they are this day a desolation, and no man
dwelleth in them, because of their wickedness which they have committed to
provoke me to anger in that they went to offer sacrifices to other gods,
that they knew not, neither they nor ye, nor your fathers. However, I
constantly sent to them all my servants the prophets, saying, "Oh, do not
this abominable thing that I hate." But they neither hearkened nor
inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to offer no sacrifice to
other gods. And so my wrath and mine anger was poured forth and was
kindled against the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, and they
were wasted and desolate, as is now the case.' Therefore now thus saith
Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Why do you commit a great
Crime against yourselves to cut off from you man and woman, infant and
sucking child, out of the midst of Judah so that ye leave none remaining,
in that ye provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, offering
sacrifice to other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye have gone to
sojourn, that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be an object of cursing
and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have ye forgotten the
crimes of your fathers, and the crimes of the kings of Judah, and the
crimes of their princes, which they committed in the land of Judah and in
the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled even to this day, neither
have they feared nor walked in my law nor in my statutes that I set before
you and before your fathers.'
[Sidenote: Jer. 44:11-13, 22]
'Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I set
my face against you for evil to cut off the remnant of Judah in the land
of Egypt, and they shall fall by the sword and by famine; they shall
die, small and great, and they shall be an object of execration, of
astonishment, of cursing, and of reproach. For I will punish those who
dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by
famine, and by pestilence, so that none of the remnant of Judah, who have
gone into the land of Egypt to reside there, shall escape or be left to
return to the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return; for
none shall return except as fugitives. And they who escape the sword shall
return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all
the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn
there shall know whose word shall be confirmed, mine or theirs."'
I. The Significance of the Destruction of the Hebrew State. The
destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. resulted in a mighty Transformation
of the life and thought of Israel. It marked the final Overthrow of the
old Hebrew kingdoms, and the gradual rise of that new and important factor
in human history known as Judaism. For over three centuries the Jews who
survived the great catastrophe were helpless under the rule of the great
world powers which in succession conquered southwestern Asia. For the
great majority of the Jewish race it represented the beginning of that
long exile which has continued until the present. Scattered from the
desert of Sahara to the distant land of China, and from the Black Sea to
the Indian Ocean, the different groups of exiles quickly began to adapt
themselves to their changed surroundings and to absorb the new knowledge
and the powerful influences which gradually transformed their beliefs and
ideals. While their vision was vastly broadened by this contact, the
danger and horror of being completely engulfed in the great heathen world
bound the faithful more closely together, and in time made Judaism
the solid, unbreakable rock that has withstood the assaults and the
disintegrating forces of the ages. At first the survivors of the great
catastrophe were stunned by the blow that had shattered their nation. They
lived only in their memories of the past and in their hopes for the
future. At last, in the long period of misery and enforced meditation,
they began not only to accept but also to apply the eternal principles
proclaimed by their earlier prophets. Thus amidst these entirely new
conditions they gained a broader and deeper faith and were still further
trained for the divine task of teaching mankind.
II. The Book of Lamentations. After describing the destruction of the
little kingdom established at Mizpah under Gedaliah, the Hebrew historical
records suddenly become silent. This silence is due to the fact that there
was little of external interest to record. The real history of this tragic
half-century is the record of the anguish and doubts and hopes in the
hearts of the scattered remnants of the race. The little book of
Lamentations expresses dramatically and pathetically the thoughts of the
people as they meditated upon the series of calamities which gathered
about the great catastrophe of 586 B.C. Like the ancient Torah, or five
books of the Law, it contains a quintet of poems. These are very similar
in theme and form to many of the psalms of the Psalter. In the first four
the characteristic five-beat measure, by which the deep emotions,
especially that of sorrow, were expressed, is consistently employed. Each
of these four is also an acrostic, that is, each succeeding line or group
of lines begins with a succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This
acrostic form was probably adopted in order to aid the memory, and
suggests that from the first these poems were written to be used in
public. Even so the Jews of Jerusalem to-day chant them on each of their
sabbaths beside the foundation walls of the great platform on which once
stood their ruined temple. Although the artificial character of these
poems tends to check the free expression of thought and feeling, it is
possible to trace in them a logical progress and to feel the influence of
the strong emotions that inspired them.
III. Authorship and Date of the Book. In theme and literary form these
poems are so strikingly similar to Jeremiah's later sermons that it was
almost inevitable that tradition should attribute them to the great
prophet of Judah's decline. This tradition, to which is due the position
of the book of Lamentations in the Greek and English Bibles, cannot be
traced earlier than the Greek period. The evidence within the poems
themselves strongly indicates that they were not written by Jeremiah. It
is almost inconceivable that he would subject his poetic genius to the
rigid limitations of the acrostic structure. Moreover, he would never have
spoken of the weak Zedekiah, whose vacillating policy he condemned, in the
terms of high esteem which appear in Lamentations 4:20. These poems also
reflect the popular interpretation of the great national calamity, rather
than Jeremiah's searching analysis of fundamental causes. A careful study
of Lamentations shows that chapters 2 and 4 were probably written by one
who was powerfully influenced by Ezekiel's thought. They both follow in
their acrostic structure an unusual order of the Hebrew alphabet,
differing in this respect from chapters 1 and 3. They have so many close
points of contact with each other that it is safe to say that they are
both from the same author. They reveal an intimate familiarity with events
immediately following the destruction of Jerusalem and were probably
written between 580 and 561 B.C., when Jehoiachin was liberated.
Chapters 1 and 3 follow the regular order of the Hebrew alphabet and
apparently represent the work of a later author or authors. Chapter 1 is
full of pathos and religious feeling and is closely parallel in thought
to such psalms as 42 and 137. Chapter 3 is a poetic monologue describing
the fate and voicing the contrition of the righteous within the Judean
community. Chapter 5, on the contrary, is in the three-beat measure and
lacks the acrostic structure of the preceding chapters. Its style and
point of view are so different from those of the preceding chapters that
it must be the work of another author, who probably lived in the Persian
period.
IV. Its Real Character. The purpose of the book of Lamentations was
evidently, (1) to give appropriate expression to the feelings of the Jews
who survived the destruction of Jerusalem, 586 B.C.; (2) to drive home the
great lessons taught by their past history, and thus to arouse true
repentance; and (3) to kindle in turn hopes regarding their future.
Through them Jeremiah and Ezekiel live and speak again, but from the point
of view of the people. These tragic poems also throw contemporary light
upon the horrors of the final siege and capture of Jerusalem and upon the
fate of those who survived.
V. Numbers and Fortunes of the Jews Who Remained in Palestine. The Jews
actually carried into captivity constituted only a small part of the total
population of Judah (cf. Section XC:ii). The peasants and the inhabitants
of the towns outside Jerusalem remained undisturbed, except as some of
them were doubtless drafted into the army which under Zedekiah undertook
to defend Jerusalem against the Chaldeans. From the later record of
Nehemiah's work the names of many of these towns can be determined. In the
north were Jericho, Geba, Mizpah, Anathoth, and Kirjath-jearim; in the
centre, Netophah and Bethlehem; and in the south Tekoa, Keilah, and
Bethzur. The lot of these, who are later known as the people of the land,
was pitiable indeed. There are many references in Lamentations and Ezekiel
to the persecutions to which they were subjected by their malignant foes,
the Moabites and Ammonites on the east and the Philistines on the west.
Even more cruel and aggressive were the Edomites, who had suffered many
wrongs at the hands of the Hebrews. It was probably about this time that
this half-nomadic people began to be driven northward by the advance of
the Nabateans, an Arab people who came from the south. Dislodged from
their homes, the Edomites took advantage of the weakness of the Jews and
seized southern Judah, including the ancient capital Hebron. The doom
which Ezekiel pronounces upon the Edomites in 25[12] is because of the
revenge that they wreaked upon the Jews at this time. It is significant
that Ezekiel's sermons in the period immediately following the fall of
Jerusalem contain dire predictions of divine vengeance upon all these
foes. After the overthrow of Gedaliah's kingdom, the Jews who remained in
Palestine appear to have been left wholly without defences or defenders.
Ezekiel, in 33:23-29, speaks of those who inhabit the waste places in the
land of Israel, who live in the strongholds and the caves. Some of them
appear to have turned robbers. Foreign settlers came in from every side
and in time intermarried with the natives and led them into idolatry.
Ezekiel sternly condemns their immorality and apostasy.
From the references in Jeremiah 41:5 and Ezra 3:3 it is clear that even
during this reign of terror many of the people continued to offer
sacrifices to Jehovah at the great altar cut in native rock which stood
before the ruins of their temple in Jerusalem. Priests were also doubtless
found in the land to conduct these services. The ancient feasts, however,
with their joyous merrymaking and the resulting sense of divine favor,
were no longer observed. Instead, the people celebrated in sackcloth and
ashes the fasts commemorating the successive stages in the destruction of
their city (Zech. 7:3-7). While their lot was pitiable and their character
seemingly unpromising, these people of the land were important factors in
the re-establishment of the Judean community.
VI. Fortunes of the Jews in Egypt. The narrative in Jeremiah states
definitely that the large proportion of those who had rallied about
Gedaliah after his death found a temporary asylum on the eastern borders
of Egypt. Here they were beyond the reach of Chaldean armies and within
the territory of the one nation which offered a friendly asylum to the
Jewish refugees. Most of this later group of exiles settled at the towns
of Tahpanhes and Migdol. The latter means tower and is probably to be
identified with an eastern outpost, the chief station on the great highway
which ran along the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean directly to
Palestine and Syria.
The excavations of the Egypt Exploration Fund at Tahpanhes, which was the
Daphnae of Herodotus, has thrown much light upon the home of this Jewish
community. The town was situated in a sandy desert to the south of a
marshy lake. It lay midway between the cultivated delta on the west and
what is now the Suez Canal on the east. Past it ran the main highway to
Palestine. Its founder, Psamtik I, the great-grandfather of Hophra, had
built here a fort to guard the highway. Herodotus states that he also
stationed guards here, and that until late in the Persian period it was
defended by garrisons whose duty was to repel Asiatic invasions (II, 30).
Here the Ionian and Carian mercenaries, who were at this time the chief
defence of the Egyptian king, were given permanent homes. By virtue of its
mixed population and its geographical position, Tahpanhes was a great
meeting place of Eastern and Western civilization. Here native Egyptians,
Greek mercenaries, Phoenician and Babylonian traders, and Jewish refugees
met on common ground and lived side by side. It corresponded in these
respects to the modern Port Said.
Probably in remembrance of the Jewish colony that once lived here, the
ruins of the fort still bear an Arab name which means The Palace of the
Jew's Daughter. The term palace is not altogether inappropriate, for
apparently the fort was occasionally used as a royal residence. Many
wine-jars, bearing the seals of Psamtik, Hophra, and Amasis, have been
found in the ruins. In the northwestern part of these ruins has been
uncovered a great open-air platform of brickwork, referred to in Jeremiah
43:8-10. It was the place of common meeting found in connection with every
Egyptian palace or private home. When Amasis, in 564 B.C., came to the
throne of Egypt he withdrew the privileges granted by his predecessors to
foreigners. The Greek colonists were transferred to Naukratis, and
Tahpanhes lost most of its former glory. About this time, if not before,
the great majority of the Jewish refugees, who had settled in these
frontier towns, probably returned to Palestine to find homes in its
partially depopulated towns.
Ezekiel from distant Babylon appears to have regarded the Jews in Egypt
with considerable hope (Ezek. 29:21). But Jeremiah, who knew them better,
was keenly alive to their faults. In their despair and rage many of them
evidently rejected the teachings of the prophets and became devotees of
the Aramean goddess, the Queen of Heaven, mentioned in the recently
discovered Aramean inscription of Zakar, king of Hazrak (cf. Section
LXV:vii). Jeremiah's closing words to them, therefore, are denunciations
and predictions that they should suffer even in the land of Egypt, at
the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, the same fate that had overtaken their
fellow-countrymen at Jerusalem. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Ezek. 30)
predicted that Nebuchadrezzar would invade and conquer Egypt. In 568 B.C.
his army actually did appear on the borders of Egypt; but how far he
succeeded in conquering the land is unknown. The complete conquest of
Egypt certainly did not come until the Persian period under the leadership
of the cruel Cambyses.
VII. The Jewish Colony at Elephantine. Jeremiah and Ezekiel also refer
to the Jewish colonists at Memphis and at Pathros, which is the biblical
designation of upper Egypt. Many of the colonists who had settled there
had doubtless fled before the conquests of Jerusalem. The presence of a
great number of Jews in Egypt at a later period indicates that even at
this early date more exiles were probably to be found in Egypt than in
Babylon. Recent discoveries on the island of Elephantine in the upper
Nile, opposite the modern Assuan, have thrown new light upon the life of
these Jewish colonists. These records consist (1) of a series of
beautifully preserved legal documents written in Aramaic on papyrus and
definitely dated between the years 471 and 411 B.C. They include contracts
between the Jews residing on the island of Elephantine regarding the
transfer of property and other legal transactions. They contain many
familiar Jewish names, such as Zadok, Isaiah, Hosea, Nathan, Ethan,
Zechariah, Shallum, Uriah, and Shemaiah. They indicate that by the earlier
part of the Persian period a large and wealthy colony of Jewish traders
and bankers was established on this island. They appear to have lived in a
community by themselves, but in the heart of the city, side by side with
Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, and Greeks, whose property
In some cases joined their own. The Jews had their own court which ranked
equally with the Persian and Egyptian law courts. Even native Egyptians,
who had cases against the Jews, appeared before it. The names of Arameans
and Arabs also appear in its lists of witnesses. From these contemporary
documents it is clear that the Jews of upper Egypt enjoyed great
privileges and entered freely into the life of the land. Ordinarily they
married members of their own race; but the marriage of a Jewess with a
foreigner is also reported. He appears, however, to have been a proselyte
to Judaism, Another Jewess married an Egyptian and took oath by the
Egyptian goddess Sati, suggesting that she had nominally at least adopted
the religion of her husband. One Hebrew also bears the suggestive name of
Hosea, the son of Petikhnum (an Egyptian name meaning _Gift of the god
Khnum_).
VIII. The Temple of Yahu at Elephantine. These Aramaic legal documents
also contain many references to Yahu (the older form of Yahweh or
Jehovah), the god worshipped by the Jews, and to Yahu's temple situated on
King's Street, one of the main thoroughfares of the city. These references
have been signally confirmed by a most remarkable letter recently
discovered by the Germans at this site. It was written in November of the
year 408 B.C., by the members of the Jewish colony at Elephantine to
Bagohi (the Bagoas of Josephus), the Persian governor of Judah. It states,
among other things, that "Already in the days of the kings of Egypt our
fathers had built this temple in the fortress of Elephantine. And when
Cambyses (529-522 B.C.) entered Egypt he found this temple built, and,
though the temple of the gods of Egypt were all at that time overthrown,
no one injured anything in this temple." It further states that recently
(in the year 411 B.C.), in the absence of the Persian governor in Egypt,
the foreigners in Elephantine had stirred up a certain minor official to
instruct his son, who was commander of a neighboring fortress, to destroy
the Jewish temple.
The Aramaic letter was intended to be sent, together with rich gifts, to
influence the powerful Persian governor of Judah, Bagohi, to issue an
order permitting the Jews to rebuild their temple. From this letter we
learn that the temple of the God Yahu was built of hewn stone with pillars
of stone in front, probably similar to those in the Egyptian temples, and
had seven great gates built of hewn stone and provided with doors and
bronze hinges. Its roof was wholly of cedar wood, probably brought from
the distant Lebanon, and its walls appear to have been ceiled or adorned
with stucco, as were those of Solomon's temple. It was also equipped with
bowls of gold and silver and the other paraphernalia of sacrifice.
Here were regularly offered cereal-offerings, burnt-offerings, and
frankincense. The petitioners also promised that, if the Persian officials
would grant their request, "we will also offer cereal-offerings and
frankincense and burnt-offerings on the altar in your name, and we will
pray to God in your name, we and our wives and all the Jews who are here,
if you do thus until the temple is built. And you shall have a portion
before the God Yahu, the God of Heaven, from every one who offers to him
burnt-offerings and sacrifices."
Historical students have long been familiar with the fact that late in the
Greek period the Jews of Egypt built a temple to Jehovah at Leontopolis,
in the Delta (cf. Section CXV:iii); but these recent discoveries open
an entirely new chapter in Jewish history. They indicate that probably
within a generation after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, in 586
B.C., the Jewish colonists in Egypt built for themselves far up the Nile,
and possibly at other points in this land of their exile, a temple or
temples to Jehovah; that they remained loyal to God and the institutions
of their race; and that in the midst of cosmopolitan Egypt they preserved
intact their racial unity. In the light of these discoveries it is also
clear that because of their character and numbers and nearness to
Palestine the Jews of Egypt, even at this early period, were a far more
important factor in the life and development of Judaism than they have
hitherto been considered. These discoveries also afford definite grounds
for the hope that from this unexpected quarter much more valuable material
will come to illumine this otherwise dark period of post-exilic Jewish
history.
Section XCII. EZEKIEL'S MESSAGE TO HIS SCATTERED COUNTRYMEN
[Sidenote: Ezek. 37:1-6]
The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me by the spirit and set
me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. And he
caused me to pass by them round about; and, behold, there were very many
on the surface of the valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said to
me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou
knowest. Again he said to me, Prophesy over these bones, and say to them,
O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. 'Thus saith Jehovah to these
bones: "Behold I am about to put breath into you, that ye may live. And I
will put sinews on you, and will clothe you with flesh, and cover you with
skin, and put breath in you, that ye may live; and know that I am
Jehovah."'
[Sidenote: Ezek. 37:7-10]
So I prophesied as he commanded me: and as I prophesied, there was an
earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I beheld,
and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh had clothed them, and skin
covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me,
Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus
saith Jehovah: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these
slain, that they may live."' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an
exceedingly great host.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 37:11-14]
Then he said to me, O man, these bones are the whole house of Israel;
behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are
completely ruined.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, 'Thus saith
Jehovah: "Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves,
O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall
know that I am Jehovah, when I have opened your graves, and raised you
from your graves, O my people. And I will put my spirit in you, that ye
may live, and I will restore you to your own land: that ye may know that
I, Jehovah, have spoken it and performed it," is the oracle of Jehovah.'
[Sidenote: Ezek. 37:15-23]
This word also came to me from Jehovah: Do thou, O man, take a stick, and
write upon it, JUDAH AND THE ISRAELITES ASSOCIATED WITH HIM: then take
another stick, and write upon it, JOSEPH, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
ASSOCIATED WITH HIM. Then join them together, so that they may become one
stick in thy hand. And when the children of thy people shall say to thee,
'Wilt thou not show us what this means?' say to them, 'Thus saith Jehovah:
"Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of
Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him; and I will unite
them with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be
united in my hand."' And let the sticks on which thou writest be in thy
hand before their eyes. And say to them, 'Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
"Behold, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations, whither
they are gone, and gather them from all sides, and bring them into their
own land: and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains
of Israel; and there shall be one king over them all; and they shall be no
longer two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any
longer; nor shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor
with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I
will save them from all their apostasies wherein they have sinned, and
will cleanse them; so shall they be my people, and I will be their God."'
[Sidenote: Ezek. 37:24-28]
'"And my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one
shepherd: they shall also walk in mine ordinances, and observe my
statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given
to my servant Jacob, wherein their fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell
therein, they and their sons, forever. And David my servant shall be their
prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it
shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will establish them, and
multiply them, and set my sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore. My
dwelling place also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. And the nations shall know that I am Jehovah who
sanctifieth Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them
forevermore."'
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:1-4]
In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year,
in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was
taken, on that very day, the hand of Jehovah was laid upon me, and he
brought me in an inspired vision to the land of Israel, and set me down
upon a very high mountain, on which was a city-like building toward the
south. Thither he brought me, and there was a man whose appearance was
like the appearance of bronze, with a flaxen line and a measuring reed in
his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. And the man said to me, Son
of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and give heed to
all that I shall show thee; for, in order that thou shouldst be shown it
wert thou brought hither; declare all that thou seest to the house of
Israel.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:5]
There was a wall encircling a temple, and in the man's hand a measuring
reed six cubits long, each cubit being equal to about twenty-one inches.
And he measured the thickness of the building one reed (about ten and
one-half feet); and the height one reed.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:6-12]
Then he came to the east gateway and went up its steps and measured the
threshold of the gate one reed wide. And each guard-room was one reed
long, and one reed broad; and between the guard-rooms were spaces of five
cubits; and the threshold of the gate at the vestibule of the gate on the
inner side was one reed. Then he measured the vestibule of the gate, eight
cubits, and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was on
the inner side. And the guard-rooms of the east gate were three on each
side; and all three were of the same dimensions; and the posts were on
both sides. And he measured the breadth of the entrance to the gateway,
ten cubits; and the width of the gate, thirteen cubits; and there was a
sill one cubit wide, before the guard-rooms on each side; and the
guard-rooms, six cubits on both sides.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:13, 15]
And he measured the gate from the outer wall of the one guard-room to the
outer wall of the other, twenty-five cubits wide [about forty-four feet];
door opposite door. And from the front of the gateway at the entrance to
the front of the inner vestibule of the gate were fifty cubits.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:17, 19]
Then he brought me to the outer court, and there were chambers and a
pavement made round about the court; thirty chambers were upon the
pavement. And he measured its breadth from the front of the lower gate to
the front of the inner court without, one hundred cubits on the east and
on the north.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:20, 21b, 24b]
And the north gateway of the outer court, he measured its length and
breadth. And its measurements were the same as those of the east gateway.
The dimensions of the gateway on the south were also the same as the
others.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 40:44-47]
He brought me outside the gate and into the inner court, and there were
two chambers on the inner court, one by the north gate, facing the south,
and the other by the south gate, facing the north. And he said to me, This
chamber which faces the south is for the priests who have charge of the
temple; and the chamber which faces the north is for the priests who have
charge of the altar; they are the sons of Zadok, those of the sons of Levi
who may be near to Jehovah to serve him. And he measured the court, a
hundred cubits wide, and a hundred cubits broad--a perfect square. The
altar was in front of the temple.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 41:1,2]
Then he brought me into the hall of the temple and measured the jambs, six
cubits on each side. And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits; and
the sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side; and he measured
its length, forty cubits; and its width, twenty cubits.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 41:3, 4]
Then he went into the inner room and measured the jambs of its entrance,
two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the side-walls of the
entrance, seven cubits on each side. And he measured its length, twenty
cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, before the hall of the temple.
And he said to me, This is the most holy place.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 41:5-8a]
Then he measured the thickness of the wall of the temple, six cubits; and
the width of the side-chambers, four cubits, round about the temple on
every side. And the side-chambers were in three stories, one above
another, and thirty in each story; and there were abatements all around
the walls of the temple that the side-chambers might be fastened to them
and not to the walls of the temple. And the side-chambers became wider as
they went up higher and higher, for the temple grew narrower higher up;
and there was an ascent from the lowest story to the highest through the
middle story. And I saw also that the temple had a raised platform round
about.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 43:1-5]
Then he brought me to the east gate. And behold the glory of the God of
Israel came from the east; and his voice was like the sound of many
waters; and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision which I saw was
like that which I saw when he came to destroy the city; and the visions
were like that which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
Then the glory of Jehovah came into the temple through the east gate. And
the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold,
the glory of Jehovah filled the temple.
[Sidenote: Ezek. 43:6-9]
Then I heard One speaking to me from the temple, as he stood by me. And
he said to me, O man, this is the place of my throne, and the place for
the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the Israelites
forever. And the house of Israel, they and their kings, shall no more
defile my holy name with their idolatry and with the corpses of their
kings by placing their thresholds by my threshold, and their door-posts
by my door-post, with only a wall between me and them, thus defiling my
holy name by the abominations which they have committed; therefore I have
destroyed them in mine anger. Now let them put away their idolatry, and
the corpses of their kings far from me, that I may dwell in the midst of
them forever.
[Sidenote: Cor. Ezek. 44:9-14]
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, 'No foreigner, consecrated neither
in heart nor flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the Israelites,
shall enter my sanctuary. But those Levites who went far from me, when
Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, shall bear
their guilt. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight
at the gates of the temple, and ministering in the temple; they shall slay
the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand
before them and minister to them. Since they were wont to minister to them
before their idols and were a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of
Israel; therefore I have taken a solemn oath against them,' is the oracle
of the Lord Jehovah, 'and they shall bear their guilt. And they shall not
approach me to act as priests to me, so as to come near any of my sacred
things, or to those which are most sacred; but they shall bear their shame
and the punishment for the abominations which they have committed; I will
make them responsible for the care of the temple, for all its service, and
for all that shall be done therein.
[Sidenote: Cor. Ezek. 44:15-16]
But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who took charge of my
sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, shall come near to me
to minister to me, and they shall stand before me to offer to me fat and
blood,' is the oracle of the Lord Jehovah. 'They shall enter my sanctuary,
and they shall approach near to my table to minister to me, and they shall
keep my charge.
[Sidenote: Cor. Ezek. 44:23-24]
And they shall teach my people the difference between the sacred and the
common, and instruct them how to discern between the clean and the
unclean. And in a controversy they shall act as judges, judging it
according to my ordinances. And they shall keep my laws and my statutes
in all my appointed feasts; and they shall maintain the sanctity of my
sabbaths.'
[Sidenote: Cor. Ezek. 45:2-5]
When ye allot the land as inheritance, ye shall offer as a special gift to
Jehovah, a sacred portion of the land, five thousand cubits long, and
twenty thousand cubits wide; it shall be sacred throughout its entire
extent. And out of this area shalt thou measure off a space twenty-five
thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide, and on it shall the
most holy sanctuary stand. It is a holy portion of the land; it shall
belong to the priests who are the ministers in the sanctuary, who draw
near to minister to Jehovah; and it shall be a place for their houses, and
an open space for the sanctuary. Out of this a square of five hundred
cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with an open space fifty cubits wide
around it. And a space twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand
wide shall belong to the Levites, the ministers of the temple; it shall be
their possession for cities in which to dwell.
[Sidenote: Cor. Ezek. 45:6-8]
And as the possession of the city, ye shall assign a space five thousand
cubits wide, and twenty-five thousand long, beside the sacred reservation;
it shall belong to the whole house of Israel. And the prince shall have
the space on both sides of the sacred reservation and the possession of
the city, on the west and on the east, and of the same length as one of
the portions of the tribes, from the west border to the east border of the
land. It shall be his possession in Israel; and the princes of Israel
shall no more oppress my people, but shall give the land to the house of
Israel according to their tribes.
I. The Home of the Exiles in Babylon. From the references in the
contemporary writers it is possible to gain a reasonably definite idea
regarding the environment of the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel
describes the site as "a land of traffic, a city of merchants, a fruitful
soil, and beside many waters," where the colony like a willow was
transplanted [17:5]. The Kabaru Canal (the River Chebar of Ezekiel) ran
southeast from Babylon to Nippur through a rich alluvial plain,
intersected by numerous canals. Beside it lived a dense agricultural
population. On the tells or artificial mounds made by the ruins of earlier
Babylonian cities were built the peasant villages. Ezekiel speaks of
preaching to the Jewish colony of Tel-Abib (Storm-hill), and the lists
of those who later returned to Judah contain references to those who came
from Tel-Melah (Salt-hill) and Tel-Harsha (Forest-hill).
II. Their Condition and Occupations. It is probable that these mounds
were not far from each other and that the adjacent fields were cultivated
by the Jewish colonists. Thus they were enabled, under even more favorable
conditions than in Judah, to continue in their old occupations and to
build houses and rear families as Jeremiah had advised (Jer. 29; Section
LXXXVII:35). In Babylonia, as at Elephantine, so long as they paid the
imperial tax and refrained from open violence they were probably allowed
to rule themselves in accordance with their own laws. The elders of the
different families directed the affairs of the community and acted as
judges, except in the case of capital offences which were punished in the
name of Nebuchadrezzar (Jer. 29 22). Thus for a long time the exiles
constituted a little Judah within the heart of the Babylonian empire,
maintaining their racial integrity even more completely than the Jews
resident in Egypt.
Babylonia was the scene of an intense commercial activity. The
opportunities and allurements of the far-reaching traffic which passed
up and down the great rivers and across the neighboring deserts were
eventually too strong for the Jews to resist. Hence in Babylonia, as in
Egypt, they gradually abandoned their inherited agricultural habits and
were transformed into a nation of traders. In the recently discovered
records of the transactions of the famous Babylonian banking house which
flourished during the earlier part of the Persian period, under the
direction of succeeding generations of the Murashu family, are found many
familiar Jewish names. These indicate that within a century after the fall
of Jerusalem many sons of the exiles had already won a prominent place in
the commercial life of that great metropolis.
III. Their Religious Life. With this transformation in their occupation
came a great temptation to forget their race and to lose sight of its
ideals. The temptation was all the greater because their capital city and
temple were in ruins and the belief was widely held that Jehovah had
forsaken his land and people and retired to his "mount in the uttermost
parts of the north" (Isa. 14:13 Ezek. 1:4). Their actual experiences had
proved so fundamentally different from their hopes that there was
undoubtedly in the minds of many a dread doubt as to whether Jehovah was
able to fulfil his promises. False prophets were also present to mislead
the people (Jer. 39:21-23 Ezek. 13:1-7 14:8-10). There is also no
indication that the Jews of Babylon ever attempted to build a temple to
Jehovah in the land of their captivity. Hence there were no ancient
festivals and public and private sacrifices and impressive ceremonials to
kindle their religious feelings and to keep alive their national faith.
Instead, the imposing religion of the Babylonians, with its rich temples,
its many festivals, its prosperous and powerful priesthood, and its
elaborate ritual must have profoundly impressed them and led them to draw
unfavorable comparisons between it and the simple services of their
pre-exilic temple. Nevertheless, in spite of these temptations, there
were many who proved themselves loyal to Jehovah. Prayer and fasting and
sabbath observance took the place of sacrificial rites. A strong emphasis
is laid by Ezekiel on the sabbath. [Sidenote A: Ezekiel 20:12-31; Ezekiel
22:26; Ezekiel 23:38] From this time on it became one of the most
important and characteristic institutions of Judaism. Under the influence
of the new situation it lost much of its original, philanthropic, and
social character and became instead a ceremonial institution. In
faithfully observing it the exiles felt that even in captivity they were
paying homage to their divine King. The more it took the place of the
ancient feasts and sacrifices, the more they forgot that the sabbath was
God's gift to toiling man rather than man's gift to God. From the
Babylonian exile, also, probably dates that custom of assembling on the
sabbath to read the ancient scriptures which represents the genesis of
the later synagogue and its service.
IV. The Prophecies of Ezekiel. The priest-prophet Ezekiel was the
interpreter, pastor, and guide of the Babylonian exiles. He met their
problems and proposed the solutions which became the foundation principles
of later Judaism. His prophecies fall naturally into four distinct groups:
(1) Chapters 1 to 24, which recount his call and deal with the issues at
stake in the different Judean communities in the critical years between
the first and second captivities. They represent the prophet's work
between the years 592 and 586 B.C. (2) Chapters 25 to 32, include seven
oracles regarding Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, and Egypt, the
nations which had taken part in the destruction of Jerusalem or else, like
Egypt, had lured Judah to its ruin. The complete destruction of these foes
is predicted, and chapter 32 concludes with a weird picture of their fate,
condemned by Jehovah to dwell in Sheol, the abode of the shades.
(3) Chapters 33 to 39 contain messages of comfort and promise to Ezekiel's
fellow-exiles in Babylonia and in the distant lands of the dispersion.
They are dated between the years 586 and 570 B.C. (4) Chapters 40 to 48
present Ezekiel's plan for the restored temple and service and for the
redistribution of the territory of Canaan, and his belief that Judah's
fertility would be miraculously increased. This plan is definitely dated
in the year 572 B.C., two years before the prophet's death.
V. The Resurrection of the Dead Nation. Ezekiel dealt with the problems
of his fellow-exiles concretely and from a point of view which they could
readily understand. He fully realized that if the faith of the people was
to be saved in this crisis a definite hope, expressed in objective
imagery, must be set before them. With the same inspired insight that had
prompted Jeremiah to purchase his family estate in the hour of Jerusalem's
downfall, Ezekiel saw that Jehovah would yet restore his people, if they
would but respond to the demands of this crisis. His message was,
therefore, one of hope and promise. In the memorable chapter in which he
pictures a valley filled with dry bones, he aimed to inspire their faith
by declaring that Jehovah was not only able but would surely gather
together the dismembered parts of the nation and impart to it new life and
activity. The prophet was clearly speaking of national rather than of
individual resurrection. Like Jeremiah, he anticipated that the tribes of
the north and south would again be united, as in the days of David, and
that over them a scion of the Davidic house would rule as Jehovah's
representative. He also assured them that Jehovah would come again to
dwell in the midst of his purified and restored people.
VI. The Divine Shepherd. In the thirty-fourth chapter Ezekiel deals with
the same theme under a different figure. First he traces the cause of the
exile to the inefficiency and greed and oppression of the earlier
shepherds, the rulers like Jehoiakim, who had scattered rather than
gathered and led the people intrusted to them. Now Jehovah himself, the
great Shepherd of the People, will arise and gather his flock, and lead
them back to their home and give them a rich pasture. Over them he will
appoint a descendant of David, but this prince shall be shorn of his
ancient kingly power.
Ezekiel also presents in his characteristic, symbolic form the promise
that Jehovah will now fulfil the popular hopes and destroy the wicked foes
who have preyed upon his people, and thus vindicate his divine rulership
of the world. In one passage Judah's worst foes, the Edomites, represent
aggressive heathendom. Again, in a still more impressive picture,
suggested by an experience in his own childhood when the dread Scythians
swept down from the north, he portrays the advance of the mysterious foes
from the distant north under the leadership of Gog (38, 39). When they are
already in the land of Palestine, the prophet declares, Jehovah will
terrify them with an earthquake, so that in panic they shall slay each
other, as did the Midianites in the days of Gideon, until they shall all
fall victims of Jehovah's judgment. Ezekiel thus revived in the changed
conditions of the exile that popular conception of the day of Jehovah
which the earlier prophets had refused to countenance. It was the
prophet's graphic way of declaring that Jehovah would prepare the way for
the return of his people, if they would but respond when the opportune
moment should arrive. Later Judaism, however, and especially the
apocalyptic writers, interpreted literally and developed still further
this picture of Jehovah's great judgment day until it became a prominent
teaching of later Jewish and Christian thought.
Similarly Ezekiel declared that the barren lands of Judah would be
miraculously transformed and rendered capable of supporting the great
numbers of the exiles who should return. In this respect Ezekiel became
the father of the later priestly school to which belongs the author of the
book of Chronicles, in whose thought the events of Israel's history came
to pass, not through man's earnest effort and in accordance with
the established laws of the universe, but through special divine
interposition. It is difficult to determine whether Ezekiel himself was
simply endeavoring to state dramatically that Jehovah would fully
anticipate the needs of his people, or whether he did actually anticipate
a series of prodigious miracles.
VII. Ezekiel's Plan of the Restored Temple. Ezekiel, being a true
prophet, fully realized that the fundamental question regarding the future
of his race was not whether they would be restored to their home but
whether or not they would guard against the mistakes and sins of the past
and live in accord with Jehovah's just demands. The solution of this
question which he proposes reveals his priestly training. With infinite
pains and detail he develops the plan of a restored temple and ritual.
The details were doubtless in part suggested by his remembrance of the
temple at Jerusalem and in part taken from the great temples of Babylon.
By means of this elaborate picture he declared his firm conviction that
his race would surely be restored. His chief purpose, however, was to
impress upon the minds of his people the transcendent holiness of Jehovah
and the necessity that he be worshipped by a holy people. The entire plan
of the temple, of the ritual, and even of the allotment of the territory
of Canaan was intended to enforce this idea. His plan, if adopted, was
calculated to deliver the people from the temptations and mistakes of the
past. With this end in view Jehovah's sacred abode was guarded with
massive double walls and huge gateways. Only the priests were allowed to
enter the inner court, and a sharp distinction was made between the
priests who were the descendants of Zadok and the Levites whose fathers
had ministered at the many sanctuaries scattered throughout the land of
Israel. The territory immediately adjacent to the temple was assigned to
the priests and Levites, and its sanctity was further guarded on the east
and west by the domains of the prince. His chief function was, not to
rule, as had the selfish and inefficient tyrants who had preceded him, but
to provide the animals and the material requisite for the temple service.
The territory on the north and the south of the temple was assigned to the
different tribes of Israel.
No political or social problems clouded the prophet's vision. The entire
energies of priest, Levite, prince, and people were to be devoted to the
worship of the Holy One, whose restored and glorified sanctuary stood in
their midst. Thus it was that Ezekiel reversed the ideals of the
pre-exilic Hebrew state and presented that programme which with many
modifications was adopted in principle at least by the post-exilic Judean
community. In place of the monarchy appeared the hierarchy; instead of the
king the high priest became both the religious and the civil head of the
nation. Soon the Davidic royal line disappeared entirely, and the
interests of the people centred more and more about the temple and its
ritual. Although Ezekiel's vision was not and could not be fully realized,
except by a series of miracles, this devoted priest-prophet of the exile
was in a large sense the father of Judaism.
Section XCIII. THE CLOSING YEARS OF THE BABYLONIAN RULE
[Sidenote: II Kings 25:27-30]
Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of
Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month,
Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year in which he became king,
(561 B.C.) lifted up Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison to a position of
honor. And he spoke kindly to him and placed his seat above the seats of
the kings who were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments.
And Jehoiachin ate with him continually as long as he lived. And for his
support a continual allowance was given him by the king, each day a
portion, as long as he lived.
[Sidenote: Isa. 9:1-3]
The people who have been walking in darkness see a great light,
Those who dwell in the land of deepest gloom, upon them a light shines.
Thou multipliest the exultation, thou makest great the rejoicing,
They rejoice before thee as men rejoice at harvest time,
As men are wont to exult when they divide spoil.
[Sidenote: Isa. 9:4, 5]
For the burdensome yoke and the crossbar on his shoulder,
The rod of his taskmaster, thou breakest as in the day of Midian.
For every boot of the warrior with noisy tread,
And every war-cloak drenched in the blood of the slain
Will be completely burned up as fuel for the flame.
[Sidenote: Isa. 9:6, 7]
For a child is born, to us a son is given,
And dominion shall rest upon his shoulder;
And his name will be Wonderful Counsellor,
Godlike Hero, Ever-watchful Father, Prince of Peace.
To the increase of his dominion and to the peace there shall be no end,
On the throne of David and throughout his kingdom,
To establish and uphold it by justice and righteousness
Henceforth and forever. The jealousy of Jehovah will accomplish this.
[Sidenote: Isa. 11:1, 2]
A sprout shall spring from the stock of Jesse,
And a shoot from his roots shall bear fruit.
The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him.
A spirit of wisdom and insight,
A spirit of counsel and might,
A spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah.
[Sidenote: Isa. 11:3-6]
He will not judge according to what his eyes see,
Nor decide according to what his ears hear;
But with righteousness will he judge the helpless,
And with equity will he decide for the needy in the land.
He will smite an oppressor with the rod of his mouth,
And with the breath of his lips will he slay the guilty.
Righteousness will be the girdle about his loins,
And faithfulness the band about his waist.
[Sidenote: Isa. 11:6-8]
Then the wolf will be the guest of the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion will graze together,
And a little child shall be their leader.
The cow and the bear shall become friends,
Their young ones shall lie down together,
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
The suckling will play about the hole of the asp,
And the weaned child will stretch out his hand toward the viper's nest.
[Sidenote: Isa. 11:9, 10]
Men shall not harm nor destroy
In all my holy mountain;
For the earth shall have been filled with knowledge of Jehovah
As the waters cover the sea.
And it shall come to pass in that day,
That the root of Jesse who is to stand as a signal to the peoples--
To him shall the nations resort,
And his resting-place shall be glorious.
[Sidenote: Isa. 13:2-4]
Upon a treeless mountain lift up a signal, raise a cry to them,
Wave the hand that they may enter the princely gates.
I myself have given command to my consecrated ones, to execute my wrath,
I have also summoned my heroes, my proudly exultant ones.
Hark, a tumult on the mountains, as of a mighty multitude!
Hark, an uproar of kingdoms, of gathered nations!
It is Jehovah of hosts mustering the martial hosts.
[Sidenote: Isa. 13:17-22]
I will punish the earth for its wickedness, and the wicked for their
iniquity,
I will still the arrogance of the proud, and lay low the presumption of
tyrants.
Behold, I stir up against them the Medes,
Who consider not silver, and take no pleasure in gold,
On children they will look with no pity, they have no compassion on the
fruit of the womb,
And Babylon, the most beautiful of kingdoms, the proud glory of the
Chaldeans, shall be,
As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
It shall be uninhabited forever, and tenantless age after age;
No nomad shall pitch there his tent, nor shepherds let their flocks lie
down there,
But wild cats shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of jackals;
Ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there,
Howling beasts shall cry to each other in its castles, and wolves in its
revelling halls;
Its time is near at hand, its day shall not be extended.
[Sidenote: Ezra 6:3-5]
In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree:
Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem--this house shall be rebuilt,
where they offer sacrifices and bring him offerings made by fire. Its
height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, It shall be
constructed with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timber. And
let the expenses be paid out of the king's treasury. Also let the gold and
silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadrezzar took from the
temple at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again
to the temple which is at Jerusalem, each to its place, and you shall put
them in the house of God.
[Sidenote: Ezra 5:14, 15]
Now the gold and silver vessels of the house of God which Nebuchadrezzar
took from the temple at Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon,
those Cyrus the king took out of the temple in Babylon, and they were
delivered to one by the name of Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
And he said to him, Take these vessels; go, put them in the temple at
Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.
[Sidenote: Ezra 1:5, 6; I Esdr. 5:1-6]
Then the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the
priests and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to
build the temple of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem, arose. And all those
who were about them supplied them with silver vessels, with gold, with
goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was
voluntarily offered.
These are the names or the men who went up, according to their tribes, by
their genealogy. Of the priests the sons of Phinehas, the son of Aaron:
Jeshua the son of Jozadak, the son of Seriah. And there rose up with him
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel of the house of David, of the family of
Peres, of the tribe of Judah; in the second year of Cyrus king of Persia
in the first day of the month Nisan.
[Sidenote: Ezra 3:2-4, 6b]
Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his kinsmen the priests, and
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his kinsmen arose and built the altar
of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings on it, as prescribed in the
law of Moses the man of God. And they set up the altar in its place; for
fear, because of the peoples dwelling in the land, had come upon them,
but they plucked up courage and offered burnt-offerings to Jehovah, even
burnt-offerings morning and evening. And they kept the feast of booths as
it is prescribed, and offered the fixed number of daily burnt-offerings
according to the direction for each day; but the foundation of the temple
of Jehovah was not yet laid.
I. The Transformation of the Jews into a Literary People. The
destruction of Jerusalem transformed the Jewish peasants of Palestine into
a literary race. Before the final destruction of Jerusalem they had lived
together in a small territory where communication was easy and the need of
written records but slight. The exile separated friends and members of the
same families, and scattered them broadcast throughout the then known
world. The only means of communicating with each other in most cases was
by writing, and this necessity inevitably developed the literary art. The
exiles in Babylonia and Egypt were also in close contact with the two most
active literary peoples of the ancient world. In countries where almost
every public or private act was recorded in written form, and where the
literature of the past was carefully preserved and widely transcribed, it
was inevitable that the Jews should be powerfully influenced by these
examples. Furthermore, the teachers of the race, prophets and priests
alike, prevented by the destruction of the temple from employing their
former oral and symbolic methods of instruction, resorted, as did the
priest Ezekiel, to the pen. Thus the religious thought and devotion of the
race began to find expression in its literature.
The incentives to collect the earlier writings of the priests and prophets
were also exceedingly strong, for the experiences and institutions of
their past, together with their hopes for the future, were the two main
forces that now held together the Jewish race. Fortunately, the more
intelligent leaders realized, even before 586 B.C., that the final
catastrophe was practically certain, and therefore prepared for it in
advance. The decade between the first and second captivities also gave
them an opportunity to collect the more important writings of their
earlier prophetic and priestly teachers, while the Judean state was still
intact and while these earlier writings could be readily consulted.
II. The Literary Activity of the Babylonian Period. The literary work of
this period took three distinct forms: (1) The collection, compilation,
and editing of earlier historical writings. It was probably during this
period that the narratives of Judges, of Samuel, and Kings, which carried
the history down into the exile itself, received their final revision.
(2) Earlier writings were revised or supplemented so as to adapt them to
the new and different conditions. Thus the sermons of the pre-exilic
prophets, as for example those of Amos and Isaiah, were then revised and
supplemented at many points. These earlier prophets had predicted doom and
destruction for their nation; but now that their predictions had been
realized what was needed was a message of comfort and promise. The
fulfilment of their earlier predictions had established their authority in
the minds of the people. The purpose of the later editors was evidently
to put in the mouth of these earlier prophets what they probably would
have said had they been present to speak at the later day to their
discouraged and disconsolate countrymen. Studied in the light of these two
fundamentally different points of view, the glaring inconsistencies which
appear in the prophetic books are fully explained and the consistency of
the earlier prophets vindicated.
The third form of literary activity is represented by the writings of
Ezekiel. With the authority of a prophet, he dealt directly with the
problem of his day, and the greater part of his book consists of the
records of his prophetic addresses or of epistles which he sent to his
scattered fellow-countrymen, even as Jeremiah wrote from Judah a letter to
the distant exiles in Babylon. His new constitution for the restored
Jewish state was also based on earlier customs and laws, but was adapted
to the new needs of the changed situation. He was not the only one to
undertake this task. Other priests gathered earlier groups of oral laws
and put in written form the customs and traditions of the pre-exilic
temple. At the same time they modified these earlier customs so as to
correct the evils which past experience had revealed.
III. The Holiness Code. The chief product of the literary activity of
the earlier part of the exile is the collection of laws found in the
seventeenth to the twenty-sixth chapters of Leviticus. Because of its
strong emphasis on the holiness of Jehovah and on the necessity that he
be worshipped by a people both ceremonially and morally holy, it is now
commonly designated as the Holiness Code. In theme, in point of view, in
purpose, and in literary form it has many close points of contact with the
writings of Ezekiel. In its original unity it evidently came from the
period and circle of thought in which the great priest-prophet lived.
His sermons, however, suggest that he was acquainted with its main
teachings. In distinguishing sharply between the Jerusalem priests and the
ministering Levites, and in prohibiting the marriage of a priest with a
widow, Ezekiel shows that his work represented a slightly later stage in
the development of Israel's religious standards. The most probable date,
therefore, for the Holiness Code is the decade between the first and
second captivity (597-586 B.C.).
Like every ancient lawbook the Holiness Code contains many laws and
regulations which evidently come from a much earlier period in Israel's
history. Some of its enactments are very similar to those of the primitive
codes of Exodus 21-23. In spirit it is closely related to the book of
Deuteronomy. It also reproduces many of the laws found in this earlier
code. Both codes represent the fruitage of the teaching of the pre-exilic
prophets and priests. Each contains ceremonial, civil, and moral laws; but
the emphasis on the ritual is more pronounced in the Holiness Code. It
consists of ten or eleven distinct groups of laws. In Leviticus 18 and 19
are found certain short decalogues. They probably represent the united
efforts of the Judean prophets and priests during the Assyrian period to
inculcate the true principles of justice, service, and worship in the
minds of the people. Some of the laws in these earlier decalogues are the
noblest examples of Old Testament legislation:
DUTIES TO OTHERS
[Sidenote: Kindness to the needy]
I. Thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy fields.
II. Thou shalt not gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
III. Thou shalt not glean thy vineyard.
IV. Thou shalt not gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard.
V. Thou shalt leave them for the poor and the resident alien.
[Sidenote: Honesty in business relations]
VI. Ye shall not steal.
VII. Ye shall do no injustice, in measures of length, weight or of
quantity.
VIII. Ye shall not deal falsely with one another.
IX. Ye shall not lie to one another.
X. Ye shall not swear falsely by my name.
JUSTICE TO ALL MEN
[Sidenote: Toward dependents]
I. Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbor.
II. Thou shalt not rob thy neighbor.
III. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with thee all night
until the morning.
IV. Thou shalt not curse the deaf.
V. Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind.
[Sidenote: Toward equals]
VI. Thou shalt not do injustice in rendering a judicial decision.
VII. Thou shalt not show partiality to the poor.
VIII. Thou shalt not have undue consideration for the powerful.
IX. Thou shalt not go about as a tale-bearer among thy people.
X. Thou shalt not seek the blood of thy neighbor [by bearing false
testimony in court].
ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS
[Sidenote: In the heart]
I. Thou shalt not hate thy fellow-countryman in thy heart.
II. Thou shalt warn thy neighbor and not incur sin on his account.
III. Thou shalt not take vengeance.
IV. Thou shalt not bear a grudge against the members of thy race.
V. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
IV. The Liberation of Jehoiachin and the Hopes of the Jews. The
liberation of Jehoiachin, the grandson of Josiah, from the Babylonian
prison where he had been confined since the first capture of Jerusalem was
the one event in the Babylonian period deemed worthy of record by the
biblical historians. The occasion was the accession of Nebuchadrezzar's
son Evil-merodach (Babylonian, Amil-Marduk). The act possessed little
political importance, for the Jews were helpless in the hands of their
Babylonian masters; but it evidently aroused the hopes of the exiles, and
especially that type of hope which centred in the house of David.
Ezekiel, in his ideal programme, assigned to the Davidic prince only minor
duties in connection with the temple, and transferred the chief authority
to the high priest and his attendants. But it is evident that Ezekiel did
not fully voice the hopes of the majority of the exiles. The late passage
in II Samuel 7:16, which contains the promise to David:
Thy house and kingdom shall always stand firm before me,
Thy throne shall be established forever,
expresses the prevailing belief in the days immediately preceding the
exile. The national hopes which looked to the descendants of the house of
David for fulfilment were inevitably modified, however, by the experiences
of the exile and strengthened by the liberation of Jehoiachin. The rule of
such kings as Manasseh and Jehoiakim had revealed the overwhelming evils
that unworthy rulers, even though of the house of David, could bring upon
their subjects. Josiah's reign, on the other hand, established new and
higher standards. The noble ethical and social ideals of Amos, Hosea, and
Isaiah had not wholly failed to awaken a response.
All of these varied influences are traceable in the two prophecies found
in Isaiah 9:1-7 and 11:1-10. Embodying as they do many of the social
principles for which Isaiah contended, it was natural that these anonymous
writings should afterward be attributed to that great statesman-prophet.
Jehovah, however, was the one supreme king whom Isaiah acknowledged; and
it was difficult to find in his strenuous life a logical or historical
setting for these kingly oracles. They also imply that the royal house of
Judah had been struck down, and that the new king is to rise out of a
background of gloom and is to inaugurate an entirely new era. The
character and rule of this king of popular hopes reflect many of the
traits of David and Josiah; but his aims and methods are in accord with
the moral and social standards of the great pre-exilic prophets. They
portray a temporal ruler; but the spirit which actuates him and the
principles which guide him are noble and unselfish. As subsequent history
clearly shows, the prophet or prophets who painted these portraits
apparently hoped that a son or grandson of Jehoiachin would realize them.
It is exceedingly probable in the light of the later predictions of Haggai
and Zechariah (Sections XCIV, XCV) that these prophecies were written not
long after the birth of Zerubbabel. The kingdom over which he was to rule
and to which he was to bring perfect justice and peace was the prophetic
counterpart of Ezekiel's priestly plan of the restored and redeemed
community. The ethical ideals thus concretely set forth were never fully
realized in Israel's troubled history; but they remain as valid and
commanding to-day as they were far back in the Babylonian period. The
abolition of all the insignia of war, the high sense of official
responsibility, the protection of the weak by the strong, and the reign of
perfect peace and harmony throughout all the earth are the goals for which
all earnest, consecrated souls in every age and race are striving. It is
natural and proper that the Christian Church should see in Jesus the
fullest and truest realization of these ancient kingly ideals.
V. The Rule of Nabonidus. The successors of Nebuchadrezzar proved weak
and inefficient. His dissolute son, Amil-Marduk, was soon murdered by his
brother-in-law Nergalsharuzur (Gk. Neriglissar). This ruler is probably
the Nergal-sharezer of Jeremiah 39:3 who directed the final capture and
destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. After reigning four years he died,
leaving the Babylonian empire to his young son, who soon fell a victim to
a conspiracy of his nobles. They placed on the throne a certain Nabuna'id,
who is known to the Greek historians as Nabonidus. He appeared to be more
interested in excavating ancient ruins and in rebuilding old temples than
in ruling his subjects. By his arbitrary religious policy and his neglect
of the popular gods of the Babylonians, he completely alienated the
loyalty of his people. During the latter part of his reign, which extended
from 555 to 538 B.C., he left the government largely in charge of his son
Belsharuzur, the Belshazzar of the story in Daniel.
VI. Rise and Conquests of Cyrus. While the Babylonian empire was sinking
into decay, the Median kingdom on the north and east experienced a
sweeping revolution. Its cause was the discontent of the older Median
population under the rule of the more barbarous Umman-Manda. These later
Scythian conquerors had, under their king Cyaxares, broken the power of
Assyria and fallen heir to its eastern territory. The older elements found
a leader in Cyrus, the king of Anshan, a little state among the mountains
of Elam, northeast of Babylonia. From contemporary inscriptions it appears
that the followers of Astyages, who succeeded Cyaxares to the Median
throne, rebelled against their king and delivered him over into the hands
of Cyrus. As soon as Cyrus became master of the Median Empire, he proved
an able commander, a skilful politician, and a wise statesman. Recognizing
that he could hold in control the diverse and turbulent elements in his
heterogeneous kingdom only as he kept them actively occupied, he at once
entered upon a series of campaigns which in the end left him undisputed
master of southwestern Asia. In 547 B.C., two years after he became king
of Media, he crossed the Tigris and conquered Mesopotamia, which had been
held for a time by the Babylonians, Apparently he did not assume the title
King of Persia until 546. Appreciating the great strength of Babylon, he
did not at first attempt its capture, but began at once by intrigue to
pave the way for its ultimate overthrow. In 545 he set out on a western
campaign against Croesus, the king of Lydia, the ancient rival of Media.
After a quick and energetic campaign, Sardis, the rich Lydian capital,
was captured, and Cyrus was free to advance against the opulent Greek
colonies that lay along the eastern shores of the Aegean. These in rapid
succession fell into his hands, so that by 538 B.C. he was in a position
to advance with a large victorious army against the mistress of the lower
Euphrates.
VII. His Capture of Babylon. The campaigns of Cyrus were naturally
watched with keen interest by the Jewish exiles in Babylonia. The songs in
Isaiah 14, 15, and 21:1-10, and Jeremiah 51:29-31, voice their joyous
expectation of Babylon's impending humiliation. In a contemporary
inscription Cyrus has given a vivid account of the fall of the capital.
Early in October of the year 538 B.C. he assembled a large army on the
northern borders of Babylonia. Here a battle was fought in which the
Babylonians were completely defeated. The town of Sippar quickly
surrendered to Cyrus's general, and two days later the Persian army
entered Babylon. The record states that the gates of the mighty city were
opened by its inhabitants, and Cyrus and his followers were welcomed as
deliverers. King Nabonidus was captured and banished to the distant
province of Carmania, northeast of the Persian Gulf. In the words
of Cyrus: "Peace he gave the town; peace he proclaimed to all the
Babylonians." In the eyes of the conquered, he figured as the champion
of their gods, whose images he restored to the capital city. The temples
as well as the walls of Babylon were rebuilt, and the king publicly
proclaimed himself a devoted worshipper of Marduk and Nebo, the chief gods
of the Babylonians. Thus from the first the policy of Cyrus in treating
conquered peoples was fundamentally different from that of the Babylonians
and Assyrians. They had sought to establish their power by crushing the
conquered rather than by furthering their well-being; but Cyrus, by his
many acts of clemency, aimed to secure and hold their loyalty.
VIII. His Treatment of Conquered Peoples. Cyrus showed the same wisdom
in his treatment of the many petty peoples who had been ground down under
the harsh rule of Babylon. In one of his inscriptions he declares: "The
gods whose sanctuaries from of old had lain in ruins I brought back again
to their dwelling-places and caused them to reside there forever. All of
the citizens of these lands I assembled and I restored them to their
homes" (Cyrus Cyl., 31, 32). In the light of this statement it is clear
that the Jews, in common with other captive peoples, were given full
permission to return to their homes and to rebuild their ruined temple.
The decree of Cyrus recorded in the Aramaic document preserved in Ezra
6:3-5 is apparently the Jewish version of the general decree which he
issued. It is also possible that he aided the vassal peoples in rebuilding
their sanctuaries; for such action was in perfect accord with his wise
policy. He also intrusted the rulership of different kingdoms as far as
possible to native princes. In the Greek book of I Esdras has been
preserved a list (which has fallen out of the biblical book of Ezra) of
those who availed themselves of Cyrus's permission to return to Palestine.
It includes simply the priest Jeshua, or Joshua, the lineal heir of the
early Jerusalem priestly line of Zadok, and Zerubbabel, a descendant of
the Judean royal family. They doubtless took with them their immediate
followers and were probably accompanied by a few exiles whose loyalty
impelled them to leave the attractive opportunities in Babylon to face the
dangers of the long journey and the greater perils in Palestine.
From Jeremiah 41:5 and Haggai 2:14 it appears that a rude altar had been
built on the sacred rock at Jerusalem and that religious services were
held on the site of the ruined temple soon after its destruction in 586
B.C. With the gifts brought back by Zerubbabel and his followers, daily
sacrifices were probably instituted on the restored altar under the
direction of the priest Joshua (cf. Hag. 2:10-14). In the light, however,
of the oldest records it is clear that the revival of the Judean community
in Palestine was gradual and at first far from glorious. The Jews were a
broken-hearted, poverty-stricken, persecuted people, still crushed by the
great calamity that had overtaken their nation. The general return of the
exiles was only a dream of the future, and, despite the general permission
of Cyrus, the temple at Jerusalem still lay in ruins.
Section XCIV. THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
[Sidenote: Hag. 1:1-6]
In the second year of Darius the king, in the first day of the sixth
month, this word of Jehovah came by Haggai the prophet: Speak to
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son
of Jehozadak the high priest, saying, 'Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, "This
people say: The time has not yet come to rebuild the temple of Jehovah."'
Then this word of Jehovah came by Haggai the prophet: Is it a time for
you yourselves to dwell in your own ceiled houses, while this temple lies
in ruins? Now therefore, thus saith Jehovah of hosts, 'Consider your past
experiences. Ye sow much, but bring in little; ye eat, but ye do not have
enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled; ye clothe yourselves, but not so
as to be warm; and he who earneth wages, earneth wages in a bag with
holes.'
[Sidenote: Hag. 1:7-11]
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, 'Consider your experiences. Go up to the
mountains, and bring wood and rebuild the temple; then I will be pleased
with it, and I will reveal my glory,' saith Jehovah. 'Ye looked for much,
and it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I blew upon it. Why?'
saith Jehovah of hosts. 'Because of my temple that lieth in ruins, while
ye are running each to his own house. Therefore the heavens withhold the
dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit. And I have called forth a
drought upon the land and upon the mountains, and upon the grain and the
new wine and the oil and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and
upon men and animals, and upon all the labor of the hands.'
[Sidenote: Hag. 1:12-15a]
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehozadak the
high priest, with all the rest of the people, obeyed the command of
Jehovah their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their
God had sent him to them. The people also feared before Jehovah. And
Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak the high
priest, and the spirit of all the rest of the people, so that they
came and worked on the temple of Jehovah of hosts, their God, in the
twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
[Sidenote: Hag. 1:15b-2:5]
In the second year of Darius the king, on the twenty-first day of the
seventh month, this word from Jehovah came by Haggai the prophet: Speak to
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of
Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, saying,
'Who is left among you that saw this temple in its former glory? and how
do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, O
Zerubbabel,' is the oracle of Jehovah; 'and be strong, O Joshua, son of
Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land,' is
the oracle of Jehovah, 'and work, for I am with you,' is the oracle of
Jehovah of hosts, 'and my spirit abideth in your midst; fear not.'
[Sidenote: Hag. 2:6-9]
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 'Yet a little while, and I will shake the
heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. And I will shake
all nations, and the precious things of all nations shall come; and I will
fill this temple with glory,' saith Jehovah of hosts. 'The silver is mine,
and the gold is mine,' is the oracle of Jehovah of hosts. 'The later glory
of this temple shall be greater than the former,' saith Jehovah of hosts;
'and in this place will I grant prosperity,' is the oracle of Jehovah of
hosts.
[Sidenote: Hag. 2:10-14]
In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius,
this word of Jehovah came by Haggai the prophet: Thus saith Jehovah of
hosts: 'Ask of the priests a decision, saying, "If one bear holy flesh in
the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touch bread, or pottage, or
wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy?"' And the priests
answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by reason
of a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests
answered and said, It shall be unclean. Then answered Haggai and said, So
is this people and so is this nation before me, is the oracle of Jehovah;
and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is
unclean.
[Sidenote: Hag. 2:15-19]
And now, I pray you, think back from this day, before a stone was laid
upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah; how were ye? When ye came to a heap
of twenty measures, there were but ten; when ye came to the wine vat to
draw out fifty vessels, there were but twenty. I smote with blasting and
with mildew and with hail all the work of your hands; yet ye turned not to
me, is the oracle of Jehovah. Think back from this day, think! Is the seed
yet in the granary, yea, the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate and
the olive tree have not brought forth; from this day will I bless you.
[Sidenote: Hag. 2:20-22]
This word of Jehovah came the second time to Haggai in the twenty-fourth
day of the month: Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and say: 'I will
shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the throne of
kingdoms; and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations;
and I will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them; and the
horses and their riders shall come down, each by the sword of his brother.
[Sidenote: Hag. 2:23]
'In that day,' is the oracle of Jehovah of hosts, 'I will take thee, O
Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,' is Jehovah's oracle, 'and
will make thee as a seal-ring, for I have chosen thee,' is the oracle of
Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Ezra 5:3-5]
At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and
Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them, and spoke thus to them,
Who gave you permission to build this temple and to finish this wall? And
who are the builders who are carrying this through? But the eye of their
God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they did not make them cease,
until a report should come to Darius and a written decision concerning it
be returned.
[Sidenote: Ezra 6:1-5]
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the archives
where the official documents from Babylon had been deposited. And at
Ecbatana, the royal palace in the province of Media, a roll was found, and
in it was thus written: A record: In the first year of Cyrus the king,
Cyrus the king made a decree: 'Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem,
let the house be rebuilt, where they offer sacrifices and bring him
offerings made by fire; its height shall be sixty cubits, and its breadth
sixty cubits. It shall be constructed with three layers of huge stones and
one layer of timber; and let the expenses be paid out of the king's
treasury. Also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon,
be restored and brought to the temple which is at Jerusalem, each to its
place; and you shall put them in the house of God.'
[Sidenote: Ezra 6:6-12]
Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the River,
Shethar-bozenai, and the rulers of the province beyond the River, go away
from there; let the work of this house of God alone; let the elders of the
Jews rebuild this house of God in its place. Moreover I make a decree in
regard to what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building
of this house of God: that out of the king's wealth from the tribute of
the province beyond the River the expenses be exactly paid to these men,
and that without delay. And whatever is needed, both young bullocks and
rams and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, also wheat, salt,
wine, and oil, according to the direction of the priests at Jerusalem, let
it be given to them day by day without fail, that they may regularly offer
sacrifices of sweet savor to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of
the king and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall
make this command invalid, a beam shall be pulled out from his house, and
he shall be impaled upon it, and his house shall for this be made a refuse
heap. And the God who hath caused his name to dwell there shall overthrow
all kings and peoples who shall put forth their hand to make invalid the
command or to destroy the house of God at Jerusalem. Exactly will it be
executed.
[Sidenote: Ezra 6:13,14]
Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and
Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did exactly as Darius the king had
given command. And the elders of the Jews built and prospered. And they
finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and
according to the decree of Cyrus and Darius.
I. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are
the chief sources of information regarding Jewish history during the
Persian period. They fall into nine general divisions: (1) the return of
the Babylonian exiles and the revival of the Judean community, Ezra 1-4;
(2) the rebuilding of the temple, 5-6; (3) Ezra's expedition and the
priestly reformation, 8-10, and Nehemiah 8-10; (4) Nehemiah's work in
rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah 1:1-7:5; (5) census of the Judean
community, 7:6-69; (6) measures to secure the repopulation of Jerusalem,
11; (7) genealogy of the priests and Levites, 12:1-26; (8) dedication
of the walls, 12:27-43; and (9) Nehemiah's later reform measures,
12:44-13:31. It is evident that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one
book, and that they come from the same author as I and II Chronicles.
This important fact is demonstrated by the presence of the same marked
characteristics of thought and literary style in both of these books. The
closing verses of II Chronicles are also repeated verbatim at the
beginning of Ezra.
Throughout these books the interest is religious and ceremonial rather
than civil and national. They constitute in reality a history of the
Jerusalem temple and its institutions. The whole may properly be
designated as the "Ecclesiastical History of Jerusalem." It traces the
history of Jerusalem and the southern kingdom from the earliest times to
the close of the Persian period. Its author, who is commonly known as the
Chronicler, evidently lived during the earlier part or middle of the Greek
period. Certain characteristics of his literary style and point of view
indicate that he wrote about 250 B.C. His peculiarities and methods of
writing are clearly revealed by a comparison of the older parallel history
of Samuel-Kings with the books of Chronicles. In general he lacks the
historical spirit and perspective of the earlier prophetic historians. He
also freely recasts his record of earlier events in order to bring it into
accord with the traditions current in his own day. Above all he aimed to
establish the authority and prestige of the Jerusalem temple, and to prove
that Jehovah "was not with Israel" (II Chron. 25:7), which was represented
in his day by the hated Samaritans. The hatred engendered by the Samaritan
feud explains many of the peculiarities of the Chronicler. He was, in
fact, an apologist rather than a historian. Thus post-exilic institutions,
as, for example, the temple song service with its guilds of singers, are
projected backward even to the days of David, and the events of early
Hebrew history are constantly glorified. The numbers found in the
earlier, prophetic sources are magnified, and at every point it is easy to
recognize the influence of the Chronicler's familiarity with the splendor
and magnificence of the great Persian and Greek empires, and of his
desire to inspire his fellow-Jews with national pride and with loyalty to
their religious institutions.
II. The Chronicler's Conception of the Restoration. Fortunately the
Chronicler did not depend entirely upon traditions current in his day, or
upon his own conceptions of the early history, but quoted freely from
earlier sources. As a result a large portion of the prophetic history of
Samuel and Kings is reproduced verbatim in I and II Chronicles. For the
Persian period, regarding which he is our chief authority, he apparently
quoted from three or four documents. In Ezra 4:7-23 is found a brief
description in Aramaic of the opposition of Judah's neighbors to the
rebuilding of the walls, probably in the days of Nehemiah. In Ezra 5 and 6
there is another long quotation from an Aramaic document that describes a
similar attempt to put a stop to the rebuilding of the temple in the days
of Haggai and Zechariah. The Chronicler evidently believed that the second
temple was rebuilt, not by the people of the land to whom Haggai and
Zechariah spoke, but by Jewish exiles who on the accession of Cyrus had
returned in great numbers from Babylon. He assumed that Judah had been
depopulated during the Babylonian exile, and that the only people left in
Palestine were the heathen and the hated Samaritans. He also pictures the
return of the exiles, not as that of a handful of courageous patriots, but
of a vast company laden with rich gifts and guarded by Persian soldiers.
A careful examination of Ezra 2, which purports to contain the list of
The 42,360 exiles who returned immediately after 538 B.C., quickly
demonstrates that, like its duplicate in Nehemiah 7:6-69, its historical
basis, if it has any outside the fertile imagination of the Chronicler, is
a census of the Judean community. This census was taken, not at the
beginning, but rather at the end of the Persian period. Thus in the list
of the leaders appear the names not only of Joshua and Zerubbabel, but
also of Nehemiah and Ezra (Azariah). Certain leaders, such as Mordecai
and Bigvai, bear Persian names which clearly imply that they lived far
down in the Persian period. The family of the high priest Joshua already
numbers nine hundred and ninety-three. In this census are also included
the inhabitants of many towns outside Jerusalem, as, for example, Jericho,
Gibeon, and Bethlehem. Moreover, certain towns are mentioned, such as Lud
and Ono, which were not added to the Judean community until the latter
part of the Persian period. In view of these facts and the unmistakable
implications in the sermons of Haggai and Zechariah that in their day
there had been no general return of their kinsmen from Babylon, the
prevailing popular interpretation of this period of Israel's history is
clearly untenable and misleading. If there was a general return of exiles
from Babylon, it certainly did not come until after the walls had been
rebuilt under the inspiring leadership of Nehemiah. The Jews to whom
Haggai and Zechariah preached, and who rebuilt the second temple, were the
people of the land who had survived the destruction of Jerusalem, or else
had returned from their temporary refuge on the borders of the land of
Egypt.
III. Convulsions in the Persian Empire. After a brilliant and successful
reign Cyrus died in 529 B.C., leaving his vast empire to his son Cambyses.
The new king lacked the wisdom and statesmanship of his father, but
inherited his love of conquest. Most of his short reign was devoted to the
conquest of Egypt. From their hill-tops the Jews doubtless witnessed the
march of the great armies of Persia, and were forced to contribute to
their support. It was a period of change and transition, when old empires
went down in ruin and new forces gained the ascendancy.
On his return from Egypt, Cambyses, finding a pretender contending for
the throne, committed suicide, thus leaving the empire without any
legitimate head. During this crisis, in the autumn of 521 B.C., a Persian
noble, Darius, was raised to the kingship by conspirators, who had slain
the pretender. Darius claimed relationship with the Persian royal family,
and strengthened his position by marrying Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus.
The beginning of his reign was signalized by a series of revolts
throughout the whole extent of the empire. In Susiana a certain Athrina
proclaimed himself king. In Babylonia a native prince rallied his
countrymen and assumed the title of Nebuchadrezzar III. The Median revolt
was led by a certain Pharaortes; while among the Persians themselves a
pretender, who claimed to be a son of Cyrus, gained a wide following.
Fortunately for Darius there was no concerted action among the leaders of
these different rebellions, so that he was able to subdue them in
succession; but to the ordinary on-looker the task seemed well-nigh
impossible. Not until the spring of 519 did Darius become fully master of
the situation.
IV. Haggai's Effective Addresses. It was in the autumn of 520 B.C.,
when the rebellions in the Persian Empire were at their height, that
Haggai made his stirring appeal to the members of the Judean community.
From the references in his addresses and in those of his contemporary,
Zechariah, it is evident that he and his hearers were profoundly
influenced by these great world movements. The situation seemed to give
promise not only of deliverance from Persian rule, but an opportunity at
last to realize the national hopes of the Jewish race. Haggai's message
was simple, direct, and practical. According to the beliefs universally
accepted in his day his logic was unanswerable. On the one hand Jehovah,
through poor crops and hard times, had plainly showed his displeasure
with his people in Judah. The reason was obvious; although they had built
comfortable houses for themselves, Jehovah's temple still lay in ruins. If
they would win his favor, it was plainly their duty to arise and rebuild
his sanctuary. The upheavals in the Persian Empire also gave promise that,
if they were true to their divine King, he would at last fulfil the
predictions voiced by their earlier prophets.
The words of Haggai, uttered in September of 520, met with an immediate
response. Work was begun on the temple in October of the same year. When
the energy and enthusiasm of the builders began to wane, the prophet
appeared before them again in November of 520 with the declaration that
Jehovah was about to overthrow the great world powers and to destroy the
chariots, horses, and riders of their Persian masters, "each by the sword
of his brother." He also voiced the popular expectations that centred in
Zerubbabel, who had already been appointed governor of Judah. The prophet
declared boldly that this scion of the house of David would be Jehovah's
seal-ring, the earthly representative of that divine power which was about
to work great revolutions in the history of the world. During the same
period Zechariah also uttered his messages of encouragement and spurred
the people on to continued efforts (Section XCV).
V. The Attempt to Stop the Rebuilding of the Temple. The Aramaic
document preserved in Ezra 5 and 6 describes in detail an attempt of the
Persian governor, who ruled over the province west of the Euphrates, to
put a stop to the temple building. The narrative, the letter, and decrees
which it contains reveal at many points their Jewish origin. While the
tradition may be comparatively late, its circumstantial character favors
the conclusion that it preserves the memory of a definite historical
event. The action of the Jews in rebuilding their temple was in perfect
accord with the policy of Cyrus and also of Darius, as is shown by
contemporary inscriptions. The attempt, therefore, to stop the building of
the temple failed; and in 516 B.C., four years after the work was begun,
it was completed.
VI. The Significance of the Restoration of the Temple. The rebuilding of
the Jerusalem temple appears to have been of immediate significance
chiefly to the Jews of Palestine. The Jews of Egypt, or at least those of
Elephantine, had their own temple. From Zechariah 6:9-11 it is evident
that the Jewish exiles in Babylon sent certain gifts to the Jerusalem
temple; but the hundreds of miles of desert that intervened made
communication exceedingly difficult, so that except at rare intervals
there was apparently little interchange between Babylonia and Palestine.
For all Jews, however, the rebuilding of the temple meant that at last
they had a common rallying-place, and that Jehovah was again being
worshipped by his own people at his traditional place of abode. In a sense
it bridged the seventy years that had intervened since the destruction of
the pre-exilic Hebrew state, and made it possible to revive the ancient
religious customs. In time it attracted from the lands of the dispersion
patriotic Jews whose interest was fixed upon the ceremonial side of their
religious life. It also furnished a centre about which gradually grew up a
hierarchy with an increasingly elaborate ritual, and a body of laws which
ultimately became the characteristic features of Judaism.
Section XCV. ZECHARIAH'S VISIONS AND ENCOURAGING ADDRESSES
[Sidenote: Zech. 1:7-11]
In the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month [February], in the second
year of Darius [519 B.C.], this word of Jehovah came to the prophet
Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo: I saw in the night and
there was a man standing among the myrtle trees that were in the
valley-bottom, and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.
Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the angel who talked with me
said to me, I will show you what these are. And the man who was standing
among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah
hath sent to go to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel
of Jehovah who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, We have gone
up and down through the earth and behold, all the earth is still and at
peace.
[Sidenote: Zech. 1:12-17]
Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long
hast thou no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which thou
hast been wroth these seventy years? And Jehovah answered the angel who
was talking with me with good words, even comforting words. So the angel
who was talking with me said to me, Proclaim now, 'Thus saith Jehovah of
hosts: "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. But
with great wrath am I wroth with the arrogant nations; for I was only
a little angry [with Israel], but they helped to make greater the
calamity." Therefore, thus saith Jehovah: "I am turning to show mercy to
Jerusalem; my temple shall be built in it," saith Jehovah of hosts, "and
a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem. Proclaim again, Thus
saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity; and
Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem."'
[Sidenote: Zech. 1:18, 19]
Now I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I
said to the angel who was talking with me, 'What are these?' And he
assured me, 'These are the horns with which he scattered Judah.'
[Sidenote: Zech. 1:20, 21]
Then Jehovah showed me four smiths. And I said, What are these coming to
do? And he said, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that none
lifted up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to strike down the
horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah
to scatter it.
[Sidenote: Zech. 2:2-5]
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and there was a man with a
measuring line in his hand. Then I said, Where are you going? And he said
to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its breadth and length.
Thereupon the angel who talked with me stood still, and another angel went
out to meet him, and said to him, Run, speak to this young man, saying,
'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the
multitude of men and cattle in her midst. For I,' saith Jehovah, 'will be
a wall of fire round about her, and I will be the glory in the midst of
her.'
[Sidenote: Zech. 2:6-9]
Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, is Jehovah's oracle.
For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, is
Jehovah's oracle.
Ho, escape to Zion, ye who dwell in Babylon.
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts to the nations which plundered you:
He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.
For, behold, I am about to shake my hand over them,
And they shall be a spoil to those who served them;
And ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me.
[Sidenote: Zech. 2:10-13]
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, lo, I come,
And I will dwell in the midst of thee, is Jehovah's oracle.
And many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in that among day,
And shall be his people, and he will dwell in the midst of thee,
And thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me to thee.
And Jehovah shall inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land,
And he shall yet comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.
Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah;
For he hath waked up out of his holy habitation.
[Sidenote: Zech. 3:1-3]
Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of
Jehovah and the adversary standing at his right hand to accuse him. And
the angel of Jehovah said to the adversary, Jehovah rebuke thee, O
adversary; yea, Jehovah, who hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not
this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy
garments and was standing before the angel.
[Sidenote: Zech. 3:4-5]
And [the angel] answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying,
Take the filthy garments from off him, clothe him with robes of state; set
a clean turban upon his head. So they set a clean turban upon his head,
and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by.
[Sidenote: Zech. 3:6-10]
And the angel of Jehovah testified to Joshua, saying, Thus saith Jehovah
of hosts: 'If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge,
then thou also shalt rule my house and shalt also keep my courts and I
will give thee a place of access among these who stand by. Hear now, O
Joshua the high priest, thou and thy associates who sit before me; for
they are men who are a sign; for behold, I am about to bring forth my
servant the Branch. For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua;
upon one stone are seven facets: behold, I will engrave it,' saith Jehovah
of hosts, 'and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that
day,' saith Jehovah of hosts, 'ye shall each invite his neighbor under the
vine and under the fig tree.'
[Sidenote: Zech. 4:1-6]
Then the angel who talked with me came again and waked me, as a man who
is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, What seest thou? And I
said, I see midst there a candlestick, all of gold, with a bowl upon the
top of it, and its seven lamps upon it; there are seven pipes to each of
the lamps, which are upon the top of it, and two olive trees by it, one on
the right side of the bowl, and the other on its left side. And I spoke
and said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? Then
the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, Knowest thou not
what these are? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spoke to me,
saying, The eyes of Jehovah, which rove to and fro through the whole
earth.
[Sidenote: Zech. 4:11-14]
Then I answered, and said to him, What are these two olive trees upon the
right side of the candlestick and upon its left side? And he answered me
and said, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord. Then
said he, These are the two anointed ones, who stand by the Lord of the
whole earth.
[Sidenote: Zech. 4:6b-10]
This is the word of Jehovah regarding Zerubbabel, Not by might, nor by
power, but by my spirit, saith Jehovah of will I make the great mountain
before Zerubbabel a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stones with
shoutings of, 'Grace, grace, to it.' Moreover this word of Jehovah came to
me: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple; his
hands shall also finish it; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath
sent me to you. For who hath despised the day of small things? For they
shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.
[Sidenote: Zech. 6:9-11].
Now this word of Jehovah came to me: Take of them of the captivity, even
of Heldai, of Tobijah, of Jedaiah and of Josiah the son of Zephaniah who
have come from Babylon, yea, take of them silver and gold in order to make
a crown and set it on the head of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel.
[Sidenote: Zech. 6:12-15]
Thou shalt also say to them: 'Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: "Behold, the
man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place; and
he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory and
shall sit and rule upon his throne; and Joshua the son of Jehozadak shall
be a priest upon his right, and the counsel of peace shall be between them
both. And the crown shall be to Heldai and Tobijah and Jedaiah, and Josiah
the son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. And they who
are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall
know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me to you. And this shall come to
pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God."'
[Sidenote: Zech. 7:1-6]
In the fourth year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the ninth month,
the city of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men, to entreat
the favor of Jehovah, and to speak to the priests of the house of Jehovah
of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, should I weep in the fifth month
[in memory of the destruction of the temple] separating myself, as I have
done these many years? Then this word of Jehovah of hosts came to me:
Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, 'When ye
fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month [when Gedaliah
was murdered], even these seventy years, did ye at all fast to me, even to
me? And when ye eat and when ye drink, do ye not eat for yourselves, and
drink for yourselves?
[Sidenote: Zech. 7:7-14]
Should ye not hear these words which Jehovah cried by the former prophets,
when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and her cities round about
her, and the South Country, and the lowland were inhabited? Execute true
judgment, and show kindness and pity each to his brother; and oppress not
the widow nor the fatherless, the resident alien nor the poor; and let
none of you devise evil against your brother in his heart. But they
refused to heed, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears,
that they might not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant lest
they should hear the teaching, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had
sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore there came great
wrath from Jehovah of hosts. And even when I cried they would not hear, so
when they cried I did not hear, saith Jehovah of hosts. And I scattered
them by a whirlwind among the nations which they did not know. Thus the
land was left desolate behind them, so that no man passed to or fro; for
they made the pleasant land a desolation.
[Sidenote: Zech. 8:1-5]
Now this word of Jehovah of hosts came to me:
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts,
'I cherish for Zion a great jealousy,
And I am jealous for her with great indignation.'
Thus saith Jehovah, 'I have returned to Zion,
And will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem;
And Jerusalem shall be called, "The City of Truth;"
And the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, "The Holy Mountain."
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:
'Old men and old women shall again sit in the broad places of Jerusalem,
Each man with his staff in his hand because of old age.
And the streets of the city shall be full of boys,
And of girls playing in its broad places.'
[Sidenote: Zech. 8:6-8]
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:
Because it seemeth impossible to the remnant of this people,
Is it impossible for me? saith Jehovah of hosts.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:
I am about to rescue my people,
From the land of the east and the land of the west,
And I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
And they shall be my people in truth and righteousness,
And in turn I will be their God.
I. Zechariah's Ancestry and Point of View. Haggai's contemporary, the
prophet Zechariah, was evidently a priest. In the genealogy of Nehemiah
12:4, it is stated that he belonged to the priestly family of Iddo. This
conclusion is confirmed by the character of his prophecies. Like the
priest-prophet Ezekiel he is exceedingly fond of apocalyptic symbolism. He
is also deeply interested in the priesthood and in its ceremonial purity.
Furthermore, it is exceedingly probable that he was a descendant of one of
the many priests carried as exiles to Babylon. This is shown by his keen
interest in and exact knowledge of the great political movements that were
then shaking the Persian Empire. His conception of Jehovah is also
strongly influenced by the analogies drawn from the Persian court. In his
thought Israel's God is a transcendental ruler, who communicates with his
subjects not directly, but through angelic messengers, and who, like the
Persian kings, is dependent for information regarding his great kingdom
upon the reports of the different members of his heavenly court. Thus
Zechariah marks a wide departure from the simple theology of the
pre-exilic prophets who thought of Jehovah as dwelling in the midst of his
people and communicating directly with all who turned to him in faith.
II. The Book of Zechariah. The book which records the prophet's sermons
contains four distinct divisions: (1) An exhortation addressed to the
people in December, 520, three months after Haggai first appealed to them
to rise and rebuild the temple, Zechariah 1:1-8; (2) symbolic visions
dealing with the problems in the Judean community, 1:7-6:8; (3) practical
counsel, exhortations, and promises, 6:9-8:23; (4) a later appendix coming
from a prophet who probably lived during the earlier part of the Maccabean
period, 9-14. All of Zechariah's recorded sermons probably date from the
three or four years between 520 and 516 B.C., during which the temple was
being rebuilt. They throw a remarkably clear light upon an exceedingly
critical and significant period in the life of the Jews of Palestine. They
are also in many ways the best Old Testament source for the study of the
unfolding of Israel's messianic hopes.
III. Problems and Hopes of the Judean Community. Four or five practical
problems confronted and disturbed the temple-builders. The first was:
Would Jerusalem and the temple, still without walls, be protected from the
attack of the hostile foes that encircled them. A second and larger
question was: What was to be the outcome of the great tempest through
which the Persian Empire was passing, and did it mean for the Jews
deliverance from the powerful conquerors who for centuries had oppressed
and crushed them? The third was: Would the necessarily modest service of
the restored temple, already sadly polluted by heathen hands, be
acceptable to Jehovah? Another problem was: What were the relations and
the respective duties of Zerubbabel and Joshua, the civil and religious
authorities in the community? It was also inevitable that at this time the
hope of securing their independence under the leadership of Zerubbabel
should come prominently to the front. To each of these problems Zechariah
addressed himself, and his book records his convictions and public
utterances.
IV. Zechariah's Assurances of Jehovah's Care. In his initial vision
concerning the angelic horsemen he recognizes that the storms that have
swept over the Persian Empire are beginning to subside, but he tells his
fellow-laborers that, if they persist, Jehovah's temple shall be rebuilt
and that the lands about Jerusalem shall again be sold to eager buyers,
and the cities of Judah shall enjoy their former prosperity, for "Jehovah
will surely comfort Zion." In the vision of the four horns and of the four
smiths whose mission it is to smite the horns, he assures the people that
Jehovah in his good time and way will overthrow the nations that now wrong
and oppress them. Although there is no promise that Jerusalem will be
surrounded by walls, he declares that it shall enjoy a prosperity and a
growth which no walls can confine, and that Jehovah himself will be its
protection, as well as its glory, that he will gather the scattered
exiles, and that they, together with the nations which shall acknowledge
Jehovah's rule, shall yet come streaming back to Judah.
In his next vision the prophet graphically presents a scene in Jehovah's
court. Joshua the priest, representing the ceremonial service of the
polluted temple, is charged by the adversary with uncleanness. Here for
the first time in Hebrew literature we catch a glimpse of Satan, who is
regarded not as hostile to God but as the prosecuting attorney of heaven.
As in the prologue of the book of Job, he is an accredited member of the
divine hierarchy. His task is to search out and report to Jehovah the
misdeeds of men. In Zechariah's vision, however, the divine judge acquits
Joshua of the charge, and causes him to be clad with clean garments, thus
proclaiming the divine approval of the modest yet devoted service of the
Judean community.
V. Preparations for the Crowning of Zerubbabel. Regarding Zerubbabel,
Zechariah declares, in language highly figurative, that he shall yet be
crowned and rule over a happy and prosperous people. He is spoken of as
Jehovah's servant, the Branch. The term is probably original with
Zechariah, although again used in the supplementary passages in Jeremiah
23:5 and 33:15. The word is akin to the term "shoot of the house of Jesse"
used in Isaiah 11, to describe a certain scion of the house of David, who
in all probability was the young Zerubbabel. Zechariah's figure describes
the prince as an offshoot of the same royal tree. The obscure passage
seems to mean that upon the stone, with its seven facets, which was to be
set in the crown prepared for the head of Zerubbabel, Jehovah himself
would engrave a fitting title.
In Zechariah's fifth vision he defined the relations between the civil
and priestly authorities. The golden candlestick represented the temple
and its service. The two olive trees beside it stood for Zerubbabel, the
civil ruler, and for Joshua, the high priest. The duty of each was to
contribute his part toward the support of the temple service. They were
both Jehovah's Messiahs, that is, men anointed as a symbol of the task
which each was to perform.
In this connection Zechariah declared that Jehovah would remove all
obstacles from before Zerubbabel, and that he who had begun the work
should live to see its completion. In an address recorded in the latter
part of the sixth chapter of his prophecy (intentionally revised by a
later scribe), Zechariah threw aside all symbolism and gave directions
to make a crown for the head of Zerubbabel from the silver and gold
that had been brought as a gift by a deputation from the Jews of Babylon.
He also plainly predicted that this descendant of David should sit on the
throne of Judah and that Joshua the priest should be his minister like the
priests in the pre-exilic kingdom.
VI. Disappointment of These Patriotic Hopes. With Zechariah's prediction
that Zerubbabel should reign on the throne of Judah the descendants of the
house of David suddenly and forever disappear from Old Testament history.
Whether the Jews made the attempt to shake off the yoke of Persia
Or whether Zerubbabel was quietly set aside cannot be determined.
Contemporary history states that within at least six months after
Zechariah voiced the patriotic hopes of his people the authority of Darius
was fully established throughout the empire. He at once began thoroughly
to organize the vast realm. Post roads bound together the distant
provinces, and satraps, appointed largely from the ranks of the royal
family, unified the whole empire and held it under firm control. As a rule
Persian governors were substituted for the native princes. With the
institution of this policy Zerubbabel may well have been quietly set
aside. The event evidently made a profound impression upon the messianic
expectations of the Jews. Henceforth, for three or four centuries, the
temporal, kingly type of messianic hope, which had been inspired by the
glories of the reign of David, entirely disappeared. It was not revived
until the military victories of the Maccabean era had again brought
prominently to the front this phase of national glory (cf. Section CXVI).
As a result of these disappointments Israel's hopes were universalized and
spiritualized. Jehovah, instead of a scion of the house of David, was
henceforth regarded as the one supreme King of Israel.
VII. Zechariah's Later Exhortations and Predictions. In chapters 7 and
8, which conclude the original sermons of Zechariah, the apocalyptic
language with which he clothed his earlier predictions regarding the
future of the Judean community disappeared, and he spoke as did Amos and
Haggai, plainly and directly regarding the questions which were then
stirring the people. When a deputation came from the north to inquire
whether or not, now that the temple was being rebuilt, they should
continue to observe their fasts in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem
and the death of Gedaliah, the prophet raised the searching question of
whether their motive in these services was to please Jehovah or to please
themselves. He then went on to declare that the only effective way to
serve Jehovah was by deeds of justice and kindness, especially to the
dependent classes in the community, and that the horrors of the exile had
come because their fathers had failed to worship Jehovah by righteous
deeds.
The prophet concludes with a brilliant picture of the coming restoration
of Jerusalem and of the peace and prosperity which should be the lot of
all, because Jehovah was about to gather his scattered people from the
east and the west and to establish them in the midst of his sacred city.
Other nations should eagerly come to Jerusalem to seek the favor of
Jehovah and to ally themselves with his faithful followers, the Jews. In a
prophecy, preserved in Micah 4:1-4 and Isaiah 2:1-4 (which probably comes
from this period) the same thought is nobly expressed:
It shall come to pass in the latter days,
That the mountain of Jehovah shall be established,
Even the house of our God on the top of the mountain,
And it shall be lifted above the hills.
All the nations shall flow to it,
And many peoples shall go and say,
Come, let us go up to Jehovah's mount,
To the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
And that we may walk in his paths.
For from Zion proceeds instruction,
And Jehovah's word from Jerusalem.
Section XCVI. ISRAEL'S TRAINING AND DESTINY
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:1, 2]
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God,
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and declare to her,
That her hard service is accomplished, her guilt is expiated
That she hath received from Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:3, 4]
A voice is proclaiming: In the wilderness prepare the way of Jehovah,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God!
Let every mountain and hill sink down, and every valley be lifted up,
And the crooked be made straight and the rough ridges a plain.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:6-8]
A voice is saying, Proclaim! and I said, What shall I proclaim?
All flesh is grass and all its beauty like a flower of the field.
Grass withers, flower fades, when Jehovah's breath blows eternal upon it,
Grass withers, flower fades, but the word of our God endureth forever.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:9]
To a high mountain, get thee up, Zion's herald of good news;
Lift up mightily thy voice, Jerusalem's herald of good news.
Lift up fearlessly, say to the cities of Judah: Behold your God!
[Sidenote: Isa 40:10, 11]
Behold, Jehovah cometh in might, and his arm is maintaining his rule;
Behold, his reward is with him and his recompense is before him,
As a shepherd he will tend his flock, with his arm he will gather it,
The lambs in his bosom he will bear, the ewe-mothers he will lead.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:12]
Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters,
And ruled off the heavens with a span,
Or enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure,
And weighed the mountains in scales,
And the hills in a balance?
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:13, 14]
Who hath determined the spirit of Jehovah,
And as his counsellor advised him?
With whom hath he consulted for enlightenment,
And to be instructed in the right,
And to be shown the way of discernment?
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:16, 17]
Lo the nations! as a drop from a bucket,
And as dust on a balance are they reckoned.
Lo the isles! as a mote he uplifteth,
And Lebanon is not enough for fuel,
And its wild beasts for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him,
They are reckoned by him as void and nothingness.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:18-20]
To whom then will ye liken God,
And what likeness place beside him?
An image! a craftsman cast it,
And a smelter o'erlays it with gold.
He who is too poor to do this
Chooses a tree that is not decayed,
Seeks for himself a skilled craftsman,
To set up an image that shall not totter.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:21, 22]
Do ye not know? Do ye not hear?
Hath it not been told you from the beginning?
Have ye not been aware from the founding of the earth?
It is he who is enthroned above the vault of the earth,
And its inhabitants are as locusts;
Who stretcheth out the heavens as a thin veil,
And spreadeth them out like a habitable tent.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:23, 24]
It is he who bringeth princes to naught,
The rulers of the earth he maketh as waste.
Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown,
Scarcely hath the stock taken root in the earth,
But he bloweth upon them and they wither,
And a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:25, 26]
To whom then will ye liken me
That I should equal him? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
Who hath created these?
He who bringeth forth their host by number,
And calleth each by his name;
Of the many mighty and strong,
Not one is missing.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40:27-31]
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel:
My way is hid from Jehovah
And my right is unnoticed by my God?
Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard?
An everlasting God is Jehovah.
The creator of the ends of the earth.
He fainteth not, neither is weary,
His wisdom cannot be fathomed,
He giveth vigor to the fainting,
And upon the powerless he lavisheth strength.
Young men may faint and grow weary,
And the strongest youths may stumble,
But they who trust in Jehovah renew their vigor,
They mount on pinions like eagles,
They run but are never weary,
They walk but never faint.
[Sidenote: Isa. 41:1-4]
Listen to me in silence, ye coastlands,
Let the peoples come near; then let them speak;
Together let us approach the tribunal.
Who raised up that one from the east
Whose steps victory ever attended,
Giving up peoples before him,
And letting him trample down kings?
His sword made them as dust,
And his bow like driven stubble;
He pursued them, passing on in safety,
Not treading the path with his feet.
Who hath wrought and accomplished this?
He who called the generations from the beginning,
I, Jehovah, who am the first,
And with those who come after I am the same.
[Sidenote: Isa. 41:8-10]
And thou, Israel, my servant
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
Offspring of Abraham, my friend,
Thou, whom I brought from the ends of the earth,
And called from its most distant parts;
To whom I said, Thou art my servant,
I have chosen and have not rejected thee.
Fear not, for I, indeed, am with thee,
Be not terrified, for I am thy God.
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
Yea, I will uphold thee with my righteous hand.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:1]
Behold, my servant whom I uphold,
My chosen, in whom I take delight;
I have put my spirit upon him,
That he may set forth law to the nations.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:2-3b]
He will not cry aloud nor roar,
Nor let his voice be heard in the street.
A crushed reed he will not break,
And a dimly burning wick he will not quench.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:3c-4]
Faithfully will he set forth law;
He will not lose vigor nor be crushed,
Until he establish law in the earth,
And for his teaching the coastlands are waiting.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:5-7]
Thus saith the one God, Jehovah,
He who spread out the heavens and stretched them forth,
Who created the earth and its products,
Who giveth breath to the people upon it,
And spirit to those who walk upon it:
I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness,
I have taken thee by the hand and kept thee,
I have made thee a pledge to the people, a light to the nations,
To open eyes that are blind,
To bring captives out from confinement,
From the prison house dwellers in darkness.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:13-50]
Ye who are deaf hear,
And ye blind look up that ye may see,
Who is blind but my servants,
deaf as their rulers?
Much have ye seen, without observing it,
Though your ears were open, ye did not hear.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:21, 22]
Jehovah was pleased for his righteousness' sake
To make his teaching great and glorious,
Yet it is a people spoiled and plundered,
They are all snared in holes,
And hidden in prison houses,
They have become a spoil, with none to rescue,
An object of plunder, with none to say, Restore.
[Sidenote: Isa. 42:23-25]
Who among you will give ear to this,
Will attend and hear for time to come?
Who gave up Jacob to plunderers,
And Israel to those who spoiled him,
And poured out upon him the heat of his anger,
And his violence like a flame,
So that it scorched him round about, but he knew it not,
And it burned him, but he laid it not to heart?
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:1-2]
And now thus saith Jehovah,
He who created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee,
Fear not, O Israel, for I redeem thee,
I call thee by name, thou art mine.
When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee,
Through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee;
When thou goest through the fire, thou shalt not be scorched,
Neither shall the flame burn thee.
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:3, 4]
For I, Jehovah, am thy God.
I, Israel's Holy One, am thy deliverer;
I give Egypt as thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Because thou art precious in mine eyes,
Art honored and I love thee,
I will give lands in thy stead,
And peoples for the sake of thy life.
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:5-7]
Fear not for I am with thee,
From the east I will bring thine offspring,
And from the west I will gather thee;
I will say to the north, Give up!
And to the south, Withhold not!
Bring my sons from afar,
And my daughters from the ends of the earth,
Every one who is called by my name,
Whom for my glory I have created and formed.
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:10, 11]
Ye are my witnesses, is Jehovah's oracle,
And my servants whom I have chosen,
That ye may acknowledge and believe me,
And that ye may perceive that I am ever the same,
Before me no God was formed,
Nor shall there be after me,
I, even I, am Jehovah,
And beside me there is no deliverer.
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:12, 13]
It was I who announced and brought deliverance,
And I declared, and there was no strange god among you,
Ye are my witnesses, is Jehovah's oracle,
I am God, yea, from henceforth the same;
And there is none who can snatch from my hand,
When I work, who can reverse it?
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:14, 15]
Thus saith Jehovah,
Your redeemer, Israel's Holy One,
For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And have brought them all down as fugitives.
Even the Chaldeans with their piercing cries of lamentation,
It is I, Jehovah, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:22-24]
But thou, O Jacob, hast not called upon me,
Nor hast thou wearied thyself about me, O Israel;
Thou hast not brought me the sheep of thy burnt-offerings,
Nor honored me with thy sacrifices.
With offerings I have not burdened thee,
Nor with incense wearied thee.
Thou broughtest me no sweet cane with thy money,
Nor with the fat of thy sacrifices sated me.
Rather thou hast only burdened me with thy sins,
And wearied me with thine iniquities.
[Sidenote: Isa. 43:25-28]
But it is I alone who blot out thy transgressions,
And I do not remember thy sins.
Remind me, let us plead together,
Do thou set forth the matter that thou mayest be justified:
Thy first father sinned,
And thy mediators rebelled against me.
Thy rulers profaned my sanctuary,
And I gave up Jacob to the ban,
And Israel to revilings!
[Sidenote: Isa. 44:1-3b]
But now hear, O Jacob, my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen;
Thus saith Jehovah, thy maker,
Even he who formed thee from the womb, who helpeth thee:
Fear not, my servant Jacob,
And thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen;
For I will pour water upon the thirsty land
And streams upon the dry ground.
[Sidenote: Isa. 44:3c-5]
I will pour out my spirit upon thy children,
And my blessing upon thy descendants,
So that they shall spring up as grass in the midst of waters,
As willows by water-courses.
One shall say, "I am Jehovah's,"
And another shall call himself, "Jacob,"
And another will inscribe on his hand, "Jehovah's,"
And receive the surname, "Israel."'
I. The Seventy Years Following the Rebuilding of the Temple. Regarding
the seventy years which intervened between the rebuilding of the temple in
516 B.C. and the appearance of Nehemiah in 445 the biblical historians are
silent. This silence is probably because there were no important political
events in the life of the Judean community to be recorded. During the
latter part of his reign Darius bridged the Hellespont and undertook the
conquest of the western world. Later, under the reign of his son Xerxes,
the mighty hordes of eastern warriors were turned back, and the growing
weakness of the great Persian Empire was revealed. In 486 Egypt rebelled,
and Persian armies marched along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean,
probably levying heavy taxes for their support upon the Jews as well as
upon the other peoples of Palestine. The suppression of the rebellion in
Egypt illustrated how impossible it was for any of the eastern peoples to
withstand even the decadent power of the Persian Empire.
In Palestine the Jews were still the prey of their hostile neighbors. No
walls protected the temple and city of Jerusalem. The Jews were probably
ground down under their greedy Persian governors. With the disappearance
of Zerubbabel the local control fell naturally into the hands of the high
priest and his followers, whose civil authority from this time on
constantly increased. The words of II Isaiah well describe the lot of the
Jews of Palestine during this period:
It is a people spoiled and plundered,
They are all snared in holes,
And hidden in prison houses.
They have become a spoil,
With none to rescue,
An object of plunder,
With none to say, Restore.
II. Spiritual Forces in Judaism. The political horizon furnished little
to inspire the disappointed and persecuted Jews. Their eyes were still
blinded by the brilliant hopes that had stirred them at the time when the
temple was rebuilt. The quenching of these hopes had left them in deeper
darkness than before. There seemed no rift in the clouds that overshadowed
them. Even their priestly rulers were selfish and inconsiderate. For the
faithful few who rose above the discouragements and obstacles that
confronted them, however, this period of deepest gloom was lighted by a
faith that shines through and glorifies most of the later books of the Old
Testament. From the psalms and prophecies of the period it is evident that
there were a few who in the midst of these discouraging circumstances
found peace and joy. As they meditated upon the experiences of their race,
and read and pondered the writings of the earlier prophets, they began to
appreciate not only the real significance of their past history but the
meaning of the present affliction. The chief spokesman of these immortal
heroes of the faith was the prophetic author of Isaiah 40-66.
III. Evidences That Isaiah 40-66 were Written in Palestine. Only
recently have careful students of Isaiah 40-66 begun to realize that the
point of view in all of these chapters is not distant Babylon but
Jerusalem. The repeated references in chapter 56 and following to
conditions in Jerusalem have led all to recognize their Palestinian
origin. The evidence, however, regarding chapters 40-55 is almost equally
convincing. The vocabulary and literary figures employed throughout are
those peculiar to the agricultural life of Palestine and not to the
commercial civilization of Babylon. The problems also are those of the
Judean community. The class to whom the prophet addresses his messages is
evidently the same as that to which Haggai and Zechariah speak. Jerusalem,
not a Jewish colony in Babylon, is the constant object of the prophet's
appeal. Babylon is only one of the distant lands of the dispersion. It is
from Jerusalem that the prophet ever views the world. Thus in 43:5,6 he
declares in the name of Jehovah:
Fear not, for I am with thee.
From the east I will bring thine offspring,
And from the west I will gather them;
I will say to the north, Give up!
And to the south, Withhold not!
Bring my sons from afar,
And my daughters from the ends of the earth.
Interpreted in the light of their true geographical setting, these
Prophecies gain at once a new and clearer meaning.
IV. Their Probable Date. The reference in 43:23, 24 to the offerings
brought by the people to Jehovah's temple clearly implies that it had
already been built. Furthermore, the charges preferred against the Judean
community are very similar to those in the book of Malachi, which is
generally assigned to the period immediately preceding the arrival of
Nehemiah in 445 B.C. (cf. Section XCVII). From the parallels in chapter 48
and elsewhere it is evident that Jehovah's Messiah in 45:1 is not Cyrus
but Israel, the messianic nation, to which Jehovah in earlier days under
David and his successors gave repeated victories and far-extended
authority. The presence of the name Cyrus seems without reasonable doubt
to be due to a later scribe, who thus incorrectly identified the allusion.
It is supported neither by the metrical structure nor the context of the
passages in which it is found. Furthermore, the ideas in Isaiah 40-55 are
almost without exception those which Zechariah had already voiced in
germinal form, especially in his latest prophecies preserved in chapters 7
and 8. They are here more fully and far more gloriously expanded,
indicating that their author lived perhaps a generation later than
Zechariah. The years between 500 and 450 furnish the most satisfactory
setting for these prophecies. In a very true sense, however, like many
of the psalms, they are timeless. The question of their exact date
is comparatively unimportant except as it throws light upon their
interpretation.
V. Their Literary Characteristics. The prophecies in Isaiah 40-66 are
psalms, sharing the characteristics of all lyric Hebrew poetry. Each is
complete in itself and yet closely related to the others both in content
and literary form. Their nobility of theme, their breadth of outlook,
their wealth of rich and glowing figures, and their finished literary
character give them an incontestable place among the greatest writings of
the Old Testament. While there is a powerful argument running through them
all, the logic is not cumulative but rather moves in a spiral, frequently
returning to the same subject but having a gradual onward movement. It is
the characteristic Oriental method of thinking, which is the opposite of
that of the Western world. These poems are grouped into three cycles which
apparently represent the prophet's thinking during succeeding periods. The
first cycle is included in 40-48. Chapter 48 is a recapitulation of the
thought of the preceding, and furnishes a natural conclusion to the first
collection. The second group is in 49-55. The note of suffering is here
more prominent, and the portrait of the ideal type of servant which
Jehovah desires in order to realize his purpose in human history is
developed in greater detail (cf. Section XCIX). The third group, in 56-66,
is by many assigned to another prophet and to a much later period. While
the general theme of the group is different and implies a somewhat changed
historical background, the characteristic ideas and literary forms of
40-55 also recur here. From the study of Israel's past and future the
prophet turns to the closer consideration of the problems in Palestine.
The historical allusions are for the most part in accord with the
conditions which Nehemiah found in Jerusalem in 445 B.C.
VI. Their Theme and Purpose. The poems deal with one theme, the destiny
of the chosen people. The prophet first reviews their past history to
illustrate Jehovah's purpose that was being realized through Israel. He
notes the different ways in which Jehovah had trained and prepared them
for their great task. In the light of the new situation and his enlarged
acquaintance with the world the prophet then proceeds to define the task
that awaits his people. While he does not break entirely away from the
popular expectation that the scattered exiles would yet be restored to
Jerusalem to participate in the universal kingdom that was there to be
established, he fully appreciates the larger significance of Israel's
mission. He recognizes that it is worldwide. He sees that the Jewish race
is called not merely to receive honors and material blessings but also to
serve suffering and needy mankind. The disappointments and afflictions
through which it is passing are but a part of the divine training for that
nobler spiritual service. The servant Israel is called to be a witness to
all the nations, faithfully to set forth Jehovah's teachings until his law
is established in all the earth. Thus the prophet interprets Israel's
past, present, and future in its vital relation to the universal life of
humanity, and declares that Israel is destined to be a prophet nation and
to reveal Jehovah's character to all mankind.
VII. Reasons Why Jehovah Will Restore His People. The prophet opens with
a declaration that Jerusalem's period of forced service is over, that she
has paid double for the sins of the past, and that Jehovah is about to
remove all obstacles and restore and exalt his oppressed people. He then
gives the reasons for his strong conviction: (1) Jehovah is incomparably
superior to the forces of nature, to the nations that hold Israel in
bondage, and to the heathen gods whose images are shaped by the hand of
man. All the powers of heaven and earth are under his control. He is the
creator and supreme ruler of the universe, able to remove all obstacles
and to give strength and might to those who put their trust in him.
(2) Through his leadership of his people in the past, through their
victories over their powerful foes, and in all the experiences of their
national life he has shown his power to guide and deliver. (3) Toward
Israel, his servant, he stands in a unique relation, for he has chosen and
trained his people for a great service in behalf of all the world.
Therefore he who is able and eager to deliver will not fail his people in
their hour of need. (4) Their present affliction is but a part of that
training which is essential before they can perform their task as
Jehovah's servant; that task is tenderly to espouse the cause of those who
are crushed, to open eyes that are blind, to bring captives out of their
confinement, and, as a faithful teacher, to inspire all mankind with love
for Israel's God.
The prophet's aim was clearly to encourage his despondent people, to show
them the deeper meaning of their present afflictions, to open their eyes
to Jehovah's gracious purpose, to give to the entire race a goal for which
to live and strive, and, above all, to arouse them to effective action.
Doubtless the prophet thought only of the problems of the men of his day,
but in his interpretation of Jehovah's worldwide purpose and in the faith
and devotion which his words inspire he gave to all mankind a universal,
undying message.
Section XCVII. CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS WITHIN THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY
[Sidenote: Mal. 1:6-9]
A son honoreth his father, and a servant feareth his master;
If then I am a father, where is mine honor?
And if I am a master, where is the one who fears me?
Saith Jehovah to you, O ye priests, who despise my name.
But ye say, 'Wherein have we despised thy name?'
Ye offer upon mine altar bread that is polluted
And ye say, 'Wherein have we polluted it?'
In that ye say, 'The table of Jehovah is contemptible.'
And that when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, 'It is no harm!'
And that when ye offer the lame and the sick, 'It is no harm!'
Present it now to thy governor; will he be pleased with it?
Or will he receive thee favorably? saith Jehovah of hosts.
And now entreat the favor of God with such an offering, that he may be
gracious to us,
Would I receive any of you favorably? saith Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Mal. 1:10, 11]
O that there were those among you who would shut the doors,
That ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain!
I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts,
Neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
For from the rising of the sun even to its setting my name is sacred among
the nations,
And in every place they offer to my name a pure offering;
For my name is great among the nations, saith Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Mal. 1:12, 14]
'The table of Jehovah is polluted, and its food is contemptible.'
Ye say also, 'Behold what a weariness is it!' and ye have scorned me;
And ye have brought the blind, the lame and the sick.
Should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah of hosts.
But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male,
And vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a blemished thing;
For I am a great King, and my name is feared among the nations.
[Sidenote: Mal. 2:1-4]
And now, O ye priests, this command is for you.
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart,
To give glory to my name, saith Jehovah of hosts,
Then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings;
Behold, I will cut off your arm,
And will spread offal upon your faces, even the offal of your feasts,
And ye shall know that I have sent this command to you,
That my covenant with Levi may be preserved, saith Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Mal. 2:15-7]
My covenant with him was to give life and peace;
And I gave them to him that he might revere me;
And he revered me, and stood in awe of my name.
The true instruction was in his mouth,
And unrighteousness was not found in his lips;
He walked with me in peace and uprightness,
And turned many away from iniquity.
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge,
And men should seek the law at his mouth;
For he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Mal. 2:8, 9]
But ye are turned aside out of the way;
Ye have caused many to stumble in the law;
Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi,
Saith Jehovah of hosts.
Therefore have I also made you contemptible,
And base before all the people,
According as ye have not kept my ways,
And have had no respect for me in imparting the law.
[Sidenote: Mal. 2:10, 13, 14]
Have we not all one father?
Hath not one God created us?
Why do we deal faithlessly with one another,
Profaning the covenant of our fathers?
And this ye do also:
Ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears,
So that he regardeth not the offering any more,
Neither receiveth it acceptably from your hand.
Yet ye say, Why?
Because Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth,
Against whom thou hast dealt faithlessly,
Though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
[Sidenote: Mal. 2:15, 16]
Therefore give heed to your spirit,
And let none deal faithlessly with the wife of his youth,
For I hate putting away,
Saith Jehovah, the God of Israel,
And him who covers his garment with violence;
Therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not faithlessly.
[Sidenote: Mal. 2:17]
Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words.
Yet ye say, How have we wearied him?
In that ye say, Everyone that doeth evil
Is good in the sight of Jehovah,
And he delighteth in them;
Or where is the God of justice?
[Sidenote: Mal. 3:1-4]
Behold, I am about to send my messenger,
And he shall prepare the way before me;
And the Lord, whom ye seek,
Will suddenly come to his temple;
But who can endure the day of his coming?
And who shall stand when he appeareth?
For he is like a refiner's fire,
And like fullers' lyes;
And he will sit as a refiner and purifier,
And he will purify the sons of Levi,
And refine them as gold and silver;
And they shall offer offerings in righteousness.
Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to Jehovah,
As in the days of old, and as in former years.
[Sidenote: Mal. 3:5, 6]
And I will come near to you to judgment;
And I will be a swift witness
Against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers,
And against those who sware to that which is false,
And against those who oppress the hireling, the widow, and the fatherless,
Who turn aside the resident alien from his right,
And fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.
For I, Jehovah, change not;
But ye have not ceased to be sons of Jacob.
[Sidenote: Mal. 3:7-9]
From the days of thy fathers ye have turned aside from my statutes, and ye
have not kept them.
Turn to me and I will turn to you, saith Jehovah.
But ye say, 'Wherein shall we turn?'
Will a man rob God? Yet ye robbed me.
But ye say, 'Wherein have we robbed thee?' In tithes and gifts.
Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye rob me.
[Sidenote: Mal. 3:10-12]
Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house,
That there may be provision in mine house; and test me thereby,
If I will not open to you the windows of heaven,
And pour you out a blessing, until there is more than enough.
I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer that he destroy not the fruit of
the ground,
Neither shall the vine fail to ripen its fruit in the field,
And all nations shall call you happy,
For ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Mal. 3:13-16]
Your words are hard upon me, saith Jehovah.
Ye say, 'What have we said against thee?'
Ye have said, 'It is useless to serve God,
And what gain is it to us to have kept his charge,
And that we have walked in funeral garb before him?
Even now we call the proud happy,
Yea, those who work iniquity thrive,
Yea, they tempt God and escape.'
[Sidenote Mal. 3:16-18]
Such things those who feared Jehovah spoke to one another,
And Jehovah gave heed, and heard,
And a book of remembrance was written before him,
Regarding those who feared Jehovah,
And those who keep in mind his name;
And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts,
In the day that I make up mine especial treasure.
And I will spare them,
As a man spares his son who serves him.
Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked,
Between him who serves God and him who serves him not.
[Sidenote: Mal. 4:1-3]
For behold the day is coming that shall burn like a furnace,
And all the proud and those who work iniquity shall be stubble,
And the day that is coming shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts,
So that there shall be left them neither root nor branch.
But to you who fear my name there shall arise
The sun of righteousness with healing on his wings,
And ye shall go forth and leap like calves out of the stall.
And ye shall tread down the wicked,
For they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet,
In the day in which I begin to execute, saith Jehovah of hosts.
[Sidenote: Ps. 22:1-5]
My God, why dost thou forsake me,
Far from my salvation is my groaning
By day I call, but thou answerest not,
And by night there is no respite for me.
Yet thou, O my God, art the Holy One,
Enthroned on Israel's songs of praise.
In thee our fathers trusted,
They trusted, and thou didst deliver them;
To thee they cried, and were delivered,
In thee they trusted and were not ashamed.
[Sidenote: Ps. 22:6-8]
But I am a worm and no man,
Reproached by men and despised by the people.
Whoever sees me derideth me,
They sneer as they toss the head:
"He depended upon Jehovah, let him deliver him,
Let him save him, since he delighteth in him!"
[Sidenote: Ps. 22:9-11]
Yet it was thou who took me from the womb,
Who made me safe on my mother's breast;
On thee was I cast from birth,
Thou art my God from my mother's womb.
Be not far from me, for there is distress,
Draw nigh, for there is no helper.
[Sidenote: Ps. 22:12-18]
Many bulls encompass me,
Mighty ones of Bashan beset me round,
They open their mouths at me,
Like a ravening, roaring lion.
As water I am poured out,
Yea, all my bones are out of joint,
My heart hath become like wax,
It is melted within my body,
My palate is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws;
In the dust of death thou dost lay me,
For dogs circle me about,
The assembly of evil-doers enclose me;
They pierce my hands and my feet,
I can count all my bones;
They stare, they gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots!
I. Date of the Book of Malachi. Malachi in the Hebrew means My
Messenger, and the word was apparently taken from the opening verse of the
third chapter. Like many of the writings of the post-exilic period, the
book, therefore, is anonymous. Its date, however, may be determined from
its contents. The reference to the desolation of the land of the Edomites
suggests that it was written late in the Persian period after the Edomites
had been driven out from Mount Seir by the Nabateans and had found a home
on the southern borders of Judah. The priests in the Judean community had
become corrupt and the temple service was neglected, indicating that they
had lost the early enthusiasm which followed the rebuilding of the
sanctuary. The Judean community was discouraged and a spirit of doubt and
questioning prevailed in the minds of those who were faithfully striving
to serve Jehovah. The prophecy is an exact picture of conditions as
Nehemiah found them, so that the book of Malachi may be dated not far from
445 B.C.
II. Neglect of the Temple Service. The prophet's method is akin to that
of Zechariah. Evidently the early reverence for the word of the prophet
has disappeared. Instead of bare assertions, each conclusion is supported
by detailed arguments. The author of Malachi is also deeply interested in
the ritual and regards the preservation of its purity as essential to the
religious life of the Judean community. He charges the priests with
failure to observe the ceremonial laws, especially in allowing the people
to bring for sacrifice animals that are blind, lame, and sick. These acts
are evidence of the religious apathy that had seized even the religious
leaders of the people. The prophet declares boldly that under the guise of
religion the priests are robbing Jehovah. Above all they are faithless to
their responsibilities as the appointed teachers of the people. In 2:5-7
he presents the clearest picture extant of the task of the priest as
teacher. His duty was to instruct the people, to help them to overcome
temptation, and to make very clear to them the way of duty. This ideal,
the prophet declares, was realized by earlier priests, but now those who
are the appointed religious guides are misleading the people.
III. The Need of a Great Moral Awakening. The evils which the prophet
denounced were not confined to the priests. The old Semitic law regarding
divorce was exceedingly lax. A husband could lead his wife to the door of
his tent and tell her to be gone, thereby severing their marriage
relation. The Deuteronomic law sought to relieve this injustice by
providing that the husband must place in the hand of his wife, as she
departs, a document stating the grounds on which he had divorced her. By
the middle of the fifth century B.C. divorce had evidently become
exceedingly common in Palestine. The prophet denounced it on the basis of
its injustice and cruelty. He also maintained that marriage was a solemn
covenant before Jehovah between man and wife, and that he who disregarded
it dealt faithlessly and was the especial object of divine displeasure.
Traces of the old heathenism still remained in Judah, and the dependent,
oppressed classes received little pity from the selfish, heartless rulers.
In the face of these evils the prophet declared that Jehovah would
surely send a messenger to punish and to reform priest and people.
The prophecy was evidently based on a clear recognition that Jehovah
was ever working to train and uplift his people, and that a period of
degeneration must surely be followed by a period of reform. In the work
of Nehemiah the prophet's hopes were in part fulfilled, but the larger
fulfilment of the underlying principle was realized in the thorough-going
reformatory work of John the Baptist and in that of the Great Teacher. In
a later appendix to the prophecy of Malachi this theme is still further
developed. The promise is made that another prophet, with the zeal of the
great reformer Elijah, would come and prepare the way for a new and nobler
era.
IV. The Lot of the Faithful. In the prophecy of Malachi is first voiced
the despairing cries and doubts of those of the faithful who failed to
rise above the effect of the existing social and religious evils. They are
the righteous or afflicted who also speak through certain of the earlier
psalms of the Psalter (e.g., 10-17, 22). It was a period when the man who
did right and was faithful to the demands of the law was thereby condemned
to poverty and persecution at the hands of the corrupt priests and rulers.
Worse than that, their poverty and wretchedness were interpreted,
According to the current belief of the day, as convincing evidence of
Jehovah's displeasure because of their sins. It was a time when wickedness
triumphed and innocence suffered, and when the question whether or not a
righteous God ruled the universe rose persistently in the minds of the
faithful. The author of Malachi recognizes and seeks to meet these doubts:
Ye have said, It is useless to serve God,
And what gain is it to us to have kept his charge,
And that we have walked in funeral garb before him?
Even now we call the proud happy,
Verily those who work iniquity thrive,
Yea, they tempt God and escape.
Here the problem is the same as that of the book of Job. To these doubts
the prophet could only reply that Jehovah will keep a record of the
faithful and in his good time will reward them.
V. The Problem of Suffering in the Literature of the Period. As was
natural, this problem of innocent suffering was prominent in the
literature of the period. It became especially insistent at this time,
because it had ceased to be the problem of the community, and had become
that of individuals or of a class. While the nation rested under the
shadow of misfortune, a solution of the problem was found in the
consciousness of national guilt and in the hope that the affliction would
be but temporary. The old dogma that virtue was always rewarded and
wickedness punished continued to satisfy Israel's leaders. When, however,
a considerable class in the community were conscious that they had
committed no crimes worthy of the bitter persecutions and calamities that
overtook them, and that it was often just because of their virtue and the
steadfastness with which they clung to the nobler ideals of their race
that they were thus assailed, the current interpretations of evil were no
longer satisfactory. When in time many of them went down to the grave
crushed by affliction and the objects of the taunts and revilings of their
wicked pursuers, the insufficiency of the current explanation of
misfortune was tragically demonstrated. To their minds Sheol or the grave
offered no solution, for, as among all early Aryan and Semitic peoples, it
was thought of as the dark, passionless, joyless abode of the shades.
In most of the psalms of this period the poets who speak in behalf of the
afflicted class, like the author of Malachi, expressed the hope that
Jehovah would speedily come to their deliverance and signally vindicate
and reward them. The heroism and fidelity that they represent can only be
fully appreciated in the light of this discouraging period when evil was
regnant. It was apparently at this time that the great poet, who speaks
through the book of Job, presented, with the spirit and method of a modern
philosopher, the lot of these innocent sufferers. He also proved for all
time that misfortune is not always the evidence of guilt, and that the
current doctrine of proportionate rewards and the explanations that were
adduced to support it were in certain cases absolutely untenable.
Section XCVIII. THE PROBLEM AND TEACHINGS OF THE BOOK OF JOB
[Sidenote: Job 1:1-5]
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was
blameless and upright; he feared God and turned away from evil. And seven
sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions also included
seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen,
five hundred she asses, and an exceedingly large number of servants; so
that this man was the greatest of all the peoples of Palestine. And his
sons were accustomed to hold a feast in one another's house each on his
day. And they were wont to send and invite their three sisters to eat and
drink with them. And when the days of their feasting were over, Job used
to send and sanctify them, and he rose up early in the morning, and
offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said,
Perhaps my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus Job
did continually.
[Sidenote: Job 1:6-11]
Now on a certain day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before Jehovah, Satan also came among them. And Jehovah said to Satan,
Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to
and fro in the earth, and walking up and down on it. And Jehovah said to
Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him on
the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God, and turns away from
evil. Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast thou not made a hedge about him, and about his household, and about
all that he hath, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands,
and his possessions are increased in the land. But put forth thy hand now,
and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
[Sidenote: Job 1:12]
Then Jehovah said to Satan, Behold all that he hath is in thy power; only
put not forth thy hand upon him. So Satan went forth from the presence of
Jehovah.
[Sidenote: Job 1:13-19]
Now on a certain day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking
in their eldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, The
oxen were plowing and the asses were feeding beside them, when the Sabeans
suddenly attacked and captured them, and they have slain the servants with
the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you. While that
one was yet speaking, another came and said, The fire of God has fallen
from heaven, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed
them; and I alone have escaped to tell you. While that one was yet
speaking, another came and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and
raided the camels and took them away, and they have slain the servants
with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you. While that
one was yet speaking, another came and said, Your sons and your daughters
were eating and drinking in their eldest brother's house, when there came
a great wind from over the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the
house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. I alone have
escaped to tell you.
[Sidenote: Job 1:20-22]
Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the
ground and worshipped; and he said:
Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked shall I return thither!
Jehovah gave and he hath taken away;
Blessed be the name of Jehovah!
In all this Job sinned not, nor reviled God.
[Sidenote: Job 2:1-6]
And on a certain day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before Jehovah, Satan came also to present himself before Jehovah. And
Jehovah said to Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah, and
said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down on
it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? For
there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who
fears God, and turns away from evil; and he still remains steadfast in his
piety, although thou incitest me against him, to destroy him without
cause. And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that
a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thy hand now, and
touch his bone and his flesh; surely he will curse thee to thy face. And
Jehovah said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy power: only spare his life.
[Sidenote: Job 2:7, 8]
So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smote Job with a
malignant eruption from the sole of his foot to his crown. And he took a
potsherd with which to scrape himself; and he sat among the ashes.
[Sidenote: Job 2:9, 10]
Then said his wife to him, Do you still remain steadfast in your piety?
Curse God, and die. But he said to her, You speak like one of the foolish
women. We receive good at the hand of God, shall we not also receive evil?
In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
[Sidenote: Job 2:11-13]
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon
him, they came each from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad
the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment
together to come to show their sympathy for him and to comfort him. And
when they lifted up their eyes afar off and knew him not, they raised
their voice and wept; and all tore their robes, and sprinkled dust upon
their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven
days and seven nights, without any one speaking a word to him, for they
saw that his pain was very great.
[Sidenote: Job 3:2, 11, 13-15, 17-19]
Then Job began to speak and said:
Why did I not die before birth?
Why did I not expire when my mother bore me?
For now would I have lain down and been quiet,
I would have slept, then had I been at rest,
With kings and counsellors of the earth,
Who built up ruins for themselves;
Or with princes who possessed gold,
Who filled their houses with silver.
There the wicked cease from raging,
And the weary are at rest.
There the prisoners have peace as well,
They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
The small and the great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
[Sidenote: Job 3:20-22, 25, 26]
Why is light given to the suffering,
And life to those in anguish,
Who long for death but it comes not,
And search for it more than treasures,
Who rejoice with great exultation,
And are glad when they can find the grave?
For the thing which I feared has come upon me,
And that of which I was afraid has overtaken me.
No peace nor quiet, have I,
No rest, but trembling seizes me.
[Sidenote: Job 4:1-7]
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
If one tries to speak with you, will you be impatient,
But who can restrain himself from speaking?
Behold, you have instructed many,
And have strengthened feeble hands.
Your words have upheld him who was falling,
And you have made tottering knees strong.
But now, that it is come to you, you are impatient,
It touches yourself and you lose courage.
Is not your piety, your trust,
Your hope the integrity of your ways?
Remember now who, being innocent, perished?
Or where have the upright been destroyed?
[Sidenote: Job 4:17-19]
Can mortal man be righteous before God?
Can a man be pure before his maker?
Behold, he trusteth not in his own servants,
And his angels he chargeth with error;
How much more the dwellers in clay houses,
Whose foundation is laid in the dust?
[Sidenote: Job 5:17-22, 26, 27]
Happy is the man whom God correcteth,
Therefore reject not the chastening of the Almighty.
For he causeth pain and bindeth up;
He woundeth and his hands heal.
He will deliver you out of six troubles,
Yea, in seven, no evil shall touch you,
In famine he will redeem you from death,
And in war from the power of the sword.
You shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue;
You shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
At destruction and want you shall laugh,
And you need not fear the beasts of the earth.
You shall come to your grave in a ripe old age,
As a sheaf garnered in its season.
Lo this, we have searched out, so it is;
Hear it and know it yourself.
[Sidenote: Job 6:1-4b]
Then Job answered and said:
Oh, that my bitterness were weighed,
All my calamity laid in the scales!
Then would it be heavier than the sand of the seas;
For this reason my words are rash.
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks up.
[Sidenote: Job 6:8-10]
Oh that I might have my request,
And that God would grant that for which I long:
Even that it would please God to crush me,
And that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!
Then this would be my consolation,
I would exult in pain that spares not.
[Sidenote: Job 6:11-13]
What strength have I still to endure?
And what is mine end that I should be patient?
Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my body made of brass?
Behold there is no help in me,
And wisdom is driven quite from me.
[Sidenote: Job 6:14, 15, 20-23]
Kindness from his friend is due to one in despair,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
My brothers have been as deceptive as a brook,
As the channel of brooks that disappear.
For now you are nothing,
You see a terror and are afraid.
Did I say, 'Give to me?'
Or, 'Offer a present to me of your wealth?'
Or, 'Deliver me from a foeman's hand?'
Or, 'Redeem me from the oppressor's power?'
[Sidenote: Job 6:24-39]
Teach me and I will hold my peace,
And make plain to me wherein I have erred.
How agreeable are upright words!
But what does a reproof from you reprove?
Do you think to reprove mere words,
When the speeches of the desperate are as wind?
You fall upon a blameless man,
And you make merchandise of your friend.
Now therefore be pleased to look upon me;
For surely I will not lie to you.
Turn ere you let injustice be done,
Yea, turn again, my cause is righteous.
Is there injustice on my tongue?
Can not my taste discern what is evil?
[Sidenote: Job 7:1-6]
Has not man a hard service on earth?
And are not his days like the days of a hireling?
As a slave who sighs for the shadows of the evening,
And as a hireling who looks for his wages,
So am I given months of misery,
And wearisome nights are appointed me.
When I lie down, I say:
'When shall I arise, and the night be gone?'
And I am full of unrest until the dawn.
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust;
My skin hardens, then breaks out again.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
[Sidenote: Job 7:9, 10]
As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away,
So he who goes down to Sheol shall come up no more,
He shall return no more to his house,
Nor shall his place know him any more.
[Sidenote: Job 7:11, 19]
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth;
I will speak in the bitterness of my spirit.
Am I a sea, or a sea-monster,
That thou shouldest set a watch over me?
When I say, "My bed shall comfort me,
My couch shall ease my complaint;"
Then thou frightest me with dreams,
And terrifiest me through visions:
So that I myself choose strangling,
And death rather than my pains.
I loath life, I would not live always,
Let me alone, for my days are as a breath,
What is man, that thou exaltest him,
That on him thou directest thy thought,
That thou visitest him each morning,
And testest him each moment?
[Sidenote: Job 7:20, 21]
If I have sinned, what have I done to thee, O watcher of men?
Why hast thou set me as thy target?
And why am I a burden to thee?
And why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity?
For now I shall lie down in the dust,
When thou shalt seek me, I shall not be.
[Sidenote: Job 8:1-2]
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said,
How long will you speak these things?
And the words of your mouth be like a mighty wind?
Doth God pervert justice?
Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?
[Sidenote: Job 8:3-6]
If your children sinned against him,
And he delivered them to the consequences of their guilt;
You should earnestly seek God,
Let him take his rod away from me,
And let not his terror make me afraid,
Then would I speak and not fear him,
For in myself I am not thus fearful.
[Sidenote: Job 10:9-15]
Remember that as clay thou hast fashioned me,
And wilt thou again turn me into dust?
Hast thou not poured me out as milk?
And curdled me like a cheese?
Thou hast clothed me with a skin and with flesh,
And knit me together with bones and with sinews.
Thou hast granted me life and favor,
And thy care hath preserved my breath.
Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart;
I know that this is thy plan:
If I sin, then thou watchest me,
And if I be just, yet I cannot lift up my head!
[Sidenote: Job 10:20-22]
Are not the days of my life few enough?
Let me alone, that I may have a little cheer,
Before I go whence I shall not return,
To the land of darkness and of gloom,
The land dark as blackness,
Gloom without a gleam or ray of light.
[Sidenote: Job 11:1, 7-9]
Then answered Zophar, the Naamathite, and said:
Shall the multitude of words be unanswered?
Can you find the depths of God?
Can you reach the perfection of the Almighty?
It is high as heaven; what canst thou do?
Deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
[Sidenote: Job 11:13-15]
If you set your heart aright,
And stretch out your hands toward him;
If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away,
And let not unrighteousness dwell in your tent.
Then you shall lift up your face without spot;
And you shall be steadfast, and have no fear.
And make your supplication to the Almighty.
If you are pure and upright,
Then he will prosper your righteous habitation.
[Sidenote: Job 9:1-7]
Then Job answered and said:
Verily I know that it is so,
But how can a man be made just with God?
If he be pleased to contend with him,
He cannot answer him one of a thousand.
He is wise in mind and mighty in strength;
Who has defied him, and remained unharmed?
He who removeth mountains and they know it not,
And overturneth them in his anger,
Who shaketh the earth out of its place,
So that its pillars tremble,
Who commandeth the sun and it rises not,
And on the stars placeth his seal.
[Sidenote: Job 9:16-20, 24]
If I called and he answered me,
I would not believe that he had heard my voice.
He who crusheth me with a tempest,
prey of And multiplieth my wounds without cause.
He will not permit me to take my breath,
But filleth me with bitterness,
If we speak of the strength of the mighty, lo it is he!
And if of justice, Who will summon him?
Though I am righteous, my own mouth condemns me,
Though I am perfect, it would prove me to be perverse.
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covereth the faces of its judges;
If not he, then who is it?
[Sidenote: Job 9:31-35]
If I wash myself with snow,
And cleanse my hands with lye,
Yet thou plunge me into the filth,
prove And mine own friends will abhor me.
For he is not a man as I am, that I should answer him,
That we should come together in judgment,
There is no arbiter betwixt us,
To lay his hand upon us both.
[Sidenote: Job 12:1-3]
Then Job answered and said:
No doubt but you are the people,
And wisdom shall die with you!
But I have a mind as well as you,
And who does not know these things?
[Sidenote: Job 13:7-12]
Will you speak what is wrong for God?
And will you talk deceitfully for him?
Will you show favor to him?
Will you contend for God?
Would it be well, should he search you out?
Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
He will surely reprove you,
If secretly you show favor.
Shall not his majesty overawe you,
And dread of him fall upon you?
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defences are defences of clay!
[Sidenote: Job 13:13-18]
Hold your peace that I may speak,
And let come to me what will.
I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hand.
Behold he will slay me; I have no hope,
But I will defend my ways before him.
No godless man would come before him.
Give careful heed to my speech,
And let my declaration be in your ears.
Behold now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall be justified.
[Sidenote: Job 13:21-25]
Withdraw thy hand far from me;
And let not thy terror make me afraid.
Then call and I will answer,
Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
Why dost thou hide thy face,
And regard me as thine enemy?
Wilt thou harass a wind blown leaf?
And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
[Sidenote: 14:7-10]
For there is hope of a tree,
If it will be cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its shoot will not cease.
Though its root grow old in the earth,
And its stock die in the ground;
By the scent of water it will bud,
And put forth its branches like a plant.
But man dies and is laid low:
Yea, a man expires, and where is he?
[Sidenote: Job 14:13-15, 18, 19]
Oh, that thou wouldst hide me in Sheol,
That thou wouldst keep me in secret, until thy wrath be past,
That thou wouldst appoint over me a time, and remember me!
If a man might die, shall he live again!
All the days of my hard service would I wait,
Until my release should come.
Thou wouldst call and I myself would answer thee;
Thou wouldst long for the work of thy hands.
But the mountain surely falls,
And the rock moves from its place,
The water wears away the stones,
Its floods wash away the dust of the earth.
[Sidenote: Job 15:4-6]
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite and said:
Verily, you do away with the fear of God,
And hinder devotion before God.
For your wickedness inspires your speech,
And you choose the tongue of the crafty.
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.
[Sidenote: Job 16:1-3a, 4b]
Then answered Job and said:
I have heard many such things;
Troublesome comforters are you all.
Is there no end to vain words?
If you were only in my place,
I could join words together against you!
[Sidenote: Job 16:11-13a]
God delivereth me to the ungodly,
And casteth me into the hands of the wicked.
I was at ease, and he shattered me,
He seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces,
He hath also set me up as his target,
His arrows encompass me round about.
[Sidenote Job 16:18-21]
O earth, cover not my blood,
And let my cry have no resting place.
Even now behold my witness is in the heaven,
And he who voucheth for me is on high.
He will be found to be my friend,
To God my eye pours out its tears.
And he will maintain the right of a man with God,
And between a man and his neighbor!
[Sidenote: Job 18:1, 5-7]
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said:
The light of the wicked is put out,
And the flame of his fire does not shine,
The light is darkened in his tent,
And his light above him is put out.
The steps of his strength are shortened,
And his own counsel shall cast him down.
[Sidenote: Job 19:13-16]
Then Job answered and said:
My brothers keep far from me,
And my acquaintances are like strangers to me.
My kinsmen have ceased to know me,
Even the guests in my house have forgotten me.
My maids regard me as a stranger,
I am an alien in their sight.
[Sidenote: Job 19:23-27]
Oh, that my words were now written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
That with an iron pen and lead
They were engraved in a rock forever!
But I indeed know that my Vindicator liveth,
And at last he will stand upon the earth:
And after this, my skin, is destroyed,
Then I shall behold God,
Whom I myself shall see on my side,
Mine eyes shall behold, and not a stranger.
[Sidenote: Job 20:1-4]
Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:
Not so do my thoughts give answer to me,
Because of this my haste is mine!
I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame;
But with wind void of understanding you answer me.
Have you not known this from of old,
Since man was placed upon the earth,
That the exulting of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
[Sidenote: Job: 21:1, 7-8]
Then answered Job and said:
Why do the wicked live,
Grow old, and attain great power?
Their descendants are established in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
Their households are secure from terror,
And the rod of God is not upon them.
[Sidenote: Job 22:1-6]
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and said,
Is a man of any account to God?
Surely a wise man is of account to himself.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it gain to him that you are upright?
Is it because of your fear of him that he reproveth you,
That he entereth into judgment with you?
Is not your wickedness great?
And there is no end to your iniquities.
[Sidenote: Job 22:26, 27, 28]
If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself,
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents.
You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,
And you shall pay your vows.
You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established for you.
And light shall shine upon your ways.
[Sidenote: Job 23:1-6]
Then Job answered and said,
Even now my complaint is bitter,
My stroke is heavier than my groaning.
Oh, that I knew where I might find him!
That I might come even to his throne!
I would set forth my cause before him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know the words which he would answer me,
And understand what he would say to me.
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
Verily he would give heed to me.
[Sidenote: Job 25:1-4]
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
Dominion and terror are with him;
He maketh peace in his high places.
Is there any number to his armies?
And upon whom does not his light arise?
How then can man be just with God?
Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?
[Sidenote: Job 26:1, 27:2, 4, 5]
Then Job answered and said,
As God liveth, who hath taken away my right,
And the Almighty, who hath made my life bitter,
Surely my lips do not speak unrighteousness,
Nor does my tongue utter falsehood,
Far be it from me that I should grant that you are right;
Until I die I will not give up my innocence.
[Sidenote: Job 27:7-9]
[Then Zophar answered and said]:
Let mine enemy be as the wicked,
And let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
For what is the hope of the godless,
When God requireth his life?
Will God hear his cry,
When trouble comes upon him?
[Sidenote: Job 29:1-5]
And Job again took up his parable and said,
Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
As in the days when God watched over me,
When his lamp shined upon my head,
And by his light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the prime of my life,
When God put a covering over my tent,
When the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were about me.
[Sidenote: Job 30:16-21]
But now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of affliction have taken hold of me.
The night bores through my bones,
And my gnawing pains rest not.
By reason of great wasting my garment is crumpled together;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
He hath cast me into the mire,
And I am become like dust and ashes.
I cry to thee but thou dost not answer me.
I stand up, but thou dost not regard me.
Thou art turned to be cruel to me;
With the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.
[Sidenote: Job 31:5-8]
If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hasted to deceit;
Let me be weighed in a just balance,
That God may know my integrity.
If my step has turned out of the way,
And my heart followed my inclination,
And if any spot besmirches my hands;
Then let me sow, and let another eat,
And let the produce of my field be uprooted.
[Sidenote: Job 31:35-37]
Oh, that there was someone to hear me!
See, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written!
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it to me as a crown;
I would declare to him the number of my steps,
As a prince would I draw near to him.
[Sidenote: Job 38:2-7]
Then Jehovah answered Job out of the storm, and said,
Who is this that darkeneth counsel
By words that lack knowledge?
Gird up thy loins now like a man,
And let me ask of thee and inform thou me.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Who determined its measures that thou knowest?
Or who stretched out the line upon it?
On what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its corner-stone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
[Sidenote: Job 38:8-11]
Or who shut up the sea with doors,
When it broke forth, and issued out of the womb;
When I made clouds its garments,
And thick mists its swaddling-bands,
And marked out for it my bound,
And set bars and doors,
And said, Here shalt thou come, but no further;
And here shall thy proud waves stop?
[Sidenote: Job 38:39-41]
Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
When they couch in their dens,
And abide in the covert to lie in wait?
Who provideth at evening his prey,
When his young ones cry to God,
And wander to seek for food?
[Sidenote: Job 40:8,9]
Will the fault-finder contend with the Almighty?
He who argueth with God, let him answer it.
Wilt thou even annul my judgment?
Condemn me, that thou mayest be justified,
Or hast thou an arm like God?
And canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
[Sidenote: Job 42:1, 2, 3, 5, 6]
Then Job answered Jehovah and said:
I know that thou canst do all things,
And that no purpose of thine can be restrained.
Therefore, I have uttered that which I did not understand;
Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,
But now mine eye seeth thee,
Therefore I loath [my words],
And repent in dust and ashes.
I. The Structure of the Book of Job. Like most of the books of the Old
Testament, Job is, without reasonable doubt, the work of several different
writers. The prose introduction (1-2), with its corresponding conclusion
(42:7-17), was probably once an independent story. The words of Jehovah in
the epilogue (42:7) clearly implies that, as in 1 and 2, Job had endured
the test and had meekly submitted to the afflictions which Satan, with the
divine approval, had sent upon him, and that on the other hand his
friends, like his wife, had urged him to curse God and die. The language
and phrases of this prose story are radically different from those in the
poem which constitutes the main body of the book. The unique explanation
of why Job was afflicted that is given in the opening chapters is also
completely ignored in the poetic dialogues (3-31). Likewise the problem of
whether or not Job fears God for naught, raised in the prologue, is not
taken up again except in the concluding prose epilogue. In the prose story
Job's piety conforms to the popular standards, while in the poetic
sections he is measured by the loftier ethical principles laid down by the
pre-exilic prophets (cf. chap. 31). In form, therefore, in aim, and in
content, the prose story differs fundamentally from the great dramatic
poem which constitutes the real book of Job. The main body of the book is
found in chapters 3-27, 29-31, 38:1-40:14, and 42:1-6. At a few points the
original order has apparently been disarranged and later hands have
frequently supplemented the older sections, but the literary unity of the
whole is obvious. In three cycles of speeches the problem of innocent
suffering is fully developed and the current solutions presented. In
conclusion the voice of Jehovah comes to Job calling him forth from
himself to the contemplation of the larger universe which manifests the
divine wisdom and rulership.
The Elihu speeches in 32-37 are evidently from a still later author or
authors who wished to rebuke Job's seeming impiety and the failure of his
friends to bring forth a satisfactory explanation of the suffering of the
innocent. Its independence is shown by the presence of many Aramaic words,
by the lack of literary vigor, and by the frequent repetitions, which
distinguish it sharply from the writings of the author of the main body of
the book. Elihu and his contributions are also completely ignored in the
rest of the book and at points where, if they were original, certain
references would be almost inevitable. These speeches, in fact, are simply
a fuller development of the argument of Eliphaz found in the fifth
chapter. They also incorporate many suggestions drawn from the speeches of
Jehovah in chapters 38 and 39.
II. Dates of the Different Parts. The classic Hebrew style and the
absence of Aramaic words indicate that the prose story is the oldest
section of the book. It also reasserts in modified form the dogma current
far down into the Persian period, that if the righteous but patiently
bear affliction they will surely in the end be richly rewarded. It
contains a message well adapted to the needs and beliefs of the Jewish
people during the calamities of the Babylonian period. Its conception
of Satan as the prosecuting attorney of heaven, and of Jehovah as a
transcendental ruler surrounded by a hierarchy of angels, is closely akin
to that which first appears in the second chapter of Zechariah. The
references to Job in Ezekiel 14:14,20, as one of the three heroes of
popular tradition famous for their piety, implies the existence during the
exile of a story closely akin to if not identical with the one found in
the prologue and epilogue of the book of Job. Such a story was probably
current long before the days of Ezekiel, but in its present form it was
not committed to writing until the latter part of the Babylonian or the
beginning of the Persian period.
The first part of this story was evidently used by the author as an
introduction to the great dramatic poem. He thereby deliberately protested
against the solution of the problem of innocent suffering suggested by the
ancient story. The poem itself cannot be dated earlier than the middle of
the Persian period. In it the great ethical and social standards of the
pre-exilic prophets are fully accepted. Its marvelous breadth of vision
also implies an advanced stage in Israel's thinking. The problem of
suffering with which it deals is not merely that of the nation but of the
individual or of a class within the Judean community. It is precisely the
problem that confronted the author of Malachi and to which he refers in
3:13-16. It is the same problem that bulks largely in the psalms of this
period and finds its noblest solution in Isaiah 53. All its affinities,
therefore, confirm the conclusion that it comes from the middle of the
fifth century B.C. and is probably slightly older than Isaiah 49-55,
which presents a more fundamental treatment of the problem of human
suffering. The author still holds the old, prophetic conception of the
universe (38:4-6), and is unaffected by the priestly thought and
tendencies which became especially prominent during the closing years of
the Persian period.
The Elihu speeches and the supplemental poem in description of wisdom in
28, and of the behemoth and leviathan in 40:15-41:34, probably come from
the Greek period.
III. The Prose Story. In the prose story Job is pictured as a man of
superlative piety and prosperity. According to the popular standards of
the earlier day he lived a blameless life. His afflictions came simply as
a means of demonstrating the unselfish character of his piety. In rapid
succession he is stripped of all his possessions and afflicted by the
vilest of all diseases, apparently the loathsome tubercular leprosy. Even
his wife tempts him to curse God and die, but he fully meets the test,
and, according to the testimony of the concluding epilogue, receives
Jehovah's approval and is restored to the joys of family, reputation, and
riches. It is obvious that, as in the stories found in the opening
chapters of Genesis, this is a popular narrative freely adjusted to the
ends which the story-teller wished to attain. The incidents recorded are
not in keeping with the ordinary experiences of life, but belong rather to
the realm of popular fancy. As a reference in Ezekiel implies, it was
probably, like the similar stories regarding Noah and Daniel, a heritage
from the common Semitic lore. In fact, a recently discovered Babylonian
tablet tells of a famous king of Nippur, Tâbi-utul-Bêl by name, whose
experiences and spirit corresponds closely to those of the hero of this
prose story.
The message of the prose story of Job, as it was sent out to the Jewish
race, was that it was not always possible to understand the reason why
the righteous were afflicted, but that if they faithfully met the test
restoration to Jehovah's approval, with the honor and reputation that
necessarily follow, were assured. To the nation such a message was not
without its practical application and value, but it failed completely to
meet the individual problems that became pathetically insistent during the
middle of the fifth century B.C.
IV. The Poem of Job. In the later poetic version of the story (which
begins with the third chapter) Job himself is the embodiment of the
problem of innocent suffering. His friends' suppositions and condemnations
add still another burden to his weight of woe. More intolerable, however,
than loss of possessions, health, and reputation is his sense of being
forsaken and condemned by Jehovah. Job cannot shake himself entirely free
from the belief, which had been inculcated in his mind from earliest
infancy, that calamity was a sign of divine displeasure, and therefore of
sin on the part of the victim. In the series of monologues and dialogues
between Job and his friends he voices every phase of the great problem and
makes it concrete and objective. With marvellous psychological truth and
insight the author has presented the different phases of feeling through
which an innocent sufferer in Job's position naturally passes. At times
Job is intemperate in his speech and at other times he yields to
despondency; again his faith overleaps all obstacles and he holds for the
moment a clear belief in the ultimate vindication not only of himself but
of Jehovah's justice.
His friends, on the other hand, formulate at length the current
Explanation of suffering. Job in his sharp retorts makes clear the
Inapplicability of the arguments and the limitations of the dogmas which
they constantly reassert. In the concluding speeches of Jehovah the author
with masterly skill takes Job out of his little circle into the larger
world of nature, and brings him face to face with the evidences of
Jehovah's might, wisdom, and gracious rulership of the great universe and
of the complex life of those who inhabit it. Above all, Job learns to know
God, not through the testimony of others, but by direct personal
experience, and this knowledge begets humility and trust.
V. Progress in Job's Thought. The thought of the book of Job is
characteristically Oriental. Instead of moving straight on from premises
to conclusion it constantly reverts to the same themes yet advances
along independent, parallel lines. Its progress is not objective, as is
usually the case in a drama, but almost entirely subjective. These
parallel lines of progress are: (1) the conviction gradually crystallizing
into certainty that the current explanations of suffering are in certain
cases inadequate and false. While viewed from one point of view this
conclusion is merely negative, it nevertheless opened the eyes of Job
and his generation to a larger conception of Jehovah and a far broader
interpretation of the universe and of the laws which regulate it. The
second is that he is guilty of no crime commensurate with the calamity
which had overtaken him. Overwhelmed by misfortune and the reiterated
charges of his friends, only through a superhuman struggle did Job
ultimately attain the unshaken conviction that he was indeed innocent in
the sight of God and man. The third line of progress is that, if not in
the present life, in that beyond the grave his reputation would not only
be vindicated but he himself would be fully conscious of that vindication.
As is illustrated by the third chapter, Job in common with his race still
shared the belief that for the ordinary individual life beyond the grave
was a shadowy existence, far removed from Jehovah's presence. This
conception of the life after death was inherited by the Israelites from
their Semitic ancestors, and was held in common by most ancient peoples,
both of the East and of the West. The Babylonians believed, however, that
certain favored mortals, as, for example, the hero of the flood, were
transported to the abode of the gods, there to enjoy blessed individual
immortality. The same belief is the foundation of the Hebrew stories
regarding Enoch and Elijah. This belief was apparently the germ which in
time developed, as in the twelfth chapter of Daniel, into the widespread
conviction that the grave would not hold those who had been loyal to
Jehovah, but that he would surely raise them again to a glorious life. In
the book of Job it is possible to trace the birth-pangs of this broader
hope. Conscious of his innocence and confronted by the grave, Job
repeatedly voices the deep conviction that God, because he is just, will
raise his afflicted servant from the grave and accord to him that justice
which seems excluded from his present life. This solution of the problem
of innocent suffering is not given the central place by the author of the
book of Job. It is safe, however, to conjecture that if the appearance of
Jehovah had not furnished to the author's mind a more satisfactory
conclusion, the vindication after death would have been the solution
offered. At several points Job approaches very close to the belief in
individual immortality which became a commonly accepted tenet in the
trying days of the Maccabean struggle.
The fourth line of progress is that Jehovah, after all, must be just and
that he will right the seeming wrongs of life. In his opening speeches Job
gives free vent to the anguish and impatience that fills his tortured
mind. With a boldness strangely foreign to Hebrew thought, he charges
Jehovah with injustice and speaks of him as a cruel monster that watches
man, his helpless prey, and takes cruel pleasure in the pain which he
inflicts. As the discussion progresses Job's mind becomes calmer, and
the conviction that God, after all, is just comes more clearly to
expression. His strong utterances gradually yield to this quieter mood.
Even before he hears the voice of Jehovah, Job has attained an attitude of
trust, though he is still groping in darkness. Thus with marvelous
fidelity to human nature and experience the author of the book of Job
would have made a great contribution to the problem with which he was
dealing even had he not added the concluding speeches of Jehovah.
VI. Significance of the Speeches of Jehovah. To many Western readers the
concluding speeches of Jehovah are unsatisfying. They lack the emphasis on
Jehovah's love and that divine tenderness in addressing the heroic
sufferer which to us would seem to have been a satisfactory conclusion to
the great drama. This element is furnished in characteristically concrete
form by the epilogue of the book, in which Job's prosperity is restored in
double measure and he is personally assured of Jehovah's favor. The severe
and realistic author of the great poem, however, knew that in ordinary
life such solutions are rare. In the speeches of Jehovah he does not
introduce an altogether new element, but emphasizes motifs already
developed in the earlier dialogues. The effect of these speeches upon Job
are threefold: (1) They rebuke his over-accentuated individualism.
(2) They reveal the fundamental contrast between the infinite God and
finite man. In the light of this revelation Job plainly recognizes his
presumption and folly in attempting, with his limited outlook, to
comprehend, much less to criticise, the mighty ruler of all the universe.
(3) After Job had thus been led out of himself into personal companionship
with God he was content to trust his all-wise guide, even though he
recognized his own inability to fathom the mysteries of the universe or to
solve the problem of innocent suffering. Thus the great contributions of
the book of Job to the problem of suffering are: (1) A clear and
scientific presentation of the problem; (2) a bold sweeping aside of
the insufficient current theological explanations; (3) a vastly enlarged
conception of Jehovah's character and rule; and (4) that attitude of
faith which comes from a personal experience of God and which trusts
unreservedly, even though it cannot see or divine the reason why, and in
that trust finds peace and joy.
Although the thought of the book of Job is profound, and it deals in a
masterly manner with a fundamental human problem, it is more than a mere
philosophical discussion. Its primary aim is to set forth the vital truth
that God is not to be found through current theological dogmas or
intellectual discussions, but through personal experience. This is the
dominant note throughout the book. The greatest calamity that overtakes
Job in his hour of deepest distress is the sense of being shut away from
God's presence.
Oh! that I knew where I might find him,
That I might come even to his throne!
As he looks back fondly to the happy days of old the fact that stands
forth above all others is that
The Almighty was yet with me.
Looking forward to a possible vindication after death his hope centres
in the belief that
Thou wouldst call and I myself would answer thee;
Thou wouldst long for the work of thy hands.
When at last Jehovah answered Job out of the storm, it was not so much
the thought expressed as the fact that God had spoken directly to him
that brought penitence and peace:
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,
But now mine eye seeth thee.
Therefore I loath my words,
And repent in dust and ashes.
Section XCIX. THE TRAINING AND MISSION OF THE TRUE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:1-3]
Hearken to me, ye coastlands,
And listen, ye distant peoples:
He hath called me from the womb,
From my mother's lap made mention of my name.
He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword,
In the shadow of his hand he hid me,
He made me a polished arrow,
In his quiver he concealed me,
And he said to me, Thou art my servant,
Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:4]
But I said, I have labored in vain,
I spent my strength for nothing and vanity,
Nevertheless my right is with Jehovah,
And my recompense with my God.
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:5, 6]
And now, thus saith Jehovah,
(He who formed from birth to be his servant,
To bring Jacob back to him,
And that Israel might be gathered to him;
For I was honored in the sight of Jehovah,
And my God became my strength):
It is too little a thing to be my servant,
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the survivors of Israel;
Therefore I will make thee the light of the nations,
That thy salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:7]
Thus saith Jehovah,
The Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One,
To him who is heartily despised,
To the one abhorred of the people, a servant of rulers:
Kings shall see and arise,
Princes and they shall do homage,
Because of Jehovah who is faithful,
The Holy One of Israel who hath chosen thee.
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:3-9b]
Thus saith Jehovah,
In a time of favor I answer thee,
And in a day of deliverance I help thee,
And I make thee a pledge to the people,
To raise up the [ruined] land,
To reapportion the desolate heritages,
Saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,'
To those in darkness, 'Show yourselves!'
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:9c-11]
They shall pasture along all ways,
Even oh all the bare hills shall they graze.
They shall not be hungry nor thirsty,
Neither shall the glowing heat nor the sun smite them,
For he who hath pity on them shall lead them,
And to gushing fountains will he guide them.
And I will make all mountains a road,
And highways shall be built up.
[Sidenote: Isa. 49:12,18]
Behold, these come from afar,
And these from the north and west,
And these from the land of the Syenites!
Shout with joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth!
Let the mountains break forth into shouts of joy!
For Jehovah hath had pity on his people,
And will show mercy to his afflicted ones.
[Sidenote: Isa. 50:4-6]
The Lord Jehovah hath given me the tongue of a trained disciple?
To give to the fainting a word of help, he waketh me early,
Early he waketh me, that I may listen as a disciple.
The Lord Jehovah hath opened mine ear,
And I have not been wilful nor turned back rebelliously.
[Sidenote: Isa. 50:6, 7]
My back I gave to smiters and my cheek to those who plucked the beard,
My face I hid not from insult and spitting,
For my Lord Jehovah is my helper; so that I am not confounded.
Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be
put to shame.
[Sidenote: Isa. 50:5, 9]
He is near who justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand up
together!
Who is the adversary to oppose my cause? let him draw near to me!
Behold the Lord Jehovah is my helper; who is he that can harm me?
Lo, they shall all fall to pieces like a garment, the moth shall consume
them.
[Sidenote: Isa. 50:10]
Who among you feareth Jehovah, let him hearken to the voice of his
servant?
Who walked in darkness, having no light,
Let him trust in the name of Jehovah and rely on his God?
[Sidenote: Isa. 52:13-18]
Behold, my servant shall prosper,
He shall be raised up and highly exalted.
Even as many were appalled at him,
So shall many nations tremble,
Kings will close their mouths before him,
When what has not been told them they see,
And what they have not heard they perceive.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:1-2b]
Who believed what has been reported to us,
And to whom was Jehovah's might revealed?
For he grew up before us as a young shoot,
And as a root out of dry ground.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:2c-f]
He had no form that we should regard him,
Nor appearance that we should delight in him.
His appearance was more disfigured than any man's
And his form than any human being's.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:3]
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of suffering and acquainted with sickness;
Like one for whom men hide their face,
He was despised so that we esteemed him not.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:4]
Surely our sickness he himself bore,
And our sufferings--he carried them,
Yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken,
Smitten of God and afflicted.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:5]
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
Crushed because of our iniquities;
The chastisement for our well-being was upon him,
And through his stripes healing came to us.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:6]
All of us, like sheep, had gone astray,
We had turned each to his own way;
While Jehovah made to light upon him
The guilt of us all.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:7]
Yet when afflicted he opened not his mouth;
Like a lamb led to the slaughter,
And like a sheep dumb before her shearers,
So he opened not his mouth.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:8]
By an oppressive judgment was he taken away,
Yet who of his generation considered
That he had been cut off from the land of the living;
For our transgressions had been stricken to death?
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:9]
And his grave was made with the wicked,
And among evil-doers his burial mound,
Although he had done no violence,
Neither was deceit in his mouth.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:10-11b]
Yet Jehovah was pleased to crush him;
Through giving himself as an offering for guilt,
He shall see posterity and length of days,
And the pleasure of Jehovah will be realized in his hands;
Out of his own suffering he shall see light,
He shall be satisfied with his knowledge.
[Sidenote: Isa. 53:11c-12]
My righteous servant shall make many righteous,
And himself will bear the burden of their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
And with the strong shall he divide spoil,
Because he poured out his life-blood,
And was numbered with transgressors,
And himself bore the sins of many,
And interposed for transgressors.
I. The Different Portraits of Jehovah's Servant. Isaiah 49-54 contains
three distinct portraits of the ideal servant of Jehovah. Each in turn
develops characteristics suggested in the preceding. These descriptions
are interspersed with exhortations addressed to Jehovah's servant Israel
and assurances that God will fully restore Jerusalem and bring back her
scattered children. These three portraits of the type of servant that
Jehovah required to realize his purpose in human history, together with
the earlier portrait in 42:1-7, supplement each other. In the first of
these four (42:1-7) the prophetic qualities of the servant are especially
emphasized. Like the earlier prophets, he will not fail nor be discouraged
until he has established justice in the earth. His task is to open blind
eyes and to deliver prisoners from the darkness of ignorance and sin in
which they were sitting. In the second picture (49:1-9a) the world-wide
mission of the servant is emphasized. He is called not only to gather the
outcasts of Israel, but also as an apostle to bring light to all the
nations of the earth. In this passage for the first time appears that note
of suffering and ignominy which is the lot of the true servant of Jehovah.
In the third portrait (50:4-10) the servant is pictured as a disciple,
attentively listening to the divine teachings, learning the lessons which
will fit him in turn to become a teacher of men. The last and fullest
picture (52:13-53:12) describes at length his suffering. A strong contrast
is drawn between his present shame and ignominy and the future glory and
victory which he will achieve through his voluntary and complete
self-sacrifice. These pictures embody the prophet's ideal, and they can be
fully understood only in the light of their historical background.
II. The Prophet's Purpose. In his earlier poems this great unknown
prophet dealt largely with the interpretation of Israel's past history
and the proclamation of the coming deliverance (40-48). His chief aims in
chapters 49-55 may be briefly epitomized as follows: (1) to interpret the
inner meaning of the period of adversity through which the Jewish race was
then passing; (2) to make absolutely clear the character and quality of
the service that Jehovah required of his chosen people, if they were to
realize his purpose in human history; (3) to inspire them all to make the
needed sacrifices and thus to prove themselves true servants of Jehovah;
(4) especially to make plain to the innocent and faithful sufferers in the
Judean community the real meaning and value of their present shame and
suffering, if bravely and voluntarily borne.
III, Character and Condition of Those to Whom the Prophet Appealed. From
the allusions in the prophecies themselves it is possible to determine the
classes that the prophet had in mind. In 49:2 his address is to the coast
lands and the distant peoples who lived at the extremities of Israel's
horizon. It is not probable, however, that he anticipated that his message
in its present form would go out as it has to all races and nations;
rather his attention was fixed on the scattered members of his own race,
those who lived in the north and the west and in the distant city of
Syene, far up the Nile (49:12). In 49:3 he clearly identifies the nation
Israel as Jehovah's servant, whom he makes declare:
Jehovah said to me, Thou art my servant,
Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.
It is evident, however, that the prophet has especially in mind the Judean
community amidst which he lived and for which he worked. In 54, as
elsewhere, he calls upon this group of discouraged Jews to enlarge their
tent, for their period of punishment is over and their foundation and
walls are about to be rebuilt. At last they shall cease to tremble at the
fury of the oppressor. In 51:18-20 he addresses Jerusalem directly and
gives a vivid picture of its condition before the appearance of Nehemiah:
Rouse thee! Rouse thee! stand up, O Jerusalem,
Who hast drunk at Jehovah's hand the cup of his wrath!
The bowl of reeling thou hast drunken, hast drained!
There is none to guide thee of all the sons whom thou hast borne,
And none to take thee by the hand of all the sons whom thou hast reared.
These two things have befallen thee--who can condole with thee?
Desolation and destruction, famine and the sword--who can comfort thee?
IV. The Task and Training of Jehovah's Servant. The term servant means
literally slave, not in the Western sense, but in that of the ancient
East, where a slave was often a privileged member of society. In many a
Hebrew household the slaves, next to the children, enjoyed the protection
and consideration of the master of the household. He was under obligation
to guard their welfare and interests. On the other hand, slaves, like
Eleazar in the story of Abraham (Gen. 26) faithfully cared for the
interests of their master and spared no effort to carry out his commands.
Semitic usage had also given the term slave a significant meaning. The
faithful officials of all Oriental kings called themselves his servants
or slaves. It was the common term expressing, on the one hand, confidence
and protection, and on the other, devotion, loyalty, and service. Most of
Israel's patriarchs, kings, and prophets are spoken of as the servants or
slaves of Jehovah. Haggai, in his address to Zerubbabel, called him
Jehovah's servant. In Deuteronomy 32:36 the people of Israel are called
the servants of Jehovah, and, as has been noted, in the prophecies of the
II Isaiah they are frequently referred to as the servant of Jehovah.
The term, therefore, was well chosen to express that complete devotion
And loyalty to Jehovah which the prophet aimed to evoke from his
fellow-countrymen. It was also free from the kingly associations and
material interpretation that were connected with the word Messiah.
The prophet's aim was to present so vividly the task and methods of the
true servant of Jehovah that all would recognize a personal call to duty.
He emphasizes three distinct yet related elements in the mission of the
servant. They were: (1) To free the prisoners from their captivity,
whether imprisoned by walls of stone or brick or under the tyranny of
fears and false ideas. (2) To restore the scattered tribes of Israel and
thus to lay the foundations for a renewed national life that would furnish
concrete evidence to all the world of Jehovah's power to deliver. (3) To
go beyond the narrow bounds of their race and to bring to the nations that
were groping in the darkness of heathenism the knowledge and truth that
had been imparted to Israel. Thus the unknown prophet laid the foundations
for that Kingdom of God, that dominion of God in nature and in the minds
of men that was the guide and inspiration of all later prophets and the
goal for whose realization the Great Teacher and Prophet of Nazareth
labored and died.
The prophet places great emphasis upon the training of Jehovah's servant.
He declares that from birth Jehovah formed him to be his servant. In
[50:4-7] he is spoken of as a trained disciple attentively listening to
the words of his divine teacher, never rebelling at the bitterness of the
needful discipline, but ever seeking to prepare himself to give to the
fainting a word of help. The steadfastness with which he endures shame and
bitter wrongs is the evidence of his ability as a disciple and an
essential part in his preparation for his exalted mission.
V. Methods of Jehovah's Servant. In accomplishing his task the servant
is to use definite instruction, but his teaching is to be illustrated by
his own character and attitude. By the voluntary, uncomplaining endurance
of ignominy and suffering he is to do Jehovah's work and win the grateful
recognition, not only of his divine Master, but of all succeeding
generations. Through a keen analysis of life the prophet had attained to a
clear appreciation of the inestimable value of voluntary self-sacrifice.
He saw that it was the most effective means of uplifting the race and
leading mankind to accept God's mastery over their minds and lives. The
truth here presented is illustrated in human experience as clearly to-day
as in the past. The self-denying service of parents is absolutely
essential if their children are to attain to the noblest manhood and
womanhood. Only through the self-sacrificing labors of those who love
their fellow-men can social evils be removed and society attain its
highest development. The low standards in the business and professional
world can be raised only as certain men, with the spirit and courage of
the ancient prophets, make their own personal interests and popularity
subservient to the rigorous demands of justice. It is the law of life that
he who would elevate the standards of his associates and thus lead men to
the fullest realization of the divine ideals must ordinarily do it in the
face of opposition, ignominy, and seeming failure. It is this quiet,
heroic self-sacrifice--the heroism of the commonplace--that the great
prophet proclaims is the absolutely essential characteristic of Jehovah's
servant. Despised by his contemporaries, the victim of persecution and
calamity, he must do his task, leaving the reward and the appreciation to
Jehovah and to the enlightened sense of later generations.
VI. Realization of the Ideal of Service. The portrait is so concrete
that the question naturally arises, Who was the servant of whom the
prophet was speaking? Undoubtedly the tragic experiences of such prophets
as Jeremiah suggested many elements in the picture. For half a century
that faithful servant of Jehovah suffered, often shrinkingly, yet
voluntarily, a constant martyrdom. Upon him fell the persecutions of his
countrymen. Yet in the life of later Judaism those principles for which he
lived and died gained acceptance and application. Of him it may be truly
said:
He was numbered with trangressors,
And himself bore the sins of many,
And interposed for transgressors.
The unknown author of these immortal poems spoke out of the depth of his
own painful experience and doubtless in a large degree realized the
ideals of service which he thus effectively set forth. Those of his
contemporaries who, amidst persecution and insults, in their lives
embodied the ideals of the earlier prophets were crushed like Jeremiah
because of the iniquities of others; but by thus pouring out their
life-blood they brought healing to their race. Nehemiah, in responding to
the call of service and in turning his back upon the allurements of the
Persian court in order to rebuild the city of his fathers, proved himself
a faithful servant of Jehovah. With true insight the Christian Church
has always recognized that in the character and life of Jesus is found
the only complete realization of this ancient ideal of service. With the
immortal chapters of the II Isaiah he was clearly familiar, and from
them he doubtless received many suggestions regarding his divine mission
and the methods by which it was to be accomplished. Their author was
clearly speaking to his contemporaries; but in portraying the way in
which Jehovah's purpose in human history could alone be realized he
presented an ideal which has a permanent significance in the thought of
the human race, Paul rightly recognized that the same responsibility to
make this ideal a reality rested upon him, and all who would serve God,
when he quoted the words of 49:6 (cf. Acts 13:47):
"I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles
That thou shouldst be for salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth."
Section C. NEHEMIAH'S WORK IN REBUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM
[Sidenote: Neh. 1:1-3]
Now in the month of Chislev [November-December, 446 B.C.], I was in
Shushan the royal palace, when Hanani, one of my kinsmen came, together
with certain men from Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews who had
escaped, who were left from the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And
they said to me, The survivors who are left from the captivity there in
the provinces are in great misfortune and reproach, and the wall of
Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been destroyed by fire.
[Sidenote: Neh. 1:4-11b]
Now when I heard these statements I sat down and wept, and mourned certain
days; and I fasted and made supplication before the God of heaven, and I
said, 'I beseech thee, O Jehovah, the God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, who keepeth the covenant and showeth kindness to them who
love and keep his commands; let thine ears now be attentive and thine eyes
open, to hear the supplication of thy servant, which I am now making
before thee, day and night, for the Israelites thy servants, while I
confess the sins of the Israelites, which we have sinned against thee, as
I also and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very wickedly
against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor
the ordinances, which thou didst command thy servant Moses. Remember, I
beseech thee, the word which thou didst command thy servant Moses, saying,
"If ye trespass I will scatter you abroad among the peoples; but if ye
return to me, and keep my commands and do them, then, though your outcasts
were at the ends of the earth, yet will I gather them thence and will
bring them to the place that I have chosen, there to cause my name to
dwell." Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed
by thy great power and by thy strong hand. O Lord, I beseech thee, let
thine ear be attentive to the supplication of thy servant, and to the
supplications of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name; and give
success to thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this
man.
[Sidenote: Neh. 1:11c-2:8]
Now I was cupbearer to the king. And it came to pass in the month of
Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when I had charge of
the wine, that I took up the wine and gave it to the king, and I had not
beforetime been sad. And the king said to me, 'Why is your countenance
sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.'
Then I was greatly afraid, and I said to the king, 'Let the king live
forever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of
my fathers' sepulchres, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed
by fire?' And then the king said to me, 'For what do you make request? So
I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, 'If it please the
king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would
send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may
rebuild it.' And the king said to me (and the queen was also sitting by
him), 'For how long will your journey be? And when will you return?' Then
it pleased the king to send me; for I set him a time. Moreover I said to
the king, 'If it please the king, let official letters be given me to the
governors of the province beyond the River, that they may let me pass
through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the
king's park, that he may give me the timber to make beams for the gates of
the castle, which belongs to the temple, and for the wall of the city, and
for the house that I shall enter. And the king granted me this, according
to the hand of my God which kindly cared for me.
[Sidenote: Neh. 2:9-16]
Then I came to the governors of the province beyond the River, and gave
them the king's official letters. Now the king had sent with me military
officers and horsemen. And when Sanballat, the Horonite, and Tobiah, the
Ammonite slave, heard of it, it troubled them exceedingly, that one had
come to seek the welfare of the Israelites. So I came to Jerusalem and was
there three days. And I arose in the night, together with a few of my
followers, and I told no man what my God had put into my heart to do for
Jerusalem, neither was there any beast with me, except the beast upon
which I rode. And I went out by night through the Valley Gate, toward the
Dragon's Well and to the Dung Gate, and investigated carefully the walls
of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and where its gates had been
destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's
Pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then
I went up in the night by the Brook Kidron and investigated carefully the
wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
And the rulers did not know where I went or what I did, neither had I as
yet told it to the Jews nor to the priests nor to the nobles nor to the
rulers nor to the rest who did the work.
[Sidenote: Neh. 2:17-20]
Then I said to them, 'You see the bad condition in which we are, how
Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates are destroyed by fire. Come and let
us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more an object of
reproach.' And I told them of the hand of my God, which had kindly cared
for me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. And they
said, 'Let us rise up and build.' So they strengthened their hands for the
good work. But when Sanballat, the Horonite, and Tobiah, the Ammonite
slave, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they jeered at us and despised us,
and said, 'What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against
the king?' Then I answered and said to them, 'The God of heaven, he will
give us success, for we his servants will proceed to build; but you shall
have no portion nor right nor memorial in Jerusalem.'
[Sidenote: Neh. 3:1, 2]
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his kinsmen the priests and
built the Sheep Gate; they laid its beams and set up the doors, even to
the Tower of the Hundred, and to the Tower of Hananel. And next to him the
men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
[Sidenote: Neh. 3:3-5]
And the Fish Gate the sons of Hassenaah built; they laid its beams, and
set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And next to them Meremoth and
Meshullam and Zadok and the Tekoites repaired the wall; but their nobles
did not bend their necks in the service of their lord.
[Sidenote: Neh. 3:6-12]
And the Old Gate Joida repaired; they laid its beams, and set up its
doors, its bolts, and its bars. And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite
and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, which belongs
to the jurisdiction of the governor of the province beyond the River,
repaired. Next to him Uzziel, one of the goldsmiths, repaired. And next to
him Hananiah, one of those who prepare sweet ointments, repaired. And they
fortified Jerusalem even to the broad wall. And next to them Rephaiah,
the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired. And next to them
Jedaiah repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush and Malchijah
and Hasshub repaired another section, even to the Tower of the Furnaces.
And next to him Shallum, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem,
together with its dependencies, repaired.
[Sidenote: Neh. 3:13, 14]
The Valley Gate Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired; they built
it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and also built a
thousand cubits of the wall to the Dung Gate. And the Dung Gate Malchijah,
the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, together with his sons,
repaired.
[Sidenote: Neh. 3:15-27]
And the Fountain Gate Shallun, the ruler of the district of Mizpah,
repaired; and he built it, and covered it, and set up its doors, its
bolts, and its bars, and he also built the wall of the Pool of Siloam by
the King's Garden, even to the stairs that go down from the city of David.
After him Nehemiah, the ruler of half the district of Bethzur, repaired to
the place opposite the Sepulchres of David, even to the pool that was made
and to the House of the Warriors. After him Rehum the son of Bani
repaired. Next to him Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah,
repaired for his district. After him their kinsmen Bennui, the ruler of
half the district of Keilah, repaired. And next to him Ezer, the ruler of
Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the
bend in the wall. After him Baruch repaired from the bend in the wall to
the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him Meremoth
repaired another section, from the entrance to the house of Eliashib even
to the end of the house of Eliashib. And after him the priests, the men of
the Plain of the Jordan, repaired. After them Benjamin and Hasshub
repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah repaired beside his own
house. After him Binnui repaired another section, from the house of
Azariah to the bend in the wall and to the corner. After him Palal
repaired opposite the bend and the upper tower that stands out from the
royal palace of the king, which is toward the court of the guard. After
him Pedaiah repaired, to the place opposite the Water Gate toward the east
and the tower that stands out. After him the Tekoites repaired another
section, opposite the great tower that stands out and to the wall of
Ophel. And the temple servants dwelt in Ophel.
[Sidenote: Neh. 3:28-32]
Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own
house. After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house.
After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate,
repaired. After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanum the sixth son
of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of
Berschiah repaired opposite his chamber. After him Malchijah, one of the
goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the
merchants, opposite the Gate of the Watch Tower and to the ascent of the
corner. And between the ascent of the corner and the Sheep Gate the
goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.
[Sidenote: Neh. 4:1-5]
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, his anger was
aroused and he was very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke
before his kinsmen and the army of Samaria and said, 'What are these
feeble Jews doing? Will they leave it to God? Will they sacrifice?
Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the
heaps of rubbish, although they are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was
with him, and he said, 'Even that which they are building, if a fox should
go up on it, he would break down their stone wall!' Hear, O our God--for
we are despised--and turn back their reproach upon their own head and give
them up as an object of spoil in a land of captivity, and cover not their
iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight, for they
have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
[Sidenote: Neh. 4:6-8]
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its
height, for the people were eager to work. But when Sanballat and Tobiah
and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, heard that the
restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was progressing, so that the
breaches began to be stopped, they were very angry. And they all conspired
together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to produce a panic
therein.
[Sidenote: Neh. 4:9-14]
But we made supplication to our God, and set a watch as a protection
against them day and night. Then the Judean community said, 'The strength
of the burden-bearers is broken, for there is much rubbish; so that we
shall not be able to rebuild the wall. And our adversaries have said,
"They shall neither know nor see, until we come into their midst and slay
them and bring the work to a standstill."' And it came to pass that when
the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, 'From all the
places where they dwell they will come up against us.' Therefore I
stationed in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the
protected places, I set there the people by their families with their
swords, their spears, and their bows. And when I saw their fear, I rose up
and said to the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people,
'Be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and
fight for your kinsmen, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your
homes.'
[Sidenote: Neh. 4:15-23]
And when our enemies heard that their plan was known to us and God had
brought it to nought, we all of us returned to the wall, each to his own
work. And from that time on, while half of my servants were engaged in the
work, half of them held the lances, the shields, the bows, and the coats
of mail; and the rulers stood behind all the house of Judah. Those who
built the wall and those who bore burdens were also armed, each with one
of his hands engaged in the work, and with the other was ready to grasp
his spear; and each of the builders had his sword girded by his side, and
so builded. And he who sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said to the
nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, 'The work is great
and extensive, and we are separated upon the wall far from each other. In
whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there to us; our
God will fight for us.' So we were active in the work, while half of them
held the lances from the gray of morning until the stars came out. Also I
said at that time to the people, Let each man with his servant lodge in
Jerusalem, that they may be a guard to us by night and may labor by day.
So neither I, nor my kinsmen, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard
who accompanied me, not one of us took off our clothes, each had his spear
in his hand.
[Sidenote: Neh. 6:1-9]
Now when it was reported to Sanballat and to Tobiah and to Geshem the
Arabian and to the rest of our enemies, that I had rebuilt the wall and
that there was no breach was left in it--though even to that time I had
not set up the doors in the gates--Sanballat and Geshem sent to me,
saying, 'Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of
Ono.' But they planned to do me injury. So I sent messengers to them,
saying, 'I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down; why should
the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you?' And they sent to
me in this way four times, and I gave them the same answer. Then Sanballat
sent his servant to me in the same way the fifth time with an open letter
in his hand, in which was written, 'It is reported among the nations, and
Gashmu confirms it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel, and that this is
the reason you are building the wall, and that you would be their king,
and that you also have appointed prophets to preach of you at Jerusalem,
saying, "There is a king in Judah." And now it will be reported to the
king to this effect. Come now, therefore, and let us take counsel
together.' Then I sent to him, saying, 'No such things have been done as
you say, but you have devised them in your own mind.' For they all would
have made us afraid, thinking, 'Their hands shall be weakened from the
work, that it may not be done.' But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.
[Sidenote: Neh. 6:10-14]
And when I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of
Mehetabel, who was shut up at home, he said, 'Let us meet together in the
house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple:
for they are coming to slay you in the night; yes, in the night they are
coming to slay you!' And I said, 'Should such a man as I flee? And how
could anyone like me [a layman] enter the chief room of the temple and
still live? I will not enter.' Then I perceived and it was clear that God
had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me, because
Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him, that I should be alarmed and act
accordingly and sin; and it would have given them occasion for an evil
report, that they might reproach me. Remember, O my God, Tobiah and
Sanballat according to these their acts, and also the prophetess Noadiah
and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.
[Sidenote: Neh. 6:15, 16]
So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in
fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard, all the surrounding
nations feared and fell in their own esteem, for they perceived that this
work had been done by our God.
[Sidenote: Neh. 6:17-19]
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,
and those of Tobiah came to them. For many in Judah had taken oath to him,
because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah and his son
Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, as
wife. Also they praised his good deeds before me and reported my words to
him. Then Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
[Sidenote: Neh. 7:1-3]
Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the
porters and the singers and the Levites had been appointed, I placed my
brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the castle in charge of
Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and more God-fearing than many. And
I said to them, 'Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is
hot; and while watchmen are still on guard, let them shut the doors and
bar them. Also appoint watches consisting of the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
every one in his watch and each opposite his own house.'
[Sidenote: Neh. 7:4, 5a]
Now the city was wide and large; but there were few people in it, and the
households were not large. Therefore my God put it into my mind to gather
together the nobles and the rulers and the people.
[Sidenote: Neh. 12: 31, 32, 37-40]
Then I had the rulers of Judah take their position upon the wall, and I
appointed two great companies that gave thanks, and the first went to the
right hand upon the wall toward the Dung Gate. And behind them went
Hoshaiah and half of the nobles of Judah. And by the Fountain Gate, they
went straight up the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the
wall, above the house of David, even to the Water Gate on the east. And
the other company of those who gave thanks went to the left, and I after
them, with the half of the nobles of the people, upon the wall, above the
Tower of the Furnaces, even to the broad wall, and above the Gate of
Ephraim and by the Old Gate and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel
and the Tower of the Hundred, even to the Sheep Gate; and they stood in
the Gate of the Guard. So the two companies of those who gave thanks in
the house of God took their position, and I, and the half of the rulers
with me.
I. Nehemiah's Memoirs. Fortunately the author of the books of Ezra and
Nehemiah has quoted at length in the opening chapters of Nehemiah from the
personal memoirs of the noble patriot through whose activity the walls of
Jerusalem were restored. They are the best historical records in the Old
Testament and they shed clear, contemporary light upon this most important
period in the evolution of Judaism. The narrative is straightforward and
vivid. It lights up the otherwise dark period that precedes Nehemiah and
enables the historian to bridge with assurance the century that intervened
before the apocryphal book of I Maccabees throws its light upon the course
of Israel's troubled history. The detailed description of the rebuilding
of the walls in Nehemiah 3 is probably from the Chronicler, but it reveals
an intimate acquaintance with the topography and the later history of
Judah's capital.
II. Nehemiah's Response to the Call to Service. The presence of a
deputation from Jerusalem (including Nehemiah's kinsman Hanani) in
the distant Persian capital of Susa was not a mere accident. Nehemah's
response to their appeal and the epoch-making movement which he
inaugurated reveal the presence of an impelling force. Probably back of
all this movement was the work of the great prophet who speaks in Isaiah
40-66. In all that Nehemiah did that influence may be seen. In the fervent
and patriotic prayer that he uttered on learning of conditions in
Jerusalem he used the term servant or servants of Jehovah eight times in
six short verses. It also echoes the phraseology and thought of the II
Isaiah.
The king under whom Nehemiah served was evidently Artaxerxes I. In
Nehemiah 12:10-11 the Chronicler states that Eliashib, the high priest
in the days of Nehemiah, was the grandson of Joshua, who shared in
the rebuilding of the temple in 520 B.C. Eliashib was also the
great-grandfather of Jaddua, who was high priest in Jerusalem in 332 B.C.,
when Alexander conquered Palestine. References in the recently discovered
Elephantine letters, as well as in the history of Josephus, confirm the
conclusion that Nehemiah set out upon his expedition in the spring of
445 B.C. Like all those who ministered personally to the Persian kings,
he was probably a eunuch and still a young man. The true piety which is
revealed in his prayer, the courage shown by his daring to appear with sad
face in the presence of the absolute tyrant who ruled the Eastern world,
and his tact in winning the king's consent to his departure indicate that
he was a man of rare energy and ability. Artaxerxes I was famous for
his susceptibility to the influence of court favorites. The queen
referred to in 1:6 was probably the queen-mother Amestris, who exercised
commanding authority in the Persian court. Without the royal consent and
the resources and authority granted him, Nehemiah could hardly have
accomplished the large task which he undertook. The arduous journey of
fifteen hundred miles over mountains and barren deserts was enough to
daunt a man reared in the luxury of an Oriental court, but Nehemiah was
inspired by an ideal of service which recognized no obstacles.
III. Obstacles that Confronted Him. The high-priestly rulers do not
appear to have welcomed Nehemiah with enthusiasm. Some of them, at least,
later sought to undermine his work. It is not difficult to infer the
reason for their apathy. Intrenched wealth and authority are usually
conservative, especially if conscious that their position is easily
assailable. As the sequel proved, these leaders of the community were
simply intent upon self-aggrandizement, even at the expense of the
dependent members of the community. A revolutionizing work like that
proposed by Nehemiah was certain to affect their vested interests and to
reveal their cruel selfishness. Certain of their families had also
intermarried with neighboring chieftains; and they were quite content with
the existing conditions. A second obstacle was the opposition of the
hostile peoples who surrounded the little Judean community. On the east
the Ammonites had apparently pressed in and occupied the ancient Hebrew
territory as far as the Jordan. Tobiah, the Ammonite, who figures
prominently in Nehemiah's narrative, was probably one of their local
chiefs. Gashmu, the Arabian, represented the half-civilized Bedouin tribes
that had invaded the territory of Judea from the south and east during the
period of weakness following the destruction of Jerusalem. Possibly he
belonged to the Edomites who then held Hebron and all of the southern part
of Judea. Nehemiah also refers to the descendents of Israel's ancient
foes, the Philistines, living in the city of Ashdod. On the north the
superior resources of Samaria had asserted themselves, and these survivors
of the ancient Israelites who lived among the hills of Ephraim had grown
into a powerful nation that overshadowed the struggling Judean community.
These northerners, however, still worshipped at Jerusalem and were closely
allied with the Jews. At their head was Sanballat, the Horonite, who
probably came from Bethhoron, in southwestern Samaria. Each of these
peoples inherited the feeling of hostility with which their fathers had
regarded the people of Judah, and looked with suspicion upon any movement
to re-establish Jerusalem's former strength and prestige. Furthermore, the
men of the Judean community itself lacked courage and training. With
inefficient helpers and with opponents within and without the community,
Nehemiah's task seemed well-nigh impossible. That he succeeded in the face
of all these obstacles in rebuilding the walls in the incredibly short
period of fifty-two days is only explained by his superlative skill,
devotion, and energy.
IV. Nehemiah's Plan of Work. Fortunately Nehemiah possessed resources as
well as tact. He quickly disarmed the opposition and won at least the
nominal support of the leaders by entertaining one hundred and fifty of
them as his guests. Thus he was able to place them under personal
obligation to him, to keep them under close surveillance, and to command
their co-operation. In the second place he appealed to them and to the
people by means of eloquent addresses which reveal his enthusiasm and
devotion. Furthermore, he did not depend upon the reports of others, but
personally studied the situation. His secret mid-night ride down through
the Valley Gate to the southwest of Jerusalem and thence eastward along
the Hinnom Valley to the point where it joins the Kidron, and from there
up the valley, gave him most accurate information regarding conditions. In
most cases the ancient foundations of the city walls still remained. The
first need was to remove the rubbish and where stones had fallen to
replace them. The towers required certain timbers, which were cut probably
from the royal domains to the south of the city. Nehemiah enlisted all
members of the community both within and without Jerusalem. He organized
them under their local leaders and set them to the task in which each was
most interested. Thus the heads of the different villages, the elders of
the leading families, the guilds of workmen, and even the priests, were
all put to work and inspired by the spirit of natural rivalry as well as
common loyalty. Nehemiah himself with his immediate followers directed the
work, and instituted a strict military rule which secured both efficiency
and protection.
V. The Restored Walls. In the light of recent excavations at Jerusalem
it is possible to follow Nehemiah's work in detail. In the destruction of
the walls by the Chaldeans the city had suffered most on the north where
it was nearly level and protected by no descending valleys. Just north of
the temple area a little valley ran up from the Kidron, leaving but a
narrow neck of land connected directly with the plateau on the north. Here
two great towers were restored that probably occupied the site of the
later Roman tower of Antonia. Thence the wall ran westward across the
upper Tyropoean Valley, which was here comparatively level. Numerous
bands of workmen were assigned to this part of the work. The gate of the
old wall was probably identical with the corner gate at the northwestern
end of the city. The Ephraim Gate a little further to the southwest
apparently corresponded to the modern Joppa Gate. From this point a broad
wall ran to the western side of the city where the hill descended rapidly
into the Valley of Hinnom, making its defence easy. At the southwestern
end of the city stood the Tower of the Furnaces and the Valley Gate of
which the foundations have recently been laid bare. The gate itself was
narrow, being only eight feet wide, but the wall was here nine feet in
thickness. The eighteen hundred or two thousand feet of wall along the
Valley of Hinnom was evidently practically intact, for its repair was
Intrusted to but one group of workmen. Across the southern end of the
Tyropoean Valley the ground was almost level, so that a strong wall was
required. Excavations have shown that it was twenty feet thick at its base
and supported by six strong buttresses. The Fountain Gate, through which
ran the main street down the Tyropoean Valley out into the valley of the
Kidron, was the chief southern gate of the city. It was nine feet wide
and defended by a tower about forty-five feet square. Portions of this
ancient thoroughfare, with its stones, worn smooth by the feet of the
inhabitants of the ancient city, have here been uncovered. Just above the
Pool of Siloam, which was within the city walls, was the King's Garden.
Thence the Hill of Ophel ascended rapidly making necessary the stairs
mentioned in Nehemiah 3. The wall on the southeast was readily repaired,
for it ran along the sloping western side of the Kidron Valley. The Water
Gate probably led down to the Virgin's Fount, and the Horse Gate further
to the north opened directly from the Kidron Valley to the public
buildings that occupied the site of Solomon's palace immediately to the
south of the temple. It is the space to-day occupied by the southern end
of the temple area, which was thus extended in the days of Herod. Opposite
the northeastern end of the temple area the wall curved westward until it
reached the great towers that guarded the northern end of the city.
VI. Completion and Dedication of the Walls. Under the inspiration of
Nehemiah's leadership, and as a result of the constant fear of attack, the
building of the walls proceeded rapidly and without interruption. To the
threats of hostile foes Nehemiah paid little heed. Trained in the Persian
court, he saw at once their murderous purpose when they requested a
conference in southwestern Samaria on the border of the Plain of Ono.
Through the treacherous prophets in the Judean community they sought to
play upon his fears and to lead him to compromise himself by taking refuge
in the sacred precincts of the temple, but his courage, as well as his
high respect for the sanctuary, delivered him from the plot. The cry that
he was himself aspiring to the kingship and that his acts were treason
against Persia did not daunt him, and when, in response to their malicious
reports, the order finally came from the Persian king to cease working,
the walls were already rebuilt.
Apparently Nehemiah's original leave of absence was for but a short
period. His kinsman Hanani, who had headed the original deputation to
Susa, and a certain Hananiah were by him placed in charge of the city. To
protect it against sudden attack its gates were closed at night and not
opened until the middle of the following forenoon. Effective measures
were also instituted to increase its population. When the work of
rebuilding the walls was complete, Nehemiah arranged for their public
dedication. Starting from the Valley Gate on the southwestern side of the
city, one half of the nobles and the people marched along the southern
and eastern wall, while Nehemiah with the other half of the people
proceeded along the western and northern wall. Finally meeting on the
northern side of the temple area, the two companies blended their voices
in thanksgiving to Jehovah who at last had made it possible for them to
worship him in his sanctuary secure from attack.
Nehemiah had reorganized the Judean community, rebuilt their walls, and
inspired them with a new sense of self-respect; thus he made possible
that genuine revival of the Judean state that took place during the
succeeding centuries. He, like Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and the II
Isaiah, was indeed one of the makers of Judaism. Ben Sira with true
insight declared (49:13):
The memorial of Nehemiah is great,
Who raised up for us the walls that were fallen,
And set up the gates and bars,
And raised up our homes again.
Section CI. NEHEMIAH'S SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS REFORMS
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:1, 2]
Thus saith Jehovah,
Guard justice and practice righteousness.
For my deliverance is near at hand, and my righteousness is soon to be
revealed.
Happy the man who practices, the mortal who holds fast to it,
Keeping the sabbath so as not to profane it, and keeping his hand from
evil.
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:3-5]
Let not the foreigner who hath joined himself to Jehovah say,
'Jehovah will surely separate me from his people.'
And let not the eunuch say, 'Behold I am a dry tree.'
For thus saith Jehovah to the eunuchs, 'Those who keep my sabbaths,
And choose that in which I delight, and hold fast to my covenant,
I will give them in my house and walls a monument,
And a name better than sons and daughters,
An everlasting name will I give them which cannot be cut off.
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:6-8]
And the foreigners who join themselves to Jehovah to minister to him,
And to love the name of Jehovah, to be his servants,
Every one who keeps the sabbath so as not to pollute it and faithfully
abides by my covenant--
Them will I bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of
prayer;
Their burnt-offerings and sacrifices will be accepted upon my altar;
For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
It is the oracle of Jehovah, who gathereth the outcasts of Israel,
'I will gather still others to him in addition to those already gathered.'
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:9-12]
O all ye wild beasts of the field come to devour, all ye wild beasts of
the forest!
My watchmen are all blind, they know not how to give heed,
They are all dumb dogs which cannot bark,
Dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
And the dogs are greedy, they know not how to be satisfied,
They all turn to their own way, each for his own profit [saying],
Come, I will get wine, and we will drink our fill of strong drink,
And to-morrow shall be as to-day, an exceedingly great day!
[Sidenote: Isa. 58:2-4]
Cry with full throat, be not silent!
Like a trumpet lift up thy voice,
Make known to my people their transgression,
And to the house of Jacob their sin.
Me indeed they consult daily,
And to know my ways is their delight.
As a nation that hath done righteousness,
And hath not forsaken the law of its God!
They ask me regarding righteous judgments,
To draw near to God is their delight!
'Why have we fasted and thou seest not,
Mortified ourselves and thou dost not notice?'
Behold, on your fast day ye follow your own pleasure,
And ye exact all money lent on pledge.
Behold ye fast for strife and contention,
And to smite the poor with the fist.
Your fasting to-day is not such
As to make your voice heard on high.
[Sidenote: Cor. Isa. 58:5-7]
Can such be the fast which I choose,
A day when a man mortifies himself?
To droop one's head like a bulrush,
And to lie down in sackcloth and ashes?
Wilt thou call this a fast,
And a day acceptable to Jehovah?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
To loose the fetters of injustice,
To untie the bands of violence,
To set free those who are crushed,
To tear apart every yoke?
[Sidenote: Cor. Isa. 58:8-12]
Is it not to share thy bread with the hungry,
And to bring the wanderers to thy home?
When thou seest the naked, to cover him,
And not hide thyself from thine own flesh?
Then shall thy light break forth as the dawn,
Thy restoration quickly spring forth,
And thy righteousness shall go before thee,
The glory of Jehovah shall be thy reward;
Then when thou callest Jehovah will answer,
When thou criest out he will say, Here am I.
If from thy midst thou remove the yoke,
The finger of scorn, and mischievous speech,
And bestow thy bread upon the hungry,
And satisfy the soul that is afflicted;
Then shall thy light shine forth in darkness,
And thy gloom shall be as noonday,
Jehovah will lead thee continually,
And will satisfy thy soul in parched lands,
And thy strength will he renew,
Thou shalt be like a watered garden,
As a fountain whose waters fail not.
Thy sons shall rebuild the ancient ruins,
Thou shalt rear again the foundations of olden days;
And men shall call thee, Repairer of Ruins,
Restorer of Ruined Places for Inhabiting.
[Sidenote: Neh. 5:1-5]
Then there was a loud complaint from the common people and their wives
against their fellow-countrymen the Jews. For there were those who were
saying, 'We must give our sons and our daughters in pledge to secure grain
that we may eat and live.' Some also there were who were saying, 'We must
mortgage our fields and our vineyards and our houses, that we may get
grain because of the dearth.' There were also those who were saying, 'We
have borrowed money for the king's tribute. Yet now our flesh is as the
flesh of our brothers, our children as their children; but now, we must
ring our sons and our daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters
have already thus been brought into bondage, neither is it in our power to
help it, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.'
[Sidenote: Neh. 5:6-11]
Then I was very angry when I heard their complaint and these statements.
And I took counsel with myself, and contended with the nobles and rulers,
and said to them, 'You exact usury each of his brother.' And I held a
great assembly against them. And I said to them, 'We ourselves have,
according to our ability, redeemed our fellow-countrymen the Jews, who
have been sold to the heathen; and would you yourselves sell your
fellow-countrymen, and should they sell themselves to us?' Then they were
silent and could not find a word to say. Therefore I said, 'The thing that
you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God,
because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? For I also, my kinsmen
and my servants, lend them money and grain. Let us, therefore, leave off
this usury. Restore to them this day their fields, their vineyards, their
oliveyards, and their houses, also the usury of the money and of the
grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, that you exact from them.'
[Sidenote: Neh. 5:12, 13]
Then they said, 'We will restore them and will demand nothing from them;
we will do just as you say.' Then I called the priests and took an oath of
them, that they would do according to this promise. Also I shook out the
fold of my garment, and said, 'So may God shake out every man from his
house and from the fruit of his labor, who does not fulfil this promise;
even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.' And all the assembly said,
'So may it be.' And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to
this promise.
[Sidenote: Neh. 5:14-19]
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in
The land of Judah, from the twentieth year (445 B.C.) even to the
thirty-second year (432) of Artaxerxes the king, that is for twelve years,
I and my kinsmen had not eaten the bread which was due me as governor. But
the former governors who were before me were a source of expense to the
people, and took of them bread and wine, and also forty shekels of silver
each day; and furthermore their servants oppressed the people. But I did
not so, because of the fear of God. I also devoted myself to this work on
the wall, and we did not buy any land; and all my servants were gathered
there for the work. Also the Jews and the rulers, a hundred and fifty men,
besides those who came to us from among the surrounding nations, were at
my table. Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six
choice sheep and fowls. These were prepared at my expense, and once in ten
days wine in abundance for all the people. Yet with all this I did not
demand the bread which was due me as governor, because the public service
rested heavily upon this people. Remember to my credit, O my God, all that
I have done for this people.
[Sidenote: Neh. 13:1-9]
Now before my return from the king, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed
over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah, had
prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they had stored the
cereal-offerings, the incense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, the
new wine, and the oil. But during this time I had not been at Jerusalem;
for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the
king. Then after some time I asked leave of the king, and I came to
Jerusalem and discovered the crime that Eliashib had committed for the
Sake of Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the court of the house of
God. And it displeased me greatly; therefore I cast all the household
possessions of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave command that they
should cleanse the chambers, and I brought there again the vessels of the
house of God, with the cereal-offerings and the incense.
[Sidenote: Neh. 13:10-14]
And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them;
so that the Levites and the singers, who performed the service had each
fled to his field. Then I contended with the rulers and said, 'Why is the
house of God forsaken?' And I gathered them together and placed them at
their posts. And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine
and the oil into the store-rooms. And I appointed in charge of the
store-rooms: Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the
Levite; for they were considered faithful, and their business was to
distribute to their kinsmen. Remember me, O my God, concerning this and
forget not all my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and
for its services.
[Sidenote: Neh. 13:15-22]
At that time I saw in Judah some men treading wine-presses on the sabbath
and bringing in heaps of grain and loading asses, as also wine, grapes,
figs, and all kinds of burdens, and that they were bringing them into
Jerusalem on the sabbath; and I warned them when they sold provisions.
Tyrians also dwelt therein, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares,
and sold on the sabbath to the inhabitants of Judah and in Jerusalem. Then
I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, 'What evil thing is
this that you are doing, and thereby profaning the sabbath? Did not your
fathers do thus and did not our God bring all this calamity upon them and
upon us and upon this city? Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by
profaning the sabbath.' Accordingly, when it began to be dark, the gates
of Jerusalem were shut before the sabbath; and I gave command that they
should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I placed some of my
servants in charge of the gates, and commanded that no burden should be
brought in on the sabbath. So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of
wares spent the night without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them
and said to them, 'Why do you spend the night before the wall? If ye do
so again, I will lay hands on you.' From that time forth they came no more
on the sabbath. Remember, O my God, this also to my credit and show me
mercy according to the greatness of thy loving-kindness.
[Sidenote: Neh. 13:23-27]
At that time also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of
Ammon, and of Moab. And their children spoke half in the language of
Ashdod, but none of them could speak in the Jews' language, but according
to the language of each people. And I contended with them and cursed them
and struck some of them and pulled out their hair and made them swear by
God, saying, 'You shall not give your daughters to their sons nor take
their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon
king of Israel sin by these acts? Yet among many nations there was no king
like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all
Israel; nevertheless foreign women led him into sin. Shall it also be
reported of you that you do all this great evil, to trespass against our
God in marrying foreign women?'
[Sidenote: Neh. 13:28, 29]
And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was
the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the covenant of the
Priesthood and of the Levites.
[Sidenote: Neh. 13:30, 31]
Thus I cleansed them from all foreigners and fixed the duties for the
priests and the Levites, each for his appointed task, and the bringing of
wood for the service at appointed times, and the first-fruits. Remember
it, O my God, to my credit.
I. Cruelty and Hypocrisy of the Jewish Leaders. The fifty-sixth chapter
of Isaiah presents a sharp contrast: on the one hand a high ideal of
justice toward the oppressed and tolerance toward all foreigners who
sincerely desired to unite in Jehovah's worship; on the other the sordid
selfishness of the Jewish leaders, who disregarded their responsibilities
and thought of religion only as a round of ceremonial observances. The
situation is very similar to that in Northern Israel in the days of Amos.
The II Isaiah stands on the same platform as did his predecessors of the
Assyrian period. He strips fearlessly from the rulers of the community the
mantle of hypocrisy with which they sought to cover their shame. In
clearest terms he declares that their first duty to God is to loose the
fetters of injustice and to share their bread with the hungry. This
stirring prophetic message is the natural introduction to the reformatory
work of Nehemiah.
II. Nehemiah's Method of Correcting the Social Evils in the Community.
Nehemiah's address recorded in the fifth chapter of his memoirs completes
the picture suggested in Isaiah 56 and 58. The poor had been compelled by
their poverty to sell their children into slavery to the rich and ruling
class. In order to pay their personal taxes they had also mortgaged their
inherited fields, vineyards, and houses. Doubtless much of the tax thus
raised went into the pockets of their rulers, who preyed mercilessly upon
the helpless and needy. These crimes directly violated the laws of
Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 23:9, 20), as well as those in the older Book of
the Covenant (Ex. 21-23). Nehemiah's position, therefore, when he demanded
that these evils be righted, was unassailable. In the spirit and with the
methods of the earlier prophets he gathered together the people, probably
within the precincts of the temple court, and plainly and unsparingly
denounced their acts. There is much in common between this later Jewish
layman and the shepherd Amos. Each spoke on the basis of close personal
observation and experience; but Nehemiah possessed many advantages over
the prophets who had preceded him. His own personal example lent force to
his words. Although it was his right as governor, he had exacted no
tribute from the Judean community. Even though the opportunity had
probably offered itself, he steadily refused to take their hereditary land
from the poor who applied to him for loans of money or grain. Instead of
enslaving his countrymen, he had lost no opportunity to free those who had
been forced by misfortune or poverty into slavery. He had also entertained
lavishly rich and poor alike, and thus given to all an example of
practical charity. His authority as Persian governor doubtless carried
great weight with the cringing, greedy leaders at Jerusalem. Above all,
the force of his personality was irresistible. It is easy to imagine the
powerful impression which his words made upon them. The restoration of
their lands and the freeing of their children were undoubtedly mighty
factors in arousing the men of Jerusalem to those herculean efforts which
alone made possible the rebuilding of the walls in the brief period of
fifty-two days.
III. The Historical Value of Nehemiah 13. In his _Composition of
Ezra-Nehemiah_ (pp. 44-49) Professor Torrey, of Yale, maintains that this
chapter is a pure creation of the Chronicler. Certainly its phraseology
and the subjects with which it deals are characteristic of the Chronicler,
but on the whole it is probable that he has here simply recast what was
originally an extract from the memoirs of Nehemiah. Some of the phrases
peculiar to the Chronicler are loosely connected with the context. The
nucleus which remains has the vigorous style of Nehemiah and many of his
peculiar idioms. Its courageous, assertive spirit is very different from
that of the other writings of the Chronicler. It is also doubtful whether
this later writer, with his strong, priestly interests, would have made
Nehemiah, the layman, a religious reformer and therefore in a sense the
rival of Ezra. Above all, the work attributed to Nehemiah in this
chapter is in harmony with his spirit and attitude, as revealed in the
unquestioned extracts from his memoirs. Already, as stated in 1:20, he had
told Sanballat and Tobiah that they should have no portion or memorial in
Jerusalem. He had already shown himself keen in righting wrongs within the
community. Zeal in preserving the sanctity of the sabbath and in opposing
heathen marriages was characteristic rather of the Jews of the dispersion
than of those of Palestine. It is probable, therefore, that this chapter
records Nehemiah's work when he revisited Jerusalem some time after 432
B.C., although it must be frankly confessed that the historical evidence
is far from conclusive and that the entire account of this second visit,
including the chronological data in 5:14 and the reference to the
expulsion of Sanballat in 1:20, may possibly be due to the Chronicler's
desire to discredit the Samaritans and to enlist the authority of Nehemiah
in support of the later priestly laws and customs.
IV. Regulations Regarding the Temple Service. The expulsion of Tobiah
the Ammonite from the room which had been assigned him in the temple by
Eliashib, the high priest, was apparently due to two reasons, first
because Tobiah was _persona non grata_ to Nehemiah and had already shown
himself a dangerous foe to the Jews. The second and chief reason was
because the room was needed for storing the offerings that were brought in
for the support of the temple officials. These offerings were presented in
accordance with the demands of the Deuteronomic regulation, which at this
time was the code acknowledged by the Judean community (Deut. 18:4.
14:23, 27, 28). The narrative adds that, with his practical knowledge of
affairs, Nehemiah appointed a representative committee consisting of a
priest, a scribe, and a Levite, and to them he intrusted the task of
receiving and distributing the temple tithes to their kinsmen.
V. Provisions Regarding Sabbath Observation and Foreign Marriages. Far
away from the temple, and therefore unable to participate in the
distinctive feasts and ceremonials that distinguished the religious life
of their race, and confronted by the constant danger of being absorbed by
the heathen among whom they found themselves, the Jews of the dispersion
placed strong emphasis on two institutions. The one was the observation of
the sabbath and the other was the preservation of the purity of their
blood by abstaining from all marriage alliances with their Gentile
neighbors. In Palestine, where they were able to revive the ancient feasts
in connection with the temple, and where the danger of absorption was not
so imminent, their practices in these regards appear to have been much
more lax. Not only had the priests set the example by contracting foreign
marriages, but apparently about this time the author of the beautiful
story of Ruth, by citing the tradition regarding the Moabite ancestry of
their illustrious King David, voiced the belief of many in the community
that such marriages were permissible. Nehemiah, however, rigorously
opposed this tendency. He also appreciated the menace to the dignity and
character of the temple service, if the commercial pursuits of ordinary
days were carried into the sabbath. His measure, therefore, in closing the
gates and thus excluding all traders, was both sane and effective. In
setting his face strongly against foreign marriages he was simply
enforcing the laws found in Deuteronomy 7:1, 3 and 33:3, which forbade the
Hebrews to intermarry with the people of the land.
VI. Significance of Nehemiah's Work. In rebuilding the walls of
Jerusalem Nehemiah prepared the way for that revival of the Jewish state
which characterized the closing years of the Persian period. More
important still was his work in re-establishing a close relation between
the Jews of the dispersion and those of Palestine. He himself was the
connecting link between them, and his activity prepared the minds of the
Palestinian Jews for the acceptance of those new principles that were
strongly held by leaders like himself. He also enforced the ethical and
social ideals of the earlier prophets, and ably advocated the principles
that are fundamental in the late priestly laws. Above all, in his own
personality as a prophetic layman, he held up before his race an example
of patriotism, self-sacrifice, efficiency, and devotion to the service
of Jehovah which made a profound and lasting impression upon his own and
later generations.
Section CII. THE TRADITIONAL ACCOUNT OF THE ADOPTION OF THE PRIESTLY
LAW
[Sidenote: Ezra 7:1, 6-10]
In the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra, a descendant of Aaron,
went up from Babylon; and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses,
which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given. And the king granted him all
his request, inasmuch as the hand of Jehovah his God was upon him. And
some of the Israelites, and of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the
porters, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem [with him]. And he
came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the
king. For on the first day of the first month he began the journey from
Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem,
since the good hand of God was with him. For Ezra had set his heart to
seek the law of Jehovah, and to observe it and to teach in Israel statutes
and ordinances.
[Sidenote: Neh. 7:73b, 8:4-6]
And when the seventh month drew near, all the people gathered themselves
together as one man to the broad place that was before the Water Gate. And
they spoke to Ezra the priest and scribe to bring the book of the law of
Moses, which Jehovah had commanded Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the
law before the assembly of men and women, and all who could hear with
understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read from
it before the open place that was before the Water Gate, from early
morning until mid-day, in the presence of the men and women and of those
who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the
law. And Ezra the priest and scribe stood upon a wooden pulpit, which they
made for the purpose and opened the book in the sight of all the
people--for he was above all the people--and when he opened it all the
people stood up. And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God. And all the
people answered, Amen, Amen, while they lifted up their hands and bowed
their heads and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.
[Sidenote: Neh. 8:9-12]
Then Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people
said to all the people, This day is holy to Jehovah your God; mourn not,
nor weep; for all the people when they heard the words of the law. Then he
said to them, Go away, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions
to him for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and
do not be troubled, for the joy of Jehovah is your bulwark. So the Levites
quieted all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy, and do not
be troubled. And all the people went away to eat and drink and to send
portions and to make a great rejoicing, for they had understood the words
which had been made known to them.
[Sidenote: Neh. 8:13-19]
And on the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, the
priests and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, in
order to gain an insight into the words of the law. And they found written
in the law, how Jehovah had commanded by Moses that the Israelites should
dwell in booths at the feast in the seventh month; and that they should
proclaim aloud in all their cities and in Jerusalem: Go forth to the
mount and bring olive branches and branches of wild olive and myrtle and
palm branches and branches of thick trees to make booths, as it is
prescribed. So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves
booths, each man upon the roof of his house and in their courts and in
the courts of the house of God and in the open space at the Water Gate and
in the open space at the Ephraim Gate. And all the assembly of those who
had come back from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths; for
since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the Israelites had not
done so. And there was very great gladness. And day by day, from the first
to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they
celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day, as was the custom,
there was a concluding solemn assembly.
[Sidenote: Neh. 9:1-3]
Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites were assembled
with fasting, and with sackcloth and earth upon their heads. And the
children of Israel had separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood
and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they
stood up in their place and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their
God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed and
worshipped Jehovah their God.
[Sidenote: Neh. 9:6-8]
And Ezra said, Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven
and the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all things
that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest
them all and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. Thou art Jehovah the
God, who didst choose Abraham and bring him forth out of Ur of the
Chaldees, and didst give him the name Abraham, and find his heart
faithful before thee and make a covenant with him to give the land of the
Canaanites to his descendants, and hast performed thy words, for thou art
righteous.
[Sidenote: Neh. 9:32-37]
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who
keepest covenant and kindness, let not all the affliction seem little
before thee, that hath come on us, on our kings, our nobles, our priests,
our prophets, our fathers, and on all thy people, since the days of the
kings of Assyria to this day. However thou art just in all that has come
upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly, neither have
our kings, our nobles, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law nor
heeded thy commands and thy testimonies with which thou didst testify
against them. For they have not served thee in the time of their kingly
rule, and in spite of thy great goodness that thou gavest them, they have
not turned from their wicked deeds. Behold, we this day are slaves, and as
for the land that thou gavest to our fathers to eat its fruit and enjoy
its good gifts, see we are only slaves in it. And it yieldeth a great
income to the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sin; also
they have power over our bodies and over our cattle, at their pleasure,
and we are in great distress.
[Sidenote: Neh. 9:38]
Moreover in addition to all this we made a fixed covenant and wrote it
out, and our nobles, our Levites, and our priests were enrolled upon the
sealed document.
[Sidenote: Neh. 10:28-31]
And all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands
to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one
who had knowledge and insight, strongly supported their kinsmen, their
nobles, and entered into a solemn obligation and took oath to walk in
God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe
and do all the commands of Jehovah our Lord, and his ordinances and his
statutes; and that we would neither give our daughters to the peoples of
the land nor take their daughters as wives for our sons; and that, if the
peoples of the land should bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to
sell, we would not buy of them on the sabbath or on a holy day; and that
on the seventh year we would leave the land uncultivated and would refrain
from the exaction of any debt.
[Sidenote: Neh. 10:32-39]
We also imposed upon ourselves the obligation to give yearly the third
part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God, for the bread
that was set forth, and for the continual burnt-offering, for the
sabbaths, the new moons, the fixed feasts, and the holy things, and for
the sin-offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of
the house of our God. And we cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the
people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God,
according to our father's houses, at appointed times year by year, to burn
upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is prescribed in the law; and to
bring the earliest products of our ground, and the first of all fruit of
every kind of tree year by year, to the temple of Jehovah; also the
first-born of our sons and of our cattle, as is prescribed in the law, and
the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of
God to the priests who minister in the house of our God; and that we
should bring the first bread baked of our dough, the fruit of every kind
of tree, the new wine and the oil, to the priests, in the chambers of the
house of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites; and that
they, the Levites, should receive the tithes in all the cities of our
agricultural districts. And that the priest the son of Aaron should be
with the Levites, when the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes
to the house of our God, to the chambers, into the store-house. For the
Israelites and the sons of Levi shall bring the gifts of grain, of new
wine, and of oil, into the chambers, where are the vessels of the
sanctuary, and the priests who minister and the porters and the singers,
and that we would not neglect the house of our God.
I. The Ezra Tradition. The tradition regarding Ezra and his work
presents many difficult problems. Part of it is found in the heart of the
book of Nehemiah; while another part is now found in the second half of
the book of Ezra. It is not entirely clear whether this dislocation is due
to the Chronicler, who desired to give Ezra, the priest and scribe, the
precedence before Nehemiah, the layman, or to the mistake of a scribe. A
recent writer (Professor Torrey, in _Composition of Ezra-Neh_.) has shown
convincingly that the Ezra story in its present form is at least from the
school to which the Chronicler belonged, if not from his own pen. Not only
does it abound in the characteristic phrases of this voluminous editor,
but it also reflects at many points his peculiar conception of the history
of this period. Ezra is described as a descendant of Aaron and "a scribe
skilled in the law of Moses." His work as interpreter of the law, which he
is represented as bringing in his hand, is typical of the scribes, who
were becoming the chief teachers of Judaism in the days of the Chronicler
(the Greek period). The decree of Artaxerxes found in the seventh chapter
of Ezra suggests at every point its late Jewish origin. It confers upon
Ezra, the scribe, royal authority far eclipsing that given by Artaxerxes
to Nehemiah, his favorite. A sum representing more than three million
dollars is placed at Ezra's disposal. At his summons seventeen hundred
priests, Levites, singers, and servants of the temple rally about the
standard of the faithful scribe. He is represented as going under the
royal protection to Palestine to instruct the Judean community, to reform
its abuses, and to institute the rule of the law of Moses which he bore in
his hand.
He first holds a great synagogue service in which the law is read and
interpreted to the people. They are then bidden to observe the Feast
of Booths or Tabernacles in accordance with its regulations. Later, when
he discovers that the people of the land have entered into foreign
marriages, he tears his clothes and hair and sits for hours overwhelmed
by the great crime that rests upon the community. When the people are
gathered about him, he upbraids them for their laxness and secures the
appointment of a commission with himself at the head to investigate and
put an end to these evil practices. When after three months the community
has been purified from this foreign element, the people are again
assembled to listen to the reading of the law. Then Ezra utters a fervent
prayer in which he sets forth Jehovah's leadership of his people in the
past and the disasters which have come as a result of their sins. After
this public petition for Jehovah's forgiveness, the people through their
nobles, Levites, and priests subscribe in writing to the regulations
imposed by the lawbook that Ezra had brought. Its more important
regulations are also recapitulated. They are to refrain from foreign
marriages, to observe strictly the sabbath laws, and also the requirements
of the seventh year of release, to bring to the temple the annual tax of
one-tenth of a shekel and the other dues required for its support and for
the maintenance of the priests and Levites.
II. The Historical Value of the Ezra Tradition. Recognizing that the
Ezra tradition comes from the hand of the Chronicler, certain Old
Testament scholars are inclined to regard it as entirely unhistorical.
It can no longer be regarded as a strictly historical record. Like II
Chronicles 31, it is shot through with the ideas current during the Greek
period. With no desire to deceive, but with nothing of the modern
historical spirit, the Chronicler freely projects the institutions, ideas,
and traditions of his own day into these earlier periods. The result is
that he has given not an exact or reliable historical record, but his own
conception of the way in which the course of history should have unfolded.
The Ezra tradition also lacks the support not only of contemporary
testimony, but also of all the Jews who wrote during the next few
centuries. Ben Sira in his review of Israel's heroes speaks in highest
terms of Nehemiah, but knows nothing of Ezra's work. Even the
comparatively late Jewish tradition reflected in the opening chapters of
II Maccabees attributes to Nehemiah the re-establishment of the temple
Service and the collection of the sacred writings of his race. At many
points the Ezra tradition is also inconsistent with the straightforward
contemporary record contained in Nehemiah's memoirs. The real question
is whether or not there is a historical nucleus in the Ezra story, and
if so, what are the facts which it reflects.
III. The Facts Underlying the Ezra Tradition. The later records make it
clear that during the latter part of the Persian period the attitude of
the Jews in Palestine toward their neighbors became more and more
exclusive. Nehemiah appears to have given a great impetus to the movement
which ultimately resulted in the Samaritan schism and the high wall that
henceforth separated Jew and Gentile. The emphasis on the strict
observation of the sabbath grew stronger and stronger, until at the
beginning of the Greek period the Jews of Jerusalem preferred to fall
before the sword of their foes rather than fight on the sabbath day (cf.
Section CIII). The ritual of the temple became even more elaborate, and
its income was greatly increased during the latter part of the Persian
period. The extension of the territory of the Judean community implied
that its numbers were increased by the return of loyal Jews attracted by
the security offered by its walls and by the new spirit that animated the
Jews of Palestine. The priestly laws which were formulated to meet the new
needs of the Judean community appear to have been written in Palestine and
by those closely connected with the temple service, but in the emphasis
upon the sabbath and in their endeavor to prevent marriage with foreigners
they suggest the presence and influence of Jews who had returned from the
land of the dispersion. It is possible that among those who thus returned
was the priest Ezra, and he may have been at the head of one of these
groups of returning exiles. In the days of Josiah the code contained in
the newly discovered Book of the Covenant was presented to the people in a
public assembly and adopted and enforced by the king, who acted as the
representative of the people (Section LXXXIII:iii). It is probable that in
the small Judean community new regulations gained acceptance in the same
way, except that the people were represented by their nobles and priests
rather than by a king. The tradition of Ezra, therefore, is typical of the
great movement that shaped the life of Judaism in the century immediately
following the work of Nehemiah.
IV. Origin and Aims of the Priestly Laws. The late priestly laws which
moulded the life of Judaism are found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus,
and Numbers. They do not constitute a unified code, but rather are
made up of a series of smaller groups of laws, the older nucleus
being the Holiness Code found in chapters 17-26 of Leviticus (cf. Section
XCIII:iii). In some cases variants of the same law are found in different
groups. Certain of these laws simply reiterate in slightly different form
those already found in the primitive and Deuteronomic codes; but in
general they supplement these earlier codes. The formulation, collection,
and codification of these later laws apparently continued until toward the
latter part of the Persian period when the Samaritan schism (Section CIII)
fixed them in their present form.
To these laws was prefixed, as an introduction, the priestly history that
opens with the account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis and
briefly traces Israel's history to the settlement in Canaan. The interest
of these late priestly historians is, like that of the Chronicler, in the
origin of institutions. Thus the object of the first chapter of Genesis is
to give the traditional origin and authority of the sabbath. The account
of the flood culminates in a covenant embodying the command that man shall
not eat of the blood of sacrificial animals; the priestly stories
regarding Abraham aim to give the origin of the rite of circumcision.
Israel's early experiences in the wilderness furnish the setting for the
giving of the law at Sinai. In this way the late editors of these opening
books of the Old Testament connect all of Israel's legislation with Moses
and aim to establish its divine authority.
V. Their Important Regulations. The central aim in all these late
priestly laws was similar to that of Ezekiel: it was to make Israel a
holy people and to prevent them from falling again into the sins to which
were attributed the overwhelming disasters that had overtaken them. This
aim they sought to accomplish: (1) by making the temple and its services
the centre of the life of the people and through ceremonial barriers and
regulations to shield it from everything that might pollute it; (2) by
rendering the temple service attractive; (3) by insuring through rigid
ceremonial laws the purity of its priesthood; (4) by preserving the
ceremonial cleanliness of the people through strict laws regarding the
food which they ate and elaborate provisions for their purification in
case they were contaminated by contact with that which was regarded as
unclean; (5) by prohibiting absolutely all marriages with the heathen; and
(6) by emphasizing the rigid observation of the sabbath and other
distinctive institutions. In general these late priestly laws represented
a return to the older and more primitive conception of religion, and
defined duty in terms of ceremonial rather than moral acts.
VI. Their Practical Effects. Later Judaism represents to a great extent
the result of the rigid enforcement of these regulations. Its life was
centralized more and more about the temple. In its services the people
found their chief interest and joy. The numbers of the priests and Levites
were also greatly increased. To the older temple dues many new ones were
added. Thus each man brought to the temple the first-born of his flock.
Even his oldest son must be redeemed within a month after his birth by a
gift of five shekels (which represented in modern currency between three
and four dollars). Of every animal slain the shoulder, two joints, and the
stomach went to the priests. Of the vintage and oil and grain they
received about one-fiftieth. In addition a tithe was turned over to the
Levites. Part of the wool in every sheep-shearing, as well as a part of
the bread which they baked, found its way to the temple. In addition a
large income came through the vows made by the people or the conscience
money which was paid either in currency or gifts. Although the priests had
no temporal authority by which to enforce these laws, it is evident that
the people bore their heavy burdens gladly and brought willingly their
offerings, that they might thereby win a definite assurance of Jehovah's
favor. The law was to them a source of joy rather than a burden. Their
love for it steadily grew until two centuries later during the Maccabean
persecutions there were many who were ready to lay down their lives for it.
Section CIII. THE JEWISH STATE DURING THE LAST CENTURY OF PERSIAN RULE
[Sidenote: Ps. 36:5-10]
Thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens,
Thy faithfulness reacheth to the skies,
Thy righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Thy judgments are like the great deep;
Thou preservest man and beast.
How precious is thy loving-kindness, O God!
And the sons of men put their trust in the shadow of thy wings.
They are fully satisfied with the rich things of thy house,
And thou makest them drink of thy river of delights.
For with thee is the fountain of life,
And in thy light shall we see light.
O continue thy loving-kindness to those who know thee,
And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
[Sidenote: Joel 2:1, 2b]
The word of Jehovah, which came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:
Blow a horn in Zion,
Sound an alarm in my holy mountain,
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of Jehovah comes,
For near is the day of darkness and gloom,
The day of cloud and thick darkness!
[Sidenote: Joel 2:2c-6]
Like the light of dawn scattered over the mountains,
A people great and powerful;
Its like has not been from of old,
Neither shall be any more after it,
Even to the years of coming ages.
Before them the fire devours,
And behind them a flame burns;
Like the garden of Eden is the land before them,
And after them it is a desolate desert,
Yea, nothing escapes them.
Their appearance is as the appearance of horses,
And like horsemen they run.
Like the sound of chariots on the tops of the mountains they leap,
Like the crackle of flames devouring stubble,
Like a mighty people preparing for battle.
Peoples are in anguish before them,
All faces glow with excitement.
[Sidenote: Joel 2:7-9]
Like mighty men they run,
Like warriors they mount up a wall,
They march each by himself,
They break not their ranks,
None jostles the other,
They march each in his path,
They fall upon the weapons without breaking,
They scour the city, they run on the wall,
They climb up into the houses,
Like a thief they enter the windows.
[Sidenote: Joel 2:10-11]
Earth trembles before them,
Heaven quakes,
The sun and the moon become dark,
And the stars withdraw their shining;
And Jehovah uttereth this voice before his army,
For his host is exceedingly great,
Yea, mighty is he who performs his word,
For great is the day of Jehovah,
It is very terrible, who can abide it?
[Sidenote: Joel 2:12-14]
But now this is the oracle of Jehovah:
Turn ye to me with all your heart,
And with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Rend your hearts and not your garments,
And turn to Jehovah your God;
For he indeed is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger and plenteous in love,
And relenteth of the evil.
Who knows but he will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind him,
A cereal and drink-offering for Jehovah your God?
[Sidenote: Joel 2:16-17]
Blow a horn in Zion,
Sanctify a fast, summon an assembly,
Gather the people, make holy the congregation,
Assemble the old men,
Gather the children, and the infants at the breast,
Let the bridegroom come forth from his chamber,
And the bride from her bridal tent.
Between the porch and the altar,
Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep aloud,
Let them say, Spare, O Jehovah, thy people,
And make not thine heritage an object of reproach,
For the heathen to mock them.
Why should it be said among the nations, Where is their God?
[Sidenote: Joel 2:18-20]
Then Jehovah became jealous for his land, and took pity upon his people,
And Jehovah answered and said to his people,
Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil,
And ye shall be satisfied therewith;
I will not make you again an object of reproach among the nations,
I will remove far from you the northern foe,
And I will drive him into a land barren and desolate,
His van to the eastern sea,
And his rear to the western sea,
And a stench from him shall arise.
[Sidenote: Joel 2:21-24]
Fear not, O land, exult,
And rejoice for Jehovah hath done great things.
Fear not, O beasts of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness are putting forth new grass,
For the trees bear their fruit,
Fig tree and vine yield their strength.
Be glad, then, ye sons of Zion,
And rejoice in Jehovah your God,
For he hath given you the early rain in just measure,
And poured down upon you the winter rain,
And sent the latter rain as before.
The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
[Sidenote: Joel 2:25-27]
I will make restoration to you for the years which the swarmer hath eaten,
The devourer, the destroyer, and the shearer,
My great army which I sent among you,
And ye shall eat your food and be satisfied,
And praise the name of Jehovah your God,
Who hath dealt so wonderfully by you,
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
That I am Jehovah your God and none else,
And my people shall nevermore be abashed.
[Sidenote: Joel 2:28, 29]
And it shall come to pass afterwards,
That I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh,
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions,
And even upon thy male and female slaves,
In those days I will pour out my spirit.
[Sidenote: (Jos. Ant. XI, 7:1)]
When Eliashib the high priest was dead, his son Judas succeeded him in the
high priesthood. Then, when he was dead, his son Johanan assumed that
dignity. It was on his account that Bagoses, the general of Artaxerxes
[Mnemon], desecrated the temple and imposed tribute on the Jews, that at
public expense they should pay for every lamb fifty shekels. The reason
for this was as follows: Jeshua was the brother of Johanan. Bagoses, who
was Jeshua's friend, promised to secure for him the high priesthood.
Trusting, therefore, in this support, Jeshua quarrelled with Johanan in
The temple and so provoked his brother that, in his anger, Johanan slew
him. On this account the people were enslaved and the temple desecrated by
the Persians. For when Bagoses, the general of Artaxerxes, knew that
Johanan, the high priest of the Jews had slain his own brother Jeshua in
the temple, he immediately came against the Jews and began in anger to say
to them, Have you dared commit a murder in your temple! And when he
attempted to go into the temple they tried to prevent him doing so; but he
said to them, Am I not purer than he who was slain in the temple? And when
he had said these words, he went into the temple. Thus Bagoses made use of
this pretext and punished the Jews seven years for the murder of Jeshua.
[Sidenote: (Jos. Ant. XI, 7:2)]
Now when Johanan had departed this life, his son Jaddua succeeded to the
high priesthood. He had a brother whose name was Manasseh. And there was a
certain Sanballat who was sent to Samaria by Darius, the last king of
Persia. This man, knowing that Jerusalem was a famous city and that its
kings had given great trouble to the Assyrians and the people of
Coele-Syria, willingly gave his daughter, whose name was Nicaso, in
marriage to Manasseh, thinking that this marriage alliance would be a
pledge that the nation of the Jews would continue their good will toward
him.
[Sidenote: (Jos. Ant. XI, 8:2a-c)]
The elders of Jerusalem, complaining loudly that the brother of Jaddua,
the high priest, though married to a foreigner, was sharing with him the
high priesthood, took sides against Jaddua; for they regarded this man's
marriage as an encouragement to those who were eager to transgress by
marrying foreign wives and that this would be the beginning of a closer
association with foreigners. Therefore they commanded Manasseh to divorce
his wife or else not to approach the altar. The high priest himself joined
with the people in their indignation and drove his brother from the altar.
[Sidenote: (Jos. Ant. XI, 8:2d-g)]
Then Manasseh went to his father-in-law, Sanballat, and told him that,
although he loved his daughter, Nicaso, he was not willing to be deprived
on her account of his priestly dignity, since it was the greatest dignity
in their nation and had always continued in the same family. Thereupon
Sanballat promised him not only to preserve for him the honor of his
priesthood but also to procure for him the power and dignity of a high
priest and to make him governor of all the places which he himself ruled,
if he would retain his daughter as his wife. He also told him that he
would build him a temple like that at Jerusalem upon Mount Gerizim, which
is the highest of all the mountains in Samaria. Moreover he promised that
he would do this with the approval of Darius, the king. Manasseh, being
elated with these promises, remained with Sanballat, thinking that he
would gain a high priesthood as the gift from Darius, for Sanballat was
then well advanced in years. Now there was a great disturbance among the
people of Jerusalem because many of the priests and Levites were entangled
in such marriages, for they all revolted to Manasseh, and Sanballat
offered them money and distributed among them land for cultivation and
dwelling places also. He did all this in order in every way to gratify
his son-in-law.
I. Prosperity of the Judean Community. Behind their restored walls the
Jews of Jerusalem enjoyed a sense of security and peace that had not been
theirs since the days of Josiah. At last they were free to develop the
limited resources of little Judah and gradually to extend their territory
northwestward over the fertile plain of Sharon. At the most their numbers
and territory were small. The memories of their glorious past and their
hopes for the future were their chief inspiration. The belief that in
supporting faithfully the service of the temple and in conforming to the
definite demands of the ritual they were winning Jehovah's favor was to
them an unfailing source of comfort and thankfulness. In the rich services
of the temple and in the contemplation of Jehovah's character and deeds
they found true joy. These feelings are expressed in certain of the
psalms, as, for example, Psalm 36, which probably comes from this period.
In their weakness they looked up in confidence and gratitude to Jehovah
who ruled supreme in the heavens, and who was able and eager to preserve
those who "put their trust in the shadow of his wings." Their one prayer
was that his loving-kindness would continue to protect them.
II. The Growth of the Psalter. Nehemiah's work apparently gave an
impulse not only to the development of the law and the temple ritual, but
also inspired poets to voice their own feelings and those of the community
in certain of the psalms now found in the Psalter. It also encouraged them
to collect the earlier religious songs of their race. The result of their
work is the first edition of the Hebrew Psalter. In its present form the
Psalter, like the Pentateuch, is divided into five books with a general
introduction consisting of Psalms 1 and 2 and a concluding doxology (Ps.
150). At the end of each of these divisions are shorter doxologies or
brief epilogues (e.g., 41:13 72:19 89:52 106:48). The Psalter itself is a
library containing a great variety of poems written at different periods,
from many different points of view and by many different poets. Like the
Priestly Code and the book of Proverbs, it consists of a collection of
smaller collections. Thus many psalms in the first half of the Psalter
are repeated wholly or in part in later psalms. Psalm 14, for example, is
identical with Psalm 73, except that in 14 Jehovah is used as the
designation of the Deity and in 73 Elohim (or God).
The problem of determining the date of the individual psalms and of the
different collections is exceedingly difficult, both because the
superscriptions were clearly added by later editors who thought thereby to
connect the psalm with an earlier writer or historic incident, and because
the psalms themselves contain few historical allusions. A great majority
of them reflect the teachings of the pre-exilic prophets or, like the book
of Proverbs, come from the lips of the sages and deal with universal human
problems. Some were written by priests or Levites for use in connection
with the song service of the temple. Because of this timeless quality,
however, an appreciation of them does not depend upon an exact knowledge
of their authorship or historical background. It is possible that a few of
the psalms in the first part of the Psalter come from the pre-exilic
period, but the great majority reflect the problems, the hopes, the fears,
and the trials of the faithful who lived under the shadow of the second
temple. While the superscriptions clearly do not come from the original
psalmists themselves, they do record the conclusions of the editors who
made the earliest collections. The oft-recurring title "Psalm to David"
either means that by the editor it was attributed to David as the author,
or is a general designation of psalms that were recognized to be
comparatively early. The two great Davidic collections, 3-41 and 51-72,
were apparently collected not long after the rebuilding of the walls of
Jerusalem. They are deeply influenced by the inspiring teachings of the
II Isaiah. They are remarkably free from that ceremonialism which became a
powerful force in Judaism during the last century of the Persian rule.
Psalm 51:16, 17, for example, echoes the noble ethical teachings of the
great prophets:
Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it,
Thou delightest not in burnt offering,
The sacrifice of God is a broken heart,
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
They represent, therefore, the oldest edition of the Psalter and the songs
which were probably sung by the temple singers and the people as they
went up to the temple on the great feast days during the closing years of
the Persian period.
III. The Prophecy of Joel. For a brief moment the clear light of
contemporary prophecy is turned upon the Judean community by the little
book of Joel. The immediate occasion was the invasion of a great swarm of
locusts which swept into Judea either from the desert or from the
mountains in the north. It contains in 3:6 the first Old Testament
reference to the Greeks. From 3:2 it is evident that the Jewish race has
already been widely scattered. In 3:2 the hope is expressed that the
time will soon come when strangers shall no longer pass through Jerusalem.
The temple, however, and the city walls (2:9) have already been
rebuilt, indicating that the prophecy followed the work of Nehemiah. The
priests are exceedingly prominent in the life of the community, and Joel,
though a prophet, places great emphasis upon the importance of the ritual.
When the community is threatened by the swarms of locusts, whose advance
he describes with dramatic imagery, he calls upon the people to sanctify
a fast and to summon an assembly, and commands the priests to cry aloud to
Jehovah for deliverance.
IV. Hopes of the Jews. In his prophecy Joel has given a very complete
description of the hopes which the people entertained regarding the coming
day of Jehovah. It is the same day of Jehovah that Zephaniah described
(Section LXXXI:v) and yet the portrait is very different. A divine
judgment is to be pronounced, not upon Jehovah's people, but upon their
foes. Here Joel reveals the influence of Ezekiel's graphic descriptions
found in the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of his prophecy.
Vividly he describes the advance of Israel's hereditary foes. With
Full panoply of war they are pictured as advancing to the Valley of
Jehoshaphat, the valley of judgment (popularly identified with the
Kidron), where Jehovah is to pass sentence upon them. Then suddenly, as
the harvester puts the sickle in the grain, they shall be cut down and
utterly destroyed. Also in the prophet's imagination above this carnage
rises Jerusalem, an impregnable fortress for the people of Israel, holy
and no longer polluted by the presence of heathen invaders. Peace and
prosperity shall then be the lot of Jehovah's people. Above all he will
pour out his purifying, enlightening spirit upon all classes, so that
young and old, slave and free, shall be inspired by the consciousness of
his message and presence in their hearts.
V. Rule of the High Priests. The few facts that have been preserved
regarding the external history of the Judean community during the last
century of the Persian rule are in striking contrast to the inner life and
hopes of the people. At their head were the high priests, whose names we
know, Eliashib, Johanan, and Jaddua. They constituted a hereditary
aristocracy intrenched in the temple, which controlled not only the
religious but also the civil life of the Jews. Like all hierarchies it
lacked the corrective influence of a superior civil authority. The one
safeguard of popular liberties, however, was the written law, which was
fast becoming the absolute authority in the life of the community. To it
the people could appeal even against the decisions of the priests. It
therefore kept alive that inherited democratic spirit which had been the
priceless possession of Israel through all its history.
There is every reason for accepting the detailed account which Josephus
has given of the quarrel between the high priest Johanan and his brother
Joshua which resulted in the murder of the latter within the sacred temple
precincts. Such an opportunity would naturally be improved by the greedy
Persian official to impose an onerous tax upon the Jews. The Elephantine
letter establishes the fact that Johanan was high priest in 411 B.C. and
that Baghohi (of which Bagoses is the Jewish equivalent) was the Persian
satrap. It thus directly confirms the testimony of Josephus. References in
late Greek writings (Solinus XXXV, 6; Syncellus I, 486) suggest that the
Jews about 350 B.C. were involved with the Phoenicians in the rebellion
against Persia. These historians state that at this time Jericho was
captured and destroyed and that a part of the Jewish people were
transported to the province of Hyrcania at the south of the Caspian Sea.
The rebellion was instigated by Tachos, the ruler of Egypt, who about 362
not only shook off the rule of Persia, but invaded Syria and stirred up
the Phoenicians to defy the Persian king. Artaxerxes III, popularly known
as Ochus, proved, however, the last ruler who was able to revive the
waning power of the Persian Empire. At his accession he slew all the
members of the royal family, and throughout his reign (358-337 B.C.) he
trusted chiefly to the unsheathed sword to maintain his authority. In 346
B.C. he finally succeeded in collecting a huge army with which he invaded
Syria and besieged Sidon. Its king betrayed his city into the hands of the
Persians, only to be murdered by the treacherous Ochus. The citizens of
Sidon, recognizing that they would receive no mercy from the hands of
Their conqueror, shut themselves up in their homes and then burned them
Over their heads. According to the Greek historians forty thousand
Phoenicians perished in this revolt.
VI. The Date of the Samaritan Schism. Josephus has given an unusually
full and detailed account of the final schism between the Jews and
Samaritans. He dates it under the high priesthood of Jaddua, who died
shortly after the close of the Persian period. He implies, therefore, that
the schism took place not long before 332 B.C., when Alexander the Great
conquered Palestine. This is also in keeping with the fact that the
Elephantine letter written in 411 B.C. knows nothing of a division
between Jew and Gentile. The fact that at the time of the division the
defecting priests took from Jerusalem the Pentateuch in its final form
strongly confirms the conclusion (as Professor Torrey has pointed out
in his _Ezra Studies_, pp. 324-330) that the Sanballat who ruled over the
Samaritan community was not the contemporary of Nehemiah, but his
grandson, who as an old man was ruling in Samaria at the time when
Alexander conquered the East.
VII. The Nature and Consequences of the Schism. The schism between Jew
and Samaritan was but a revival of the ancient rivalry which dated from
the days when the Israelites had first settled in Canaan. The destruction
of Samaria in 722 and the strong policy of Josiah had apparently led the
Samaritans to look to the temple at Jerusalem as the chief sanctuary of
the land. Shechem, however, and Mount Gerizim, which rises abruptly on the
south, enjoyed traditions which dated from the earliest days of Israel's
history. The sacred oak and altar at Shechem figured even in the
patriarchal period. At the temple of Baal-berith in Shechem apparently
both Canaanites and Israelites worshipped during the days of the
settlement. According to the Samaritan version of Deuteronomy 24:4, Mount
Gerizim, not Ebal or Jerusalem, was the place where the Israelites, after
entering Canaan, were first commanded to rear an altar to Jehovah, and to
inscribe upon it the laws given to Moses. Even in the Jewish version of
Deuteronomy 11:29 and 27:12 Mount Gerizim is the mountain of blessing. In
the light of these passages such commands as, for example, that in
Deuteronomy 12:4, 5 would naturally be interpreted by the Samaritans as a
reference to Gerizim rather than to Jerusalem. The destruction of the
Judean capital and temple gave a great incentive to the revival of these
Ancient traditions and a new prestige to the northern sanctuary. Until the
close of the Persian period, however, the Samaritans evidently regarded
Jerusalem as an important shrine and worshipped there side by side with
the Jews. The ultimate schism appears to have come as a result of the
growing jealousy with which certain of the Jews regarded foreign
marriages. The marriage of Manasseh, the brother of Jaddua the high
priest, to Nicaso, the daughter of Sanballat II, and his ultimate
expulsion by the Jews blew into a flame the smouldering jealousy and
opposition that had long existed between the two communities. As Josephus
recounts, Sanballat, in order to satisfy his son-in-law, ceded lands and
special rights to him and to the other Jerusalem priests, who were
attracted by these offers, and ultimately built the famous temple on Mount
Gerizim over which Manasseh and his descendants presided. In many ways the
temple and service on Mount Gerizim appear to have been duplicates of
those at Jerusalem. The same law was recognized by both communities; they
shared together the same traditions and the same ideals; and yet their
subsequent history illustrates the psychological truth that of all forms
of hatred that between brothers is the most venomous and lasting. The
bitter rivalry and growing hatred that resulted from this act are
reflected even in the wisdom teachings of Ben Sira (B. Sir. 47:21, 24,
25). They also fundamentally color the writings of the Chronicler. The
strenuous efforts that he made to discountenance the claims of the
Samaritans reveals the intensity of the feud even in the Greek period (cf.
II Chron. 11:13-16). His zeal in trying to prove that the rebuilders of
the Jerusalem temple were of Jewish extraction was doubtless inspired by
the Samaritan charge that during the Babylonian and Persian periods they
had freely intermarried with the heathen population of the land. He was
compelled to admit that even the high priestly families had been guilty of
this sin, but asserted that the foreign wives were later divorced or else
the offenders were expelled from Jerusalem. In the light of the oldest
records it appears that the Samaritans were able to establish almost as
pure a lineage as the Jews. Naturally during the succeeding years the
ancient breach continued to widen until it was beyond all healing.
* * * * *
THE GREEK AND MACCABEAN AGE
Section CIV. THE JEWS UNDER THEIR GREEK RULERS
[Sidenote: 1 Mac. 1:1-4]
Now after Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came from the
land of the Greeks, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, he
reigned in his place as the first ruler of the Syrian kingdom.
He fought many battles,
And won many strongholds,
And slew the kings of the earth;
He went on to the ends of the earth;
And took spoils from a multitude of nations.
And when the earth was at peace before him,
He was exalted and his heart was lifted up;
He gathered an exceedingly great army,
And ruled over countries and peoples and principalities;
And they became tributary to him.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XI, 8:7a, c]
Now when Alexander was dead, the government was divided among his
successors. It was about this time that Jaddua the high priest died and
Onias, his son, took the high priesthood.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 1:1b-d]
Alexander's empire was divided among many: Antigonus gained possession of
the province of Asia; Seleucus of Babylon and the surrounding nations;
Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and Cassander held Macedonia; Ptolemy,
The son of Lagus, got Egypt. While these princes ambitiously contended
with one another, each for his own kingdom, there were continual
and protracted wars. And the cities suffered and lost many of their
inhabitants in these days of distress, so that all Syria experienced at
the hands of Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, the opposite of what is implied by
his title of saviour. He also captured Jerusalem by means of deceit and
treachery; for, coming into the city on a sabbath day, as if to offer
sacrifices, he without difficulty gained possession of the city, since the
Jews did not oppose him, for they did not suspect him to be their enemy,
and that day they always spent in rest and quietness. And when he had
gained possession of it, he ruled over it in a cruel manner.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 1:1g-j]
And when Ptolemy had taken many captives both from the mountainous parts
of Judea and the places about Jerusalem and Samaria and Mount Gerizim, he
led them all into Egypt and settled them there. And since he knew that the
people of Jerusalem were most faithful in keeping their oaths and
covenants, he distributed many of them among garrisons. At Alexandria he
gave them equal privileges as citizens with the Macedonians themselves. He
also required them to take oath that they would be faithful to his
descendants. And not a few other Jews went into Egypt of their own accord,
attracted both by the goodness of the soil and Ptolemy's generosity.
However, there were disorders between their descendants and the Samaritans
because of their resolve to preserve that manner of life which was
transmitted to them by their forefathers. They accordingly contended with
each other; those from Jerusalem said that their temple was holy and they
resolved to send their sacrifices there, but the Samaritans were
determined that they should be sent to Mount Gerizim.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 2:1a]
When Alexander had reigned twelve years and after him Ptolemy Soter forty
years, Ptolemy Philadelphus next had the kingdom of Egypt and held it
thirty-nine years.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 2:5d, e, 4:1d-f]
Now when Onias I. the high priest died, his son Simon succeeded him. When
he died and left only a young son called Onias, Simon's brother Eleazer
took the high priesthood. After Eleazar's death, his uncle Manasseh
assumed the priesthood, and after he died, Onias II. received that honor.
This Onia was lacking in sense and was a great lover of money; for that
reason he did not pay the tax of twenty talents of silver for the people,
which his forefathers had paid out of their own estates to the kings of
Egypt. Thus he aroused the anger of King Ptolemy Euergetes, the father of
Philopator. Euergetes sent an ambassador to Jerusalem and complained that
Onias did not pay the taxes and threatened that if he did not receive
them, he would parcel out their land and send soldiers to live upon it.
When the Jews heard this message of the king they were filled with dismay,
but Onias was so avaricious that nothing of this kind made him ashamed.
[Sidenote Jos. Ant. XII, 4:2a-f]
There was a certain Joseph, young in years, but of great reputation among
the people of Jerusalem for dignity and exact foresight. His father's name
was Tobias and his mother was the sister of Onias the high priest. She
informed him of the coming of Ptolemy's ambassador. Thereupon Joseph came
to Jerusalem and reproved Onias for not taking thought for the security of
his countrymen and for bringing the nation into dangers by not paying this
money. Onias's answer was that he did not care for his authority, that he
was ready, if it were possible, to lay down his high priesthood, and that
he would not go to the king, for he cared nothing at all about these
matters. Joseph then asked him if he would give him leave to go as
ambassador on behalf of the nation. He replied that he would. So
Joseph went down from the temple and treated Ptolemy's ambassador in a
Hospitable manner. He also presented him with rich gifts and feasted him
magnificently for many days and then sent him to the king before him and
told him that he would soon follow him.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 4:3b, 4a-c]
Now it happened that at this time all the principal men and rulers of the
cities of Syria and Phoenicia went up to bid for the taxes; for every year
the king sold them to the most powerful men of each city. And when the day
came on which the king was to let the farming of the taxes of the cities,
the taxes of Coele-Syria, Phoenicia, Judea and Samaria amounted altogether
to eight thousand talents. Thereupon Joseph accused the bidders of having
agreed together to estimate the value of the taxes at too low a rate and
he promised that he would give twice as much for them, and for those who
did not pay he would send the king their entire possessions, for this
privilege was sold together with the taxes. The king was pleased to hear
this offer, and because it increased his revenues he said he would confirm
the sale of the taxes to him.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 4:5a-c, 3, 6a]
And Joseph took with him two thousand soldiers from the king, for he
desired to have assistance in order to compel those who refused in the
city to pay. And when the people of Askelon refused to pay anything, he
seized about twenty of their principal men and slew them, and gathered
what they had and sent it all to the king and informed him what he had
done. Ptolemy admired the spirit of the man, commended him for what he
had done and gave him permission to do as he pleased. By these means he
amassed great wealth and made vast profits by this farming of taxes. And
he made use of the wealth he had thus secured in order to support his
authority. This good fortune he enjoyed for twenty-two years; and he
became the father of seven sons by one wife. He had also another son whose
name was Hyrcanus.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 3:3a, b]
Now in the reign of Antiochus the Great, who ruled over all Asia, the
Jews, as well as the inhabitants of Coele-Syria, suffered greatly, and
their land was sorely harassed, for while Antiochus was at war with
Ptolemy Philopator and his son Ptolemy, who was called Epiphanes, these
nations suffered equally both when he was defeated and when he was
victorious. So they were like a ship in the storm which is tossed by the
waves on both sides.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 3:3c-e]
But at length when Antiochus had beaten Ptolemy he seized Judea. And when
Philopator was dead, his son sent out against the inhabitants of
Coele-Syria a great army under Scopas, general of his forces, and took
many of their cities and especially our people, who, when he attacked
them, went over to him. But soon afterwards Antiochus overcame Scopas in a
battle fought at the fountains of the Jordan and destroyed a great part of
his army. And afterwards, when Antiochus subdued those cities of
Coele-Syria which Scopas had captured, and Samaria among them, the Jews of
their own accord went over to him and received him into Jerusalem and gave
plentiful provisions to all his army and readily assisted him when he
besieged the garrison which was in the citadel at Jerusalem.
I. Josephus's Histories. The Greek period began with Alexander's
conquest of Palestine in 332 and extended to the Maccabean uprising in 168
B.C. For the external history of this period the writings of the historian
Josephus are the chief sources. This famous Jewish writer was born in 37
A.D., and apparently lived till about the close of the reign of Domitian
in 96. According to his own testimony he was the son of a priest named
Mattathiah. Until he was sixteen he studied under the Jewish rabbis. He
then spent three years with the Jewish sect known as the Essenes. At the
age of nineteen he joined the party of the Pharisees. His point of view in
general is that of this dominant popular party. He was able to read Latin,
but wrote his histories in Greek. At the age of twenty-six he went to Rome
where he spent three years. Returning to Palestine at the beginning of the
great rebellion against Rome, he was appointed revolutionary governor of
the important province of Galilee. The appointment was unfortunate, for he
proved both incompetent and unreliable. In 67 A.D. he and his followers
were shut up by Vespasian in the Galilean city, Jotapata. During the siege
he vainly tried to desert to the enemy. At the fall of the city he was
captured, but his life was spared by Vespasian. In time he ingratiated
himself with Titus and also incurred the hostility of his countrymen by
trying to persuade them to lay down their arms. He spent the latter part
of his life in Rome, devoting himself to study and writing. As a result of
his long residence at Rome under the patronage of the Roman emperors, he
was powerfully influenced by the Greek and Roman philosophical schools.
Josephus was the great apologist of his race. His chief aims in writing
his histories were: (1) to excuse his own acts in connection with the
great rebellion; (2) to show why the overwhelming calamity had overtaken
his race; and (3) to answer the attack of their Gentile foes by tracing
the remarkable history of his people, and by presenting in attractive
form their beliefs, institutions, and laws. Of his two great historical
works the one entitled _The Jewish War_ was issued probably between 75 and
79 A.D. It opens with the beginnings of the Maccabean struggle, and traces
the history, with increasing detail, to the destruction of Jerusalem and
the suppression of the Jewish revolt at Gyrene, two or three years before
the book was written. His second great work was issued in 93 A.D. under
the title of _The Antiquities of the Jews_. In twenty books it traces
Israel's history from the earliest beginnings to the opening years of the
Jewish war (68 A.D.). The first half of this extensive history is based
on the author's free paraphrase of the Greek version of the Old Testament.
For the latter half he draws largely from the apocryphal book of I
Maccabees and from the writings of contemporary Greek and Jewish
historians. Chief among these are Polybius, Nicolaus of Damascus, and
Strabo. At certain points, where earlier sources fail him, he employs
popular romances and late traditions. The result is that the different
parts of his history are of widely varying values. All must be carefully
tested by the canons of historical criticism. After due allowance has been
made for his apologetic purpose and his well-known tendencies, a large and
valuable body of historical facts remain with which it is possible at many
otherwise obscure points to reconstruct the course of Israel's history.
II. Alexander's Conquests. In many ways Alexander's conquest was the
most significant and far-reaching event in the history of Asia. The causes
of this great movement were, first, the fact that the limited territory of
Greece and Macedonia gave to the powerful Hellenic civilization little
opportunity for local expansion. Compelled, therefore, to break these
narrow bonds, it naturally spread in the direction of least resistance. In
the second place the decadent Persian Empire, with its fabulous riches and
almost limitless plains, was a loadstone that lured on Greek adventurers
to attempt feats that seemed incredible. The third reason was Alexander's
inherited lust for conquest. His father, Philip of Macedon, had long been
accumulating the resources which made it possible for his son to realize
his ambitious dreams. The fourth reason was Alexander's desire to make the
world more glorious by the diffusion of Hellenic culture, ideas, and
institutions and by binding all races together into one great, harmonious
family. His brilliant conquests are a familiar chapter in the world's
history. At Issus, at the northeastern end of the Mediterranean, he won,
in 333 B.C., the decisive battle which left him in possession of the
western part of the huge Persian Empire. By 332 he was master of
Palestine. Tyre, the commercial mistress of the eastern Mediterranean, and
Gaza, the key to Egypt, alone offered resistance. The Persian kings by
their onerous taxation and cruel policy had completely destroyed the
loyalty of their western subjects. In the symbolic pictures of the book of
Daniel Alexander is regarded as the "fourth beast, terrible and fearful
and exceedingly strong. And it had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke
in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet" (7:17,23, 8:5-8). Josephus
has preserved a popular tradition regarding the meeting between Alexander
and the white-robed Jerusalem priests and the homage paid by the conqueror
to the God of the Jews. It bears on its face evidence of its unhistorical
character. As a matter of fact, the first goal of Alexander's conquest was
the rich land of Egypt. Not being possessed of a navy, he entered it
through its one vulnerable point, the Wady Tumilat, that ran from the
Isthmus of Suez to the Nile Delta. By 331 B.C. he was master of the Nile
Valley, and thence turned eastward, conquering in succession the different
provinces of the great empire, until before his death in 323 B.C. his
empire extended from the Mediterranean to the Indus, and in the northeast
far up toward central Asia.
Alexander's conquests were significant because they represented the
victory of Greek ideas and culture as well as of arms. In each country
conquered he usually succeeded in Hellenizing the native peoples. Greek
cities, settled by his veterans and the horde of migratory Greeks that
followed in his wake, were founded at strategic points throughout the vast
empire. As recent excavations have shown, Greek art and ideas continued
even after the death of Alexander to sweep eastward across Asia, until
they profoundly influenced the culture and ideas in such distant nations
as China and Japan.
III. The Jews in Egypt and Alexandria. The crown of Alexander's
constructive work was the building of Alexandria in Egypt. Selecting a
narrow strip of coast, protected on the south by the low-lying lake
Mareotis and on the north by the Mediterranean, he built there a
magnificent Greek city. On the south it was connected by canal with the
Canopic arm of the Nile. Alexander thus diverted to this new metropolis
the rich trade of the Red Sea and the Nile. A mile distant was the
island of Pharos, which was connected with the mainland by a great moll.
On either side, protected from the storms, were the eastern and western
harbors, large enough to accommodate the merchant-men and navies of the
ancient world. On the west was the native Egyptian quarter. In the
centre, opposite the island of Pharos, was the Greek and official quarter.
In the northeastern part of the city was the Jewish quarter. Here the Jews
lived together under the rule of their law; they were also represented in
the civic council by their own leaders. When Ptolemy, the son of Lagus,
became governor of Egypt and, after the death of Alexander, subjected
Palestine, he carried back to Alexandria many Jewish captives, and
attracted others by the special privileges which he granted them. In them
he recognized valuable allies in developing the commercial resources of
Alexandria and in maintaining his rule over the native Egyptians. Here in
time the Jews became wealthy and powerful and developed a unique
civilization. From the beginning of the Greek period the number of the
Jews in Egypt equalled, if it did not surpass, that of the Jews in
Palestine. While they maintained close connection with the Jews in
Palestine and remained true to their Scriptures, they were profoundly
influenced by their close contact with the civilization and ideas of the
Greek world.
IV. The Rule of the Ptolemies. The long-continued rule of the Ptolemies
in Egypt is one of the most astonishing phenomena in this remarkable
period in human history. Far outnumbered by the native population,
involved in almost constant war with their fellow-Greeks, they succeeded
by sheer audacity and vigilance in maintaining their authority during the
many crises through which they passed. Egypt's natural defences also made
its conquest by outside powers exceedingly difficult. Alexandria with its
fleet commanded Egypt's one entrance by the sea. In order to protect its
eastern gateway, the Isthmus of Suez, it was essential that the Ptolemies
should control Palestine. Southern Palestine also commanded the great
commercial highway that led southward and eastward to Arabia and
Babylonia. Alexandria's ancient rivals, Tyre and Sidon, also lay on the
borders of Palestine, and it was essential that they be under the control
of Egypt, if Alexandria was to remain the mistress of the eastern
Mediterranean. Furthermore, Palestine and the Lebanons (known to Josephus
as Coele-Syria, that is, Hollow Syria), alone of the countries adjacent to
Egypt, possessed the timber required for the building of Alexandria's
navies and merchant-men. Hence Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, and his
successors spared no effort to maintain their control over the lands lying
along the eastern Mediterranean.
In the division of the empire which followed the death of Alexander three
rivals struggled in turn for this coveted territory: Ptolemy, in the
south; Antigonus, who soon became master of Asia Minor and northern Syria;
and Seleucus, to whom fell the Tigris-Euphrates Valley and the more
distant eastern provinces. In the decisive battle of Ipsus in 301 B.C.
the overshadowing power of Antigonus was broken and the control of
southwestern Asia was divided between Seleucus and Ptolemy. By the
treaty that was made after the battle, Coele-Syria was given to Ptolemy;
but Seleucus and his descendants, who were known as the Seleucids or the
Seleucidae, soon attempted to wrest it from Egypt, and during the
following century frequently, with varying success, renewed the attempt.
In 295 and again in 219 they were for a brief period masters of Palestine,
but during most of this period it was held by the Ptolemies.
V. Fortunes of the Jews of Palestine. Josephus's figure of a ship in a
storm, smitten by the waves on either side, well describes the lot of the
Jews of Palestine during the Greek period. They were in turn victimized
and courted by the rival kings of Egypt and Syria. The Jews, on the
whole, favored the rule of the Ptolemies, who had made many concessions to
their kinsmen in Egypt. The presence of many Jews in Egypt also made this
relation more natural. As a rule the Ptolemies during the intervals of
peace left the Jews of Palestine largely to themselves, as long as they
paid the heavy tribute that was exacted. It was, however, one of the
most corrupt periods in human history. The Ptolemaic court was rich,
profligate, and constantly degenerating. The popular story of Joseph the
tax-collector (which Josephus recounts at length), while largely fanciful,
vividly reflects the conditions and spirit of the age. Joseph, who
evidently belonged to one of the leading families of Jerusalem, by his
energy and effrontery secured the valuable right of farming the taxes of
Palestine. By the iniquitous methods then in vogue, he succeeded in
amassing a great fortune. The splendid ruins of Arak el-Emir on the
heights of southern Gilead, east of the Jordan, represent the huge castle
and town built by his son Hyrcanus and testify to the wealth of this
Jewish adventurer. The stories that Josephus relates regarding Joseph
indicate that the materialism and sensuality which were regnant in
Alexandria had penetrated even into the province of Judea.
The one bright spot in the political history of this period is the reign
of the high priest Simon, known as the Just. He appears to have devoted
himself to developing, so far as was in his power, the interests and
resources of the Palestinian Jews and to have lifted the temple service
to a state of magnificence that received the unqualified commendation
of Jesus, the son of Sirach.
VI. Conquest of Palestine by the Seleucids in 311 B.C. Seleucus Nikanor
transferred the western capital of his empire, known as Syria (a shortened
form of the ancient name Assyria), to Antioch, near the northeastern end
of the Mediterranean. This city was situated at the point where the
Orontes breaks through the Lebanons and where the great roads from the
Euphrates and Coele-Syria converge and run westward to its seaport,
Seleucia. It was built in the midst of a fertile valley, partly on an
island in the river and partly on its northern bank. Not having natural
defences, the city depended for protection upon its broad, encompassing
walls. To this new capital was attracted a diverse native, Greek, and
Jewish population. By virtue of its strategic position and its commercial
and political importance, it soon became one of the great cities of the
eastern Mediterranean. It occupied the natural site on the eastern
Mediterranean seaboard for the capital of a great empire. Shut in by the
sea on the west and the desert on the east, Syria's natural line of
expansion was north and south. Not until 198 B.C., however, under the
rule of Antiochus the Great, did it secure permanent control of Palestine.
The degenerate house of the Ptolemies made several ineffectual attempts to
win back their lost province, but henceforth Palestine remained under the
rule of Syria. The personal attractions of Antiochus the Great, the
specious promises which he made, and disgust because of the corrupt rule
of Egypt inclined the Jews of Palestine to welcome this change of rulers.
The court at Antioch, however, soon became almost as corrupt as that of
Egypt, and the Jews were the victims of the greed and caprice of the
Syrian despots. Meantime the insidious Greek culture and vices were
influencing and largely undermining the character of the Jewish rulers.
Judaism was unconsciously facing a supreme crisis in its history.
Section CV. THE WISE AND THEIR TEACHINGS
[Sidenote: Pr. 1:2-6]
That men may learn wisdom and instruction,
May understand intelligent discourses,
May receive instruction in wise conduct,
In justice, judgment and equity;
That discretion may be given to the inexperienced,
To the youth knowledge and a purpose;
That the wise man may hear and increase in learning,
And the intelligent man may receive counsel,
That he may understand proverb and parable,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:1-6]
Does not Wisdom call?
And Understanding raise her voice?
On the top of high places by the way,
In the midst of the street she stands,
Beside the gateways in front of the city,
At the entrance of the gates she cries aloud:
To you, O men, I call,
And my appeal is to the sons of men.
O inexperienced, acquire discretion,
And ye stupid, gain understanding.
Hear, for I speak true things,
And the utterance of my lips is right.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:13]
Pride and arrogance and evil conduct
And false speech do I hate.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:14-16]
With me is counsel and practical knowledge;
With me understanding and might.
By me kings do reign,
And rulers decree justice.
By me princes rule,
And nobles judge the land.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:17]
I love those who love me,
Those who seek me diligently shall find me.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:18-21]
Riches and honor are with me,
Lordly wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold,
And my increase than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
That I may endow those who love me with wealth,
And that I may fill their treasuries.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:22-26]
Jehovah formed me as the beginning of his creation,
The first of his works of old,
In the primeval past was I formed,
In the beginning, before the earth was,
When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains full of water.
Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills were brought forth,
When he had not as yet made the earth,
Nor the first of the dust of the world.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:27, 29, 30]
When he established the heavens, I was there,
When he marked off the vault on the face of the deep,
Made fast the fountains of the deep,
When he set to the sea its bound,
When he marked out the foundations of the earth,
Then I was at his side as a foster-child;
And I was daily full of delight,
Sporting in his presence continually,
Sporting in his habitable earth.
[Sidenote: Pr. 8:31-35]
And my delight is with the sons of men;
Now therefore, my sons, hearken to me,
Hear instruction that you may be wise,
And reject it not.
Happy is the man who hearkens to me,
Happy are they who walk in my ways,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
For he who finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from Jehovah.
[Sidenote: Pr. 13:14-20, 24:5]
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life
That man may avoid the ways of death.
Walk with the wise and you will become wise,
But he who associates with fools shall smart for it.
A wise man is better than a strong man,
And a man who has knowledge than he who has strength.
[Sidenote: Pr. 12:10]
A wise man has regard for the well-being of his beast,
But the heart of the wicked is cruel.
[Sidenote: Pr. 20:13]
Love not sleep lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes and you shall have plenty.
[Sidenote: Pr. 25:16]
If you find honey, eat what is sufficient for you,
Lest you be surfeited with it and vomit it up.
[Sidenote: Pr. 23:9-35]
Who cries, Woe? who, Alas?
Who has contentions? Who, complaining?
Who has dullness of eyes?
They who linger long over wine,
They who go about tasting mixed wine.
Look not upon the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup.
At last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like an adder.
Your eyes shall see strange things,
And your mind shall suggest queer things.
You shall be like one sleeping at sea,
Like one asleep in a great storm.
"They have struck me, but I feel no pain;
They have beaten me, but I feel it not;
I will seek it yet again. When shall I awake from my wine?"
[Sidenote: Pr. 29:20, 15:23]
Do you see a man hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
A man has joy from the utterance of his mouth,
And a word in due season, how good it is!
[Sidenote: Pr. 19:11, 16:32]
A man's wisdom makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to pass over transgression.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
[Sidenote: Pr. 23:26-28]
My son, give me your attention,
And let your eyes give careful heed to my ways.
For a harlot is a deep well,
And an adultress is a narrow pit.
Yea, she lies in wait as a robber,
And increases the faithless among men.
[Sidenote: Pr. 4:25-27]
Let your eyes look right straight forward,
And let your gaze be straight before you.
Let the path of your feet be level,
And let all your ways be stable.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left,
Keep your foot away from evil.
[Sidenote: Pr. 14:15]
The simpleton believes everything,
But the prudent man looks well to where he walks.
[Sidenote: Pr. 26:12, 27:2]
Do you see a man wise in his own conceit?
There is more hope of a fool than him.
Let another man praise you and not your own mouth;
Some other, and not your own lips.
[Sidenote: Pr. 4:23, 11:6]
Keep your heart above all that you guard,
For out of it are the issues of life.
The righteousness of the upright shall save them,
But the treacherous are caught by their own desire.
[Sidenote: Pr. 21:3]
To do what is just and right
Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.
[Sidenote: Pr. 15:1]
A soft answer turns away wrath;
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
[Sidenote: Pr. 3:27]
Withhold not good from your neighbor,
When it is in your power to do it.
Say not to your neighbor, "Go, and come again,
And to-morrow I will give," when you have it by you.
[Sidenote: Pr. 14:21, 19:17]
He who despises his neighbor, sins,
But he who has pity on the poor, happy is he.
He who has pity on the poor, lends to Jehovah,
And his good deed will yet pay him.
[Sidenote: Pr. 25:21-22]
If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat,
And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
For you will heap coals of fire upon his head,
And Jehovah will reward you.
[Sidenote: Pr. 3:11-12]
My son, reject not the instruction of Jehovah,
And do not grow weary of his reproof,
For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth,
Even as a father the son in whom he delights.
[Sidenote: Pr. 3:5-6]
Trust in Jehovah with all your heart,
And depend not upon your own understanding.
In all your ways know him well,
And he will make plain your path.
I. Structure and Authorship of the Book of Proverbs. The book of
Proverbs is in reality a collection of originally independent groups of
proverbs. In its present form it consists of nine general divisions:
(1) The preface defining the aims of the book, 1:1-6. (2) A general
introduction describing the characteristics and value of the wisdom
teaching, 1:7-9:18. (3) A large collection designated as the Proverbs
of Solomon, 10:1-22:16. The fact that ten proverbs are repeated in
practically the same words indicates that it, like the book of Proverbs
as a whole, is made up of smaller collections. In chapters 10-15 the
prevailing type of the poetic parallelism is antithetic or contrasting,
while in the remainder of the book the synonymous or repeating parallelism
prevails. (4) A supplemental collection, 22:17-24:22. This is introduced
by the suggestive superscription, "Incline your ear and hear the words of
the wise." (5) A shorter appendix, 24:23-34, with the superscription,
"These also are from the wise." (6) The second large collection of
proverbs, 25-29. This bears the superscription, "These also are the
proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah,
transcribed." It contains several proverbs found in the first large
collection, and evidently represents later gleanings from the same field.
(7) The words of Agur, 30. Of Agur nothing is known beyond his name,
which may be simply typical. The latter part of the chapter contains a
collection of numerical enigmas which may or may not have been associated
at first with the opening section. (8) The words of King Lemuel, 31:1-9.
(9) A description of the ideal Hebrew housewife, 31:10-31. The contents of
these collections as well as their superscriptions clearly indicate that
these proverbs represent the work of many different wise men, living at
different periods and writing from different points of view. Few, if any,
can be confidently attributed to Solomon. Even the proverbs in the large
collection, 10:1-22:16, which are definitely designated as the Proverbs of
Solomon, emphasize monogamy and denounce rulers who oppress their
subjects. Many of the proverbs in these larger Solomonic collections give
practical advice regarding the bearing of a subject in the presence of the
king, and few of them fit in the mouth of the splendor-loving monarch, who
by his foreign marriages and grinding taxation exerted a baleful influence
upon the political and religious life of Israel. The great majority of the
proverbs reflect the noble ethical teachings of the prophets. Clearly the
term Proverbs of Solomon is simply a late designation of early proverbs
the authorship of which, like that of most popular maxims, had long since
been forgotten.
II. Date of the Different Collections. The preface and general
introduction to the book of Proverbs reflect the immorality and evils that
characterized both the Persian and Greek periods. Their background is the
corrupt life of the city. The tendency to personify wisdom is also one of
the marks of later Jewish thought. It is probable, therefore, that this
part of the book of Proverbs was added by a late editor who lived during
the Greek period. The oldest collection in the book is clearly to be found
in 10:1-22:10. The evils which it describes, the oppression of the poor
and dependent by the rich and powerful, existed throughout most of
Israel's history, but were especially prominent in the days of the
divided kingdom immediately before the destruction of Jerusalem. The
references to the king imply that the proverb writers had in mind Hebrew
rulers. In general their rule is just and they enjoy the respect of their
subjects. The prevailing occupation of the people is agriculture. Commerce
is just beginning to develop. The exile has not yet cast its shadow over
Hebrew life and thought. The majority of these proverbs clearly represent
the fruitage of the teachings of the pre-exilic prophets, and many of them
come from the days immediately before the final destruction of Jerusalem.
From the occasional references to the scoffers, the absence of allusions
to idolatry, and the fact that monogamy is here assumed, we may infer that
some of them at least come from the Persian or even the Greek periods. It
is probable that this large collection was not made until the latter part
of the Persian or the early part of the Greek period.
The appendices in 22:17-24:34 contain many repetitions of proverbs found
in the larger collection. The prevalence of intemperance, the existence of
a merchant class, and the allusions to exiled Jews (e.g., 24:11) point
rather clearly to the dissolute Greek period as the age when these small
collections were made. The word meaning "transcribe," that is found in
the superscription to the second large collection (25-29), is peculiar to
the late Hebrew, and implies that this superscription, like those of the
Psalms, was added by a late Jewish scribe. The literary form of these
proverbs is more complex than those of the other large collection. The
kings are feared by their subjects, but figure now as oppressors rather
than champions of the people. While this collection may contain a few
proverbs coming from the period before the final destruction of Jerusalem,
it is probable that, like the smaller appendices to the first large
collection, they were not gathered until the early part of the Greek
period. The long appendices in chapters 30-31 are clearly late. The note
of doubt in the opening section of 30 is closely akin to that which recurs
in the book of Ecclesiastes. It is also based on Isaiah 44:5 and 45:4.
Aramaisms and the acrostic form in 31:10-31 imply that the background was
the late Persian or early Greek period.
The history of the book of Proverbs is therefore reasonably clear. Its
original nucleus was probably a small group of popular proverbs that had
been transmitted orally from the days before the final destruction of
Jerusalem. These, together with proverbs which first became current during
the Persian period, were collected some time in the days following the
work of Nehemiah. To these was added in the Greek period the smaller
appendices in 22:17-24:34. Possibly the same editor joined to them the
large collection found in 25-29. He or some wise man in the Greek period
prefixed the elaborate introduction in chapters 1-9. To the whole was
added the appendices in chapters 30 and 31. It is probable that by the
middle of the Greek period, or at least before 200 B.C., the book of
Proverbs was complete in its present form.
III. The Wise in Israel's Early History. Long before 2000 B.C. the
scribes of ancient Egypt were busy collecting "the words of counsel of the
men of olden time." Many of these ancient maxims still survive. The
best-known is that which bears the title "The Wisdom of Ptah-hotep." The
desire to preserve and transmit the results of practical experience is the
common motive that underlies the work of the wise. It is that which
inspires the teachers of all ages. The ancients were keenly alive to the
importance of instruction and training. All that is significant in the
civilizations of the past is, in a sense, the result of this teaching
motif.
In early Israel there were many men and women famous for their ability to
give wise counsel. In his stormy career Joab, David's valiant commander,
frequently profited by the counsel of certain wise women (Sections
LIII:8-11 LIX:35). David's friend Hushai, by his wily counsel at the time
of Absalom's rebellion, saved the king's life. The narrative in II Samuel
declares that the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed almost as highly as
the divine oracle. For his keen insight and acute decisions, as well as
for his witty utterances, Solomon gained a reputation which made him in
the thought of later generations the father of all wisdom literature. In
a significant passage found in Jeremiah 18:18 the three classes of
Israel's teachers are brought into sharp contrast. In urging that the
prophet be put to death his foes declared: "Teaching will not perish from
the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet."
From references in Isaiah and Jeremiah it is evident that before the final
destruction of the Hebrew state the counsel of the wise was chiefly
political and secular, and often not in accord with the higher ideals of
the great pre-exilic prophets.
IV. Their Prominence in the Greek Period. The transformation of the wise
into religious as well as secular teachers apparently came after the
destruction of Jerusalem. It was the result of a variety of forces which
have already been studied. The destruction of the Hebrew state and the
resulting prominence of the individual led the wise to turn their
attention from questions of political to those of personal import. The
result is that the word "Israel" is found nowhere in the book of Proverbs.
The teachings there found are both individual and universal and apply to
Gentile as well as Jew, to the present as well as the past. The gradual
disappearance of the prophets during the latter part of the Persian
period, and the fact that the priests ever devoted themselves more and
more to the ritual and less to teaching, left a great need in the life of
Judaism which called to the front the wise. At the same time the problems
of the individual became more and more complex and insistent. Especially
was this true during the Greek period when Hellenic civilization, with its
corrupting influences, swept over Palestine and the lands of the
dispersion. It was a period when the principles enunciated by the earlier
prophets had been in general adopted by the Jewish race. The task,
however, of interpreting these principles simply and practically into the
every-day life of the people was left to these lovers and teachers of men,
the wise. The evidence of the voluminous writings of Ben Sira, as well as
of the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, makes it quite clear that it
was during the Greek period, and possibly in part under the intellectual
stimulus of Greek thought, that the wise attained their greatest
prominence and influence.
V. The Aims of the Wise. The aims of the wise are in part defined in the
remarkable preface to the book of Proverbs, which was intended primarily
to describe the purpose of the collection of proverbs which embodies their
teachings. Four distinct classes commanded their attention: (1) The
ignorant, those who were unacquainted with the moral, religious,
and practical heritage received from preceding generations. (2) The
inexperienced, those who had not yet learned in the school of life the art
of adjusting themselves successfully to their environment. (3) The
scoffers, who openly rejected the counsel of the sages. And (4) the
disciples who were eager to learn and profit by the teachings of the wise.
The definite aims of the wise must be inferred from their teachings. They
were concerned with the development of the individual, not the nation.
Their first aim was to instruct the ignorant in the fundamental moral and
religious principles already laid down by earlier priests and prophets.
In the words of the preface to the book of Proverbs they taught,
That men may learn wisdom and instruction,
May understand intelligent discourses,
May receive instruction in wise dealing,
In justice, judgment, and equity.
Their second aim was to point out the pitfalls that lay in the path of the
inexperienced, and to save them from moral wreck by inspiring within them
right ideals and ambitions. This aim is also well stated in the preface to
the book of Proverbs:
That discretion may be given to the inexperienced,
To the youth knowledge and a purpose.
The third aim of the wise was to educate the receptive and all who came
to them in the attitude of disciples. This aim corresponded very closely
to that of the modern educator. Again the preface to the book of
Proverbs clearly expresses this educational ideal:
That the wise man may hear and increase in learning,
And the intelligent man may receive counsel.
That he may understand a proverb and parable,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The wise, therefore, sought not merely to instruct, but to educate; that
is, to develop sane, happy, and efficient men and women. They sought to
train those who would have not only knowledge and experience, but also the
ability to apply these successfully in the varied relations of life.
Above all, they endeavored to educate not parts of a man, but the whole
man. Hence their interest and the subjects that they treat are as broad
as human experience.
The wise were keenly alive to the importance of youthful education.
The proverb:
Train up a child in the way in which he should go,
And even when he is old he will not depart from it,
voices the fundamental principle upon which all effective education is
based. They recognized that in the plastic days of childhood and youth
ideals and character and efficiency could best be developed, and that
education was not the work of a moment, but a gradual, progressive
development.
Primary education, however, they intrusted to parents, and in many
proverbs emphasized the responsibility which every parent owed to his
child. They also counselled parents regarding the training of their
children. The maxims:
The rod of correction gives wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings disgrace to his mother.
Chastise your son while there is still hope,
And set not your heart on his destruction.
He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him chastises him,
express their appreciation of the importance of discipline in the early
training of the child. It is not clear at what age the wise took up the
instruction of the young. Possibly it was at about the age of twelve,
when the individual passed from childhood to adolescence, with its
increasing dangers and possibilities. Many of their teachings are
especially adapted to the problems of this tempestuous period.
VI. The Methods of the Wise. In attaining their aims the wise men of
Israel employed a variety of methods. Proverbs such as,
Every purpose is established by counsel,
And by wise guidance make thou war,
suggest that, as in the days before the exile, they were still active in
connection with the civic, social, and national life of the people, and
that by influencing public policies they conserved the moral welfare of
the individual as well as the state. Many references to "wisdom's voice
crying aloud in the public places" suggest that, like the earlier
prophets, the wise men at times taught in public, in the market-places, in
the open spaces within the city gates, or wherever men were gathered
together. They appear also to have taught in private, by wise counsel
delivering the individual disciple who resorted to them from the
perils that beset his path, or aiding him by prudent advice in solving
successfully his individual problems.
In 6:32-37 Ben Sira has given a vivid sketch of the schools of the wise,
which are clearly the forerunners of the later rabbinical schools:
My son, if you wish, you will be instructed,
And if you pay attention, you will become prudent.
If you are willing to hear, you will receive,
And if you listen attentively, you will be wise.
Stand in the assembly of the elders,
And whoever is wise, stick close to him.
Be willing to listen to every discourse,
And let no illuminating proverbs escape you.
If you see a man of insight, hasten to him,
And let your foot wear out his threshold.
Let your mind dwell upon the law of the Most High,
And meditate continually on his commands.
Thus he will enlighten your mind,
And teach you the wisdom you desire.
It requires little imagination to picture these ancient prototypes of
our modern universities. Like all Oriental teachers, the wise doubtless
sat cross-legged, with their disciples in a circle about them. They
trusted largely to question and answer, and poured out from their own
and their inherited experience wise maxims such as would guide the
simple and inexperienced and develop efficient manhood.
VIII. Their Important Teachings. In the opening chapters of Proverbs the
wise describe the character and value of that wisdom which represents
their teaching as a whole. In chapters 8 and 9 "Wisdom" is personified.
Inasmuch as the Hebrew word for "wisdom" is feminine, it is spoken of as a
woman. Chapter 9 describes, in a form intended to arrest the attention of
the most inattentive, the feast that Wisdom offers to her guests. This is
contrasted with Folly's banquet, and the consequences to those who
participated in these rival banquets are clearly presented.
In the practical teachings of the wise no question that vitally concerned
the individual man was considered beneath their attention. Like the wise
modern teacher they made no distinction between the religious and the
secular. Everything that influenced man's acts and ideals possessed for
them profound religious import. While the proverbial epigrammatic form of
their teaching was not conducive to a logical or complete treatment of
their theme, yet in a series of concise, dramatic maxims they dealt with
almost every phase of man's domestic, economic, legal, and social life.
They presented clearly man's duty to animals, to himself, to his
fellow-men, and to God. If utilitarian motives were urged in the great
majority of cases, it is because they sought to reach their pupils on
their own level. Although their ideals sometimes fell below those of the
great prophets, and especially those of the Great Teacher of Nazareth, the
importance of their work in establishing individual standards of right and
wrong, in keeping alive in concrete form the principles of the earlier
prophets, and in preparing their race for the crises through which it was
soon to pass cannot be overestimated. As effective teachers of the
individual they have an intensely practical and significant message for
all men in the stream of life to-day as well as in the past.
Section CVI. THE DIFFERENT CURRENTS OF THOUGHT IN JUDAISM DURING THE
GREEK PERIOD
[Sidenote: Ps. 19:7-14]
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of Jehovah is trustworthy, making wise the simple,
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart,
The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring forever,
The judgments of Jehovah are true and altogether just,
They are of more value than gold, yea, than much fine gold,
Sweeter than honey and the droppings from the honey-comb.
By them is thy servant warned; in keeping them is great reward.
Who can discern his errors; cleanse thou me from secret faults,
Also from the presumptuous restrain thy servant; let them not have
dominion over me.
Then shall I be perfect and cleared from great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth be acceptable and the meditation of my heart,
In thy sight, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer.
[Sidenote: Ps. 46:1-3]
Jehovah is our refuge and strength,
An ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be moved,
And though the mountains totter into the heart of the sea;
The seas roar, their waters foam,
Mountains shake with the swelling of its stream.
Jehovah of hosts is with us,
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
[Sidenote: Ps. 46:4-7]
His brooks make glad the city of Jehovah,
The holy dwelling place of the Most High.
Jehovah is in the midst of her, she cannot totter;
Jehovah will help her at the turn of the morn.
Nations raged, kingdoms tottered,
When he uttered his voice the earth melted.
Jehovah of hosts is with us,
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
[Sidenote: Ps. 46:8-11]
Come, behold the works of Jehovah,
What desolations he hath made in the earth.
He is about to make wars to cease unto the end of the earth.
The bow he breaketh, and dasheth the spear in pieces;
He burneth the chariots with fire.
Be still, and know that I am Jehovah;
I shall be exalted among the nations, I shall be exalted on the earth.
Jehovah of hosts is with us,
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
[Sidenote: Ps. 22:27-30]
All the ends of the earth will remember and will turn to Jehovah,
And all the families of the nations will worship in his presence;
For the dominion belongs to Jehovah and he rules over the nations.
Verily, him alone will all the prosperous of the earth worship.
Before him all those about to go down to the dust will bow,
A seed will serve him, it will be told to a generation to come;
And they will declare his righteousness that he hath accomplished to a
people yet to be born.
[Sidenote: Jonah 1:1-8]
Now this word of Jehovah came to Jonah the son of Amittai:
Arise, go to that great city, Nineveh, and preach against it; for their
wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish
from the presence of Jehovah. And he went down to Joppa and found a ship
going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare and embarked to go with them to
Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.
[Sidenote: Jonah 1:4-7]
But Jehovah sent a furious wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty
tempest, so that the ship threatened to break in pieces. Then the sailors
were afraid and cried, each to his own god; and they cast into the sea the
wares that were in the ship, in order to lighten it. But Jonah had gone
down into the bottom of the ship; and he lay fast asleep. And the captain
of the ship came and said to him: What are you doing asleep? Call on your
God, perhaps that God will think on us that we perish not. And they said
to one another, Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose sake
this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah.
[Sidenote: Jonah 1:8-10]
Then they said to him, Tell us, what is your occupation, and whence do you
come? what is your country and of what people are you? And he said to
them, I am a Hebrew, and a worshipper of Jehovah, the God of heaven, who
hath made the sea and the dry land. Then the men were exceedingly afraid,
and said to him, What is this you have done? For they knew that he was
fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, for he had told them.
[Sidenote: Jonah 1:11-13]
Then they said to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm
for us? for the sea grew more and more stormy. And he said to them, Take
me up and throw me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm for you, for I
know that for my sake this great storm has overtaken you. But the men
rowed hard to get back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew
more and more stormy against them.
[Sidenote: Jonah 1:14, 15]
Therefore they cried to Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we
beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, neither bring
innocent blood upon us, for thou art Jehovah; thou hast done as it
pleaseth thee. So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the
sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and
they offered a sacrifice to Jehovah, and made vows.
[Sidenote: Jonah 1:17-2:1, 10]
Then Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was in the
belly of this fish three days and three nights. Thereupon Jonah prayed to
Jehovah his God, out of the belly of the fish. And Jehovah spoke to the
fish, and it threw up Jonah upon the dry land.
[Sidenote: Jonah 3:1-4]
And the word of Jehovah came to Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go
to that great city, Nineveh, and preach to it what I shall tell thee. So
Jonah rose and went to Nineveh, as Jehovah said. Now Nineveh was a great
city before God, of three days' journey. And Jonah began by going through
the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Forty days more and
Nineveh shall be overthrown.
[Sidenote: Jonah 3:5-9]
And the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and
put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. And when
word came to the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, and took off
his robe, and dressed in sackcloth, and sat in the dust. And he made
proclamation and published in Nineveh: By the decree of the king and his
nobles: Man, beast, herd, and flock shall not taste anything; let them
neither eat nor drink water; But let them clothe themselves with
sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily to God, and turn
each from his evil way, and from the act of violence which they have in
hand. Who knows but that God may relent, and turn from his fierce anger,
that we perish not?
[Sidenote: Jonah 3:10]
And God saw their works, how they turned from their evil way; and God
relented of the evil which he said he would do to them, and did it not.
[Sidenote: Jonah 4:1-5]
But it displeased Jonah greatly, and he was angry. And he prayed to
Jehovah, and said, Ah now, Jehovah, was not this what I said when I was
yet in mine own country? Therefore I hastened to flee to Tarshish; for I
knew that thou art a God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
abounding in love, and relenting of evil. Therefore, O Jehovah, take now,
I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to
live! And Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry? Then Jonah went out
of the city, and sat down before the city, and there made him a booth, and
sat under it, until he might see what would become of the city.
[Sidenote: Jonah 4:6-11]
And Jehovah God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that
it might be a shade over his head. So Jonah rejoiced exceedingly over the
gourd. But as the dawn appeared the next day God prepared a worm and it
injured the gourd, so that it withered. And when the sun arose, God
prepared a sultry east wind. And the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, so
that he was faint, and begged for himself that he might die saying, It is
better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, Is it well for
thee to be angry about the gourd? And he said, It is well for me to be
angry, even to death! And Jehovah said, Thou carest for a gourd, for which
thou hast not troubled thyself, nor hast thou brought it up--a thing that
came in a night and hath perished in a night. Shall I, indeed, not care
for the great city, Nineveh, in which there are one hundred and twenty
thousand human beings who know not their right hand from their left;
besides much cattle?
[Sidenote: Eccles. 1:12-18]
I, Koheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my mind to
searching out and exploring wisdom, all that is done under heaven: it is
an evil task that God hath given the children of men at which to toil. I
have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, the
whole is vanity and a striving after wind. The crooked cannot be made
straight; and the wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with myself,
saying, Behold, I have increased and gathered wisdom more than all who
were before me in Jerusalem, and my mind has abundantly beheld wisdom and
knowledge. And I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and
folly: I know that this also is a striving after wind. For in much wisdom
is much trouble, and he who increases knowledge, increases pain.
[Sidenote: Eccles. 2:1-11]
I said in my mind, Come now, I will test you with pleasure; so look upon
what is attractive; and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter,
It is mad; and of pleasure, What does it do? I searched in my mind, how to
Stimulate my flesh with wine, while my mind was guiding with wisdom, and
how to lay hold on folly, until I should see what is good for the children
of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life. I did great
works: I built for myself houses; I planted for myself vineyards; I made
for myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them, every kind of
fruit-tree. I made for myself pools of water, to water a grove springing
up with trees. I bought male and female slaves and had slaves born in my
house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than all who
had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and
gold, and the treasure of kings and of provinces. I secured for myself
male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, mistresses
of all kinds. And I grew more wealthy than all who were before in
Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. And nothing that my eyes
craved did I keep from them; I did not deny my heart any joy, for my heart
rejoiced because of all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my
hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold,
all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no gain under the
sun.
[Sidenote: Eccles. 2:12-17]
And I turned to behold wisdom and madness, and folly; for what can the man
do who comes after the king? Even that which has been done already. Then I
saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. The wise
man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness: yet I know
that the same fate overtakes them all. Then I said in my heart, As is the
fate of a fool so will be my fate; so why have I then been more wise? Then
I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise man, even as
of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever, inasmuch as in the days to
come all will have been already forgotten. And how the wise man dies even
as the fool! So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun
is evil to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
[Sidenote: Eccles. 2:24-26b]
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and
find his pleasure in his labor. This also I saw that it is from the hand
of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment without him? This is
also vanity and a striving after wind.
I. The Ritualists. Liberty of thought as well as speech was from the
first characteristic of Israel's life and thought. It was one of the many
valuable heritages that the Hebrews brought with them from the free life
of the desert. Their close contact with the outside world, and especially
with Hellenic life and thought during the Greek period, increased this
sense of freedom. The result is that many different currents of thought
are reflected in the Old Testament writings that come from this age.
Most familiar and easiest understood is the ritualistic type. It is
represented by the Chronicler, who lived and wrote some time between 300
and 250 B.C. For him all life and interest centred about the temple and
its services. In general the vision of the ritualists was turned toward
the past rather than the present and the future. In the traditions
regarding the origin of the temple and its institutions, in keeping the
ceremonial law, in participating in the formal ritual, and in joining
their songs with those of the temple singers they found an escape from
the pettiness of the age and attained that peace and joy which is
expressed in many of the psalms of the Psalter.
II. The Legalists. Closely related to the ritualists were those whose
interests were all fixed in the study of the law and the teachings of the
earlier priests. They regarded the written laws as a complete guide to
conduct and the embodiment of Jehovah's supreme message to his race.
Psalms like the fragment found in 19:7-14 voice their convictions:
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul,
The judgments of Jehovah are true and altogether just.
By them is thy servant warned; in keeping them is great reward.
They emphasized not merely external acts and words, but inner motives.
In character and in conduct they were noble products of that religion
which Israel had inherited from the past. By them were probably treasured
stories such as are found in the first chapters of the book of Daniel. The
detailed references in chapter 2 to the marriage of Antiochus Theos and
the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus in 248 B.C. and to the murder of
Antiochus by his former wife Laodicea, together with the absence of
allusions to subsequent events, indicate that these stories were probably
committed to writing somewhere between 255 and 245 B.C. Their aim was
clearly to emphasize the supreme importance of fulfilling faithfully the
demands of the law, even in the face of bitter opposition and persecution,
and the certainty that Jehovah would deliver those who were loyal to him.
Their teachings were especially adapted to inspire the tried and tempted
Jews of the dispersion, who were sorely persecuted by the heathen among
whom they lived. The dramatic picture of men who dared face the fiery
furnace or the hungry lions rather than depart from the demands of the law
undoubtedly proved a great inspiration to the Jews of the Greek period.
III. The Disciples of the Prophets. Throughout the centuries that
followed the destruction of Jerusalem the great ethical prophets of the
pre-exilic period had never been without spiritual disciples. They
faithfully studied and applied in their own lives the principles laid down
by their earlier guides. Although the influence of the contemporary
prophets constantly waned, yet the spirit of those earlier champions of
the faith lived in the hearts of their followers. In many of the psalms
of the Psalter Amos and Isaiah and Jeremiah speak in terms adapted to the
changed problems of the Jews of the Greek period. In Psalm 46 the trust in
Jehovah which Isaiah advocated has become a living force in the life of
the Psalmist and of the class in behalf of which he spoke. In the
background one hears the march of the multitude armed by Alexander for
world-conquest and the din of conflict as army met army; but over all
stands Jehovah, protecting his sanctuary and people, supreme in the lives
of men and nations. The narrow, nationalistic, messianic hopes have long
since been abandoned, and instead Jehovah is recognized as the one supreme
being whose kingdom or dominion includes all the nations of the earth. In
imagination these disciples of the prophets saw the time when rich and
poor, Jew and Gentile, should bow before Jehovah and be united in loyalty
to him. Thus arose that highest conception of the kingdom of God which is
the foundation of Jesus' teaching.
IV. The Date and Character of the Book of Jonah. From those who sat at
the feet of the earlier prophets came one of the most remarkable books of
the Old Testament. In literary form the little book of Jonah is closely
akin to the stories in the opening chapters of Genesis and the first half
of the book of Daniel. Its many Aramaic words, its quotations from the
late book of Joel, its universalism, and its missionary spirit all
indicate that it comes either from the closing years of the Persian or
from the earlier part of the Greek period. The story of Jonah, like many
similar stories in the Old Testament, was probably known to the Semites
centuries before it was employed by the author of the book to point his
great prophetic teaching. In the familiar Greek story of Hercules,
Hesione, the daughter of the Trojan king, is rescued by the hero from a
sea-monster which held her in its stomach three days. An old Egyptian tale
coming from the third millennium B.C. tells of an Egyptian who was
shipwrecked and after floating three days was swallowed by a great
sea-monster and thus carried to the land. From India comes the tradition
of a man who went to sea contrary to the commands of his mother. While on
the way the ship was seized by an unknown power and not allowed to proceed
until the offender was three times selected by lot and then cast
overboard.
V. Teachings of the Book of Jonah. The value and message of the book of
Jonah have in the past been largely overlooked because the true literary
character of the book has been misunderstood. It was never intended by its
author to be regarded as a historical narrative. Its hero Jonah, the son
of Amittai, according to II Kings 14:25, lived during the reign of
Jeroboam II (780-740 B.C.), and predicted the wide extension of the
territory of southern Israel; but the Jonah of the story is evidently a
type of the Jew of the Persian and Greek periods. By showing the pettiness
of his attitude toward the heathen the author sought to broaden the vision
and quicken the conscience of his fellow-Jews. The portrait is remarkably
vivid and suggestive. Jonah fled from Jehovah's land and took refuge in
the sea, not because he feared the Ninevites, but, as he plainly declares
later, because he feared that, if he did preach to the Assyrian foes of
his race, Jehovah would repent and spare them. In the scene in the midst
of the raging tempest the piety of the heathen Sailors and their zeal in
sparing the guilty Israelite stand forth in favorable contrast to Jonah's
action in refusing to carry out Jehovah's command. The Ninevites, clad in
sackcloth, repenting for their sins, and craving Jehovah's forgiveness,
are far more attractive than the sullen prophet, complaining because
Jehovah has spared the heathen foes of his race and later upbraiding
Jehovah because of the destruction of the gourd that for a time had
protected his head from the burning sun. Jehovah's concluding remonstrance
voices the message of the book. Like the New Testament parable of the
Prodigal Son, the story of Jonah presents in graphic form the unbounded
love of the heavenly father and contrasts it sharply with the petty
jealousies and hatred of his favored people. It was a call to Israel to go
forth and become a missionary to all the world and a protest against the
nation's failure to perform its God-given task.
VI. The Book of Ecclesiastes. Very different is the spirit and purpose
of the book of Ecclesiastes. It evidently comes from one of the many
wisdom teachers who flourished during the Greek period and it speaks in
the name of Solomon. It is an essay on the value of life. In its original
form its thought was so pessimistic that it has been supplemented at many
points by later editors. These insertions include (1) proverbs commending
wisdom and praising the current wisdom teachings, and (2) the work of a
pious scribe, a forerunner of the later Pharisees, who sought to correct
the utterances of the original writer (who is commonly designated as
Koheleth) and to bring them into accord with current orthodoxy. The
language and style of the book are closely akin to those of the Chronicler
and the author of the book of Esther. It also contains several Persian and
possibly one Greek word. The book in its earlier form was evidently known
to Ben Sira, the author of Ecclesiasticus, who lived about 180 B.C. In
4:13-16 and 10:16-17 there are apparent references to the reign of Ptolemy
Epiphanes, who came to the throne of Egypt at the age of five, and whose
court was famous for its dissoluteness and profligacy. The book,
therefore, may be dated with considerable confidence a little before 200
B.C. It was a corrupt, barren period. Crime was rampant in the temple as
well as at the court in Alexandria (3:16). The people were crushed by the
powerful and were without means of redress (4:1). A despot sat on the
throne (10:5-7) and spies lurked everywhere (10:20).
VII. Koheleth's Philosophy of Life. The author of the original book of
Ecclesiastes is the spokesman of that class in Judaism who were oppressed
and crushed by this dreary outlook. He evidently lived in Jerusalem and
probably near the temple (5:1 8:10). From the allusions in 7:26, 28 it is
evident that he was unhappily married. From the classic description of old
age found in 11:9-12:7 it would appear that when he wrote he was well
advanced in years, and spoke out of the depths of his own painful personal
experience, having been left without son or close kinsman (4:8). From his
teachings it is clear that he had broken away from the orthodox wisdom
school. Before his enfeebled vision rose the seamy, dreary side of life,
and yet back of the lament of this ancient pessimist is revealed a man of
high ideals, impelled by a spirit of scientific thoroughness. Though he
was intense and eager in his quest for true happiness and in his
analysis of the meaning of life, he found no abiding joy, for his
outlook was sadly circumscribed. Life beyond the grave offered to him
no hope or compensation. He was, however, by no means an agnostic. He
believed in God's rulership of the world; but the God of his faith was
inscrutable, far removed from the life of men. Hence, unlike many of his
contemporaries, as for example the psalmists, he found little joy or
inspiration in his religion. According to the conclusion, which he
proclaimed in the beginning of his essay and held consistently throughout,
all human striving and ambition, even life itself, are but superlative
vanity, nor can man attain any permanent or complete satisfaction. The one
positive teaching which Koheleth reiterates is that it is man's highest
privilege to extract from passing experiences the small measure of joy and
happiness that they offer, and therewith to be content. Compared with many
other Old Testament books, the religious value of Ecclesiastes is slight
indeed. Its chief value, however, is historical: it presents one phase of
thought in the Judaism of this period, and shows how sorely the Jewish
people needed the spur of a great crisis to rouse them to noble and
unselfish action. The book of Ecclesiastes also furnishes the darker
background which brings out in clear relief the inspiring messages of the
great prophets that had gone before, and of the greater Prophet who
was to set before the human race a worthy goal and a fresh and true
interpretation of the value of life.
Section CVII. THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS THE SON OF SIRACH
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 1:1-10]
All wisdom is from the Lord,
And is with him forever.
The sand of the seas, and the drops of rain,
And the days of eternity--who shall number?
The height of the heaven, and the breadth of the earth,
And the depths of the abyss--who shall search them out?
Wisdom hath been created before all things,
And keen insight from everlasting.
To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed?
And who hath known her shrewd counsels?
There is one wise, greatly to be feared,
The Lord sitting upon his throne,
He created her, and saw and numbered her,
And poured her out over all his works.
She is with all flesh according to his gift,
And he giveth her freely to those who love him.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 2:1-5]
My son, if you would serve the Lord,
Prepare your soul for temptation.
Set your heart aright, and be steadfast,
That you may not be dismayed in the time of calamity.
Cleave to him, and depart not,
That you may prove yourself wise at the last.
Accept whatever comes to you,
And be patient in sickness and affliction,
For gold is tried by the fire,
And acceptable men in the furnace of affliction.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 2:6-9]
Put your trust in the Lord, and he will help you,
Hope in him, and he will make smooth your way.
You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,
And turn not aside lest you fall.
You who fear the Lord trust in him,
And your reward shall not fail.
You who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
And for eternal gladness and deliverance?
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 3:17-20]
My son, if you are rich, walk in humility,
That you will be more beloved than a generous man.
The greater you are, humble yourself the more,
And you shall find favor before the Lord.
For great is the might of the Lord,
And he is glorified by those who are meek.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 3:21-25]
Seek not the things that are too hard for you,
And search not out things that are beyond you.
That over which power has been given you, think thereon,
For you have no business with the things that are hidden.
With that which is out of your field have nothing to do,
For more things are shown to you than you can understand.
For men have many speculations,
And evil theories have led them astray.
Where there is no pupil to the eye, the light fails,
And where there is no understanding, wisdom fails.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 3:26-29]
A stubborn heart fares ill at the last,
But he who loves the good finds it.
A stubborn heart has many troubles,
And the overbearing heap sin upon sin.
For the wound of the scorner there is no healing,
Since he is a plant of an evil kind.
A wise mind understands the proverbs of the wise,
And an ear attentive to wisdom is a joy.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 3:30-4:2, 9, 10]
Water quenches flaming fire,
And right acts make atonement for sins.
He who does a favor--it meets him on his way,
And when he falls he shall find support.
My son, deprive not the poor of his living,
And let not the eyes of the needy grow weary.
Make not a hungry soul groan,
And do not stir up the feelings of him who is smitten.
Deliver the oppressed from the oppressor,
And be not faint-hearted in giving judgment.
Be as a father to the fatherless,
And instead of a husband to the widow;
So will God call you his son,
And be gracious to you and save you from destruction.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 4:20-22]
Observe the opportunity and beware of evil,
And be not ashamed of yourself.
For there is a shame that brings sin,
And another shame, glory and grace.
Do not be obsequious to your own shame,
And do not humiliate yourself until it is a sin against yourself.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 4:23-25, 28, 29]
Hold not back speech, in its proper time,
And hide not your wisdom.
For by speech wisdom shall be known,
And instruction by the word of the tongue.
Speak not against the truth,
But be humble because of your own ignorance.
Strive for the right even to death,
And the Lord will fight for you.
Be not boastful with your tongue,
And slack and remiss in your work.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 4:30, 31]
Be not as a lion in your house,
Nor arrogant and suspicious among your servants.
Let not your hand be stretched out to receive,
And closed when you should repay.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 5:1, 2a]
Set not your mind upon your possessions,
And say not, They are sufficient for me.
Follow not your own mind and strength,
To walk in the desires of your heart.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 6:2, 4]
Do not give yourself up to your passion,
Lest it like a bull eat up your strength.
For a wild passion destroys its possessor,
And makes him the laughing-stock of his enemies.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 6:5-8]
Well ordered speech makes friends,
And a gracious tongue wins kindly greetings.
Let those who are friendly toward you be many,
But your confidant one of a thousand.
If you would get a friend, get him by testing,
And do not give him your confidence too quickly.
For there is many a fair-weather friend,
But he does not remain in the day of need.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 6:14-16]
A faithful friend is a strong defence,
And he who finds him finds a treasure.
There is nothing equal to a faithful friend,
And his worth is beyond price.
A faithful friend is a source of life,
And he who fears the Lord finds him.
He who fears the Lord directs his friendship aright,
For as he is, so is his friend.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 7:12, 13]
Devise not a lie against your brother,
Nor do the like to a friend or associate.
Never take pleasure in speaking a falsehood.
For its outcome is not good.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 7:20, 21]
Do not treat badly a servant who serves you faithfully,
Nor a hired servant who gives to you his best.
Love a sensible servant as your own self,
Defraud him not of liberty.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 7:22, 23]
Honor your father with your whole heart,
And forget not the pangs of your mother.
Remember that of them you were born,
And now you can recompense them for what they have done for you.
[Sidenote: B. Sir. 7:29, 30]
Fear the Lord with all your soul,
And regard his priests with reverence.
Love your Creator with all your strength,
And do not neglect his ministers.
I. Date and Character of Jesus, the Son of Sirach. Out of the large
number of anonymous books that come from the Persian and Greek periods one
stands forth unique. It is the Wisdom of Ben Sira. With the exception of
the Psalter and Isaiah, it is the largest book that has come to us from
ancient Israel. Fortunately, its date and authorship may be determined
with reasonable certainty. In the prologue to the Greek translation, its
translator describes himself as the grandson of Jesus, the son of Sirach,
and states that he went to Egypt in 132 B.C. Hence it is probable that his
grandfather wrote some time during the early part of the second century
B.C. The appreciative description of Simon the high priest in the fiftieth
chapter of Ben Sira indicates that its author was a contemporary as well
as an admirer of that famous head of the Judean community. From the
references in the rabbinical writings, as well as from the definite
statement of Eusebius, it is reasonably certain that this Simon lived
between 200 and 175 B.C. Furthermore, the quotations in the writings of
Ben Sira from Ecclesiastes in its original form imply that he wrote during
the latter part of the Greek period. The complete absence of any reference
to the Maccabean struggle also proves beyond question that he lived before
168 B.C. These facts indicate that the date of his writing was somewhere
between 190 and 175 B.C.
In the Hebrew version the name of this famous sage appears as Jesus, the
son of Eleazar, the son of Sira. In the Greek version, however, he is
known simply as Jesus, the son of Sirach. Ben Sira, or Sirach, was
apparently his family name, while Jesus is the Greek equivalent of Jeshua
or Joshua. From his writings it may be inferred that he belonged to a
well-known Jerusalemite family. It is also not improbable that he was
connected with the high-priestly line. His references to Simon the high
priest reveals his deep sympathies with the ecclesiastical rulers of
Jerusalem. The closing words in the Hebrew version of 51:12 are equally
significant: "Give thanks to him who chose the sons of Sadok to be
priests." In his teachings Ben Sira is in some respects a forerunner of
the later Sadducees. Evidently he was a man of influence in the Judean
community. His fame as a wise man doubtless attracted many disciples. He
was deeply interested in every phase of life. While his point of view was
somewhat similar to that of Koheleth, his outlook was thoroughly
optimistic. His teachings were positive rather than negative. His faith
was that of the fathers, and his purpose constructive. Out of the wealth
of teachings inherited from the past, and also out of his own personal
experience and observation, he sought to inspire right ideals in the young
and to develop them into happy and efficient servants of God and of their
fellow-men. In this respect he was a worthy representative of the wise who
during this period moulded the life of Judaism.
II. His Writings. The prologue to the Greek version of the wisdom of
Sirach states that he was a devoted student of the earlier scriptures of
his race. In 33:16 he acknowledges, in all modesty, his indebtedness to
the past:
I awakened last of all as one who gathers after the great gatherers,
By the blessing of the Lord I profited and filled my wine-press as one
who gathers grapes.
It was natural, therefore, that he should write down his teachings in the
language of his fathers. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he possessed
a classical Hebrew style. Like the wise men whose teachings are preserved
in the book of Proverbs, he put his thought into poetic, proverbial form.
In his book there is a definite, logical arrangement of ideas. The first
part consists of a series of essays on various topics. The same subject is
often dealt with in many different settings (e.g., choice of friends,
6:5-17, 7:18, 12:8-12, 37:1-5). These brief essays are grouped together,
and each group is provided with a brief introduction, usually in
commendation of wisdom. Apparently the first half of the book consists of
notes based on Ben Sira's early teachings. Each group of sayings may
well represent his teachings on a given occasion. In 31:21 through 50:24
is found the roll call of Israel's spiritual heroes, beginning with a
psalm in praise of Jehovah's majesty and power and concluding with the
description of Simon the high priest. This latter part of the book is
clearly a pure literary creation, and was probably added by him as a
conclusion to the collection of his wisdom teachings.
III. History of the Book. The book containing the writings of Ben Sira
was known under a variety of titles. The Latin Church followed the Greek
in calling it Ecclesiasticus. This term was applied to those books which
were not in the canon, but were held to be edifying and proper for public
use in the churches. The Hebrew text of Ben Sira enjoyed wide currency,
was frequently quoted by the later rabbis, and was often referred to by
later Jewish and Christian writers. It was almost completely supplanted in
time, however, by the Greek version. Jerome was acquainted with the Hebrew
version, but most of the Church fathers followed the Greek. Ben Sira was
apparently quoted by Jesus, by Paul, and by the authors of the Epistle of
James and of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Twenty or thirty such references
or allusions are found in the New Testament. It was also a great favorite
with the Church fathers, who quoted from it even more frequently than from
the other Old Testament writings. It was adopted in the canon of the Greek
and Latin Church; but, in common with the other apocryphal books, was
given a secondary place by the Protestant reformers. Unfortunately, during
the earlier part of the last century it ceased to be printed in the
standard editions of the Bible. The modern revival of interest in the
apocryphal books, both in Europe and America, is tending to restore this
book, in common with I Maccabees, to the position which they certainly
deserve in the practical working canon of the Old Testament. The discovery
in 1896 of a fragment of the original Hebrew manuscript of Ben Sira, and
the subsequent recovery of many other parts, have also tended to arouse
wide interest in this hitherto much-neglected book. Hebrew portions of
thirty-nine out of the fifty-one chapters have thus far been discovered.
Most of them come from about the eleventh Christian century and are of
widely differing values. By means of these, however, and the quotations by
the Jewish rabbis and Christian fathers and in the Greek, Syriac, and
Latin versions, it is now possible to restore most of the original Hebrew
text, and the resulting translation is far superior to those based on the
Greek text.
IV. Its Picture of Jewish Life. Ben Sira has given a vivid picture of
the domestic, economic, and social life of the Jews of his age. The
debased, Oriental conception of marriage had corrupted the atmosphere of
the home. Wives were regarded as the possessions of their husbands, and
the immoral influence of Hellenism still further undermined the purity
and integrity of many a Jewish home. Greek customs and usages were
pervading Palestine more and more. Ben Sira refers to banquets with their
accompaniments of music and wine. Even these meet with his approval.
Agriculture and commerce are the chief occupations of the people. In
general Ben Sira voices the wholesome Jewish attitude toward labor:
Hate not laborious work;
Neither agriculture that the Most High hath ordained.
He is especially strong in his commendation of physicians:
Be a friend to the physician, for one has need of him,
For verily God hath appointed him.
A physician receives his wisdom from God,
And from the king he receives presents.
The knowledge of a physician causes him to lift up his head,
And before the princes may he enter.
God created medicines out of the earth,
And a prudent man will not be disgusted with them.
The following proverb has a universal application:
He who sins before his maker,
Let him fall into the hands of his physician!
V. Rise of the Scribes. The writings of Ben Sira reveal the close
connection between the earlier wise and the later scribes. He lived at
the period when the wise man was turning scribe. He himself had a
profound respect for the law:
A man of understanding will put his trust in the law,
The law is faithful to him as when one asks at the oracle.
One of his fundamental teachings is formulated in the proverb:
Fear the Lord and glorify his priests,
And give him his portion even as it is commanded.
Elsewhere he declares:
The leisure of the scribe increases his wisdom,
And he who has no business becomes wise.
In his famous description of the typical wise man in 39:1-11 may be
recognized many of the traits of the later scribes. As the law and the
ritual gained greater prominence in the life of Judaism, it was inevitable
that it should command the attention of the practical teachers of the
people. Thus gradually the wise devoted themselves to its study and
interpretation, ever emphasizing, however, thought and conduct as well
as conformity to the ritual. Scribism was greatly enriched by its lineal
inheritance through the earlier wise, and long retained the proverbial,
epigrammatic form of teaching and that personal attitude toward the
individual and his problems which was one of their greatest sources of
strength. The honor which the early scribes enjoyed was well deserved.
Their methods were free from the casuistry that characterized many of
the later scribes. They not only copied and guarded the law, but were
its interpreters, applying it practically to the every-day problems of the
people as well as to their duties in connection with the temple service.
Their influence upon the Jews in this early period was on the whole
exceedingly wholesome, and from their ranks rose the martyrs that a
generation later were ready to die for the law.
VI. The Teachings of Ben Sira. Ben Sira was acquainted with Greek
culture and shows at several points familiarity with Greek ideals and
methods of thinking, but his point of view in general was distinctly
Jewish. He gathered together all that was best in the earlier teachings
of his race. In many ways he represents an advance beyond all that had
gone before and a close approximation to the spirit and teachings of Jesus
of Nazareth. The God of his faith was omnipotent, majestic, omniscient,
just, and merciful. He was the God of all mankind, although it was through
Israel that he especially revealed himself. Ben Sira did not, like
Ezekiel, think of God as far removed from the life of men and as
communicating with them only through angels, but as directly and
personally interested in the experiences and life of the individual. In
23:1, 4 he addresses him as Lord, Father, and Master of my life. Thus he
employs in the personal sense the term Father, which was most often on the
lips of the Great Teacher of Nazareth. In Ben Sira's stalwart faith and
simple trust there is also much that reminds us of the Greater than
Solomon. Like the teachers who had preceded him, he had, however, no clear
belief in individual immortality (cf. 41:3-4, 38:16, 23) The only reward
after death that he could hold up before a good man was his reputation:
A good life has its number of days,
But a good name continues forever.
Consistent with the orthodox wisdom school, he taught that rewards for
right living came in this life:
Delight not in the delights of the wicked;
Remember they shall not go unpunished to the grave.
Even though he lacked the inspiration of future hope, Ben Sira taught
loyalty to God and fidelity to every duty. Justice toward all,
consideration for the needs of the suffering and dependent, and generosity
to the poor are constantly urged by this noblest Jew of the age.
Section CVIII. THE CAUSES OF THE MACCABEAN STRUGGLE
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:10-15]
Now there came forth from [Alexander's successors] a sinful root,
Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage at
Rome, and he began to reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of
the Syrian rule (175 B.C.). In those days there appeared certain lawless
Israelites who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with
the heathen about us; for since we have stood aloof from them many evils
have befallen us. And the proposal met with approval. And certain of the
people were ready to do it, and went to the king who gave them the right
to do as the heathen. Then they built a place for gymnastic exercise in
Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen. They also made
themselves uncircumcised, and, forsaking the holy covenant, fraternized
with the heathen, and sold themselves to do evil.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:16-19]
Now when Antiochus saw that his authority was well established, he thought
to reign over Egypt, that he might reign over the two kingdoms. So he
invaded Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots and elephants and
horsemen, and with a great navy. And he made war against Ptolemy, king of
Egypt. And Ptolemy was defeated by him and fled, and many fell mortally
wounded. And they seized the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he
took the spoils of Egypt.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:20-22, 24-28]
Then after Antiochus had conquered Egypt he returned in the hundred and
forty-third year (169 B.C.) and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with
a great multitude. And he insolently went into the sanctuary, and took the
golden altar, and the candelabrum, and all that belonged to the table of
the showbread, and the cups for libations, and the bowls, and the golden
censers, and the curtain and the garlands; and the decorations which were
on the front of the temple--he scaled them all off. And taking all, he
went away into his own land, after he had made a great slaughter, and had
spoken very insolently. Thus a great mourning came to the Israelites
wherever they were.
And the rulers and elders groaned,
he virgins and young men were made feeble.
And the beauty of the women was changed.
Every bridegroom took up a lamentation,
She that sat in the marriage chamber was in heaviness.
And the land was shaken because of its inhabitants,
And all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:29-40]
After two years the king sent a chief collector of tribute to the cities
of Judah, who came to Jerusalem with a great multitude. And he spoke words
of peace to deceive them, and they trusted him. Then he attacked the
city suddenly, and inflicted a severe blow on it, and destroyed many
Israelites. And he took the spoils of the city, and set it on fire, and
pulled down its houses and walls on every side. They took captive the
women and the children, and gained possession of the cattle. Then they
walled in the city of David with a great and strong wall, with strong
towers, and it served as a citadel. And they put there sinful people,
lawless men. And they fortified themselves in it. And they stored up
weapons and food and, gathering together the spoils of Jerusalem, they
stowed them away there.
And the citadel became a great trap,
And served as a place of ambush against the sanctuary,
And an evil adversary to Israel continually.
And they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary
And polluted the sanctuary.
Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of this,
And she became the habitation of foreigners.
And she became strange to those who were born in her,
And her children forsook her.
Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness.
Her feasts were turned into mourning,
Her sabbaths into a reproach,
Her honor into contempt,
So great as was once her glory, so now was her dishonor,
And her exaltation was turned into mourning.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:41-53]
Then King Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom commanding that all should
be one people, and that each should give up his own laws. And all the
heathen nations yielded to the demand of the king. Many Israelites too
consented to worship him and sacrificed to the idols, and profaned the
sabbath. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the
cities of Judah commanding them to follow customs foreign to the land, and
to prevent the making of whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices and
libations in the sanctuary, and to profane the sabbaths and feasts, and
pollute the sanctuary and the holy things, to build altars, temples, and
shrines for idols, and to sacrifice swine's flesh and unclean beasts; also
to leave their sons uncircumcised, to stain their souls with all manner of
uncleanness and profanation, so that they might forget the law, and change
all the customs. And that whoever would not do as the king commanded
should die. Thus he wrote to his whole kingdom; and appointed overseers
over all the people, who commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice city
by city. Then many of the people, every one who had forsaken the law,
gathered about them. And they did evil things in the land, and caused the
Israelites to hide themselves in all their places of refuge.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:54-58]
On the twenty-fifth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth
year, they built an abomination of desolation upon the altar; and in the
cities of Judah on every side they built idol altars. And at the doors of
the houses and in the streets they burnt incense. And tearing in pieces
the books of the law which they found, they set fire to them. And wherever
a book of the covenant was found in the possession of anyone, or if anyone
obeyed the law, the king's decree sentenced him to death. Thus they did in
their might month by month to the Israelites who were found in the cities.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 1:59-63]
And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they sacrificed upon the idol
altar which was upon Jehovah's sacrificial altar. And the women who had
circumcised their children they put to death according to the command. And
they hanged their babies about their necks, and destroyed their households
with those who had circumcised them. But many in Israel made strong
resolutions not to eat unclean things, choosing to die that they might not
be defiled with the meats, and might not profane the holy covenant. So
they died. And exceedingly great woe came upon Israel.
I. Character and Contents of I Maccabees. The first book of Maccabees is
in many ways the best history that has come down from ancient Israel.
Luther's conclusion that it was more deserving of a place in the Old
Testament canon than, for example, the book of Esther is now being widely
accepted both in theory and practice. The religious spirit in which it is
written, the importance of the events with which it deals, and the
faithfulness with which they are recorded, all confirm this conclusion. It
is the work of a devoted patriot, who appears to have been personally
acquainted with the events which he records. He was an ardent admirer of
Judas Maccabeus, and may well have been one of the many valiant Jews who
rallied about this sturdy champion. The author was familiar with the early
histories of his race, for he has adopted many of the phrases peculiar to
the books of Samuel and Kings. His idioms leave no doubt that he wrote in
Hebrew, although this version has been lost.
The first book of Maccabees opens with a brief reference to Alexander the
Great and to the Greek rulers who succeeded him. The detailed history,
however, begins with Antiochus Epiphanes and continues to the death of
Simon in 135 B.C. The references in the prologue to the rebuilding of the
walls of Jerusalem by Simon's son, John Hyrcanus, between 135 and 125
B.C., and the absence of any allusions to the more important events in the
latter part of his reign, indicate that his history was probably completed
by 125 B.C. It was written, therefore, less than half a century after all
the events which it records took place. While the author is a true patriot
and keenly interested in the history of his race, he does not allow his
patriotism to carry him into exaggeration. He reveals the true historical
spirit and a splendid reserve in recounting the epoch-making events that
he records.
II. Character and Contents of II Maccabees. In marked contrast with I
Maccabees is the second book which bears this name. The author states in
2:19-32 that it was based on an earlier five-volume history written by
Jason, of Cyrene, in northern Africa. The final epitomizer of this earlier
work probably lived not long after 50 B.C. Jason himself appears to have
lived somewhere between 160 and 140 B.C. and to have written from northern
Syria. The language of the original was evidently Greek. The aim of the
author was didactic rather than historical, and he drew freely from
popular tradition. In general character it corresponds closely to the work
of the Chronicler, who compiled the Old Testament books of Chronicles and
Ezra-Nehemiah. The miraculous element is prominent, numbers are frequently
enlarged, and Israel's disasters are minimized. Notwithstanding all of its
obvious faults, II Maccabees has preserved many important historical
facts. Where its testimony differs from that of I Maccabees, the latter in
general should be followed, but its account of the events which led to the
Maccabean uprising are much more detailed than those of I Maccabees, which
it supplements at many important points. With the aid of these two
histories it is possible to gain a remarkably vivid and detailed
conception of the half-century that witnessed the reawakening of Judaism
and the birth of a new national spirit.
III. Aggressive Character of Hellenic Culture. Jewish life and religion
were at times almost uprooted, but never fundamentally transformed by the
Babylonian and Persian conquerors. Alexander, however, and those who
followed in his wake introduced an entirely new and aggressive force into
the life and thought of Palestine. The centuries that began with 332 B.C.
witnessed the most important struggle that the world has ever seen. It was
fought not on the open battle-field, but wherever in Palestine and the
lands of the dispersion the currents of that ancient life and commerce met
and mingled. It was the age-long conflict between Hellenism and Judaism,
those two mighty forces that had long been maturing in the coast lands of
the northern and eastern Mediterranean. The outcome of this contest was
destined to affect the civilization and faith of all the world throughout
the ages.
Judaism represented the life and faith of a peasant people, while
Hellenism was born in the city. Wherever Hellenism went, it found
expression in civic life. The heathen races of Palestine, the Phoenicians
and Philistines on the coast, and the east-Jordan peoples readily welcomed
the superior civilization of the conquerors. It appealed powerfully to
their intellectual, social, and aesthetic sense, and, in the debased form
that it assumed in the East, to their passions. Even the Samaritans
readily accepted it; and the city of Samaria was settled by a colony of
Macedonian soldiers. The ancient cities of Gaza, Askelon, Accho under
the name of Ptolemais, Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Bethshean under its new name
Scythopolis, Rabbath-ammon under the name of Philadelphia, and most of the
important east-Jordan cities were soon transformed into active centres of
Hellenic culture. Civic pride and patriotism took possession of their
inhabitants. Most of the cities had a senate and magistrates elected each
year by popular vote. Many of them were adorned by magnificent public
buildings, including a forum, theatre, stadium, hippodrome, and gymnasium.
Civic patriotism took the place of the old despotism and selfish
individualism. Each Hellenic city gave to its citizens new ideals and
opportunities. The discussions of the forum, the agora, and the gymnasium
inspired them with political, social, and intellectual interests. The
plays in the theatres, the races in the hippodrome and stadium amazed and
fascinated them. Many of the youths were enlisted in the clubs that were
formed in connection with the gymnasium, and all classes participated in
the public festivities.
IV. Contrast Between Hellenism and Judaism. In the broad perspective of
history it is clear that both Hellenism and Judaism were essential to the
upbuilding and broadening of the human character and ideals. Hellenism in
its nobler form brought what Judaism lacked, and Judaism was fitted to
correct the evils and fatal weaknesses of Hellenism. Ben Sira vaguely
recognized this, and sought to reconcile these two types of civilization;
but in the second century B.C. men were chiefly aware of the glaring
contrasts. Compared with the splendor of the life in the Greek cities that
of the orthodox Jews seemed crude and barbarous. The intense horror with
which the Jews viewed every form of idolatry led them to reject all forms
of art. Their hatred of sensuality and immorality led them to regard with
aversion the sports and exercises of the gymnasium and the attendant
licentiousness. The practical teachers of Israel looked with suspicion
upon the subtleties of the different Greek philosophical schools. On the
other hand, the homely, domestic joys of the average Jew and his intense
devotion to the service of the temple and to the faith of his fathers
seemed contemptible to those familiar with the brilliant, voluptuous life
of the Hellenic cities. Hellenism protested against the narrowness,
barrenness, and intolerance of Judaism; Judaism protested against the
godlessness and immorality of Hellenism. Both were right in their
protests, and yet each in a sense needed the other.
V. Apostasy of the Jews and the Perfidy of the High Priests. At the
beginning of the second century B.C. the Judean state was closely
encircled by a ring of Hellenic cities and subjected on every side to the
seductions of that debased Greek culture which had taken firm root in the
soil of Palestine. As was almost inevitable, many of the Jewish youth
yielded to its attractions. Distaste for the narrowness and austere
customs of their fathers begat in their minds a growing contempt for
their race and its religion. Even some of the younger priests forsook
the temple for the gymnasium. Unconsciously but surely Judaism was
drifting from its old moorings toward Hellenism, until the perfidy of
its high priests and the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes aroused
it to a full realization of its peril. The apostates in Jerusalem found a
leader in Jeshua, who had assumed the Greek name of Jason. He was the
brother of Onias III, the reigning high priest, and had been sent to
represent him at the Syrian court. There he improved the opportunity by
promising greater tribute to secure his appointment as high priest. He was
soon outbid, however, by a certain renegade named Menelaus, who with the
aid of Syrian soldiers drove Jason from Jerusalem and took his place as
head of the hellenizing party. The first cause, therefore, of the
Maccabean struggle was the apostasy of certain of the Jews themselves.
Apparently in large numbers they abandoned the traditions of their race,
and assumed the Greek garb and customs, thus leading their Syrian rulers
to believe that the hellenizing of the entire race would be comparatively
easy.
VI. Character of Antiochus Epiphanes. The ruler who by his injustice and
persecutions fanned the smouldering flame of Jewish patriotism into a
mighty conflagration was Antiochus Epiphanes. As a youth he had been
educated at Rome with the profligate sons of those who ruled the Imperial
City. The Greek and Roman historians, especially Polybius, give vivid
portraits of this tyrannical king. In him the prevailing passion for
Hellenism found extreme expression. To dazzle his contemporaries by the
splendor of his building enterprises and by his dramatic display was his
chief ambition. In gratifying thus his selfish ambition he drained the
resources of his kingdom, and was therefore obliged to resort to extreme
measures to replenish his treasury. In 170 B.C. he made a successful
campaign into Egypt. Two years later he again invaded the rich land of the
Nile, only to find himself confronted by a Roman general, who peremptorily
ordered him to retreat. Rome was already the chief power in the eastern
Mediterranean, and Antiochus, although in a rage, wisely decided to
retire. It was at this inopportune moment that he found Jerusalem in
revolt, misled by a false report and by the renegade high priest Jason.
Antiochus not only improved this opportunity to loot the temple and slay
many of the inhabitants, but from this time on conceived a bitter
antipathy to the Jewish race. This antipathy he shared in common with all
the Greek world, for already, as a result of the peculiar religion and
customs of the Jews and their success in commercial pursuits, that which
is known to-day as the anti-Semitic spirit was fully developed. One of
Antiochus's chief ambitions was also to hellenize all his subjects, and
the Jews alone offered opposition to the realization of this ambition.
Hence they could expect no mercy at the hands of this selfish, capricious
despot.
VII. Antiochus's Policy toward the Jews. The measures which Antiochus
employed to crush the faith of Judaism were relentlessly thorough. He
began with the seizure of Jerusalem, the tearing down of its walls, the
fortifying and garrisoning of its citadel with Syrian soldiers and
apostate Jews, and the slaughter of all who refused to accede to his
demands. Not only was the temple service stopped, but the altar was torn
down and desecrated and a heathen altar to Zeus--the abominable desolation
of the book of Daniel--was reared in its place. On this swine's flesh was
sacrificed, and the presence of harlots in the sacred precincts completed
its ceremonial and moral pollution. All the surviving inhabitants of
Jerusalem were compelled to sacrifice and pay homage to the heathen gods.
Those who retained copies of their laws or persisted in maintaining the
customs of their fathers were slain. When many fled to the outlying towns,
emissaries of Antiochus pursued them, demanding of each citizen public
recognition of the Greek gods. A majority of the Jews apparently yielded
to these drastic measures and joined the ranks of the apostates. Of the
many crises through which Israel passed this was in many ways the most
severe; but then it gave to the world some of the noblest martyrs. The
early Christians who perished for their faith were inspired by the example
of their Master and by the hope of blessed, individual immortality. To the
Jews of the Greek period, however, the great calamity that overtook them
came as a sudden and unexpected blow. No clear hope of immortality at
first inspired them, for, like Ben Sira and the earlier teachers of the
race, the majority of them probably regarded the life beyond death as a
passionless existence in the land of darkness. Even the expectation of
family or racial immortality seemed denied by the dark outlook. They died
as did Eleazar, the aged scribe, simply because of their devotion to the
God and laws of their fathers, and because that loyalty meant more to them
than life.
Section CIX. THE EFFECT OF PERSECUTION ON THE JEWS
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:1-4]
At that time arose Mattathias the son of John the son of Simeon, a priest
of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem; and he dwelt in Modein. And he had
five sons, John, who was surnamed Gaddis, Simon, who was called Thassi,
Judas, who was called Maccabeus, Eleazar, who was called Avaran, Jonathan,
who was called Apphus.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:5-14]
When he saw the sacrilegious acts that were being committed in Judah and
in Jerusalem, he said,
Woe to me! Why was I born
To see the ruin of my people,
And the ruin of the holy city,
And to dwell there while it was being given into the hands of the foe,
The sanctuary into the hands of foreigners?
The temple has become as though it had no glory,
Its splendid vessels have been carried into captivity.
Her children have been slain in the streets,
Her young men by the sword of the enemy.
What people has not taken possession of her palace,
And seized upon her spoils?
All her adornments have been taken away,
From freedom she has been reduced to slavery.
And now our holy things, our beauty and our glory have been laid waste,
And the heathen have polluted them.
Why should we still live?
And Mattathias and his son tore their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and
mourned bitterly.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:15-22]
Now the king's officers who were enforcing the apostasy, came into the
city of Modein to sacrifice. And many of Israel went over to them, but
Mattathias and his sons offered resistance. Then the king's officers said
to Mattathias, You are a ruler and a man honored in this city and
strengthened by sons and brothers. Now therefore come first and do what
the king commands, as all the nations have done, the men of Judah too,
with those who remain in Jerusalem. Then you and your house shall be in
the number of the king's Friends, and you and your sons shall be honored
with silver and gold and many gifts. But Mattathias replied with a loud
voice, If all the nations included in the king's dominion obey him, in
that each is untrue to the worship of his fathers and chooses to follow
his command, yet I and my sons and my brothers will walk in the covenant
made with our fathers. Heaven forbid that we should forsake the law and
the ordinances. We will not listen to the king's words, to go aside from
our worship, either to the right hand or to the left.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:23-28]
And when he had finished saying these things a Jew came in sight of all
to sacrifice on the altar that was in Modein according to the king's
command. When Mattathias saw it, his zeal was kindled and he trembled
inwardly. And he let his anger take possession of him, as was right, and
he ran and slew the Jew upon the altar. Also he killed at that time the
king's officer, who was compelling men to sacrifice, and pulled down the
altar. Thus he showed his zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did in the
case of Zimri the son of Salu. Then Mattathias cried out in the city with
a loud voice, saying, Whoever is zealous for the law and will maintain the
covenant, let him follow me. And he and his sons fled into the mountains,
and left behind all that they had in the city.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:29-38]
Then many who sought justice and right went down into the wilderness, to
dwell there with their sons and wives and cattle, because the evils were
becoming ever harder for them to bear. And it was reported to the king's
officers and to the forces that were in Jerusalem, the city of David, that
certain men who had broken the king's command had gone down into the
hiding places in the wilderness. So many pursued after them, and having
overtaken them encamped against them, and drew up the line of battle
against them on the sabbath day. And they said to them, Things have gone
far enough, now come forth and obey the command of the king and you shall
live. But they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do as the
king commands, to profane the sabbath day. Then they at once offered them
battle. But they made no resistance, neither did they cast a stone at
them, nor stop up the places of concealment, for they said, Let us all die
in our innocency: let heaven and earth bear witness for us, that you put
us to death unjustly. Then they rose up against them in battle on the
sabbath, and thus they died with their wives and children and cattle, to
the number of a thousand souls.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:39-48]
When Mattathias and his friends knew it they mourned bitterly over them.
And they said to each other, If we all do as our brothers have done, and
do not fight against the armed heathen for our lives and our customs, they
will now quickly destroy us from off the earth. So they took counsel that
day, saying, Whoever shall come against us for battle on the sabbath day,
let us fight against him, and we will by no means all die, as our brothers
died in the hiding places. Then there gathered together to them a company
of Hasideans, brave men of Israel, every one who offered himself willingly
for the law. And all who fled from the evils were added to them, and
strengthened them. And they mustered a host.
And smote the sinners in their anger
And the lawless in their wrath.
And the rest fled to the heathen for safety. Also Mattathias and his
friends went about and pulled down the altars, and circumcised by force
the children who were uncircumcised, as many as they found in the
territory of Israel. Thus they pursued the sons of arrogance, and the
work prospered in their hand. They took the direction of affairs out of
the hands of the heathen and of the kings, nor did they yield ground to
the sinner.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:49-64]
When the time approached for Mattathias to die he said to his sons, Now
insolence and insult have grown strong, and a period of reversals has
come, with flaming wrath.
Now, my sons, be zealous for the law,
And give your lives for the covenant of your fathers.
And remember the deeds which your forefathers did in their generations;
And win great glory and everlasting fame.
Was not Abraham found faithful when tested?
And it was counted to him as righteousness.
Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment,
And became lord of Egypt,
Phinehas our father, because he was so zealous,
Received the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.
Joshua for carrying out the word of God,
Became a ruler in Israel.
Caleb for bearing witness in the congregation,
Obtained a heritage in the land.
David for being merciful,
Inherited a kingly throne for ever and ever.
Elijah because he was so zealous for the law,
Was taken up into heaven.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael believed,
And were rescued from the flame.
Daniel because of his innocence,
Was delivered from the mouth of lions.
And thus consider from generation to generation:
None who put their trust in him ever want strength.
Then be not afraid of the words of a sinful man;
For his glory shall be dung and worms.
To-day he is exalted, but to-morrow he cannot be found,
Because he has returned to dust, and the memory of him has perished.
Then my sons be strong, and show yourselves men in behalf of the law;
By so doing you shall obtain glory.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:65-68]
And, behold, Simon your brother, I know that he is a man of counsel;
Obey him always; let him be your adviser.
Judas Maccabeus, too, has been a man of war from his youth;
He shall be your captain, and fight the battle of the people.
And take to yourselves all law-abiding men,
And avenge the wrong of your people.
Render a recompense to the heathen,
And give heed to the commands of the law.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:69-70]
Thus he blessed them and was gathered to his fathers. And he died in the
one hundred and forty-sixth year, and his sons buried him in the
sepulchres of his fathers at Modein, and all Israel made a great
lamentation for him.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:1-8]
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and
visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote down the dream: I saw in
my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven broke forth upon
the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different
from the other. The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. I looked
until its wings were stripped off, and it was lifted up from the earth,
and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to
it. And behold, a second beast, like a bear; and it was raised up on one
side, and three ribs were in its mouth, between its teeth; and they said
thus to it: Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo, another
like a leopard, which had upon its sides four wings of a bird; and the
beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw
in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and fearful,
and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke
in pieces and stamped the rest with its feet; and it differed from all the
beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I gave attention to the
horns, and behold another little horn came up amongst them, before which
three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this
horn were eyes, like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:9, 10]
I waited until thrones were set up, and an aged one took his seat; his
clothing was white as snow, and his hair like spotless wool, his throne
was fiery flames, its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came
forth before him; thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten
thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set and the
books were opened.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:11, 12]
I looked at that time because of the sound of the great words which the
horn spoke--I looked even until the beast was slain, and its body
destroyed, and given to be fuel for the fire. Also the rule of the rest of
the beasts was taken away; but their lives were prolonged for a fixed time
and season.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:13, 14]
I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of
heaven one like to a son of man, and he came even to the Aged One, and was
brought near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory, and
sovereignty that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his
sovereignty one which shall not be destroyed.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:15-18]
As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved by reason of this, and the
visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by,
and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made me
know the interpretation of the things. These four great beasts are four
kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High
shall receive the sovereignty, and possess the sovereignty forever, even
for ever and ever.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:19-22]
Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was
different from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron,
and its nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the
rest with its fourth feet; and concerning the ten horns that were on its
head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three horns
fell--it that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, and it
appeared to be greater than the rest. I looked, and the same horn made war
with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the Aged One came, and
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the fixed time came
that the saints possessed the sovereignty.
[Sidenote: Dan. 7:23-27]
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which
shall be different from all the kingdoms; and shall devour the whole
earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And as for the ten
horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise; and another shall arise
after them; and he shall be different from the former, and he shall put
down three kings. And he shall speak words against the Most High, and
shall continually harass the saints of the Most High; and he shall think
to change the fixed times and the law; and they shall be given into his
hand until a time and times and half a time. But the judgment shall be
set, and they shall take away his kingdom, to consume and to destroy
finally. And the sovereignty, and the dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall surely be given to the people
of the saints of the Most High; his sovereignty is an everlasting
sovereignty, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
[Sidenote: Dan. 12:1-3]
And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands for
the children of my people; and there shall be a time of affliction such as
there never was since there was a nation, even to that time; and at that
time thy people shall be delivered, every one who shall be found written
in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt. And they who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament; and they who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever
and ever.
I. The Uprising Led by Mattathias. The persecutions of Antiochus
Epiphanes had at last reached the point where patient submission and even
martyrdom ceased to be a virtue. His agents had successfully carried the
merciless, hellenizing campaign throughout practically all the territory
of Judea. It was not until they reached its extreme northwestern border
that they met the first open opposition. The little town of Modein lay out
on the edge of the great plain where the central hills of Palestine break
down into low foot-hills. These are intersected by rushing brooks and
clear, crystal streams that descend from the heights above. The town lay
on a rounded hill about one-third of a mile in diameter that rises
abruptly in a series of steep terraces. The Wady Malakeh encircled it on
the south and west. On the northeastern side, where lies the modern town,
was a broad shoulder of land slightly lower and larger than the acropolis.
In ancient times it was probably the site of the lower city. Deep,
encircling valleys on the north and east completed the natural defences of
this border village that became the altar of Jewish freedom. To-day the
scattered ruins of the acropolis are covered in spring-time with a
luxuriant growth of grain and olive trees, making it one of the most
picturesque mounds in Palestine.
It is surprising that the revolt against the cruel tyranny of Antiochus
was led by an aged priest. Like many priests, his home was outside
Jerusalem. Evidently he was one of the chief men of Modein. He was
descended from the family of Hasmon, hence his descendants, who ultimately
became the independent rulers of their race, are sometimes called the
Hasmonians. In Mattathias the long-suppressed, hot indignation of the
Jewish race at last found expression. In slaying the apostate Jew and
Syrian official, Mattathias evoked that warlike spirit which had in
earlier days given Israel a home and a place among the nations. His
impulsive act inaugurated a new chapter in Israel's life and thought. In
its far-reaching consequences it was comparable only to Moses' impulsive
slaying of the Egyptian taskmaster.
II. Party of the Hasideans or Pious. It was fortunate that Mattathias
had five able, mature sons to support him. Simon, the eldest, was already
famous in council. Judas, who bore the surname Maccabeus (whence the word
Maccabees), soon proved himself a great military leader. Jonathan combined
the qualities of Simon and Judas with a certain craftiness that makes
him the least attractive of the three. Eleazar later proved on the
battle-field that he had the qualities that make heroes and martyrs. Among
the Judean hills, and especially in the barren, almost inaccessible
fastnesses that descend in a series of terraces from the central plateau
to the Dead Sea, Mattathias and his followers found refuge. Hither many
patriotic Jews had already fled. The Syrian mercenaries, however, led by
the relentless, apostate Jews, pursued them, and, knowing their scruples,
attacked them on the sabbath day and pitilessly slaughtered them. Learning
from this awful example, Mattathias and his sons wisely decided that it
was more important to fight for their lives than to die for a mere
institution. They soon attracted to their standard all who were still
faithful to the law. Chief among these were those known as the Hasideans
or Pious. They were the spiritual successors of the pious or afflicted,
whose woes are voiced in the earlier psalms of the Psalter (Section
XLVII:v). They were also the forerunners of the party of the Pharisees,
which was one of the products of the Maccabean struggle. In them faith and
patriotism were so blended that, like Cromwell's Ironsides, they were
daunted by no odds. At first they depended upon the guerilla type of
warfare, to which the hills of Judea were especially adapted. By enforcing
the law of circumcision, by punishing the apostates, and by attacking
straggling Syrian bands, they encouraged the faltering Jews, and
intimidated the agents of Antiochus. Mattathias soon died, leaving the
leadership to his third son, Judas. The poem recording his dying
injunctions voices the inspiration that came at this time to Israel's
patriots from their nation's past, and that supreme devotion to the law
and dauntless courage that animated the leaders in this great movement.
III. Date of the Visions in Daniel 7-12. A parallel but different type
of character and hope is reflected in the latter part of the book of
Daniel. In the form of visions or predictions, these chapters interpret
the meaning of the great world movements from the beginning of the
Babylonian to the end of the Greek period. Each vision culminates in
a symbolic but detailed description of the rule and persecutions of
Antiochus Epiphanes. Several passages describe the destructive policies
of this Syrian ruler almost as vividly as the books of Maccabees (Dan.
8:11, 12): "It (Antiochus) magnified itself even to the Prince of the Host
(Jehovah), and took away from him the daily sacrifice, and cast down
the place of his sanctuary, and set up the sacrilegious thing over the
daily sacrifice, and cast down truth to the ground, and did it and
prospered."
Daniel 11:20-44 contains a review of the chief events of Antiochus's
reign. This description closes with the prediction: "He shall plant his
palace between the Mediterranean and the glorious holy mountain; so he
shall come to his end and none shall help him." Contemporary records
indicate, however, that Antiochus died while engaged in a campaign in
distant Persia and not in western Palestine as the author of Daniel
anticipated. In the other visions, after the description of Antiochus's
persecutions, the details suddenly give place to general predictions,
implying that at this point the author turned from the contemplation
of past and present events to that which was to him future. The great
victories of Judas and his followers that led to the restoration of the
temple in 165 B.C. are nowhere mentioned. In 11:34 is found an allusion
to the Maccabean uprising: "Now when they are falling they shall be helped
with a little help; but many shall join themselves to them with false
protestations." This movement, clearly, is not regarded by the author as
significant. The date of these visions, therefore, may be fixed with great
confidence between the years 168 and 166 B.C.
IV. Their Real Character and Aim. In interpreting these visions it is
important to note that they belong to the so-called apocalyptic type of
literature. Already Ezekiel and Zechariah had employed the complex
symbolism of the apocalypse to stir the imagination and strengthen the
faith of their discouraged countrymen. The aim of the author of the
closing chapters of Daniel was primarily to present a religious philosophy
of history. Through the rise and fall of nations Jehovah's purpose was
slowly but surely being realized. They are the expression of the eternal
optimism of the prophets. They voice their deathless hope that "the best
is yet to be." They were intended to encourage those in the midst of
persecution with the assurance that God was still in his heaven, and that
all would yet be right with his world.
V. The Four Heathen Kingdoms and the Kingdom of God. In the symbolism of
the prophet the four beasts of Daniel 7 represented the Chaldean, Medean,
Persian, and Greek Empires. The fourth beast with iron teeth that devoured
and broke in pieces the rest was clearly the empire of Alexander, and the
little horn that sprang up was the little horn which gored and mangled the
helpless people of Jehovah. Opposed to the four beasts which represented
the angels, or demons, the champions of each of the great heathen
kingdoms, was Israel's patron angel Michael. It is this angel that is
apparently referred to in 7:13 as coming from heaven, and in appearance
like to a son of man. At Jehovah's direction he was to establish a
glorious, universal kingdom, the citizens of which were to be the saints,
the faithful Jews who remained loyal to Jehovah during the long, cruel
persecutions. Not only those who survived but the martyrs sleeping in the
dust of the earth were to awake and receive their glorious reward. The
apostates were to be sentenced to everlasting shame and contempt. The wise
teachers and martyrs who by word and example had striven to keep their
race loyal to Jehovah were to be exalted in the coming messianic kingdom.
Thus these visions reveal the hopes that inspired certain of the Jewish
race in its period of supreme trial: the belief that Jehovah through his
angel would speedily overthrow the power of the heathen persecutor, that
he would establish a universal kingdom in which his own people should have
chief place, and finally that even the bonds of death would not hold those
who had died for the law. Thus at last out of this struggle Judaism
emerged with a new-found faith in individual immortality. It was still
bound up in the belief in the bodily resurrection, but at last the
imperishable worth of the individual had become one of the cornerstones
of Israel's religion.
Section CX. THE VICTORIES THAT GAVE THE JEWS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:1-9]
Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, rose up in his place. And
all his brothers helped him, as did all those who had supported his
father, and they fought with gladness the battle of Israel.
He spread far and wide the fame of his glory
And put on his breastplate like a giant,
And girded on his weapons of war,
And set battles in array,
Protecting the army with his sword.
He was like a lion in his deeds,
And as a lion's whelp roaring for prey.
He pursued the lawless, seeking them out,
And he burnt up those who troubled his people.
The lawless shrunk for fear of him,
And all the workers of lawlessness were greatly terrified;
And deliverance was attained through him.
He angered many kings,
And made Jacob glad with his acts;
And his memory is blessed forever.
He went about among the cities of Judah,
And destroyed the godless from the land,
And turned away the wrath of God from Israel.
And he was renowned to the ends of the earth.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:10-12]
Then Apollonius gathered the heathen together and a great army from
Samaria to fight against Israel. And when Judas learned of it, he went
out to meet him, and defeated and slew him; and many fell mortally
wounded, while the rest fled. And they captured their spoils, and Judas
took the sword of Apollonius, with which he fought all his days.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:13-15]
When Seron, the commander of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had
gathered a large force of faithful men about him, who went with him to
war, he said, I will make myself famous and gain renown in the kingdom;
for I will fight with Judas and those with him, who are defying the
command of the king. And there went up with him also a mighty army of the
godless to help him, to take vengeance on the Israelites.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:16-22]
As he approached the ascent of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him
with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they
said to Judas, How shall we, few as we are, be able to battle against so
great a multitude? and we are faint also, having tasted no food to-day.
Then Judas said, It is an easy thing for many to be shut up in the hands
of a few; and with Heaven it is equally easy to save by many or by few;
for victory in battle does not depend upon the size of an army, but from
Heaven comes the strength. They come to us full of insolence and
lawlessness, to destroy us with our wives and children and to plunder us;
but, as for us, we are fighting for our lives and our laws. And he himself
will crush them before our face; so do not be afraid of them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:23, 24]
Now when he had finished speaking, he leaped suddenly upon them, and Seron
and his army were put to flight before him. And they pursued them by the
descent of Bethhoron to the plain, and there fell of them about eight
hundred men; but the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:25-31]
Now the fear of Judas and his brothers and the dread of them began to fall
upon the nations round about them. And his reputation reached the king,
for every nation was telling of the battles of Judas. But when King
Antiochus heard these things, he was filled with indignation and sent
and gathered together all the forces of his realm, a very strong army.
And he opened his treasury and gave his forces pay for a year, and
commanded them to be ready for every emergency. And seeing that money was
scarce in his treasury and that the tributes of the country were small,
because of the dissension and calamity which he had brought upon the land,
for the purpose of taking away the laws which had been in force from the
earliest days, he feared that he should not have enough, as at other
times, for the expenses and the gifts which he had formerly given with a
liberal hand, in which he had surpassed the kings who had been before him.
And he was exceedingly perplexed in his mind, and determined to go into
Persia and to take the tributes of the countries and to gather much money.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:32-37]
So he left Lysias, an honorable man and one of the royal family in charge
of the affairs of the king from the River Euphrates to the borders of
Egypt and to bring up his son Antiochus, until he returned. And he
delivered to him the half of his forces and the elephants, and gave him
charge of all the things that he wished to have done and concerning those
who dwelt in Judea and in Jerusalem, that he should send a force against
them, to root out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of
Jerusalem, and to take away their memory from the place, and that he
should make foreigners dwell in all their territory and should divide
their land to them by lot. Then the king took the remaining half of the
forces and set out from Antioch his capital, in the one hundred and
forty-seventh year, and, crossing the Euphrates, he went through the upper
countries.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:38-41]
Now Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor, and Gorgias,
influential men among the king's Friends, and with them sent forty
thousand footmen and seven thousand horsemen to go into the land of Judah
to destroy it, as the king had ordered. And they set out with all their
army and pitched their camp near Emmaus in the plain. And the merchants of
the country heard the rumors about them, and taking silver and gold in
large quantities, and shackles, they came into the camp to get the
Israelites for slaves. There were added to them the forces of Syria and of
the Philistines.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:42, 43, 46-54]
Then Judas and his brothers saw that evils were increasing and that the
forces were encamping in their territory, and when they learned of the
commands which the king had given to destroy the people and make an end of
them, they said to each other,
Let us raise up the ruin of our people
And let us fight for our people and the sanctuary;
So they gathered together and came to Mizpeh, opposite Jerusalem; for in
Mizpeh there was a place of prayer for Israel. And they fasted that day,
and put sackcloth and ashes on their heads and tore their clothes, and
spread out the book of the law--one of those in which the heathen had been
painting images of their idols. And they brought the priests' garments
with the first-fruits, and the tithes, and they cut the hair of the
Nazirites who had accomplished their days. And they cried aloud toward
Heaven, saying, What shall we do with these and whither shall we carry
them away? For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests
are in sorrow, and humiliation. And now the heathen have assembled
together against us to destroy us. Thou knowest what plans they are making
against us. How shall we be able to stand before them, except thou be our
help? And they sounded with the trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 3:55-60]
And after this Judas appointed leaders of the people, commanders over
thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. And he told those
who were building houses and those who were planting vineyards and those
who were afraid, to return, each to his own house, as the law commanded.
Then the army removed and encamped upon the south side of Emmaus. And
Judas said, Gird yourselves and be valiant men; and be ready in the
morning to fight with these heathen who are assembled together against us
to destroy us and our sanctuary. For it is better for us to die in
battle than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary.
Nevertheless, let Heaven do whatever be his will.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:1-6a]
And Gorgias took five thousand footmen, and a thousand chosen horsemen,
and the army set out by night, that it might fall upon the army of the
Jews and attack them suddenly. And the men of the citadel were his guides.
But when Judas heard of it, he broke camp with his valiant men, that he
might attack the king's army which was at Emmaus, while as yet the forces
were dispersed from the camp. And when Gorgias came to the camp of Judas
by night, he found no one. Then he looked for them in the mountains,
thinking that the men were fleeing from him.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:6b-11]
But as soon as it was day, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand
men; only they had neither armor nor swords as they wished. When now they
saw the camp of the heathen strongly fortified and cavalry about it and
experienced warriors there, Judas said to the men who were with him, Fear
not their multitude neither be afraid of their attack. Remember how our
fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with a host.
And now let us cry to Heaven, if he will show favor to us and will
remember the covenant made with our fathers and destroy this army before
our face to-day, that all the heathen may know that there is one who
redeemeth and saveth Israel.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:12-15]
Then when the foreigners lifted up their eyes and saw them coming toward
them, they went from their camp to battle. And those who were with Judas
sounded their trumpets and joined battle; and the heathen were defeated
and fled into the plain. But all who were in the rear fell by the sword,
and they pursued them to Gazara and to the plains of Idumea and Azotus and
Jamnia, and there fell of them about three thousand men.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:16-25]
When Judas and his army returned from pursuing them, he said to the
people, Do not be greedy for the spoils, since there is a battle before
us, and Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain. But stand now
against our enemies and fight them, and afterward you may openly take the
spoils. While Judas was still speaking there appeared a part of them,
looking out from the mountain; and these saw that their army had been put
to flight and that the Jews were burning their camp, for the smoke that
was seen showed what had been done. And when they perceived these things,
they were thrown into a panic, and seeing the army of Judas also in
the plain ready for battle, they all retreated into the land of the
Philistines. And Judas returned to sack the camp, and they took much gold
and silver and blue and sea-purple and great riches. Then they returned
home and sang a song of thanksgiving and gave praise to Heaven, because he
is good, because his mercy endureth forever. Thus Israel had a great
deliverance that day.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:26, 27]
But the foreigners, as many as had escaped, came and told Lysias all the
things that had happened. And when he heard it he was astonished and
discouraged, because neither had Israel met with reverses as he wished nor
had what the king commanded been realized.
[Footnote: I Macc. 4:28-34]
Now in the next year [Lysias] gathered together sixty thousand picked
footmen and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue [the Jews]. When
they came to Idumea and encamped at Bethsura, Judas met them with ten
thousand men. As he saw that the army was strong, he prayed and said,
Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst shatter the attacking
power of the mighty man by the hand of thy servant David, and didst
deliver the army of the heathen into the hands of Jonathan the son of
Saul, and of his armor-bearer.
Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel,
And let them be ashamed of their army and their horsemen.
Give them faintness of heart,
And let their bold courage melt away,
And let them tremble at their destruction.
Cast them down by the sword of those who love thee,
So that all may know thy name who praise thee with thanksgiving.
Then they joined battle; and there fell of the army of Lysias about five
thousand men, and they fell on the spot before them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:35]
But when Lysias saw that his army was retreating, and the boldness that
had come upon those who were with Judas, and how they were ready either to
live or to die nobly, he removed to Antioch and gathered together hired
soldiers, that he might come again into Judea with a still greater force.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:36-51]
Then Judas and his brothers said, Now that our enemies have been defeated,
let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and to dedicate it again; so they
went up to Mount Zion. And all the army was gathered together and went up
to Mount Zion. And when they saw the sanctuary laid desolate, the altar
profaned, the gates burnt, and shrubs growing in the courts, as in a
forest or as on one of the mountains, and the priests' chambers pulled
down, they tore their garments and made great lamentation, and putting
ashes upon their heads, they fell prone upon the ground. Then they blew a
signal on the trumpets and cried to Heaven. And Judas appointed certain
men to fight against those who were in the citadel, until he should have
cleansed the sanctuary. And he chose priests who were unimpeachable
observers of the law, who cleansed the sanctuary and carried out the
polluted stones to an unclean place. And they deliberated as to what they
should do with the altar of burnt-offerings which had been profaned. They
finally reached this wise decision: to pull it down lest it should be a
reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it. So they pulled down
the altar and laid the stones on the temple mount in a convenient place,
until there should come a prophet to give an oracle concerning them. Then
they took whole stones as the law required and built a new altar after the
design of the former. They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the inner parts
of the temple and consecrated the courts. They also made the holy vessels
new and brought the candlestick and the altar for burnt-offerings and for
incense and the table into the temple. And they burned incense on the
altar and lighted the lamps that were on the candlestick, and they gave
light in the temple. Then they set loaves upon the table and spread out
the veils. So they finished all the work they had undertaken.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 4:52-61]
And they arose early in the morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth
month, which is the month Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth
year (165 B.C.) and offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new
altar of burnt-offering which they had made. About the same time and on
the same day, in which the heathen had profaned it, was it dedicated again
with songs and harps and lutes and with cymbals. And all the people
prostrated themselves and worshipped and gave praise to Heaven, who had
given them good success. And they celebrated the dedication of the altar
eight days, and offered burnt-offerings with gladness and sacrificed a
sacrifice of deliverance and praise. And they decorated the front of the
temple with crowns of gold and small shields and rededicated the gates and
the priests' chambers and made doors for them. And great joy reigned among
the people, because the reproach of the heathen had been removed. And
Judas and his brothers and the whole congregation of Israel decreed that
the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their seasons
from year to year for the period of eight days, from the twenty-fifth day
of the month Chislev, with gladness and joy. At that time also they
fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers all round, lest by
any chance the heathen should come and tread them down, as they had done
before. And he stationed there a force to keep it, and they fortified
Bethsura, that the people might have a stronghold in Idumea.
I. The Character of Judas. Judas Maccabeus was a man of unquestioned
courage. In the many battles which he fought he was always found at the
forefront in the most desperate engagement. More than that he was able to
arouse courage in a people that for centuries had learned only to bow
unresistingly before their conquerors. All the evidence found in the two
books of Maccabees indicates that he was inspired by the noblest
patriotism. The motive power in his patriotism was devotion to the law and
customs of his race. In this respect he was a leader supremely acceptable
to the Hasideans or Pious, who rallied about his standard. In any other
age or setting his devotion would have seemed but fanaticism. The
situation, however, was extremely critical. Disloyalty to the law and the
distinctive rites of Judaism was treason. If ever in the world's history
it was justifiable to meet force by force and to unshield the sword in
behalf of religion, this certainly was the occasion. In his military
tactics Judas revealed the cunning that characterizes the hunted. He
developed great skill in choosing a strategic position and in launching
his followers against a vulnerable point in the enemy's line. In this
respect he showed himself a disciple of David's able general Joab. They
were the same tactics that Napoleon employed so effectively in later days
and on larger battle-fields. Judas resembled in many ways Israel's first
king, Saul. He was impetuous, patriotic, intense, and energetic. He was
especially skilled in leading a sudden attack. His task also was
strikingly similar to that of Israel's first king, and like Saul in his
later days he showed the same inability to organize and hold his followers
in a time of comparative peace.
II. Obstacles against Which Judas Contended. When Judas was called to
champion the cause of the Jews, they were hated by the rest of the world.
It was a disorganized band of fugitives that rallied about him, without
homes, resources, or arms. Opposed to him were the large armies of a
powerful empire. The Greek mercenaries that fought in the Syrian ranks
were armed with coats of mail and the best weapons known to the ancient
world. They were also thoroughly trained in the art of war and under the
direction of experienced generals. On every battle-field the Syrians
outnumbered the Jews almost six to one. Pitted against Judas and his
followers were apostates of his own race, who knew the land, were able to
spy out the movements of the Jews, and were inspired by the bitterest
hatred. The few advantages on the side of Judas were: first, his followers
were aroused to heroic deeds by the peril of the situation. In the second
place they were inspired by an intense religious zeal. The one force
throughout Semitic history that has bound together tribes and nations and
made the Semite an almost invincible fighting power has been religion.
The familiar illustrations are the Mohammedan conquests that swept
victoriously across the Bosporus and conquered Constantinople, also across
northern Africa, and surged into southern Europe over the Straits of
Gibraltar and threatened for a time completely to engulf the Western
civilization. Familiar modern illustrations are the Mahdist insurrections
that have from time to time taxed the resources of the English in northern
Africa. In the third place the land of Judea, with its narrow western
passes rapidly ascending to the heights above, enabled Judas to choose his
battle-field at a point where only a few of the enemy could be brought
into action and where a handful of valiant men could keep an army at bay.
III. Defeat of Apollonius and Seron. At first Judas wisely confined
himself to guerilla warfare. This enabled him in time to clothe and arm
his followers with the garments and weapons taken from the enemy. The most
important of these smaller engagements took place north of Jerusalem. As
Apollonius, the Syrian governor of Samaria, was advancing into Judea,
Judas suddenly fell upon the Syrians and slew their leader. Henceforth the
sword of the Syrian governor was effectively wielded by Judas in behalf of
religious liberty.
News of the victory soon brought Seron, the governor of Coele-Syria, with
a large army. He advanced from the coast plain by the most direct road to
Jerusalem over the famous pass of the Bethhorons. Within a distance of two
miles the road ascended nearly fifteen hundred feet. At points it was
merely a steep, rocky pass, so that an invading army was forced to march
single file and to pull themselves up over the rocks. Here on the heights
that looked out toward his home at Modein Judas, appealing to the faith
and patriotism of his men, swept down upon the enemy and won his first
great victory.
IV. The Battle of Emmaus. The first great Jewish victory was a severe
blow to the power of Antiochus Epiphanes, for at that time he was
confronted by a depleted treasury. He therefore left his kingdom in charge
of Lysias, one of his nobles, and set out on a campaign into Persia from
which he never returned. Three generals with a large army were sent by
Lysias against the Jews. So confident were they of a Syrian victory that a
horde of slave merchants accompanied the army that they might purchase the
Jewish captives. This time the Syrians avoided the difficult pass of
Bethhoron and chose the Wady Ali, along which the modern carriage road
winds up from the coast to Jerusalem. The main camp was pitched at Emmaus
at the southeastern side of the Plain of Ajalon under the Judean hills.
Meantime Judas had selected as his head-quarters the lofty hill of Mizpah,
associated by earlier tradition with Samuel and the scene of the
short-lived rule of Gedaliah. It was well chosen, for it commanded a view
of the territory to the north, south, and west. While the army of the
Syrians, sent by night to surprise Judas, were marching up the northern
valley, the Jewish patriots were led westward toward the plain along one
of the parallel valleys that penetrated the Judean hills. Having appealed
to the patriotic memories and the religious zeal of his followers, Judas
led them in a sudden early morning attack against the Syrians encamped
near Emmaus. Soon the Syrians were in wild flight across the plain to the
Philistine cities, and Judas and his followers were left in possession of
the camp and its rich spoil. Panic also seized his pursuers when they saw
their camp in possession of the enemy, and Judas was left for the moment
undisputed master of the land of his fathers. This victory in the year
166 B.C. was in many ways the most sweeping and significant in early
Maccabean history.
V. The Battle at Bethsura. The next year Lysias himself gathered a huge
army of sixty thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry and led them
against the Jews. This time the Syrians advanced through the broad valley
of Elah where David had fought against the Philistine giant. Thence they
followed the Wady Sur, turned southward and then eastward, penetrating to
the top of the Judean plateau a little north of Hebron. Approaching from
this point the Syrians were protected in their rear by the Idumeans, the
descendants of the Edomites. They succeeded in reaching the point where
the road from the west joins the central highway from Hebron to Jerusalem.
There on a sloping hill crowned with the border town of Bethsura, Judas
was able to rally ten thousand followers to meet the huge Syrian army.
From the parallel account in II Maccabees it is clear that he did not
succeed in winning a decisive victory, but a crisis in Antioch suddenly
compelled Lysias to return, leaving the Jews in possession of the
battle-field.
VI. Restoration of the Temple Service. With mingled sadness and
rejoicing Judas proceeded at once to Jerusalem and with his followers took
up the task of restoring the desecrated temple and its service. The
citadel of Acra, which appears to have been situated on the Hill of Ophel
to the south of the temple, was still strongly garrisoned by apostate Jews
and Syrian soldiers. For nearly a quarter of a century, until the days of
Simon, it continued to be held by Syrian forces, and remained a constant
menace to the peace of Jerusalem. The vivid account of the purification of
the temple reveals the intense devotion of the Jews to this ancient
sanctuary, and throws clear light upon the nature of its service. This
epoch-making act is commemorated even to-day by the Jews throughout the
world and is known as the Feast of Lights. It is a memorial of that
successful struggle for religious freedom in which Principles were
established that have affected the thought and action of all succeeding
generations. Through all their many vicissitudes and under their many
Gentile rulers, with few exceptions, the Jews have enjoyed uninterruptedly
the right of worshipping in accordance with the dictates of their law and
the customs of their fathers.
VII. The New Spirit in Judaism. Henceforth the law for which their
fathers had poured out their life-blood and for which the Jews had fought
so valiantly was regarded with new and deeper veneration and its commands
gained a new authority. Again the Jews had enjoyed a taste of freedom and
had learned that by united and courageous action they could shake off the
hated heathen yoke. This new warlike note is sounded in many of the later
psalms of the Psalter. Chapters 9-14, appended to the older books of
Zechariah, apparently come from this same period and voice the thought of
the conquerors. The words of the ninth chapter express their joy and
exultation:
For I have bent Judah to me,
As a bow which I have filled with Ephraim;
I will urge thy sons against the sons of Greece,
And I will make thee like the sword of a hero.
Then Jehovah shall be seen above them,
And his shaft shall go forth like lightning.
Jehovah shall blow a blast upon a trumpet,
And travel on the whirlwinds of the south.
Jehovah of hosts shall defend them;
And they shall devour and tread down the slingstones,
They shall drink their blood like wine,
They shall be filled with it like the crevices of an altar.
And Jehovah their God shall give them victory in that day.
Like sheep he shall feed them in his land.
Yea, how good and how beautiful shall it be!
Corn shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens.
The victories of Judas in all probability also inspired the messianic hope
expressed in 9:9-10:
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold thy king will come to thee;
Vindicated and victorious is he,
Humble, and riding upon an ass.
Upon the foal of an ass.
He shall cut off chariots from Ephraim,
And horses from Jerusalem;
The battle-bow shall also be cut off,
And he shall speak to the nations;
His rule shall be from sea to sea,
From the river to the ends of the earth.
Section CXI. THE LONG CONTEST FOR POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE
[Sidenote: I Macc. 5:1-5]
Now when the heathen round about heard that the altar had been built and
the sanctuary dedicated as it was formerly, they were very angry and
concluded to destroy the race of Jacob that was in the midst of them, and
they began to slay and destroy among the people. Judas, however, fought
against the people of Esau in Idumea at Akrabattine, because they besieged
Israel, and he defeated them with a great slaughter and humbled their
pride and took their spoils. He remembered the wickedness of the
inhabitants of Baean, who were a source of annoyance and of danger, lying
in ambush for them along the roads. And they were shut up by him in the
towers, and he besieged them and destroyed them utterly and burned the
towers of the place, with all who were in them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 5:6-8]
Then he passed over to the Ammonites and found a strong force and many
people, with Timotheus as their leader. And he fought many battles with
them, and they were defeated before him, and he conquered them. Then when
he had gained possession of Jazer and its villages, he returned again into
Judea.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 5:9-15]
Then the heathen who were in Gilead gathered together against the
Israelites who were on the borders to destroy them. And they fled to the
stronghold of Dathema and sent letters to Judas and his brothers, saying,
The heathen who are about us have gathered together against us to destroy
us, and they are preparing to come and get possession of the stronghold to
which we have fled for refuge, and Timotheus is the leader of their
forces. Now therefore come and rescue us from their power, for many of our
men have fallen; and all our countrymen who dwell in the land of Tob, have
been put to death, and they have carried into captivity their wives and
children and their possessions. And they destroyed there about a thousand
men. While the letters were being read, there came other messengers from
Galilee with their garments torn, bringing a message of similar import,
saying, That there were gathered together against them men of Ptolemais,
of Tyre, of Sidon, and from all heathen Galilee to destroy them
completely.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 5:16-20]
Now when Judas and the people heard these things, a great assembly came
together to consult what they should do for their kinsmen who were in
distress and being attacked by the heathen. And Judas said to Simon his
brother, Choose men, and go, rescue your countrymen who are in Galilee,
but Jonathan my brother and I will go into the land of Gilead. And he left
Joseph the son of Zacharias and Azarias, as leaders of the people, with
the rest of the army in Judea, in order to guard it. And he gave orders to
them, saying, Take charge of the heathen until we return. And to Simon
were assigned three thousand men to go to Galilee and to Judas eight
thousand men to go into the land of Gilead.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 5:21-23]
Then Simon went into Galilee and fought many battles with the heathen, and
the heathen were defeated by him. And he pursued them to the gate of
Ptolemais. And there fell of the heathen about three thousand men, and he
took the spoils from them. They took with them those who were in Galilee
and in Arbatta, with their wives and their children and all that they had,
and brought them into Judea with great rejoicing.
[Sidenote: I Mac. 5:45, 54]
Then Judas gathered all the Israelites who were in the land of Gilead,
from the least to the greatest, with their wives and children and their
household possessions, a very great host, that they might go into the land
of Judah. And they went up to Mount Zion with gladness and joy and offered
whole burnt-offerings, because not one of them had been slain, but they
had returned safe and sound.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 5:65-68, 63]
Then Judas and his brothers went out and fought against the people of Esau
in the land toward the south. And he smote Hebron and the villages
belonging to it and pulled down its citadel and burned the surrounding
towers. Then he set out to go into the land of the Philistines; and he
went through Marissa. On that day certain priests, desiring to do exploits
there, were slain in battle, when they unwisely went out to fight. Then
Judas turned aside to Azotus, to the land of the Philistines, and pulled
down their altars and burned the carved images of their gods and, taking
the spoil of their cities, he returned to the land of Judah. And the hero
Judas and his brothers were greatly honored by all Israel and by all the
heathen wherever their name was heard.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:18-27]
Now those who were in the citadel were hindering Israel round about the
sanctuary and were always seeking to do them harm and were a support to
the heathen. But Judas determined to destroy them and called all the
people together to besiege them. And they were gathered together and
besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounds from
which to shoot and engines of war. Then some of those who were shut up
came out and certain apostate Israelites joined them. And they went to the
king and said, When will you finally satisfy justice and avenge our
brothers? We were willing to serve your father and to live as he enjoined,
and to obey his commands; but because of this our own people besieged us
in the citadel and were alienated from us; and as many of us as they could
find, they killed and despoiled our inheritances. And not against us only
have they stretched out their hand, but also against all that bordered on
them. And now they are to-day encamped against the citadel at Jerusalem,
to take it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Bethsura. And if you
do not quickly anticipate them, they will do greater things than these,
and you will not be able to check them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:28-41]
When the king had heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his
Friends, the officers of his army, and those who commanded the cavalry.
There came to him also from other kingdoms and from isles of the sea,
bands of hired soldiers. So the number of his forces was a hundred
thousand footmen and twenty thousand horsemen and thirty-two elephants
trained for war. Then they went through Idumea and encamped against
Bethsura and carried on the siege a long time and made engines of war.
The besieged, however, sallied out and burned them and fought valiantly.
And Judas departed from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zacharias,
opposite the king's camp. Then the king rose early in the morning and had
his army set out at full speed along the road to Beth-zacharias and his
forces prepared for battle and the trumpets were sounded. And they showed
the elephants the blood of grapes and mulberries, in order to excite them
for the battle. Then they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes and
stationed by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and
helmets, with brass on their heads; and to each beast five hundred chosen
horsemen were appointed. These were already there, wherever the beast was,
and wherever the beast went, they went with him and did not separate
themselves from him. And upon them were towers of wood, strong, covered,
one girded upon each beast. Upon them were engines and two or three men,
who fought upon them, besides the Indian who guided the elephant. The rest
of the horsemen he stationed on both sides of the two wings of the army to
inspire terror and to protect the phalanxes. And when the sun struck the
golden and bronze shields, the mountain shone with them and blazed like
torches of fire. And a part of the king's army was spread out on the
heights, and some on the low ground, and they moved firmly and in good
order. And all who heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of
the great numbers, and the rattling of the arms, trembled because the army
was very great and strong.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:42-47]
Then Judas and his army approached for battle, and there fell of the
king's army six hundred men. Now when Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw
one of the beasts armed with royal breastplates, which was higher than all
the beasts, and it looked as though the king was upon it, he gave himself
to save his people and to gain for himself an everlasting fame; and he ran
upon him courageously in the midst of the phalanx and slew on the right
hand and on the left, and they scattered from before him on either side.
Then he crept under the elephant, thrust him from beneath, and slew him.
And the elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he died there. But when
they saw the strength of the king and the fierce onset of the armies, they
turned away from them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:48-54]
But those who were in the king's army went up to Jerusalem to meet them,
and the king encamped for a struggle with Judea and Mount Zion. And he
made peace with those in Bethsura; for they surrendered the city, because
they had no food there to endure the siege, because the land had a
sabbath. So the king took Bethsura and stationed a garrison there to keep
it. Then he encamped against the sanctuary for a long time; and he set
there mounds from which to shoot and engines of war and instruments for
casting stones and fire, and pieces to cast darts and slings. And they
also erected engines against those of the besiegers and fought for a long
time. But since there was no food in the sanctuary, because it was the
seventh year and those who had fled for safety into Judea from among the
heathen had eaten up what remained of the store of provisions, there were
but a few left in the sanctuary, because the famine became so severe upon
them, and they scattered, each man to his own home.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:55-63]
Now Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, had appointed
during his lifetime to bring up his son Antiochus that he might be king,
had returned from Persia and Media and with him the forces that went with
the king, and that he was trying to get control of the government, he
hastily decided to depart. And he said to the king, and to the officers of
the army and to the men, We are growing weaker every day, our supplies are
scanty, and the place which we are besieging is strong, and the welfare of
the kingdom depends upon us; now therefore let us give the right hand to
these men and make peace with them and with all their nation, and covenant
with them that they may live according to their own customs as formerly;
for because of their laws, which we abolished, they were angered and did
all these things. This counsel pleased the king and the princes, and he
sent to them to make peace. They accepted it, and when the king and the
princes took oath to them, they came out of the stronghold. But when the
king entered Mount Zion and saw the strength of the place, he broke the
oath which he had sworn and gave orders to pull down the wall round about.
Then he set out in haste and returned to Antioch and found Philip master
of the city; and he fought against him and took the city by force.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:1-4]
In the one hundred and fiftieth year, Demetrius the son of Seleucus
escaped from Rome and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and
there proclaimed himself king. And when he entered the palace of his
fathers, the army seized Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him. But
when the fact was made known to him, he said, Do not show me their faces.
And the army slew them. So Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:5-18]
And there came to him all the lawless and the apostate men of Israel, with
Alcimus, their leader, desiring to be high priest. And they accused the
people before the king, saying, Judas and his brothers have destroyed all
your Friends, and have scattered us from our own land. Now therefore send
a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the havoc which he has
made of us and of the king's country, and how he has punished them and all
who helped them. So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king's Friends,
who was ruler in the province beyond the River Euphrates, and was a great
man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. He sent him and also that
godless Alcimus, and confirmed him in the high priesthood, and commanded
him to take vengeance upon the Israelites. So they set out and came with a
great army into the land of Judah, and he sent messengers to Judas and his
brothers with words of peace, deceitfully. But they paid no attention to
their words for they saw that these men had come with a great army. Then
there were gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of
scribes, to seek for justice. And the Hasideans were the first among the
Israelites who sought peace with them; for they said, One who is a
descendant of Aaron has come with the forces and he will do us no wrong.
And he spoke words of peace to them, and took oath to them, saying, We
will seek the hurt neither of you nor of your friends. And they put
confidence in him. But he seized sixty of them, and slew them in one day,
as it is written in the Scriptures,
The flesh of thy saints...
And their blood they poured out round about Jerusalem;
And there was no man to bury them.
And the fear and hatred of them fell upon all the people, for they said,
There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the
covenant and the oaths which they made.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:13-26]
And when Judas saw that Alcimus and his company had done more mischief
among the Israelites than the heathen, he went out into the whole
territory of Judea round about and took vengeance on the men who had
deserted from him, and they were restrained from going forth into the
country. But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company were growing
strong and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the
king and brought evil charges against them. So the king sent Nicanor, one
of his honored princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and
commanded him to destroy the people.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:27-32]
When Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, he sent to Judas and his
brother a message of peaceful words with deceitful intent, saying, Let
there be no battle between us. I will come with a few men, that I may see
your faces in peace. And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another
peaceably. But the enemies were prepared to take away Judas, by violence.
And when the fact was clear to Judas, that he had come to him with deceit,
he was very much afraid of him and would see his face no more. So Nicanor
knew that his plan was discovered, and he went out to meet Judas in battle
near Capharsalama. And there fell of those with Nicanor about five hundred
men. Then they fled into the city of David.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:33-38]
Now after these things Nicanor went to Zion. And when some of the priests
came out of the sanctuary, and some the elders of the people, to salute
him peaceably and to show him the whole burnt-offering that was being
offered for the king, he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused
them, and talked insolently. He also swore in a rage, saying, Unless Judas
and his army are now delivered into my hands, if I come again in peace, I
will burn up this temple. He went out in a great rage. Then the priests
went in and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept and said,
Thou didst choose this temple to be called by thy name, to be a house of
prayer and supplication for thy people. Take vengeance on this man and his
army, and let him fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and let
them live no longer.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:39-48]
And Nicanor set forth from Jerusalem and encamped in Bethhoron, and there
the army of Syria met him. But Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand
men. Then Judas prayed and said, When they who came from the king
blasphemed, thine angel went out and smote among them an hundred and
sixty-five thousand. Even so destroy thou this army before us to-day, and
let all the rest know that he hath spoken wickedly against thy sanctuary,
and judge thou him according to his wickedness. So on the thirteenth day
of the month Adar the armies joined battle; and Nicanor's army was
defeated, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle. And when his
army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled.
And [the Jews] pursued them a day's journey from Adasa as far as Gazara
when they sounded the trumpet-signal for the return. Then they came out
from all the villages of Judea on every hand and outflanked them; and the
one turned them back on the other army, and they all fell by the sword, so
that none of them was left.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 7:47-50]
And they took the spoils and the booty, and they struck off Nicanor's head
and his right hand, which he had stretched out so haughtily, and brought
them and hung them up in the citadel of Jerusalem. And the people were
very glad. They also enacted an ordinance for the celebration of this day
year by year, the thirteenth day of Adar. So the land of Judah had rest
for a brief period.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:1-6]
When Demetrius heard that Nicanor had fallen with his forces in battle, he
sent Bacchides and Alcimus again into the land of Judah a second time, and
the southern wing of his army with them. And they went by that way that
leads to Gilgal, and encamped against Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and
gained possession of it and destroyed many people. And the first month of
the hundred and fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem. Then
they set out and went to Berea with twenty thousand footmen and two
thousand horsemen. And Judas was encamped at Elasa, and three thousand
chosen men with him. And when they saw the multitude of the forces, that
they were many, they were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from
the army, so that there were left of them not more than eight hundred men.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:7-10]
And when Judas saw that his army had dispersed, he was deeply troubled,
because he had no time to gather them together, and he grew discouraged.
And he said to those who were left, Let us arise and go up against our
adversaries, if perhaps we may be able to fight with them. And they would
have dissuaded him, saying, We shall not be able; but let us rather save
our lives now; let us return again with our fellow-countrymen and fight
against them, for we are few. But Judas said, Far be it from me so to do,
that I should flee from them. For if our time has come, let us die
manfully for the sake of our fellow-countrymen and not leave a cause of
reproach against our honor.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:11-18]
Then the army set out from the camp and drew up to meet them; and the
cavalry drew up into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went
before the army, with all the strong, foremost warriors. But Bacchides was
in the rear wing. Then the phalanx advanced on both sides, and they
sounded their trumpets. And Judas's men also sounded their trumpets, and
the earth shook with the shout of the armies; so the battle was begun and
continued from morning until evening. And when Judas saw that Bacchides
and the strength of his army were on the right side, all who were brave in
heart went with him, and the right wing was defeated by them, and he
pursued them to the slope of the mountains. And they who were on the left
wing, when they saw that the right wing was defeated, turned and followed
upon the footsteps of Judas and of those who were with him. And the battle
grew fierce, and many on both sides fell mortally wounded. Then Judas fell
and the rest fled.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:19, 20]
And Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in the
sepulchre of his fathers at Modein. And they bewailed him, and all Israel
made great lamentation for him and mourned many days, and said,
How is the hero fallen,
The saviour of Israel!
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:22]
And the rest of the valiant acts of Judas, and his wars and the valiant
deeds which he did, and his greatness--they have not been recorded, for
they were very many.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:23-27]
Now after the death of Judas, the apostates showed themselves in all the
territory of Israel, and all who practised injustice flourished. About the
same time there was a very severe famine, and the whole people sided with
them. Then Bacchides selected the godless men and made them rulers of the
country. And they conducted a thorough search for the friends of Judas and
brought them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them and tortured them
cruelly. Then great tribulation came upon Israel, such as had not been
since the time that prophets had ceased to appear among them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 9:28-35]
Thereupon all the friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan, Since
your brother Judas has died, we have no one like him to go out against our
enemies and Bacchides and against those of our own kin who hate us. Now
therefore we have chosen you this day to be our prince and leader in his
place that you may fight our battles. So Jonathan assumed the leadership
at that time and took the place of his brother Judas.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 10:1-6]
Now in the one hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander the son of Antiochus
Epiphanes went up and took possession of Ptolemais, and they received him,
and he reigned there. When King Demetrius heard of it, he gathered very
large forces and went out to meet him in battle. Demetrius also sent
letters to Jonathan with words of peace, so as to honor him greatly. For
he said, Let us get the start in making peace with them before he makes a
compact with Alexander against us. For he will remember all the wrongs
that we have done to him, and to his brothers and his nation. And he gave
him authority to collect forces and to provide arms and to be his ally.
Also he commanded that they should deliver up to him the hostages who were
in the citadel.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 10:7-14]
Then Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letters in the hearing of
all the people, and of those who were in the citadel. And they were
greatly afraid when they heard that the king had given him authority to
collect an army. And the garrison delivered up the hostages to Jonathan,
and he restored them to their parents. And Jonathan took up his residence
in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and renew the city. And he commanded
those who did the work to build the walls and Mount Zion round about with
square stones for defence; and they did so. Then the foreigners, who were
in the strongholds which Bacchides had built, fled, and each man left his
place and went into his own land. Only some of those who had forsaken the
law and the commandments were left at Bethsura, because it was an asylum
for them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 10:15-17]
And when King Alexander heard all the promises which Demetrius had made to
Jonathan and had been told of the battles which he and his brothers had
fought and the valiant deeds that they had done and of the hardships which
they had endured, he said, Shall we find such another man? Now therefore
let us make him our friend and ally. So he wrote letters and sent them to
him with contents like these:
King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greeting: We have heard of you
that you are a valiant man and fit to be our friend. And now we have
appointed you to-day to be high priest of your nation and to be called the
king's Friend (and he sent to him a purple robe and a crown of gold), and
to take our part and to remain on friendly terms with us.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 10:21]
And Jonathan put on the holy garments in the seventh month of the hundred
and sixtieth year at the feast of tabernacles, and he gathered together
forces, and provided arms in abundance.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 10:67-71]
Now in the one hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius son of Demetrius,
came from Crete into the land of his fathers. Then King Alexander heard of
it, and he was exceedingly troubled and returned to Antioch. And Demetrius
appointed Apollonius, who was over Coele-Syria, and he collected a great
army and encamped in Jamnia, and sent to Jonathan the high priest this
message:
You alone are hostile to us, and I have become a laughing-stock and butt
of ridicule on account of you. Now why do you flaunt your power against us
in the mountains? If, indeed, you trust your forces, come down to us in
the plain, and there let us try the matter together, because with me is
the power of the cities.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 10:74-76]
Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was stirred to anger,
and he chose ten thousand men and went forth from Jerusalem, and Simon his
brother met him to help him. And he encamped against Joppa. The people of
the city, however, shut him out, because Apollonius had a garrison in
Joppa. So they fought against it. Then the people of the city were afraid
and opened to him, and Jonathan became master of Joppa.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 11:20-27]
At that time Jonathan gathered together the people of Judea to take the
citadel that was at Jerusalem, and he erected many engines of war against
it. Some, however, who hated their own nation, apostates, went to the
king, and reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel. And
when he heard it, he was angry, and immediately after he heard of it he
set out and came to Ptolemais, and wrote to Jonathan that he should not
besiege it, and that he should meet him and confer with him at Ptolemais
with all speed. But when Jonathan heard this, he gave orders to proceed
with the siege, while he chose certain of the elders of Israel and of the
priests, and putting himself in peril, and taking silver and gold and
garments, and various presents besides, he went to the king at Ptolemais.
And he was favorably received; and although some apostates of the nation
Made complaints against him, the king treated him just as his predecessors
had done and exalted him in the presence of all his Friends, both
confirming to him the high priesthood, and all the other honors that he
had before, and giving him preeminence among his Chief Friends.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 11:28, 29]
And Jonathan requested the king to make Judea free from tribute, together
with the three districts of Samaria, and he promised him three hundred
talents. And the king consented and wrote letters to Jonathan concerning
all these things.
I. The Political Situation. The position of the Jewish patriots was both
perilous and tragic. A ring of hostile peoples pressed them closely on
every side. The Jews were the victims of centuries of wrong and hatred.
Those residing in the neighboring lands also suffered from this widespread
and bitter hostility. Among all the peoples of southwestern Asia they had
no allies except the Nabateans, an Arabian people that had driven the
Edomites from their home on Mount Seir. The only bond that bound them to
this ambitious heathen race was the common hatred of the Syrians. It was
natural, therefore, that Judas a little later should send an embassy with
the object of securing the moral support, if not the direct intervention,
of the distant Roman power whose influence was beginning to be felt
throughout all the Mediterranean coast lands. For the present, however,
Judas was dependent simply upon the sword for defence. He also had no time
for permanent conquest, for he must prepare himself for the heavier blow
that the court of Antioch was preparing to deliver. All that he could do,
therefore, was to make sudden attacks upon his foes on every side and
rescue the persecuted Jews by bringing them back with him to Judea.
II. The Jewish Attitude toward the Heathen Reflected in the Book of
Esther. In these perilous circumstances it is not strange that the Jews
gravitated far from the position of broad tolerance advocated by the II
Isaiah and the authors of the prophecy of Malachi and in the stories of
Ruth and Jonah. In the stress of conflict they completely lost sight of
their mission as Jehovah's witnesses to all the world. The destruction of
the heathen seemed to them absolutely necessary if Jehovah's justice was
to be vindicated. The spirit of this warlike, blood-thirsty age is most
clearly formulated in the book of Esther. The presence of Aramaic and
Persian words testify to its late date. It is closely allied to the
midrashim or didactic stories that were a characteristic literary product
of later Judaism. Like the stories of Daniel, the book of Esther contains
many historical inconsistencies. For example, Mordecai, carried as a
captive to Babylon in 597 B.C., is made Xerxes's prime-minister in 474
B.C. Its pictures of Persian customs are also characteristic of popular
tradition rather than of contemporary history. Its basis is apparently an
old Babylonian tradition of a great victory of the Babylonians over their
ancient foes, the Elamites. Mordecai is a modification of the name of the
Babylonian god Marduk. Estra, which appears in the Hebrew Esther, was the
late Babylonian form of the name of the Semitic goddess Ishtar. Vashti
and Hamman, the biblical Haman, were names of Elamite deities. Like
the story of creation, this tale has been Hebraized and adapted to the
story-teller's purpose. His aim is evidently to trace the origin of the
late Jewish feast of Purim. It is probable that this feast was an
adaptation of the Babylonian New-Year's feast which commemorated the
ancient victory. The story in its present form is strongly Jewish. It
exalts loyalty to the race, but its morality is far removed from that of
Amos and Isaiah. Its exultation over the slaughter of thousands of the
heathen is displeasing even in a romance, although it can easily be
understood in the light of the Maccabean age in which it was written.
III. Campaigns against the Neighboring Peoples. The first book of
Maccabees records in detail the repeated blows that Judas struck against
his heathen foes. At Akrabattine, probably identical with the Scorpion
Pass at the southwestern end of the Dead Sea, he fought and won a signal
victory over his hereditary foes, the Idumeans. His chief enemy on the
east was Timotheus, the leader of the Ammonites against whom Judas was
successful in the preliminary skirmishes. Angered by these defeats, the
heathen east of the Jordan attacked the resident Jews, who fled to one of
the towns, where they were besieged. Judas, assembling six thousand of his
picked warriors, made a rapid march of three days out into the wilderness.
He apparently carried few supplies, but depended rather upon the spoil of
the captured towns for support. Bosra, far out on the borders of the
desert, was seized and looted. Thence returning westward, he rescued the
Jews from the town of Damethah, or, as it appears in the Syriac, Rametha.
This is probably identical with the modern town of Remtheh a little south
of the Yarmuk on the great pilgrim highway from Damascus to Mecca. After
making a detour to the south he crossed the Yarmuk and captured a series
of towns lying to the north and northeast of this river. Returning he
apparently met his Ammonite foe, who had succeeded in rallying an army, at
the point where the pilgrim highway crosses the headwaters of the Yarmuk.
Here Judas won a sweeping victory. Then collecting the many Jews of the
dispersion who had settled near these upper waters of the Yarmuk, he
returned victoriously to Jerusalem. His brother Simon, who had been
despatched on a similar mission to Galilee, likewise came back bringing
many fellow-Jews and laden with spoils.
Anticipating a renewal of the Syrian attack, Judas next made a rapid
campaign into the territory of the Idumeans, capturing the old Hebrew
capital of Hebron and carrying his victories as far as Ashdod on the
western borders of the Philistine plain. Within a few months he had
overrun and partially conquered a territory larger than the kingdom of
David. In an incredibly short time this peasant warrior had won more
victories against greater odds than any other leader in Israel's
history. The results of these victories were necessarily ephemeral. They
accomplished, however, three things: (1) Judas intimidated his foes and
established his prestige; (2) he was able to rescue thousands of Jews from
the hands of the heathen; and (3) by bringing them back to Judea he
increased its population and laid the foundations of that kingdom which
rose as the result of his patriotic achievements.
IV. The Battle of Beth-zacharias. There was still a Syrian outpost in
the heart of Judea: it was the citadel at Jerusalem, which looked down
upon the temple area. This Judas attempted to capture, but in so doing
incited to action the Syrian king, Antiochus Eupator, who had succeeded
to the throne after the death of his father Antiochus Epiphanes. Under
the direction of his prime-minister Lysias he collected a huge army of one
hundred thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry. To this was added
thirty-two elephants with full military equipment--the heavy ordinance
used in the warfare of the period. The approach from the plain was along
the valley of Elah and up past Bethsura, as in the last Syrian campaign.
Judas, who was able at this time to rally an army of ten thousand men, met
the Syrian host near the town of Beth-zacharias, a little north of
Bethsura on the central highway from Hebron to Jerusalem. This time the
natural advantages were with the Syrians, one wing of whose army rested
upon a declining hill and the other on the level plain. Thus they were
able to utilize their entire fighting force and to launch against the
valiant Jews their elephants against which the heroism of an Eleazar was
fruitless. For the first time during this struggle Judas was defeated and
fell back upon Jerusalem, where he was closely besieged. Soon the Jews
were obliged to surrender, and the Maccabean cause would have been lost
had not complications at Antioch compelled the Syrians to retire.
V. Victories Over Nicanor. In the treaty which followed the surrender
of Jerusalem the religious liberty of the Jews was assured. This
concession satisfied the majority of the Hasideans, so that henceforth
Judas found himself deserted by a great body of his followers. The
apostate high priest who was placed in control of the temple was supported
by Syrian soldiery and Judas was obliged to resort again to outlaw life.
He succeeded, however, in winning two signal victories over Nicanor, the
Syrian general. The one at Capharsalama was probably fought near the
modern town of Kefr Silwan, across the Kidron Valley from the City of
David on the southern slope of Jerusalem. In the latter victory Nicanor
was slain, and Judas was left for the moment in control of Judea.
VI. The Death of Judas. Soon another Syrian army invaded the land. The
advance was from the northwest up over the pass of Bethhoron. A little
east of the road that ascends from Lower to Upper Bethhoron, near where he
won his first great battle and in sight of his home at Modein, the
intrepid Jewish champion fought his last battle. Terror at the approach of
the enemy had thinned his ranks until he was obliged to meet them with
only eight hundred men at his back. Even against these great odds he was
on the eve of victory when he was slain. At the sight of their fallen
leader his followers fled. This disastrous ending of his career as a
warrior obscured to a great extent the character and quality of Judas's
services for his people. In brief (1) he taught them to fight for their
rights; (2) he helped them to save their law and traditions; (3) he
secured for them religious freedom; (4) he restored many of the Jews of
the dispersion and thus prepared the way for the consolidated kingdom
which later rose with Jerusalem as the centre; (5) he inspired his
countrymen with ambitions for political independence; and (6) he set them
a noble example of courage, patriotism, and practical piety. While
measured by the higher standards of a later day Judas is not without his
faults, yet he is unquestionably one of the great heroes of Israel's
history and an example to all of unselfish and devoted patriotism.
VII. The Dissensions in the Syrian Court. The Jews ultimately attained
political independence not primarily through their own efforts, but
because the protracted contests between the rival claimants for the Syrian
throne gave them opportunities which they quickly improved. In 152 B.C. a
youth known as Alexander Balas, who claimed to be a son of Antiochus
Epiphanes, raised the standard of revolt against the reigning Syrian king,
Demetrius I. The kings of southwestern Asia and Egypt at first lent their
support to this impostor. By 150 B.C. he had succeeded in defeating and
putting to death Demetrius I. Two years later, however, Demetrius II, the
son of the deposed king, appeared with a large body of Cretan mercenaries
to contest the throne of his father. Many of the Syrian cities at once
espoused his cause. Ptolemy Philometor, of Egypt, finally turned against
Alexander Balas; and in 145 B.C. this strange adventurer was slain near
Antioch by his own followers. Soon after his death, however, one of his
generals, Tryphon, appeared with an infant son of Alexander whom he sought
to place on the Syrian throne, thus perpetuating the feud that was
constantly undermining the power of the Seleucid kingdom.
VIII. Concessions to Jonathan. The Jews profited by each turn in these
tortuous politics. In 158 B.C., after a period of outlawry in the
wilderness east of Judea, Jonathan and his followers were allowed by
Demetrius I to settle again within the bounds of Judea. Jonathan
Established his head-quarters at Michmash, the fortress famous for the
achievement of Saul's valiant son Jonathan. Here he ruled over the Jews as
a vassal of Demetrius, who retained immediate control over the citadel at
Jerusalem and the fortified cities that had been built along the borders
of Judea. On the appearance of Alexander Balas in 152 B.C. Demetrius I, in
order to retain the loyalty of the Jews, permitted Jonathan to maintain a
small standing army and to rebuild the fortifications of Jerusalem. To
outbid his rival the impostor Alexander Balas conferred upon Jonathan the
coveted honor of the high priesthood, thus making him both the civil and
religious head of the Jewish state. Disregarding his promises to Demetrius
and the contemptible character of Alexander, Jonathan at once proceeded to
establish his new authority. He was doubtless more acceptable to the
majority of the Jews than the apostate high priests whom he succeeded, but
the stricter Hasideans naturally regarded it as a sacrilege that a man
whose hands were stained with war and bloodshed should perform the holiest
duties in the temple service.
Under Alexander Balas Jonathan's power rapidly increased. He was made
governor of Judea, and, under pretence of supporting the waning fortunes
of Alexander, he captured in succession the Philistine cities of Joppa,
Azotus (Ashdod), Ascalon, and Akron. When Demetrius II became master of
Syria, Jonathan succeeded by rich gifts and diplomacy in so far gaining
the support of the new king that part of the territory of Samaria was
joined to Judea. In return for three hundred talents they were also
promised exemption from taxation. Furthermore, membership in one of the
royal orders was conferred upon the Maccabean leader. Thus by good fortune
and by often questionable diplomacy the Jews finally secured in the days
of Jonathan that freedom for which they had fought and which they had
partially won under the valiant Judas.
Section CXII. PEACE AND PROSPERITY UNDER SIMON
[Sidenote: I Macc. 11:38-40]
And when King Demetrius saw that the land was quiet before him and that
no resistance was made to him, he sent all his forces, each one to his own
home, except the foreign mercenaries, whom he had enlisted from the isles
of the heathen. All the troops, however, who had served his father hated
him. Now Tryphon was one of those who had formerly belonged to Alexander's
party, and when he saw that all the troops were murmuring against
Demetrius, he went to Yamliku, the Arabian who was bringing up Antiochus,
the young child of Alexander, and importuned him that he should deliver
him to him, that he might reign in his father's place. And he told him all
that Demetrius had done, and the hatred which his troops bore him. And he
stayed there a long time.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 11:54-56]
Now after this Tryphon returned, and with him the young child Antiochus,
and he assumed the sovereignty and put on the diadem. And there were
gathered to him all the forces which Demetrius had sent away in disgrace,
and they fought against him, and he fled and was defeated. And Tryphon
took the elephants and became master of Antioch.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 12:39-47]
Then Tryphon tried to get the sovereignty over Asia and to put on the
diadem and to engage in hostilities against Antiochus the king. But he
was afraid lest perhaps Jonathan might not allow him, and that he might
fight against him. So he sought a way to take him, that he might destroy
him. And he set out and came to Bethshan. Then Jonathan went out to meet
him with forty thousand picked soldiers and came to Bethshan. And when
Tryphon saw that he came with a great army, he was afraid to attack him,
and he received him honorably and commended him to all his Friends and
gave him gifts, and commanded his forces to be obedient to him as to
himself. And he said to Jonathan, Why have you put all this people to
trouble, since that there is no war between us? Now therefore send them
away to their homes, retaining for yourself only a few men who shall be
with you, and come with me to Ptolemais, and I will give it to you with
the rest of the strongholds and the rest of the forces and all the king's
officers, and I will set out on my way back, for this is the cause of my
coming. Then he trusted him and did even as he said, and sent away his
forces so that they departed into the land of Judah. But he reserved for
himself three thousand men, of whom he left two thousand in Galilee, while
one thousand went with him.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 12:48-53]
Now as soon as Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais shut
the gates and laid hands on him, and they slew with the sword all who came
in with him. And Tryphon sent forces and horsemen into Galilee, and into
the great plain, to destroy all of Jonathan's men. But they perceived
that he had been taken and had perished, and those who were with him, and
they encouraged one another and marched in closed ranks, prepared to
fight. And when those who were pursuing them saw that they were ready to
fight for their lives, they turned back again. Thus they all came safely
into the land of Judah, and they mourned for Jonathan and those who were
with him, and they were greatly afraid. And all Israel mourned bitterly.
Then all the heathen who were round about them sought to destroy them
utterly, for they said, They have no ruler nor any to help them, now
therefore let us fight against them and wipe out the memory of them from
among men.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 13:1-11]
Now when Simon heard that Tryphon had collected a vast army to come into
the land of Judah to destroy it utterly, and saw that the people trembled
and were greatly afraid, he went up to Jerusalem and gathered the people
together, and encouraged them and said to them, You yourselves know all
the things that I and my brothers, and my father's house, have done for
the laws and the sanctuary, and the battles and times of distress through
which we have passed. In this cause all my brothers have perished for
Israel's sake, and I alone am left. And now be it far from me that I
should spare my own life, in any time of affliction; for I am not better
than my brothers. Rather I will take revenge for my nation, and for the
sanctuary, and for our wives and children, because all the heathen are
gathered to destroy us out of pure hatred. And the courage of the people
rose as they heard these words. And they answered with a loud voice,
saying, You are our leader instead of Judas and Jonathan your brothers.
Fight our battles, and we will do all that you command. So he gathered
together all the warriors and made haste to finish the walls of Jerusalem,
and fortified the entire length of it. And he sent Jonathan the son of
Absalom at the head of a large army to Joppa, and he drove out those who
were in it, and stayed there in it.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 13:20-22]
And after this Tryphon came to invade the land and destroy it, and he went
round about by the way that goes to Adora; and Simon and his army marched
opposite and abreast of him to every place wherever he went. And the
people of the citadel sent to Tryphon ambassadors urging him to come by
forced marches through the wilderness to them and to send them supplies.
So Tryphon made ready all his cavalry to go. But that night a very deep
snow fell, so that he did not come because of the snow.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 13:23-30]
Then he set out and came to the country of Gilead, and when he came near
to Bascama, he slew Jonathan, and he was buried there. But when Tryphon
went back into his own land, Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan his
brother, and buried them at Modein, his ancestral city. And all Israel
made great lamentation over him and mourned for him for many days. And
Simon built a monument upon the sepulchre of his father and his brothers,
and raised it aloft to the sight, with polished stone on the back and
front sides. He also set up seven pyramids, one opposite another, for his
father and his mother and his four brothers. And for these he made
artistic designs, setting about them great pillars, and upon the pillars
he fashioned different kinds of arms as an everlasting memorial, and
beside the arms ships carved, that they should be seen by all who sail on
the sea. This is the sepulchre which he made at Modein, which stands there
at the present time.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 13:33, 43-48]
Then Simon built the strongholds of Judea and fenced them about with high
towers and great walls and gates and bars, and laid up stores in the
strongholds. In those days he laid siege to Gazara, and surrounded it with
armies, and made an engine of siege and brought it up to the city, and
smote a tower and captured it. And those who were in the engine leaped
forth into the city, and there was a great tumult in the city. And the
people of the city tore their garments, and went up on the walls with
their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, requesting Simon to
make peace with them. And they said, Do not deal with us according to our
wickednesses but according to your mercy. So Simon was reconciled to them
and did not fight against them. But he expelled them from the city and
cleansed the houses in which the idols were, and so entered into it with
singing and praise. And when he had put all uncleanness out of it, he
placed in it such men as would keep the law and made it stronger than it
was before, and built a dwelling place for himself in it.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 13:49-53]
But those who were in the citadel at Jerusalem were prevented from going
out and from going into the country, and from buying and selling, so that
they suffered exceedingly from hunger, and a great number of them perished
through famine. Then they cried out to Simon to make peace with them. He
did so, but put them out from there, and cleansed the citadel from its
pollutions. And he entered it on the twenty-third day of the second month
in the one hundred and seventy-first year, with praise and palm branches,
with harps, with cymbals, with viols, with hymns, and with songs, because
a great enemy was destroyed out of Israel. And he ordained that they
should observe that day each year with gladness. And the temple mount,
which was beside the citadel, he made stronger than before, and there he
dwelt with his men. And Simon saw that John his son had grown to manhood,
and so he made him commander of all his forces. And he lived in Gazara.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 14:16-18]
Now when they heard at Rome and at Sparta that Jonathan was dead, they
were very sorry. But as soon as they learned that his brother Simon had
been made high priest in his place and ruled the country and its cities,
they wrote to him on brass tablets, to renew with him the friendship and
the treaty which they had made with Judas and Jonathan his brothers.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 14:38-47]
Moreover King Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood according to
these things, and made him one of his Friends, and bestowed great honor
upon him, for he had heard that the Jews had been called friends and
allies and brothers by the Romans, and that they had met the ambassadors
of Simon with honor, and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased
that Simon should be their governor and high priest forever, until there
should arise a faithful prophet; and that he should be commander over
them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to appoint men on his own
authority over their works and over the country and over the arms and over
the forts, and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all documents
drawn up in the country should be written in his name, and that he should
be clothed in purple, and wear gold; and that it should not be lawful for
any of the people or of the priests to nullify any of these things, or to
resist the commands that he should issue, or to gather an assembly in the
country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or to wear a
golden buckle. But whoever should do otherwise, or act in defiance of any
of these things, should be liable to punishment. All the people agreed to
ordain that Simon should act according to these regulations. And Simon
accepted and consented to be high priest and to be general and governor of
the Jews and of the priests and to be protector of all.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 14:48, 49]
And they gave orders to put this writing on brass tablets and to set them
up within the precinct of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place, and also
to put the copies of it in the treasury in order that Simon and his sons
might have them.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 15:4-8]
So the land had rest all the days of Simon,
And he sought the good of his nation.
His authority and his glory were well-pleasing to them all his days.
And amid all his glory he took Joppa for a haven,
And made it a way to the isles of the sea,
And he enlarged the boundaries of his nation,
And became master of the land.
He also brought many captives together,
And made himself master of Gazara and Bethsura, and the citadel.
Moreover he took away from it its uncleannesses;
And there was none who resisted him.
And they tilled their land in peace,
And the earth gave her increase,
And the trees of the plains their fruit.
[Sidenote: 15:9-15]
The old men sat in the streets,
They talked together of the common good,
And the young men put on glorious, fine apparel.
He provided food for the cities,
And furnished them with means of fortification,
Until his famous name was known to the end of the earth.
He made peace in the land,
And Israel rejoiced with great joy,
Everyone sat under his own vine and fig tree,
And there was no one to make them afraid,
And none who warred against them was left upon the earth,
For the kings were utterly crushed in those days.
And he strengthened all the distressed of his people,
He was full of zeal for the law,
And every lawless and wicked person he banished.
He made the sanctuary glorious,
And multiplied the vessels of the temple.
I. Capture and Death of Jonathan. It was not strange in that corrupt age
that Jonathan, who had risen to power largely by intrigue, should himself
in the end fall a prey to treachery. Tryphon, the general who secretly
aspired to the Syrian throne, by lies succeeded in misleading even the
wily Jewish leader. His object was to gain possession of southern
Palestine, and he evidently believed that by capturing Jonathan he would
easily realize his ambition. He overlooked the fact, however, that Simon,
next to Judas the ablest of the sons of Mattathias, still remained to
rally and lead the Jewish patriots. The natural barriers of Judea again
proved insurmountable, for when Tryphon tried repeatedly on the west,
south, and east to invade the central uplands, he found the passes
guarded by Simon and his experienced warriors. Thus baffled, the
treacherous Tryphon vented his disappointment upon Jonathan, whom he
slew in Gilead. As the would-be usurper advanced northward, where he
ultimately met the fate which he richly deserved, Simon and his followers
bore the body of Jonathan back to Modein, and there they reared over it
the fourth of those tombs which testified to the warlike spirit and
devotion of the sons of Mattathias.
II. Character and Policy of Simon. Simon, who was at this crisis called
to the leadership of the Jewish race, had been famed from the first for
his moderation and wise counsel. In many campaigns he had also shown the
military skill and courage that had characterized his younger brothers. In
him the noble spirit of Judas lived again. He was devoted to the law,
intent upon building up the state, and at the same time was deeply and
genuinely interested in all members of his race, whether in Judea or in
distant nations. Like David and Josiah, he was a true father of his people
and set an example which unfortunately his descendants failed to follow.
He still recognized the authority of Demetrius II, but the Syrian kingdom
was so weak that Simon succeeded in securing a definite promise of the
remission of all taxes, and ruled practically as an independent sovereign.
To strengthen his position he sent an embassy laden with rich gifts to
Rome. During a later crisis in his rule its prestige proved of great
value, but Simon in following the example of his brothers gave to Rome
that claim upon Judea that was destined within less than a century to put
an end to Jewish independence. In still further consolidating and
developing the resources of his people and in preparing for future
expansion, Simon laid the foundations for the later Jewish kingdom. His
policy also brought to Palestine that peace and prosperity which made his
rule one of the few bright spots in Israel's troubled history.
III. His Conquests. The chief conquest of Simon was the capture of
Gazara, the ancient Gezer. This lay on the western side of the plain of
Ajalon. It guarded the approaches to Judea from the west, and above all
the highway that ran from Joppa and along which passed the commerce of the
Mediterranean. After a stubborn resistance he captured the town, deported
part of its heathen population, and settled Jewish colonists in their
place. Joppa also was under Simon's control. Thus he also prepared the
way for that commercial expansion which was necessary if the Jewish state
was to survive in the midst of its many powerful foes. Early in his reign
Simon laid siege to the Syrian garrison in Jerusalem, and finally, amidst
the rejoicing of the people, captured this stronghold and delivered Judea
from the presence of the hated foreigners. The temple area was also
fortified. Simon's victories, and especially his conquest of the Greek
cities on the plain, aroused the Syrian king, Antiochus Sidetes, the son
of Demetrius I, to demand heavy indemnity. When Simon refused to pay the
tribute a Syrian army was sent to enforce the claim, but were defeated by
a Jewish force under John Hyrcanus. This victory left Simon during the
remainder of his reign practically independent of outside authority.
IV. Simon's Authority. Simon, with commendable moderation, refrained
from attempting to secure for himself the title of king. He did, however,
issue coins in his own name, although that right was ordinarily the
prerogative only of kings. Upon him was conferred by the grateful people
the authority that had first been given Jonathan by the shameless
Alexander Balas. In return for Simon's many services and as a tribute
to the achievements of his family he was proclaimed by the Jews not only
civil governor and military leader, but also high priest. He thus became
their rightful leader both in peace and war, and the representative of the
nation in the sacred services of the temple. In all but name he was king,
and Jewish history would have doubtless flowed in calmer channels had his
descendants been contented with these substantial honors.
V. Completion of the Psalter. The reign of Simon probably witnessed the
completion of the Psalter. Many of the psalms, especially those in the
latter half of the book, bear the unmistakable marks of the Maccabean
struggle. In Psalms 74 and 89, for example, there are clear references to
the desecration of the temple and the bitter persecutions of Antiochus.
They voice the wails of despair which then rose from the lips of many
Jews. Many other psalms, as, for example, the one hundred and eighteenth,
express that intense love and devotion to the law which was from this time
on in many ways the most prominent characteristic of Judaism. The
prevailingly prominent liturgical element that characterizes the
concluding psalms of the Psalter suggest their original adaptation to the
song services of the temple. Under the reign of Simon the temple choir was
probably extended and greater prominence given to this form of the
temple service. The peace and prosperity in the days of Simon gave the
opportunity and the incentive to put in final form the earlier collections
of psalms and probably to add the introduction found in Psalms 1-2 and the
concluding doxology in Psalm 150. The Psalter appears to have been the
last to be completed of all the Old Testament books, so that probably
before the close of Simon's reign all of the present Old Testament
books were written. Discussions regarding the value of such books as
Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Esther continued until nearly the
close of the first Christian century, when at last the canon of the Old
Testament was completed.
VI. The Religious Life Reflected in the Later Psalms. The prevailing
note in the psalms found in the latter part of the Psalter is joyous. A
deep sense of gratitude to Jehovah for deliverance pervades them. The Jews
felt that Jehovah had indeed delivered them "as a bird from the snare of
the fowler" (Psalm 124). In the near background were the dark days of
persecution. Hostile foes still encircled Israel, but trust in Jehovah's
power and willingness to deliver triumphed over all fear.
Oh, give thanks to Jehovah for he is good,
For his mercy endureth forever.
He hath delivered us from our enemies;
Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven,
For his mercy endureth forever,
was the oft-repeated refrain that was sung in the temple service by the
warriors when they returned victorious from battle and by the people as
they went about their tasks. The sense of constant danger and of great
achievement bound together the Jews of this period as perhaps never
before since the days of the exile. The same experiences developed a
powerful religious consciousness. Jehovah had repeatedly and signally
demonstrated that he was in their midst. Without his strong hand they
were helpless against their foes. The apostates had been expelled, and
the classes that remained were bound closely together by their desire to
preserve their hard-won liberties, by their devotion to the temple and its
services and by a profound respect for the authority of their scriptures.
The voice of the living prophet was silent. The priests had ceased to
teach and were simply ministers at the altar, and in the turmoil of the
Maccabean struggle the teaching of the wise had practically come to an
end. Instead the Jews became in every sense the people of the book. It
was at this time and as a result of the forces at work in this age that
the scribes attained their place as the chief teachers of the people. It
was natural that they who copied, edited, and above all interpreted the
revered Law and the Prophets should have the ear of the masses and
should be regarded more and more as the authorized teachers of the
Jewish race. Judaism had at last attained its maturity.
Section CXIII. THE RULE OF JOHN HYRCANUS AND ARISTOBULUS
[Sidenote: I Macc. 16:11-17]
Now Ptolemy the son of Abubus had been appointed commander over the plain
of Jericho. He possessed much silver and gold, for he was the high
priest's son-in-law. Then he grew ambitious and determined to make himself
master of the country. So he formed treacherous plots against Simon and
his sons, to make away with them. Now Simon was visiting the cities that
were in the country and providing for their good management. And he went
down to Jericho with Mattathias and Judas his sons, in the one hundred and
seventy-seventh year, in the eleventh month, that is the month Sebat. Then
the son of Abubus received them treacherously in a little stronghold that
is called Dok, which he had built, and made them a great banquet, and his
men were there. And when Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptolemy and his
men rose up and took their weapons, and rushing in upon Simon in the
banquet hall, they slew him and his two sons, and some of his servants.
Thus he committed a great act of treachery and paid back evil for good.
[Sidenote: I Macc. 16:18-22]
Then Ptolemy wrote what had happened, and asked the king to send forces to
aid him, and promised to hand over to him their country and the cities.
And he sent others to Gazara to make away with John. And to the officers
commanding thousands he sent letters to come to him, that he might give
them silver and gold and gifts. And others he sent to take possession of
Jerusalem and the temple-mount. But some ran before to Gazara and told
John that his father and brothers had perished, and they said, He has sent
to slay you too. And when he heard, he was dumb with amazement, but he
seized the men who came to destroy him, and slew them, for he saw that
they were seeking to destroy him.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:3c-4b]
Now when Hyrcanus had received the high priesthood which his father had
held before him and had offered sacrifice to God, he made haste to attack
Ptolemy, that he might relieve his mother and brothers. So he laid siege
to the fortress and was superior to Ptolemy in other respects; but he was
defeated through his natural affection. For when Ptolemy was distressed,
he brought Hyrcanus's mother and his brothers and set them upon the wall
and beat them with rods in the sight of all and threatened that unless
Hyrcanus went away immediately, he would throw them down headlong. At this
sight Hyrcanus's pity and concern overcame his anger.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:4d]
And since the siege was delayed in this way, the year of rest came on,
during which the Jews rest every seventh year as they do on every seventh
day. In this year, therefore, Ptolemy was freed from being besieged. He
also slew the brothers of Hyrcanus with their mother, and fled to Zeno,
who was the tyrant of Philadelphia.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:5]
And now Antiochus [Sidetes] was so angry at what he had suffered from
Simon that he made an expedition into Judea and laid siege to Jerusalem
and shut up Hyrcanus. But Hyrcanus opened the tomb of David, who was the
richest of all kings, took from there more than three thousand talents of
money and induced Antiochus upon the promise of three thousand talents to
raise the siege. Moreover he was the first of the Jews who had plenty of
money, and so began to hire foreign mercenaries.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:6]
At another time, when Antiochus had gone upon an expedition against the
Medes and thus given Hyrcanus an opportunity to be revenged upon him,
Hyrcanus made an attack upon the cities of Syria, thinking, as proved to
be the case, that he would find them empty of good troops. So he took
Medeba and Samaga with their surrounding towns; likewise Shechem and Mount
Gerizim.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 9:1d, e]
Hyrcanus also took Dora and Marissa, cities of Idumea, and subdued all the
Idumeans. He permitted them to stay in their country, if they would
undergo circumcision and conform to the Jewish laws. They were so desirous
of living in the country of their fathers that they submitted to
circumcision and the other Jewish ways of living. From this time on,
therefore, they were none other than Jews.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 2:7a-b]
Hyrcanus also proceeded as far as Samaria and invested it on all sides
with a wall, and placed his sons, Aristobulus and Antigonus in charge of
the siege. They pushed it with such vigor that a famine prevailed within
the city, so that the inhabitants were forced to eat what was never before
regarded as food. They also invited Antiochus to come to their assistance
and he readily responded to their invitation, but he was beaten by
Aristobulus and Antigonus, and he was pursued as far as Scythopolis by
these brothers and fled away from them. So they returned to Samaria and
shut up the multitude within the wall again, and when they had taken the
city, they tore it down and made slaves of its inhabitants.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 10:5]
However the prosperity of Hyrcanus caused the Jews to envy him; and they
who were worst disposed to him were the Pharisees. Now Hyrcanus was one of
their disciples and had been greatly beloved by them. But once when he
invited them to a feast and entertained them kindly and saw them in a good
humor, he began to say to them that they knew that he desired to be a
righteous man and do all things by which he might please God and them, for
the Pharisees are philosophers. However, he desired, if they observed him
offending in any respect or departing from the right way, that they would
call him back and correct him. When they testified that he was entirely
virtuous he was well pleased with their approval. But one of his guests,
Eleazar by name, was a man malignant by nature, who delighted in
dissension. This man said: "Since you wish to know the truth, if you
really desire to do what is right, lay down the high priesthood and
content yourself with the civil government of the people." And when
Hyrcanus desired to know for what cause he ought to lay down the high
priesthood, the other replied: "We have heard from old men that your
mother was a captive in the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes." This story was
false, and Hyrcanus was provoked against him. All the Pharisees likewise
were very indignant with him.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 10:6a-c]
Now there was a certain Jonathan, a great friend of Hyrcanus, but of the
sect of the Sadducees, whose ideas are the opposite of those of the
Pharisees. He told Hyrcanus that Eleazar had cast that slur upon him
according to the common opinion of all the Pharisees and that this would
be made clear if he would ask them the question, What punishment they
thought this man deserved? For in this way he might be sure that the slur
was not laid on him with their approval, if they advised punishing him as
the crime deserved. Therefore when Hyrcanus asked this question, the
Pharisees answered that the man deserved stripes and imprisonment, but it
did not seem right to punish a slur with death. And indeed the Pharisees
ordinarily are not apt to be severe in punishment. At this mild sentence
Hyrcanus was very angry and thought that this man reproved him with their
approval. It was this Jonathan who influenced him so far that he made him
join the Sadducees and leave the party of the Pharisees and abolish the
decrees that they had thus imposed on the people and punish those who
obeyed them. This was the source of the hatred with which he and his sons
were regarded by the multitude.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 10:7]
But when Hyrcanus had put an end to this sedition, he afterward lived
happily and administered the government in the best manner for thirty-one
years and then died, leaving behind him five sons. He was esteemed by God
worthy of the three highest honors, the rulership of his nation, the high
priesthood, and prophecy, for God was with him and enabled him to predict
the future.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 11:1a-c, 8a]
Now when Hyrcanus was dead, his eldest son Aristobulus, intent upon
changing the government into a monarchy, was the first to put a diadem on
his head. This Aristobulus loved his next brother Antigonus and treated
him as an equal, but the others he kept in bonds. He also cast his mother
into prison because she disputed the government with him, for Hyrcanus had
left her in control of everything. He also proceeded to that degree of
barbarity that he killed her in prison with hunger. Moreover he was
estranged from his brother Antigonus by false charges and also slew him,
although he seemed to have a great affection for him and had shared the
kingdom with him. But Aristobulus immediately repented of the slaughter of
his brother; on which account his disease grew upon him.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 11:3e]
Then Aristobulus died, after having reigned a year. He was called a lover
of the Greeks and conferred many benefits on his country. He also made a
war against Iturea [Galilee], and added a great part of it to Judea and
compelled the inhabitants, if they wished to remain in that country, to be
circumcised and to live according to the Jewish laws.
I. Murder of Simon. Even his moderation and kindly rule did not deliver
Simon from the violent death that overtook all the sons of Mattathias.
His murderer was his son-in-law, a certain Ptolemy, who was governor of
the Jordan Valley, the resources of which had been developed under Simon.
Ptolemy trusted to the support of the Syrian court, but he failed to
reckon with two things: (1) the loyalty of the people to their Maccabean
leaders; and (2) the ability of Simon's son, John Hyrcanus. Instead of
falling a victim to Ptolemy's plot, John at once went to Jerusalem where
he was made the high priest and governor by the people. Ptolemy, who was
besieged in the castle of Dok, saved his miserable life only by shameless
perfidy.
II. The Syrian Invasion. Antiochus Sidetes proved the ablest Syrian king
of this period. Although his first attack had been repelled by Simon,
he again attempted, on the accession of Hyrcanus, to reestablish
his authority in Palestine. Josephus, in his account, obscures this
humiliating chapter in Jewish history. The statement that Hyrcanus took
from the tomb of David vast wealth and thus purchased immunity from Syrian
attack has all the characteristics of an Oriental tale. Instead, Antiochus
Sidetes not only besieged but captured Jerusalem, and doubtless compelled
the Jews to pay heavy tribute. Preferring, however, to retain their
loyalty rather than to crush them, he left John Hyrcanus in control of
Judea, and Jerusalem escaped destruction. In the disastrous campaign
against the Parthians in which Antiochus lost his life John Hyrcanus
accompanied him with a following of Jewish soldiers. The death of
Antiochus Sidetes in 129 B.C. at last left the Jews free to develop their
kingdom without further fear of Syrian interference. This event marks for
the Jews the attainment of absolute political freedom--a privilege which
they continued to enjoy for a little over half a century.
III. John's Military Policy and Conquests. John possessed the
characteristic ambitions and energy of his family. In his policy he also
seems to have been strongly influenced by the achievements of Israel's
early conquering king, David. His aim was to build up a small empire,
and by crushing the ancient foes of Israel to secure immunity from
further attack. In employing foreign mercenaries he also followed the
example of King David. Doubtless he was influenced in doing so by his
experiences in the Parthian campaign. This policy, however, was far
removed from the spirit of the early Maccabean leaders who had unsheathed
the sword in behalf of their principles. John's first campaign was
against the cities to the east of the Jordan, and resulted in the conquest
of the towns of Medeba and Samaga and the territory subject to them. The
conquest of Shechem and southern Samaria was undoubtedly prompted both by
hereditary hatred toward the Samaritans and by the desire to provide an
outlet for the growing Jewish population. After standing for two
centuries, the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim was destroyed by the
Jews. This sacrilegious act naturally intensified that hatred between Jew
and Samaritan which burned so fiercely during the early part of the first
Christian century. Marissa and Dora, the chief cities of the Idumeans,
were next conquered. With strange inconsistency, John Hyrcanus, whose
ancestors had first taken up the sword in defence of religious liberty,
compelled the descendants of their old foes, the Edomites, to give up
their national religion or else go into exile. This policy was fraught
with far-reaching consequences, for among those appointed to rule over the
conquered Edomites was Antipater, the ancestor of Herod, who was destined
to rule the Jews and to initiate that long series of disasters that
culminated in the destruction of the Jewish state. Last of all, John
Hyrcanus advanced to the conquest of the Greek city of Samaria. Because of
its natural strength and formidable defences a year was required for the
siege, and it was ultimately captured only through famine. The sons of
John Hyrcanus succeeded in holding at bay the Syrian armies that were sent
to relieve the besieged. The conquered inhabitants were sold as slaves,
and the city was left for a time in complete ruins. The conquest of
Scythopolis, the ancient Bethshean, extended the bounds of John's kingdom
to the southern hills of Galilee. Thus he became master of a small empire
extending out toward the desert on the east, to the South Country on the
south, touching the sea at Joppa, and including the entire territory of
ancient Samaria on the north. While not as large as the kingdom of David,
it was a more perfect political unit, and offered superior opportunities
for commerce and internal development.
IV. The Break with the Pharisees. The successes of John Hyrcanus
blinded the majority of the nation to the real issues at stake. But a
powerful group, which during the Maccabean period appeared for the first
time under the name of Pharisees, began to withdraw their allegiance and
silently, at least, to protest against a high priest whose chief ambition
was conquest. The story which Josephus tells to explain the defection
of the Pharisees may be simply a popular tradition, but it is indicative
of that division within Judaism which ultimately wrecked the Maccabean
state. From the days of John Hyrcanus, the Maccabean rulers, with only one
exception, were compelled to meet the silent but strong opposition of the
Pharisees. As a result they turned to the rising party of the Sadducees
which henceforth identified itself with the interests of the reigning
family. Thus in the year of its greatest triumph the Jewish state became a
house divided against itself. Estranged from the better-minded religious
leaders of the nation, John Hyrcanus and his successors followed an
increasingly secular, selfish policy until they completely forgot the
noble ideals for which their fathers had striven.
V. The Reign of Aristobulus. The accession of Aristobulus marks a
triumph of that Hellenism against which Judas and Simon had unsheathed
the sword. Like many an Oriental monarch, he established his position on
the throne by the murder of all members of his family who might contest
his power. His inhuman cruelty to his mother and the suspicions which led
him to murder his brother reveal a barbarous spirit that can only be
explained as a result of the wrong ambitions that had already taken
possession of Israel's rulers. Aristobulus's brief reign of one year is
marked by two significant acts. The first is the assumption of the title
of king. On his own initiative, and apparently without the consent of the
people, he placed the diadem upon his head. The other important act was
the conquest of part of the territory of Iturea, which was known in later
times as Galilee. He found it occupied by a mixed Syrian and Greek
population in which were probably a few descendants of the ancient
Israelites. Following the policy of his family, he doubtless at once
inaugurated a system of colonization which carried to Galilee a strong
Jewish population. Henceforth, by virtue of race, language, and religion,
Galilee was closely bound to Judea.
Section CXIV. THE PHARISEES, SADDUCEES, AND ESSENES
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XVIII, 1:2, 3a-c]
The Jews have three sects of philosophy: the Essenes, the Sadducees, and
those called Pharisees. The Pharisees do not yield to luxury but despise
that kind of life; and they follow the guidance of reason, and what that
prescribes to them as good, they do. They also pay respect to those
advanced in years nor are they so bold as to contradict them in anything
which they have introduced. While they believe that all things are done by
predestination, they do not take away from a man the choice of acting as
he deems proper, for they believe that it is God's will that an event be
decided for good or evil both by the divine counsel and by the man who is
willing to accede to it. They also believe that souls possess immortal
power and that under the earth there will be rewards or punishments
according as men have lived virtuously or viciously in this life, and that
the vicious are to be detained in an everlasting prison and that the
virtuous shall have the power to live again.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XVIII, 1:3d]
On account of this doctrine they have great influence with the people, and
whatsoever they do in connection with the divine worship, prayers and
sacrifices, they perform in accordance with the direction of the Pharisees.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XVIII, 1:4a, Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:14c]
But the doctrine of the Sadducees is that souls die with the bodies, nor
do they give heed to anything beyond these things which the law enjoins.
They deny predestination entirely and assert that God exercises no
oversight over any evil doing and they say that good or evil lies before
man to choose, and, according to each man's inclination, he chooses the
one or the other.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XVIII, 1:4b]
They also think it virtuous to dispute with those teachers of philosophy
which they follow. This doctrine, however, is accepted by only a few, but
these are of the highest rank, They are able to accomplish almost nothing
by themselves; for when they come to power, unwillingly but perforce, they
accede to the Pharisaic doctrine, for otherwise they would not be
tolerated by the multitude.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XVIII, 1:5a, b]
The doctrine of the Essenes is that all things are best left to God. They
teach the immortality of souls and think that the rewards of righteousness
are to be earnestly striven for; and when they send what they have
dedicated to God to the temple, they offer their sacrifices in accordance
with the special law of purity which they observe. On this account they
are excluded from the common court of the temple but themselves offer
their sacrifices. Yet their course of life is far better than that of
other men and they devote themselves wholly to agriculture.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:2, 13a]
The Essenes seem to have a greater affection for each other than do the
other sects. They reject pleasure as an evil, but regard self-restraint
and the conquest of passions as a virtue. They despise marriage and choose
out other people's children, while they are impressionable and teachable,
and they regard them as their own kindred, and conform them to their own
customs. They do not absolutely repudiate marriage. There is also another
order of Essenes, who agree with the rest in regard to their way of
living, customs and laws, but differ from them in regard to marriage, for
they think that by not marrying they will cut off the most important
element in human life, which is the succession of mankind.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:3, 4]
These men are despisers of riches and are wonderfully communistic among
themselves. No one is to be found among them who has more than the others,
for it is a law among them that those who join their sect must share with
them what they have, so that among them all there is no evidence of
poverty or excess of riches, but everyone's possessions are shared in
common, so there is, as it were, but one property among all the brothers.
They also have directors appointed by vote to manage their common affairs.
These have no other interest, but each devotes himself to the needs of
all. They possess no one city, but many of them dwell in every city, and
if any of their sect come from other places, what they have lies open for
them, just as if it were their own. They do not change garments or sandals
until they first are entirely torn to pieces or worn out by time. Nor do
they either buy or sell anything to each other, but every one of them
gives to him who wants it and receives from him again in return for it
what he wants; and even though no return is made, they are free to take
what they want from whom they wish.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:5]
And their piety toward God is very extraordinary; for before sunrise they
speak not a word about profane matters, but offer up certain inherited
prayers as if they made a supplication to it for its rising. After this
everyone is sent away by their directors to engage in some of those arts
in which they are skilled, and at which they labor with great diligence
until the fifth hour; after which they assemble again in one place. And
when they have clad themselves in linen coverings, they bathe their bodies
in cold water. After this purification is over they meet together in an
apartment of their own in which none of another sect is permitted to
enter. Then they go ceremonially pure into the dining room, as if into a
temple. And when they have quietly sat down, the baker lays loaves in
order for them, and a cook also brings a single plate of one kind of food
and sets it before each of them. And a priest offers a prayer before
eating. It is unlawful for any one to taste the food before the prayer.
When he has dined he offers prayer again. When they begin and when they
end they praise God as the giver of the necessities of life. After this
they lay aside their garments as though they were sacred, and devote
themselves to their labor again until evening. Then they return home to
dine in the same manner and if any strangers be there they sit down with
them. There is never any clamor or disturbance to pollute their household,
but they give everyone permission to speak in turn. The silence of the
inmates appears to outsiders like some awful mystery.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:6]
They do nothing except in accordance with the injunctions of their
directors. Only these two things are done among them as each wishes,
namely, they assist the needy and show mercy; but they cannot assist their
kindred without the permission of their directors. They dispense their
anger justly and restrain their passion. They are eminent for fidelity and
are the advocates of peace. Also whatever they say is mightier than an
oath, but swearing is avoided by them, and they regard it worse than
perjury, for they say that he who cannot be believed without swearing by
God is already condemned. They also devote great attention to the study of
the works of the ancients and select from them those things that are
profitable for soul and body. Also they seek out such roots as may be
effective for the cure of their diseases and inquire into the properties
of stones.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:7]
To one who desires to enter their sect, admission is not immediately
granted; but he is prescribed the same method of living as they use for a
year during which he is still excluded, and they give him a small hatchet,
and girdle and the white garment. And when during that time he has given
evidence of self-control, he approaches nearer to their way of living and
is allowed to share the waters of purification. However, he is not even
now allowed to live with them, for after this demonstration of his
fortitude, his character is tried two years more, and if he appears to be
worthy, they then admit him into the society. But before he is allowed to
touch their common food, he is obliged to swear to them awful oaths that
in the first place he will show piety toward God and then that he will
observe justice toward men, and that he will do no harm to any one either
voluntarily or at the command of others, and that he will always hate the
wicked, and help the righteous, and that he will show fidelity to all men
and especially to those in authority, that he will be a lover of truth and
denounce those who tell lies, and that he will keep his hands clean from
theft, and his soul from unlawful gain. Moreover he swears to communicate
their doctrines to no one otherwise than he received them himself, and
that he will abstain from robbery, and that he will faithfully preserve
the books of their sect and the names of the angels.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:8a, 9a-c]
Those who are caught in any heinous sins they cast out of their society;
and he who is thus expelled often dies miserably. And in the judgments
they pronounce they are most exacting and just, nor do they pass sentence
by the votes of a court having less than one hundred members, and what is
determined by them is unalterable. What they most of all honor, after God
himself, is the name of their legislator [Moses], whom, if any one
blasphemes, he is punished by death. They also think it a good thing to
obey their elders and the majority. They are stricter than any others of
the Jews in resting from their labors on the seventh day, for they not
only prepare their food the day before, that they may not be obliged to
kindle a fire on that day, but they will not venture to move any vessel
out of its place.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:10b, c, 11b]
They are also long-lived, insomuch that most of them live over a hundred
years because of the simplicity of their diet and as a result of their
regular course of life. They despise the miseries of life and are above
pain because of their noble thoughts. And as for death, if it come with
glory, they regard it as better than immortality. They think also, like
the Greeks, that the good have their habitation beyond the ocean in a
region that is never oppressed by storms of rain or of snow, or with heat,
and that this place is refreshed by the gentle breath of the west wind
that is continually blowing from the ocean; while they allot to the bad a
dark and cold den which is never free from unceasing punishment.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, II, 8:12]
There are also those among them who undertake to foretell things to
come by reading the holy books, by using several different forms of
purifications and by being constantly familiar with discourses of the
prophets; and it is only seldom that they fail in their predictions.
I. Influences that Gave Rise to the Jewish Parties. The Maccabean period
witnessed the birth of the great parties that henceforth distinguished
Judaism. They represented the crystallizing of the different currents of
thought that were traceable in the Greek period and even earlier. These
diverse points of view were in part the result of that democratic spirit
which has always characterized Israel's life. In the striking antithesis
between the idealists and the legalists and the practical men of affairs
it is also possible to detect the potent influence which the prophets had
exerted upon the thought of their nation. In the Greek period the
Chronicler and certain of the psalmists, with their intense devotion to
the temple and its services to the practical exclusion of all other
interests, were the forerunners of the later Pharisees. Ben Sira, with his
hearty appreciation of the good things of life, with his devotion to the
scriptures of his race, with his evident failure to accept the new
doctrine of individual immortality, and with his great admiration for the
high priests, was an earlier type of the better class of Sadducees. The
persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes developed these parties. As has
already been noted, the Hasideans who followed Judas in the struggle to
restore the law and the temple service were the immediate predecessors
of the early Pharisees. The word "Pharisees" means separatists, and is
used first in the days of Jonathan (Jos. _Ant_. III 5:9) In the same
connection Josephus refers to the Sadducees. The name of this second party
is probably derived, not from the Hebrew word sadik, meaning righteous,
but from Zadok (later written Sadok or Sadduk), who was placed by
Solomon in charge of the Jerusalem temple. It was thus the designation
of the aristocratic, high-priestly party. In the Persian and Greek
periods the high priests had ruled the Judean state without opposition.
It was the rise of the party of the Pharisees that apparently developed
that of the Sadducees. This party included the hereditary nobles who
supported and sympathized with the Maccabean leaders. The Essenes
evidently represent a reaction against the prevailing moral corruption.
In many respects they were simply extreme Pharisees. They were zealots in
religion, just as the later party of the Zealots were extremists in their
hatred of Rome and in the methods which they were ready to use in order to
attain their ends.
II. Character and Beliefs of the Pharisees. Originally the Pharisees
were not a political but a religious party. The opposition of the
Sadducees in time led them to enter public life. In politics they were
conservatives. They had little sympathy with the popular ambition for
political independence, and probably regarded with alarm the tendency
toward national expansion. Alliances with the heathen nations seemed
to them disloyalty to Jehovah. In belief they were progressives. While
they stood squarely on the ancient law, they recognized the importance
of interpreting it so as to meet the many questions that rose in public
and private life. To this great and practically endless task much of
their time was devoted. They thus recognized the fact that Israel's law
was still in process of development. To their later interpretations of
the law they attributed great authority. One of their maxims was: "It
is a worse offence to teach things contrary to the ordinances of the
scribes than to teach things contrary to the written law." Naturally their
attempt to anticipate by definite regulations each individual problem led
them to absurd extremes and in time obscured the real intent of the older
laws, but the spirit which actuated it was progressive. They also did not
hesitate to accept the growing popular belief in angels and spirits. Like
the earlier prophets, they recognized the presence of Jehovah directing
the life of the nation and of the individual. They accepted the new-born
belief in the immortality of the individual, clinging, however, to the
hope of a bodily resurrection. They also held to the popular messianic
hopes which became more and more prominent during the Maccabean and Roman
periods.
The Pharisees were the most democratic party in Judaism. While
for their own members they insisted upon a most rigorous ceremonial
regime, they allowed the common people to ally themselves with them
as associates. In their acceptance of the popular hopes and in their
endeavor to adapt Israel's law to the life of the nation and thus
establish a basis for the realization of Israel's hopes they appealed to
the masses and exerted over them a powerful influence. Josephus asserts
that so great was the influence of the Pharisees with the people that the
Sadducees, in order to carry through their policies, were obliged,
nominally, at least, to adopt the platform of their rivals. The Pharisees
were also zealous in teaching the people and thus kept in close touch with
the masses. They, therefore, stood as the true representatives of Judaism.
Their principles have survived and are still the foundations of orthodox
Judaism.
III. Character and Beliefs of the Sadducees. The Sadducees were few in
numbers compared with the Pharisees. They represented, on the one side,
the old priestly aristocracy, and on the other the new nobility that
rallied about the Maccabean leaders. They depended for their authority
upon their wealth, their inherited prestige, and the support of the
throne. They were in reality a political rather than a religious party.
In politics they were progressives and opportunists. Any policy that
promised to further their individual or class interests was acceptable to
them. As is usually the case with parties that represent wealth and
hereditary power, they were conservatives in belief. They stood squarely
on the earlier scriptures of their race and had no sympathy with the later
Pharisaic interpretations and doctrines. Whether or not, as Josephus
asserts, they entirely rejected fate, that is, the providential direction
of human affairs, is not clear. Probably in this belief they did not
depart from the earlier teachings of priests and prophets. Their selfish
and often unscrupulous acts suggest a basis for Josephus's claim, even
though allowance must be made for his hostile attitude toward them. While
they were conservatives in theory, the Sadducees were of all classes in
Judaism most open to Greek and heathen influence, for foreign alliances
and Hellenic culture offered opportunities for advancement and power.
IV. Character and Beliefs of the Essenes. Less important but even more
interesting are the Essenes. They were a sect, or monastic order, rather
than a political or religious party. Josephus, who asserts that for a time
he was associated with them, has given a full account of their peculiar
customs. They evidently represented a strong reaction against the
prevailing corruption and a return to the simple life. Their spirit of
humility, fraternity, and practical charity are in marked contrast to the
aims of the Sadducees and the later Maccabean rulers. In their beliefs
they were idealists. Their invocation of the sun, their extreme emphasis
on ceremonial cleanliness, their tendency toward celibacy, and their
distinction between soul and body, all suggest the indirect if not the
direct influence of the Pythagorean type of philosophy. If the Essenes
represented simply an extreme type of Pharisaism, the peculiar form of its
development was undoubtedly due to the Greek atmosphere amidst which it
flourished. The Essenes do not appear to have had any direct influence in
the politics of their day. They were a current apart from the main stream
of Judaism, and yet they could not fail to exert an indirect influence.
Many of their ideals and doctrines were closely similar to the teachings
of John the Baptist and Jesus. Yet there is a fundamental difference
between Essenism and primitive Christianity, for one sought to attain
perfection apart from life and the other in closest contact with the
currents of human thought and activity. While according to Josephus the
party of the Essenes at one time numbered four thousand, like all ascetic
movements it soon disappeared or else was deflected into that greater
stream of monasticism which rose in the early Christian centuries.
Section CXV. THE LIFE AND FAITH OF THE JEWS OF THE DISPERSION
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XII, 3:1a]
The Jews obtained honor from the kings of Asia when they became their
auxiliaries; for Seleucus Nicator made them citizens of those cities which
he built in Asia and in lower Syria, and in Antioch, the metropolis, and
gave them privileges equal to those of the Macedonians and the Greeks who
were its inhabitants.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, VII, 3:3a]
For the Jewish race is widely dispersed among the inhabitants of all the
world; and especially was it intermingled with the population of Syria,
because of the nearness of that country. Above all, in Antioch, because of
the size of the city, it had great numbers. There the kings who followed
Antiochus gave the Jews a place where they might live in the most
undisturbed security; for although Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes,
laid waste Jerusalem and plundered the temple, the kings who succeeded him
restored all the gifts of brass that had been made to the Jews of Antioch,
and dedicated them to their synagogue.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, VII, 3:3b]
The succeeding kings also treated them in the same way, so that they
became very numerous, and adorned their temple with ornaments and at
great expense with those things which had been given them. They also
continued to attract a great many of the Greeks to their services, making
them in a sense part of themselves.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, VII, 10:2d-3e]
Now Onias, the son of Simon, one of the Jewish high priests, fled from
Antiochus [Epiphanes] the king of Syria, when he made war with the Jews,
and came to Alexandria. And after Ptolemy [Philometor] received him very
kindly on account of his hatred to Antiochus, Onias assured him that if he
would comply with his proposal, he would bring all the Jews to his
assistance. Now when the king agreed to do whatever he was able, Onias
desired him to give him permission to build a temple somewhere in Egypt
and to worship God according to the customs of his own nation. So Ptolemy
complied with his proposals and gave them a place about twenty miles
distant from Memphis. That province was called the province of Heliopolis.
There Onias built a fortress and a temple like that at Jerusalem except
that it resembled a tower. He built it of large stones to the height of
sixty cubits, but he made the structure of the altar an imitation of that
in his own country. In like manner also he adorned it with gifts,
excepting that he did not make a candlestick but had a single lamp
hammered out of a beaten piece of gold, which illuminated the place with
its rays, and which he hung by a chain of gold. The entire temple was
surrounded by a wall of burnt brick, although it had a gateway of stone.
The king also gave him a large territory for a revenue in money, that both
the priests might have plentiful provision for themselves, and that God
might have abundance of those things which were necessary for his worship.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XIII, 10:4]
Now in the days of John Hyrcanus, not only did the Jews in Jerusalem and
Judea enjoy prosperity but also those who were at Alexandria in Egypt and
Cyprus. For Cleopatra the queen was at variance with her son Ptolemy, who
is called Lathyrus, and appointed as her generals Chelcias and Ananias,
the son of that Onias who built the temple in the province of Heliopolis
similar to that of Jerusalem. Cleopatra intrusted these men with her army
and did nothing without their advice. Strabo of Cappadocia also attests
that only those who were called Onias's party, being Jews, continued
faithful to Cleopatra because their countrymen, Chelcias and Ananias, were
in highest favor with the queen.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 6:12-16]
Wisdom is brilliant and fades not away,
And she is easily seen by those who love her,
And found by those who seek her.
She anticipates those who desire her, making herself first known.
He who eagerly seeks her shall have no toil,
For he shall find her sitting at his gates.
For thinking upon her brings perfect wisdom,
And he who lies awake for her sake shall quickly be free from care.
For she herself goes about seeking those who are worthy of her,
And in their paths she graciously appears to them,
And in every purpose she meets them.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 7:25-8:1, 7]
For she is breath of the power of God,
And a clear effluence of the glory of the Almighty;
Therefore nothing defiled can find entrance into her.
For she is a reflection of everlasting light,
And a spotless mirror of the working of God,
And an image of his goodness.
And though she is but one, she has power to do all things;
And remaining the same renews all things,
And from generation to generation passing into holy souls,
She makes them friends of God and prophets.
For God loves nothing except him who dwells with wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun,
And surpasses all the order of the stars;
Compared with light, she is found to be superior to it.
For night succeeds the light of day,
But evil does not prevail against wisdom.
But she reaches from one end of the world to the other,
And she directs all things graciously.
The fruits of her labors are virtues;
For she teaches moderation and good sense,
Justice and fortitude,
And nothing in life is more profitable for men than these.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 1:1-8]
Love righteousness, O rulers of the earth,
Think of the Lord with sincerity,
And seek him in singleness of heart.
For he is found by those who do not tempt him,
And manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.
For perverse thoughts separate from God,
And his power, when it is tried, convicts the foolish;
For wisdom will not enter into a soul that devises evil,
Nor dwell in a body that is pledged to sin.
For a holy spirit which disciplines will flee deceit,
And will start away from senseless thoughts,
And will be frightened away when unrighteousness comes in.
For wisdom is a spirit that loves man,
And she will not absolve a blasphemer for his words,
Because God is a witness of his innermost feelings,
And a true overseer of his heart,
And a hearer of his tongue.
For the spirit of the Lord hath filled the world,
And that which holdeth all things together knoweth every voice.
Therefore no one who speaks unrighteous things can be hid,
Nor will justice, when it convicts, pass him by.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 1:12-15]
Do not court death by leading an erring life,
And do not by the deeds of your hands draw destruction upon yourselves.
For God did not make death,
And he hath no pleasure when the living perish;
For he created all things that they might exist,
And the created things of the world are not baneful.
And there is no destructive poison in them,
Nor has Hades dominion on earth,
For righteousness is immortal.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 2:23-3:1]
For God created man for incorruption,
And made him an image of his own peculiar nature;
But through the envy of the devil death entered into the world,
And they who belong to him experience it.
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
And no torment can touch them.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 5:15, 16]
But the righteous live forever,
And in the Lord is their reward,
And the care for them with the Most High.
Therefore they shall receive the glorious kingdom,
And the diadem of beauty from the Lord's hand;
Because he will cover them with his right hand,
And with his arm he will shield them.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 11:21-12:2]
For thou, O Lord, lovest all things that are,
And thou dost not abhor any of the things which thou hast made,
For thou wouldest never have formed anything that thou didst hate.
And how would anything have endured, if thou didst not wish it?
Or how could that which was not called into being by thee have been
preserved?
But thou sparest all things, because they are thine,
O Sovereign Lord, thou lover of men's lives!
For thine incorruptible spirit is in all things.
Therefore thou convictest the fallen little by little,
And, reminding them of the things in which they sin, thou dost warn them,
That freed from wickedness, they may believe on thee, O Lord.
[Sidenote: Wisd. of Sol. 15:1-3]
But thou, our God, art gracious and true,
Long suffering, and in mercy directing all things.
For even if we sin, we are thine, since we know thy might.
But we shall not sin, knowing that we have been counted as thine;
For to know thee is perfect righteousness,
And to know thy might is the root of immortality.
I. Conditions of the Jews in Antioch and Asia Minor. Seleucus Nicanor,
who in 311 B.C. founded the city of Antioch, like Alexander, granted many
privileges to the Jewish colonies whom he thus sought to attract hither.
They not only possessed the rights of citizenship, but lived in their
separate quarter. Their synagogue was one of the architectural glories of
the city. There they engaged in trade and undoubtedly grew rich, taking on
largely the complexion of that opulent Hellenic city. Later the Jewish
colony was enlarged by the apostates who fled from Judea when the
Maccabean rulers gained the ascendancy. The corrupt and materialistic
atmosphere of Antioch doubtless explains why its Jewish citizens
apparently contributed little to the development of the thought and faith
of later Judaism. Similar colonies were found throughout the great
commercial cities of Asia Minor. In many of these cities--for example,
Tarsus--they seem to have enjoyed the same privileges as those at Antioch.
II. The Jews in Egypt. The chief intellectual and religious center of
the Jews of the dispersion, however, was in Alexandria. It is probable
that fully a million Jews were to be found in Egypt during the latter
part of the Maccabean period. Industry and commerce had made many of them
extremely wealthy and had given them the leisure to study not only their
own scriptures but also the literature of the Greeks. The prevailingly
friendly way in which the Ptolemaic rulers treated the Jews naturally led
them to take a more favorable attitude toward Greek culture. Alexandria
itself was the scene of an intense intellectual activity. Attracted by the
munificence of the Ptolemies and by the opportunities offered by its great
library, many of the most famous Greek philosophers and rhetoricians of
the age found their home in the Egyptian capital. Public lectures, open
discussions, and voluminous literature were only a few of the many forms
in which this intellectual life was expressed. Hence it was at Alexandria
that Hebrew and Greek thought met on the highest plane and mingled most
closely.
III. The Jewish Temple at Leontopolis. After the murder of his father
Onias III near Antioch, whither he had fled from the persecutions of
Antiochus Epiphanes, Onias IV sought refuge in Egypt. Here, as the
legitimate head of the Jewish high-priesthood, he was favorably received
by Ptolemy and granted territory in the Nile Delta to the north of Memphis
in which to rear a temple to Jehovah. In the light of recent discoveries
at Elephantine it is evident that this step was not without precedent
(Section XCI:vii). Ptolemy's object was to please his Jewish subjects and
to attract others to the land of the Nile. Josephus's statement in _The
Jewish War_, VII, 10:4 favors the conclusion that the temple was built
two hundred and forty-three years (not 343) before its final destruction
in 73 A.D., that is, in 170 B.C. In any case it was probably built between
170 and 160 B.C., at the time when the persecutions of Antiochus
Epiphanes made pilgrimages to the Jerusalem temple impossible, and
threatened its continued existence. The plan of the Leontopolis temple
indicates that it was not intended to be a rival to the Jerusalem
sanctuary, but rather a common place of meeting for the Egyptian
Jews and of defence in case of attack. It never seriously rivalled the
Jerusalem sanctuary, although in later days it was viewed with jealousy
by the Jews of Palestine.
IV. Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Far more
significant than the building of the Leontopolis temple was the
translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. The tradition preserved
by Josephus that the translation was made in seventy-two days by
seventy-two scholars, sent from Jerusalem by Eleazar the high priest at
the request of Ptolemy, is clearly unhistorical. The impossibility of
completing so vast a task in this limited time is obvious. Moreover, the
character of the translation indicates that it was the work not of
Palestinian but of Alexandrian Jews familiar with the peculiar Greek of
Egypt and the lands of the dispersion. It was also the work not of one
but of many different groups of translators, as is shown by the variant
synonyms employed in different books to translate the same Hebrew words
and idioms. In the case of several books the work of two or more distinct
translators is readily recognized. The quality of the translation also
varies greatly in different books. It is probable that the one historical
fact underlying the tradition is that the work of translation was begun in
the days of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who may have encouraged his Jewish
subjects in their undertaking. From the character of the translations and
the nature of the situation it is probable that the first books to be
translated were certain historical writings, as Samuel-Kings and the books
of the Law. The remaining books were probably translated by the end of the
succeeding century (between 250 and 150 B.C.), for the grandson of Ben
Sira implies in his prologue that he was acquainted with the Law, the
Prophets, and the other writings in their Greek version.
The primary aim of this Greek translation was to put the Hebrew scriptures
themselves into the hands of their Greek persecutors as the best possible
answer to their false and malicious charges. Evidence of this apologetic
purpose is found in the fact that glaring inconsistencies and expressions,
where Jehovah is described in the likeness of a human being, were usually
left out. Where the Hebrew text was corrupt the translators restored or
else freely paraphrased what they thought was the original meaning. In
time, however, the translation gained a new importance, for the Jews of
Egypt soon began to forget the language of their fathers and so became
increasingly dependent for a knowledge of their scriptures upon the Greek
translation. In the end it almost completely superseded the original
Hebrew version not only in the lands of the dispersion, but even in
Palestine itself. A large proportion of the quotations from the Old
Testament in the New are from the Greek rather than the Hebrew text.
Although it is only a translation, the Greek version, or Septuagint (the
Version of the Seventy), as it is popularly known, still possesses a great
value for the modern translator, inasmuch as it is based upon Hebrew texts
centuries older than any which now exists. At many points, especially in
the historical prophetic books it makes possible the restoration of the
original reading where the Hebrew has become corrupt in the long process
of transmission.
V. Apologetic Jewish Writings. During the centuries immediately
preceding the Christian era the Jews of the dispersion, and especially of
Egypt, were the object of constant attack. Manetho, an Egyptian priest,
wrote a history purporting to give the origin and the early experiences of
the Jews. Portions of this have been preserved and reveal the bitter and
unjust spirit with which this race was regarded by the Greek and Egyptian
scholars of the day. To defend themselves from these attacks the Jews not
only translated their scriptures, but employed many different types of
writing. A certain Jew by the name of Demetrius about 215 B.C. wrote a
commendatory history of the Jewish kings. Aristobulus, the teacher of
Ptolemy Philometor, wrote an "Explanation of the Mosaic Laws," in which he
anticipated, in many ways, the modern interpretation of the early
traditions found in the opening books of the Old Testament. Like all
Alexandrian scholars, however, he overshot the mark under the influence of
the allegorical or symbolic type of interpretation. Other Jewish
writers appealed to the older Greek historians and poets. Adopting the
unprincipled methods of their persecutors, they expanded the original
writings of such historians as Hecataeus, who had spoken in a commendatory
way of the Jews. They even went so far as to insert long passages into the
writings of the famous Greek poets, such as Orpheus, Hesiod, Aeschylus,
Sophocles, and Menander, so as to transform them into ardent champions of
the persecuted race. The culmination of this illegitimate form of defence
was to insert in the famous Sibylline Books (III) a long passage
describing the glories of the Jewish race and voicing the hopes with which
they regarded the future. It was in this atmosphere and under the
influence of these methods that the anti-Semitic spirit was born in
ancient Alexandria. Thence it was transmitted, as a malign heritage, to
the Christian church.
VI. The Wisdom of Solomon. The noblest literary product of the Jews of
the dispersion was the apocryphal book known as the Wisdom of Solomon. It
was so called because the author assumed the point of view of Solomon. In
so doing he did not intend to deceive his contemporaries, but rather
followed the common tendency of his day. Although the book has many
characteristic Hebrew idioms, which are due to its Jewish authorship, it
was without doubt originally written in Greek. Its author was evidently
acquainted with the writings of many of the Greek poets and philosophers.
He accepted Plato's doctrine of the pre-existence of the soul (8:19, 20),
of the limitations of the body (9:15), and of the creation of the world
out of formless matter (11:17). He was especially influenced by the
beliefs of the Epicureans and Stoics. He was acquainted with Hellenic art,
astronomy, and science (7:17-29) and throughout shows the influence of
Greek methods of thinking. His rejection of the teachings of the book of
Ecclesiastes, his wide learning and his conception of immortality indicate
that he lived some time after the beginning of the Maccabean struggle. His
reference in 3:1-4 is probably to the persecutions through which the Jews
of Egypt passed during the reign of Ptolemy Psycon (140-117 B.C.). On the
other hand the book clearly antedates the writings of the Jewish
philosopher Philo, who lived during the latter part of the first century
B.C. The Wisdom of Solomon, therefore, may be dated somewhere between 100
and 50 B.C.
VII. Its Important Teachings. The author of the Wisdom of Solomon aimed,
first, to commend Israel's faith to the heathen by showing that it was in
substantial accord with the noblest doctrines of the Greek philosophers,
and second, to furnish the Jews of the dispersion, who were conversant
with Hellenic thought and yet trained in the religion of their race, a
working basis for their thought and practice. From the first it appears to
have been highly esteemed by the Jews outside Palestine, although it never
found a place in the Palestinian canon. Like most wisdom books, it
describes at length the beauty and value of wisdom. The figure of Proverbs
8 and 9 is still further developed under the influence of the Greek
tendency to personify abstract qualities. In the mind of the author,
however, wisdom is simply an attribute of the Deity which he shares in
common with men. The book is unique in two respects: (1) it contains the
earliest references in Jewish literature to a personal devil and
identifies him with the serpent that tempted the woman in the garden
(2:24, cf. Gen. 3) Elsewhere, however, the author traces sin and evil to
men's voluntary acts (e.g., 1:16). (2) It teaches the immortality
of righteousness and hence, by implication, the immortality of the
individual. "God created man for incorruption," and "the souls of the
righteous are in his hand." The doctrine here presented is ethical and
spiritual rather than the belief in a bodily resurrection already
formulated in the twelfth chapter of Daniel. It also teaches that
both the good and bad will be rewarded according to their deeds. Its
conceptions of God are exalted. He is the incorruptible spirit in all
things, just and yet merciful, the lover of men. The book also places side
by side with the Jewish teachings regarding men's duties to God and their
fellow-men the Greek virtues of moderation, good sense, justice, and
courage or fortitude. It also teaches that, like God, each of his children
should be a lover of men. Thus the book unites most effectively that
which is best in the thought of Judaism and Hellenism and is an earnest
of that still nobler union that was later realized in the thought and
teachings of Christianity.
Section CXVI. THE DECLINE OF THE MACCABEAN KINGDOM
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:1]
After Aristobulus died, his wife Salome, who by the Greeks was called
Alexandra, released his brothers from prison (for Aristobulus had kept
them in confinement), and made Alexander Janneus, who was the oldest,
king.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:2]
Now there was a battle between him and Ptolemy, who was called Lathyrus,
who had taken the city of Asochis. He indeed slew many of his enemies, but
the victory rather inclined to Ptolemy. But when this Ptolemy was pursued
by his mother, Cleopatra, and retired into Egypt, Alexander besieged and
took Gadara and Amathus, which was the strongest of all the fortresses
that were beyond the Jordan, and the most valued of all the possessions of
Theodorus, the son of Zeno, were therein. Thereupon Theodorus marched
suddenly against him and took what belonged to himself, and slew ten
thousand of the Jews. Alexander, however, recovered from this blow and
turned his force toward the maritime districts and took Gaza, Raphia, and
Anthedon.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:3]
But when he had enslaved all these cities, the Jews made an insurrection
against him at a festival and it looked as though he would not have been
able to escape the plot they had laid for him, had not his foreign
auxiliaries come to his aid. And when he had slain more than six thousand
of the rebels, he invaded Arabia, and when he had conquered the Gileadites
and Moabites, he commanded them to pay him tribute and returned to Amathus
and took the fortress and demolished it.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:4, 5]
However, when he fought with Obedas, king of the Arabians, who had laid an
ambush for him near Golan, he lost his entire army, which was crowded
together in a deep valley and trampled to pieces by the multitude of
camels. And fleeing to Jerusalem because of the greatness of the calamity
that had overtaken him, he provoked the multitude, which had hated him
before, to make an insurrection against him. He was, however, too strong
for them in the various battles that were fought between them and he slew
no fewer than fifty thousand of the Jews in the interval of six years. Yet
he had no reason to rejoice in these victories, since he did but consume
his own country, until he at length ceased fighting and desired to come to
an agreement with them. But his changeability and the irregularity of his
conduct made them hate him still more. And when he asked them why they so
hated him and what he should do to appease them they said, "Die."
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:4c, 5c, 6a, c]
At the same time they invited Demetrius to assist them, and as he readily
complied with their request and came with his army, the Jews joined with
these their auxiliaries about Shechem. In the battle which followed,
Demetrius was the conqueror, although Alexander's mercenaries performed
the greatest exploits. Nevertheless the outcome of this battle proved
different from what was expected by both sides, for those who had invited
Demetrius to come to them did not continue loyal to him although he was
the conqueror, and six thousand Jews out of pity because of the change in
Alexander's condition, when he fled to the mountains, went over to him.
Demetrius, supposing that all the nation would run to Alexander, left the
country and went his way. The rest of the Jewish multitude, however, did
not lay aside their quarrels with Alexander when the auxiliaries were
gone, but had perpetual war with them until he had slain the greater part
of them. Then such a terror seized the people that eight thousand of his
opponents fled away the following night out of all Judea and did not
return until Alexander died.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:8c, d]
Alexander also subdued Golan, Seleucia, and what was called the Valley of
Antiochus; besides which he took the strong fortress of Gamala. Then he
returned into Judea after he had spent three years on this expedition. Now
he was gladly received by the nation because of his success. So when he
was at rest from war, he fell ill and died, terminating his troubles after
he had reigned twenty-seven years.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 5:1]
Now Alexander left the kingdom to Alexandra, his wife, and trusted the
Jews would readily submit to her, for in opposing his habitual violation
of their laws she gained the good-will of the people. Nor was he mistaken
in his hopes, for this woman retained the rulership because of her
reputation for piety. For she chiefly studied the ancient customs of her
country and cast those men out of the government who offended against
their holy laws. And as she had two sons by Alexander, she made the older,
Hyrcanus, high priest, on account of his age and also on account of his
inactive temperament.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 5:2, 3a, b]
And the Pharisees joined themselves to her in the government and Alexandra
henceforth hearkened to them to a great degree. But these Pharisees
artfully insinuated themselves into her favor little by little and
presently became the real administrators of public affairs. They banished
and recalled whom they pleased. While she governed the people, the
Pharisees governed her. Accordingly, they slew Diogenes, a person
of prominence, because he had been a friend of Alexander; they also
urged Alexandra to put the rest of those to death who had stirred up
Alexander against them. But the chief of those who were in danger fled
to Aristobulus. He persuaded his mother to spare the men on account of
their rank, but to expel them from the city. So when they were given their
freedom, they were dispersed over all the country.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 5:4-6:1b]
In the meantime Alexandra fell sick and Aristobulus, her younger son,
seized this opportunity to get possession of all the fortresses. He also
used the sums of money he found in them to gather together a number of
mercenaries and to set himself up as king. But Alexandra, after she had
lived nine years, died before she could punish Aristobulus. Hyrcanus was
heir to the kingdom and to him his mother intrusted it while she was
living. But Aristobulus was superior to him in ability and spirits, and
when there was a battle between them near Jericho to decide the dispute
about the kingdom, the majority deserted Hyrcanus and went over to
Aristobulus. But they came to an agreement that Aristobulus should be the
king, and that Hyrcanus should resign, but retain all the rest of his
dignities.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 6:2, 3]
Now the others who opposed Aristobulus were afraid, when he thus
unexpectedly came to power. This was especially true of Antipater, whom
Aristobulus hated of old. He was by birth an Idumean and one of the chief
men of that nation on account of his ancestry and riches and other
authority that belonged to him. He urged Hyrcanus to flee to Aretas, king
of Arabia, and to retrieve the kingdom. When he had prepared them both
beforehand he took Hyrcanus by night away from the city and escaped to
Petra, which is the royal capital of Arabia. Here he put Hyrcanus into
Aretas's care. He prevailed with him to give him an army to restore him to
his kingdom. This army consisted of fifty thousand footmen and horsemen
which Aristobulus was not able to withstand, but was defeated in the first
encounter and was driven out of Jerusalem. He would have been taken by
force, if Scaurus, the Roman general, had not come and opportunely raised
the siege. This was the Scaurus who was sent into Syria from Armenia by
Pompey the Great when he was fighting against Tigranes. As soon,
therefore, as Scaurus arrived in the country, ambassadors came from both
the brothers, each of them desiring his assistance. But Aristobulus's
three hundred talents blocked the way of justice. When Scaurus had
received this sum, he sent a herald to Hyrcanus and the Arabians, and
threatened them with the resentment of the Romans and Pompey unless they
raised the siege. So Aretas was terrified and retired from Judea to
Philadelphia.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 6:4-5]
When Hyrcanus and Antipater were thus deprived of their hopes from the
Arabians, they fled to Pompey for assistance and besought him to show his
disapproval of the violent action of Aristobulus and to restore to him the
kingdom, as it justly belonged to him. Aristobulus was also there himself,
dressed in regal attire, but Pompey was indignant at his behavior. When
Hyrcanus's friends also interceded strongly with Pompey, he took not only
his Roman forces but also many of his Syrian auxiliaries and marched
against Aristobulus. But when he had passed by Pella and Scythopolis
and had come to Korea, he heard that Aristobulus had fled to Alexandrium,
which was a stronghold fortified with the greatest magnificence, and
situated upon a high mountain, and he sent to him and commanded him to
come down. So Aristobulus came down to Pompey and when he had made a long
defence of the justness of his rule, he returned to the fortress. Pompey
however commanded him to give up his fortified places and forced him to
write to each of his governors to surrender. Accordingly he did what he
was ordered to do, but being displeased, he retired to Jerusalem and
prepared to fight with Pompey.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 6:6-7:2b]
But Pompey gave him no time to make any preparations and followed at his
heels. And Aristobulus was so frightened at his approach that he came and
met him as a suppliant. He also promised him money and to deliver up both
himself and the city. Yet he did not keep any one of his promises. At this
treatment Pompey was very angry and took Aristobulus into custody. And
when he had entered the city he looked about to see where he might make
his attack, for he saw that the walls were so firm that it would be hard
to overcome them and the valley before the walls was terrible and the
temple which was in that valley was itself surrounded by such a strong
wall that if the city was taken the temple would be a second place of
refuge for the enemy. Inasmuch as Pompey deliberated a long time, a
sedition arose among the people within the city. Aristobulus's party was
willing to fight to save their king, while the party of Hyrcanus was ready
to open the gates to Pompey. Then Aristobulus's party was defeated and
retired into the temple and cut off the communications between the temple
and the city by breaking down the bridge which joined them together, and
they prepared to resist to the utmost.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 7:3]
Pompey himself filled up the ditch which was on the north side of the
temple and the entire valley also, the army being obliged to carry the
material for this purpose. Indeed, it was difficult to fill up that valley
because of its great depth and especially as the Jews from their superior
position used all possible means to repel them. As soon as Pompey had
filled up the valley, he erected high towers upon the bank.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 7:4, 5]
Now Pompey admired not only the other examples of the Jews' fortitude, but
especially that they did not at all intermit their religious services,
even when they were surrounded with darts on all sides; for, as if the
city were in full peace, their daily sacrifices and purifications and all
their religious rites were still carried out before God with the utmost
exactness. Nor when the temple was taken and they were slain about the
altar daily, did they cease from those things that are appointed by their
law to be observed. For it was in the third month of the siege before the
Romans could even with a great struggle overthrow one of the towers and
get into the temple. The greater part of the Jews were slain by their
own countrymen of the opposite faction and an innumerable multitude threw
themselves down from the walls. Of the Jews twelve thousand were slain,
but of the Romans very few, although a greater number were wounded.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 7:6a, b]
But there was nothing that affected the nation so much in the calamities
which they then suffered as that their holy place, hitherto unseen, should
be laid open to strangers. For Pompey and those who were about him went
into the temple itself, where it was lawful for the high priest alone to
enter, and saw what was deposited therein; but he commanded the ministers
about the temple to purify it and to perform their accustomed sacrifices.
[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 7:7]
Moreover he reappointed Hyrcanus high priest, by which he acted the part
of a good general and reconciled the people to him rather by kindness than
by terrorizing them. He took away from the nation all those cities that
they had formerly taken and reduced Judea to its own bounds. Then he made
all the haste he could to go through Cilicia on his way to Rome, taking
Aristobulus and his two children along with him as captives. One of
Aristobulus's sons, Alexander, ran away on the journey, but the younger,
Antigonus, with his sisters, was carried to Rome.
I. The Character and Policy of Alexander Janneus. For the picture of the
character of Alexander Janneus we are chiefly dependent upon Josephus, and
it is not clear how far this late Jewish historian was influenced by the
prevailing prejudices against that ruler who figured as the arch enemy of
the Pharisees. The incidents recorded reveal, however, a most sinister
character. He was ambitious, but his ambitions were selfish and low.
He was energetic and tireless, but his energy was wasted in futile
undertakings. Furthermore, he was unscrupulous, vindictive, and merciless.
There is not the slightest indication that he was actuated by any worthy
ideal of service. To the Jewish state and race it was a great calamity
that a man of this type should gain control of the nation at the moment
when it had attained its greatest material strength. Under the kindly and
wise guidance of Simon the subsequent history of the Jewish state would
doubtless have been far different. Janneus's first aim was to establish
his power as an absolute despot. He ardently accepted the ideal of an
Oriental ruler that had been imposed upon the Jews during the short reign
of his brother Aristobulus. In realizing this ambition he met, as did
every other king in Israel's history, the strong opposition of the people
and a bold assertion of their inherited liberties. His second aim was to
break completely the power of the Pharisees. They were the party of the
people and had no sympathy with his policies. In them, therefore, he
recognized his chief opponents. His third ambition was to extend the
territory of the Jewish state to its farthest natural bounds. Soon after
the beginning of his reign he succeeded in arousing the bitter hostility
of the Greek cities on his eastern and western borders, of the reigning
kings of Egypt, and of the rising Arabian power to the south of the Dead
Sea. The objects for which he strove were comparatively petty: possession
of the cities of Ptolemais and Gaza and of certain east-Jordan cities,
such as Gadara and Amathus. He was more often defeated than victorious,
but his love of struggle and adventure and lust for conquest ever goaded
him on. In desperation his subjects even ventured to call in Demetrius,
the governor of Damascus, but when Alexander was driven away in defeat the
nation's gratitude and loyalty to the Maccabean house reasserted itself
and he was recalled. Instead of granting a general armistice and thus
conciliating his distracted people, he treacherously used his new-won
power to crucify publicly eight hundred of the Pharisees. Horror and fear
seized the survivors, so that, according to Josephus, eight thousand of
them fled into exile. After six years of civil war and the loss of fifty
thousand lives, Alexander Janneus finally realized his first ambition and
became absolute master of his kingdom. In achieving his ambitions,
however, he well earned the title by which his contemporaries described
him, "the Son of a Thracian," that is, Barbarian.
II. The Effects of His Rule. The disastrous effects of the reign of
Alexander Janneus may be briefly recapitulated. They were: (1) the
destruction of the loyalty of the majority of the Jews to the Maccabean
house; (2) the intensifying of the opposition between Pharisees and
Sadducees to the point of murderous hate; (3) the extension of the sphere
of Jewish influence from the Mediterranean on the west to the desert on
the east, and from the Lebanons to the southern desert; but (4) the
draining of the life-blood and energies of the Jewish kingdom, so that it
was far weaker and more disorganized than when Janneus came to the throne.
III. Alexandra's Reign (78-69 B.C.). Alexandra was the second queen who
reigned in Israel's history. Her policy, unlike that of Athaliah of old,
was on the whole constructive. Although she was the wife of Janneus, she
reversed his policy, and placed the Pharisees in control. The return of
the exiles and the restoration of the prophetic party promised peace and
prosperity. The ancient law was expanded and rigorously enforced.
According to the Talmud it was during this period that elementary schools
were introduced in connection with each synagogue. Their exact nature is
not known, but it is probable that the law was the subject studied and
that the scribes were the teachers. This change of policy was undoubtedly
very acceptable to the people, but the Pharisees made the grave mistake of
using their new power to be revenged upon the Sadducean nobles who had
supported the bloody policy of Alexander Janneus. They soon suffered the
evil consequences of attempting to right wrong by wrong. The Sadducees
found in Aristobulus, the ambitious and energetic younger son of Janneus,
an effective champion. Alexandra, in permitting them to take possession of
the many strongholds throughout the land, also committed a fatal error,
for it gave them control of the military resources of the kingdom.
Aristobulus was not slow in asserting his power, with the result that even
before Alexandra died he had seized seventy-two of the fortresses and had
aroused a large part of the people to revolt. While her reign was on the
whole peaceful, it was but the lull before the great storm that swept over
the nation.
IV. Quarrels between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Unfortunately Alexandra's
older son, Hyrcanus, was indolent and inefficient. He had been appointed
high priest and, when Aristobulus assumed the title of king, he compelled
Hyrcanus II to be content with this humbler title. Aristobulus's reign
might have been comparatively peaceful had not at this time a new and
sinister influence appeared in the troubled politics of Palestine. It was
one of the results of John Hyrcanus's forcible judaizing of the Idumeans.
Antipater, the son of the Idumean whom Alexander Janneus had made governor
of Idumea, recognized in the rivalry between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus an
opportunity to mount to power. He first persuaded Hyrcanus to flee to
Petra. Then, with the aid of the Arabian king, Aretas, he finally
compelled Aristobulus and his followers to seek refuge on the temple hill
in Jerusalem. The picture of the Jews divided into two hostile camps and
engaged in bitter civil war in the very precincts of the temple under the
leadership of the great-grandsons of the patriotic Simon presents a sad
contrast to the noble spirit and valiant achievements of the founders of
the Maccabean kingdom who had first taken up the sword in defence of the
temple and its service.
V. Rome's Intervention. This situation gave Rome its desired opportunity
for intervention. Pompey in 70 B.C. made a successful campaign against
Mithridates, king of Pontus, and against Tigranes, king of Armenia. Rome's
policy was to conquer all of southwestern Asia as far as the Euphrates.
Ignoring the peril of the situation, both Aristobulus and Hyrcanus
appealed to Pompey's lieutenant, Scaurus. As a result the Arabians were
ordered to withdraw, and Aristobulus for a brief time was left master of
the situation. In the spring of 63 B.C., however, when Pompey came to
Damascus, there appeared before him three embassies, one representing the
cause of Aristobulus, another that of Hyrcanus, and still a third
presented the request of the Pharisees that Rome assume political control
of Palestine and leave them free to devote themselves to the study and
application of the their law. The fall of Aristobulus hastened what was
now inevitable. Although he was held a prisoner by Pompey, his followers
remained intrenched on the temple hill and were conquered only after a
protracted siege and the loss of many lives. Aristobulus and his family
were carried off captives to Rome to grace Pompey's triumph, and the
request of the Pharisees was granted: Rome henceforth held Palestine under
its direct control. Thus after a little more than a century (165-63 B.C.)
the Jews again lost their independence, and the Maccabean kingdom became
only a memory, never to be revived save for a brief moment.
VI. Causes of the Fall of the Jewish Kingdom. The Jewish kingdom fell as
the result of causes which can be clearly recognized. It was primarily
because the ideals and ambitions of the Maccabean leaders themselves
became material and selfish. They proved unable to resist the temptations
of success. Greed for power quenched their early patriotism. The material
spirit of their age obscured the nobler ideals of their spiritual
teachers. The result was a tyranny and corruption that made the later
kings misleaders rather than true leaders of their nation. Parallel to the
bitter struggle between the kings and their subjects was the bitter feud
between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Normal party rivalry grew into
murderous hatred, and in taking revenge upon each other they brought ruin
upon the commonwealth. The final end was hastened by the suicidal
feud between the brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, fomented by the
unprincipled machinations of the Idumean Antipater. In the final crisis
the Pharisaic policy of submission and of peace at any cost paved the way
for the realization of Rome's ambition and made the ultimate conquest of
Palestine practically inevitable. Thus the kingdom, founded in the face of
almost insuperable obstacles and consecrated with the life-blood of many
heroes, fell ignominiously as the result of the same causes that
throughout the ages have proved the ruin of even stronger empires.
VII. Political, Intellectual, and Religious Effects of the Maccabean
Struggle. This century of valiant achievement, colossal errors, and
overwhelming failure left its deep impression upon the Jewish race. It
witnessed the return of many Jews of the dispersion to Jerusalem and Judea
and the development of a strong sense of racial unity. Henceforth the Jews
throughout the world looked to Jerusalem as their true political and
religious capital. The events of this period intensified the ancient feud
between Jew and Samaritan and gave the latter ample reason for that
hostility toward their southern kinsmen which appears in the Gospel
narratives. It was during this age that the parties of the Pharisees and
Sadducees finally crystallized and formulated those tenets and policies
which guided them during the next century. At this time the foundations
were laid for the rule of the house of Herod which exerted such a baleful
influence upon the fortunes and destinies of the Jews. It likewise marked
the beginning and culmination of Rome's influence over the lands of the
eastern Mediterranean and that subjection of the Jews to Gentile rulers
which has continued until the present.
The Maccabean period gave to the Jews a greatly enlarged intellectual
vision and led them to adopt many of the ideas of their Greek conquerors.
In their literature it is easy to recognize the influence of the more
logical Greek methods of reasoning and of the scientific attitude toward
the universe. It was during this period that the wise were transformed
into scribes, and the rule of the scribal method of thinking and
interpretation began. The struggles through which the Jews passed
intensified their love for the law and the temple services. Duty was
more and more defined in the terms of ceremonial, and the Pharisees
entered upon that vast and impossible task of providing rules for man's
every act. Out of the struggles of the Maccabean period came that fusion
of Hellenic and Jewish ideas that has become an important factor in all
human thought. At last under the influence of the great crises through
which they had passed, the belief in individual immortality gained wide
acceptance among the Jews. Side by side with this came the belief in a
personal devil and a hierarchy of demons opposed to the divine hierarchy
at whose head was Jehovah. Last of all the taste of freedom under a Jewish
ruler brought again to the front the kingly messianic hopes of the race,
and led them to long and struggle for their realization. Thus in this
brief century Judaism attained in many ways its final form, and only in
the light of this process is it possible fully to understand and
appreciate the background of the New Testament history.
* * * * *
THE RULE OF ROME
Section CXVII. THE RISE OF THE HERODIAN HOUSE
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 8:2]
Now Alexander, that son of Aristobulus who ran away from Pompey, after a
time gathered together a considerable body of men and made a strong attack
upon Hyrcanus, and overran Judea, and was on the point of dethroning him.
And indeed he would have come to Jerusalem, and would have ventured to
rebuild its wall that had been thrown down by Pompey, had not Gabinius,
who was sent as Scaurus's successor in Syria, showed his bravery by making
an attack on Alexander. Alexander, being afraid at his approach, assembled
a larger army composed of ten thousand armed footmen and fifteen hundred
horsemen.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 8:4a, 5]
Now when Gabinius came to Alexandrium, finding a great many encamped
there, he tried by promising them pardon for their former offences to
attach them to him before it came to fighting; but when they would listen
to nothing reasonable, he slew a great number of them and shut up the rest
in the citadel. Therefore when Alexander despaired of ever obtaining the
rulership, he sent ambassadors to Gabinius and besought him to pardon his
offences. He also surrendered to him the remaining fortresses, Hyrcanium
and Macherus. After this Gabinius brought Hyrcanus back to Jerusalem and
put him in charge of the temple. He also divided the entire nation into
five districts, assigning one to Jerusalem, another to Gadara, another to
Amathus, a fourth to Jericho, and the fifth to Sepphoris, a city of
Galilee.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 8:6]
Not long after Aristobulus became the cause of new disturbances by fleeing
from Rome. He again assembled many of the Jews who were desirous of a
change and those who were devoted to him of old; and when he had taken
Alexandrium in the first place, he attempted to build a wall about it. But
the Romans followed him, and when it came to battle, Aristobulus's party
for a long time fought bravely, but at last they were overcome by the
Romans and of them five thousand fell. Aristobulus was again carried to
Rome by Gabinius.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 8:7]
Now when Gabinius set out to make war against the Parthians, Antipater
furnished him with money and weapons and corn and auxiliaries, but during
Gabinius's absence the other parts of Syria were in insurrection, and
Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, stirred the Jews again to revolt. But
at the battle fought near Mount Tabor ten thousand of them were slain and
the rest of the multitude scattered in flight. So Gabinius came to
Jerusalem and settled the government as Antipater desired.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 8:8]
Now this Antipater married a wife of an eminent family among the Arabians,
whose name was Cypros. And she bore him four sons, Phasaelus and Herod,
who was afterward king, and besides these Joseph and Pheroras. And he had
a daughter by the name of Salome.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 9:1]
But after the flight of Pompey and of the senate beyond Ionian Sea, Caesar
gained possession of Rome and of the Empire and released Aristobulus from
his bonds. He also intrusted two legions to him and sent him in haste into
Syria, hoping that by his efforts he would easily conquer that country
and the territory adjoining Judea. But he was poisoned by Pompey's
sympathizers.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 9:3a, c, 4a, c, 5a]
Now after Pompey died, Antipater changed sides and cultivated a friendship
with Caesar. And when Mithridates of Pergamus with the force he led
against Egypt was shut out from the roads about Pelusium and was forced to
stay at Ascalon, Antipater persuaded the Arabians among whom he had lived
to assist him and came himself at the head of three thousand armed Jews.
He also urged the men of power in Syria to come to his assistance. In the
attack on Pelusium Antipater distinguished himself pre-eminently, for he
pulled down that part of the wall which was opposite him and leaped first
of all into the city with the men who were about him. Thus was Pelusium
taken. Moreover, as he was marching on, those Jews who inhabited the
district called Onias stopped him, but Antipater not only persuaded them
not to hinder but also to supply provisions for their army. Thereupon in
the Delta Antipater fell upon those who pursued Mithridates and slew many
of them and pursued the rest till he captured their camp, while he lost no
more than eighty of his own men. Thereupon Caesar encouraged Antipater to
undertake other hazardous enterprises for him by giving him great
commendations and hopes of reward. In all these enterprises Antipater
showed himself a most venturesome warrior, and he had many wounds almost
all over his body as proofs of his courage.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 9:5b]
And when Caesar had settled the affairs of Egypt and returned again into
Syria, he gave Antipater the rights of a Roman citizen and freedom from
taxes, and made him an object of admiration because of the other honors
and marks of friendship that he bestowed upon him. It was on this account
that he also confirmed Hyrcanus in the high priesthood.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 10:1, 2a, 3a]
It was about this time that Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, came to
Caesar and became in a surprising manner the cause of Antipater's further
advance. For he proceeded to denounce Hyrcanus and Antipater. Then
Antipater threw off his garments and showed the many wounds he had, and
said that regarding his good will to Caesar it was not necessary for him
to say a word because his body cried aloud, though he himself said
nothing. When Caesar heard this he declared Hyrcanus to be most deserving
of the high priesthood, and Antipater was appointed procurator of all
Judea and also obtained permission to rebuild those walls of his country
that had been thrown down.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 10:4]
As soon as Antipater had conducted Caesar out of Syria, he returned to
Judea, and the first thing he did was to rebuild the walls of his own
country. Then he went over the country and quieted the tumults therein.
And at this time he settled the affairs of the country by himself, because
he saw that Hyrcanus was inactive and not capable of managing the affairs
of the kingdom. So Antipater appointed his oldest son, Phasaelus, governor
of Jerusalem and the surrounding territory. He also sent his second son,
Herod, who was very young, with equal authority into Galilee.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 10:5a, b]
Now Herod was a very active man and soon found a field for his energy.
When, therefore, he found that Hezekias, leader of the robbers, overran
the adjoining parts of Syria with a great band of men, he caught him and
slew him and many more of the robbers. This exploit was especially
pleasing to the Syrians, so that songs were sung in Herod's commendation
both in the villages and in the cities, because he had secured peace for
them and had preserved their possessions.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 11:1, 4]
At this time a mighty war arose among the Romans after the treacherous
murder of Caesar by Cassius and Brutus. Accordingly Cassius came into
Syria and assumed command of the army, and went about exacting tribute of
the cities to such a degree that they were not able to endure it. During
the war between Cassius and Brutus on the one side, against the younger
Caesar (Augustus) and Antony on the other, Cassius and Murcus gathered an
army out of Syria. And because Herod had furnished a great part of the
necessities, they made him procurator of all Syria and gave him an army of
infantry and cavalry. Cassius promised him also that after the war was
over he would make him king of Judea. But it so happened that the power
and hopes of his son became the cause of Antipater's destruction. For
inasmuch as a certain Malichus was afraid of this, he bribed one of the
king's cup-bearers to give a poisoned potion to Antipater. Thus he became
a sacrifice to Malichus's wickedness and died after the feast.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 11:6, 12:3]
Herod, however, avenged himself upon Malichus. And those who hitherto did
not favor him now joined him because of his marriage into the family of
Hyrcanus, for he had formerly married a wife from his own country of noble
blood, Doris by name, who bore to him Antipater. Now he planned to marry
Mariamne, the daughter of Alexander, the son of Aristobulus and the
grandson of Hyrcanus.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 12:4, 5]
But when Caesar and Antony had slain Cassius near Philippi and Caesar had
gone to Italy and Antony to Asia, the great men of the Jews came and
accused Phasaelus and Herod that they held the government by force and
that Hyrcanus had nothing more than an honorable name. Herod appeared
ready to answer this accusation, and having made Antony his friend by the
large sums of money which he gave him, influenced him not to listen to the
charges spoken against him by enemies. After this a hundred of the
principal men among the Jews came to Antony at Daphne near Antioch and
accused Phasaelus and Herod. But Massala opposed them and defended the
brothers with the help of Hyrcanus. When Antony had heard both sides, he
asked Hyrcanus which party was best fitted to govern. Hyrcanus replied
that Herod and his party were the best fitted. Therefore Antony appointed
the brothers tetrarchs, and intrusted to them the rulership of Judea.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 13:1a, Jos. Ant. XIV, 13:10]
Now two years after, when Barzaphanes, a Parthian governor, and Pacorus,
the king's son, had captured Syria, they were persuaded by the promise of
a thousand talents and five hundred women to bring back Antigonus to his
kingdom and to turn Hyrcanus out of it. Thus Antigonus was brought back
into Judea by the king of the Parthians, and received Hyrcanus and
Phasaelus as prisoners. Being afraid that Hyrcanus, who was under the guard
of the Parthians, might have his kingdom restored to him by the multitude,
Antigonus cut off his ears and thereby guarded against the possibility
that the high priesthood would ever come to him again, inasmuch as he was
maimed, and the law required that this dignity should belong to none but
those who had all their members intact. Phasaelus, perceiving that he was
to be put to death, dashed his head against a great stone and thereby took
away his own life.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 13:7, 8c, 14:1b, 2]
Herod, however, went off by night, taking those nearest related to him. As
soon as the Parthians perceived it, they pursued after him, but when at
every assault he had slain a great many of them, he came to the stronghold
of Masada, and there he left eight hundred of his men to guard the women,
and provisions sufficient for a siege; but he himself hastened to Petra in
Arabia. He was not able, however, to find any friendship among the
Arabians, for their king sent to him and commanded him to turn back
immediately from the country. So when Herod found that the Arabians were
his enemies, he turned back to Egypt. And when he came to Pelusium, he
could not obtain passage from those who lay with the fleet. Therefore he
besought their captains to let him go with them. So out of respect for the
fame and rank of the man they carried him to Alexandria. And when he came
to the city, he was received with great splendor by Cleopatra, who hoped
he might be persuaded to be the commander of her forces in the expedition
she was about to undertake. But he rejected the queen's entreaty and
sailed for Rome, where first of all he went to Antony and laid before him
the calamities that had overtaken himself and his family.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 14:4]
Thereupon Antony's pity was aroused because of the change that had come
about in Herod's affairs, so he then resolved to have him made king of the
Jews. Herod found Caesar even more ready than Antony because he recalled
the campaigns through which he had gone with Herod's father, Antipater,
in Egypt, and his hospitable treatment and good will in all things.
Besides he recognized the energy of Herod. Accordingly he called the
senate together. There Messala, and after him Atratinus, introduced Herod
to them and gave a full account of his father's merits and of his own good
will to the Romans. Antony also came in and told them that it was to their
advantage in the Parthian war that Herod should be king. So they all gave
their votes for it. And when the senate disbanded, Antony and Caesar went
out with Herod between them. Antony also made a feast for Herod on the
first day of his reign.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 15:3a,b, 4, 16:1]
Herod then sailed from Italy and came to Ptolemais. And as soon as he had
assembled a considerable army of foreigners and of his own countrymen, he
marched through Galilee against Antigonus. The number of his forces
increased each day as he went along, and all Galilee with few exceptions
joined him. After this Herod took Joppa, and then he marched to Masada to
free his kinsmen. Then he marched to Jerusalem, where the soldiers who
were with the Roman general Silo joined his own, as did many from the city
because they feared his power. Herod did not lie idle, but seized Idumea
and held it with two thousand footmen and four hundred horsemen. He also
removed his mother and all his kinsmen, who had been at Masada, to
Samaria. And when he had settled them securely, he marched to capture the
remaining parts of Galilee, and to drive away the garrisons of Antigonus.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 17:1]
In the meantime Herod's fortunes in Judea were not in a favorable
condition. He had left his brother Joseph with full authority, but had
commanded him to make no attacks against Antigonus until his return. But
as soon as Joseph heard that his brother was at a great distance, he
disregarded the command he had received and marched toward Jericho with
five cohorts. But when his enemies attacked him in the mountains and in a
place where it was difficult to pass, he was killed as he was fighting
bravely in the battle, and all the Roman cohorts were destroyed.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 17:8, 9]
Now near the end of winter Herod marched to Jerusalem and brought his army
up to its wall. This was the third year after he had been made king at
Rome. So he pitched his camp before the temple, for on that side it might
be besieged and there Pompey had formerly captured the city. Accordingly
he divided the work among the army and laid waste the suburbs, and gave
orders to raise three mounds and to build towers upon these mounds. But he
himself went to Samaria to marry the daughter of Alexander, the son of
Aristobulus, who had been betrothed to him before. And when he was thus
married, he came back to Jerusalem with a greater army.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 18:1, 2c, 4a]
Now the multitude of the Jews who were in the city were divided into
several factions. For the people that crowded about the temple, being the
weaker party, became fanatical and raved wildly over the situation. But
some of the bolder men gathered together in companies, and began robbing
in many different ways and especially plundering the provisions that were
about the city, so that no food was left over for the horses or the men.
After a siege of five months some of Herod's chosen men ventured upon the
wall and fell into the city. They first captured the environs of the
temple, and as the army poured in there was a slaughter of vast multitudes
everywhere, on account of the rage in which the Romans were because of the
length of the siege, and because the Jews who were about Herod were eager
that none of their opponents should remain. Thereupon Herod made those who
were on his side still more his friends by the honors he conferred upon
them; but those of Antigonus's party he slew.
I. The Fruitless Struggle against Rome. The first quarter century of
Roman rule was in many ways the most complex in Israel's intricate
history. There were three chief actors in the drama: (1) Rome, represented
first by the leaders of the Republic and later by Pompey, Caesar, and
their successors; (2) the popular Jewish party led by Aristobulus and his
son Alexander, and Antigonus; and (3) Antipater, supported by his able
sons Phasaelus and Herod. Rome's general policy was to allow the Jews as
much freedom as possible, but above all to hold Palestine under firm
control, for it lay on the eastern border and faced Parthia, the one foe
that had successfully defied the powerful mistress of the Mediterranean.
The popular Jewish party bitterly resented Rome's interference. True, the
Pharisees welcomed the relief from civil war, but they could not hold the
majority of the people in leash. The inoffensive Hyrcanus was left in
possession of the high-priesthood and from time to time was elevated to
positions of nominal civil authority, but he was little more than the
plaything of circumstance and party intrigue. The ambitions of Aristobulus
and his sons kept Palestine in a state of constant political ferment.
Three times in five years they stirred the Jews to rebellion against Rome.
The first rebellion was in 57 B.C. and was led by Alexander. He was
ultimately driven by the Roman general to Alexandria, the fortress that
overlooks the middle-Jordan Valley, and was finally forced to surrender.
The three great fortresses, Alexandria, Machaerus, and Hyrcanium, were
thrown down, and the Jewish state was divided into five districts. Each of
these was under a local council consisting of the leading citizens. These
reported directly to the Roman proconsul. To neutralize still further
the Jewish national spirit, the Hellenic cities in and about Palestine
were restored, given a large measure of independence, and placed directly
under the control of Rome's representative in the East.
The second rebellion followed quickly and was led by Aristobulus. He was
soon obliged, however, to take refuge in the fortress of Machaerus, east
of the Dead Sea, where he was captured and sent back again as a captive to
Rome. The third rebellion was led by Alexander. It was more formidable,
and in the end more disastrous, for the Jews were signally defeated in a
battle near Mount Tabor. The only permanent results of these uprisings
were the intensifying of Jewish hatred of Roman rule and the increasing of
Rome's suspicion of this rebellious people. It was this suspicion that
made it possible for the high-priestly party at a later time to force the
Roman governor Pilate to put to death one whom he recognized to be an
inoffensive Galilean peasant simply because he was accused of having
assumed the historic title, King of the Jews.
II. Antipater's Policy. Through the troublesome first quarter-century
of Roman rule Antipater and his family prospered because they were able at
every turn in the political fortunes of Syria to make themselves
increasingly useful to Rome. At many critical periods he was able to save
the Jews from calamity and to secure for them valuable privileges. There
is a certain basis for Josephus's over-enthusiastic assertion that he was
"a man distinguished for his piety, justice, and love of his country"
(Jos. Ant. XIV, 11:4c).
Although Hyrcanus was but a tool in Antipater's hands, he never attempted
to depose him, and apparently always treated him with respect. To steer
successfully through the stormy period during which Rome made the
transition from the republican to the monarchical form of government was
a difficult task. When Crassus came as the representative of the First
Triumvirate, Antipater's gifts and tact were not sufficient to prevent the
Roman from plundering the treasures of the temple.
Fortunately for the peace of Judea, during the civil war that followed
between Pompey and Caesar, the deposed Jewish king Aristobulus and his son
Alexander were both put to death. After the decisive battle of Pharsalia
in 48 B.C. Antipater quickly espoused the cause of Caesar, and performed
valuable services for him at a time when the great Roman was threatened by
overwhelming forces. By his influence with the people of Syria and Egypt
and by his personal acts of bravery he won the favors that Caesar heaped
upon him and upon the Jewish people. The old territorial division
instituted by Gabinius was abolished, Hyrcanus was confirmed in the
high-priesthood, and Antipater was made procurator of Judea. Joppa was
restored to the Jewish state, the gerusia, the chief assembly of the Jews,
was given certain of its old judicial rights, and permission was granted
to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. The Jews were also freed from the duty
of supporting Roman soldiers and of serving the Roman legions. The tribute
was also in part remitted on the sabbatical year, and the Jews of
Palestine and throughout the Roman Empire were confirmed in their
religious privileges. Thus Caesar proved himself a friend of the Jews and
established precedents to which they frequently appealed in later crises.
III. Herod's Early Record. Among the many rewards conferred upon
Antipater was the appointment of his son Phasaelus as governor of
Jerusalem and his younger son Herod as governor of Galilee. Thus while
still a young man Herod was given an opportunity to demonstrate his
ability and energy. He at once took measures to put down the robber bands
that infested Galilee, and executed their leader, Hezekias. He won thereby
the gratitude of the Galileans and the approval of Rome. Hyrcanus and the
sanhedrin at Jerusalem, however, viewed this assumption of authority with
suspicion and alarm. When Herod was summoned before them, he appeared in
full military armor and was accompanied by a military following. Provoked
by his boldness, the sanhedrin would have sentenced him to death had not
the local Roman governor interfered. The action of the sanhedrin aroused
Herod's spirit of revenge, and before long, gathering his forces, he
marched against Jerusalem and would have put to death the Jewish leaders
had not his father dissuaded him.
The assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C., followed by the battle of Philippi
in 42, changed the political horizon of Palestine. Antipater and his sons,
however, following their usual policy, pledged in succession their loyalty
to Cassius and Antony, with the result that greater honors were conferred
upon them. It was at this crisis that Malichus, a certain Jewish noble,
inspired by jealousy and suspicion, treacherously murdered his rival,
Antipater. Herod retaliated by instigating the assassination of the
murderer, but soon a series of calamities swept over Judea which
threatened to obliterate completely the house of Antipater.
IV. The Parthian Conquest. During the struggle between Antony and the
assassins of Julius Caesar Rome's eastern outposts were left exposed.
Their old foes, the Parthians, improved this opportunity to seize northern
Syria. Encouraged by the presence of the Parthians, Antigonus, the younger
son of Aristobulus, in 41 B.C. entered Palestine. With the aid of the
Parthians and of the Jews who were opposed to Herod he ultimately
succeeded in establishing himself as king. Antipater and Herod's brother
Phasaelus became the victims of the Parthian treachery, and Herod after
many adventures succeeded in escaping with his family to the strong
fortress of Masada at the southwestern end of the Dead Sea. Leaving them
under the care of his brother Joseph, Herod after many discouragements and
vicissitudes finally found his way to Rome. Unfortunately for the cause of
Jewish independence, Antigonus lacked the essential qualities of
leadership. Instead of arousing the loyalty of his subjects his chief
concern was to take vengeance upon Herod's followers and upon all who had
supported the house of Antipater.
V. Herod Made King of the Jews. Herod went to Rome to urge the
appointment of Aristobulus III, the grandson of Hyrcanus and the brother
of Herod's betrothed wife Mariamne, as king of Judea. Antony and Octavian,
to whom he appealed, were rightly suspicious of the survivors of the
Maccabean house and appreciative of the services of Herod and his father
Antipater. Therefore, to his complete surprise, they offered him the
kingship, and their nomination was speedily confirmed by the senate.
History presents no stranger nor more dramatic sight than Herod, the
Idumean, accompanied by Antony and Octavian, going to the temple of
Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill to offer sacrifices in connection with his
assumption of the historic title, King of the Jews. At first it was an
empty title, but the energy of Herod and the resources of Rome sufficed in
time to make it real. In the spring of 39 B.C. Herod landed at Ptolemais
and with the apathetic aid of the Roman generals in Palestine began to
organize the Jews who rallied about him. Marching down the Mediterranean
coast, he succeeded at last in relieving his family, who were besieged at
Masada. Idumea and Galilee were then brought into subjection, and after
two years of fighting he won an important battle at Isana, a little north
of Bethel, which gave him possession of all of Judea except Jerusalem. The
final contest for the capital city continued through several months, for
Antigonus and his followers realized that they could expect little mercy
from Herod and the Romans. Thousands of Jews were slaughtered, but at last
the temple itself was captured, and Herod was in fact as well as in name
King of the Jews. Antigonus pled in vain for mercy. Departing from their
usual policy of clemency toward native rulers, the Romans caused him first
to be scourged as a common criminal and then ignominiously beheaded. Thus
the Maccabean dynasty, which had risen in glory, went down in shame, a
signal illustration of the eternal principle that selfish ambitions and
unrestrained passions in an individual or family sooner or later bring
disgrace and destruction. While the siege of Jerusalem was still
in progress, Herod went north to Samaria and there consummated his
long-delayed marriage with Mariamne, the daughter of Hyrcanus, thus in
part attracting to himself the loyalty which the Jews had bestowed so
lavishly and disastrously upon the unworthy sons of Alexander Janneus.
Section CXVIII. HEROD'S POLICY AND REIGN
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 19:1, 2a]
Now when the war about Actium broke out, Herod prepared to come to the
assistance of Antony, but he was treacherously hindered from sharing the
dangers of Antony by Cleopatra, for she persuaded Antony to intrust the
war against the Arabians to Herod. This plan, however, proved of advantage
to Herod, for he defeated the army of the Arabians, although it offered
him strong resistance.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 20:1]
Now Herod was immediately concerned about his entire fortunes because of
his friendship with Antony, who had been defeated at Actium by Caesar
[Augustus]. Herod, however, resolved to face the danger: so he sailed to
Rhodes where Caesar was then staying, and came to him without his diadem
and in the dress and guise of a private person, but in the spirit of a
king. And he concealed nothing of the truth, but spoke straight out as
follows: "O Caesar, I was made king of the Jews by Antony. I confess that
I have been useful to him, nor will I conceal this added fact, that you
would certainly have found me in arms, and so showing my gratitude to him,
had not the Arabians hindered me. I have been overcome with Antony, and
sharing the same fortune as his, I have laid aside my diadem. Now I have
come to you fixing my hopes of safety upon your virtue, and I ask that
you will consider how faithful a friend, and not whose friend, I have
been."
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 20:2]
Caesar answered him as follows: "Nay, you shall not only be safe, but you
shall reign more firmly than before, for you are worthy to reign over many
subjects because of the steadfastness of your friendship. Endeavor to be
equally constant in your friendship to me in the hour of my success, since
I have the brightest hopes because of your noble spirit. I therefore
assure you that I will confirm the kingdom to you by decree. I will also
endeavor to do you some further kindness hereafter, that you may not miss
Antony."
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 20:3b-4a]
After this, when Caesar went to Egypt through Syria, Herod received him
lavishly and royally. It was, therefore, the opinion both of Caesar and
his soldiers that Herod's kingdom was too small a return for what he had
done. For this reason, when Caesar had returned from Egypt, he added to
Herod's other honors, and also made an addition to his kingdom by giving
him not only the country which had been taken from him by Cleopatra, but
also Gadara, Hippos, and Samaria, and also the coast cities Gaza,
Anthedon, Joppa, and Straton's Tower. He also made him a present of four
hundred Gauls as a body-guard, which had before belonged to Cleopatra.
Moreover he added to his kingdom Trachonitis and the adjacent Batanea, and
the district of Auranitis.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 21:13]
Now Herod had a body suited to his soul and was ever a most excellent
hunter, in which sport he generally had great success owing to his skill
in riding, for in one day he once captured forty wild beasts. He was also
a warrior such as could not be withstood. Many also marvelled at his skill
in his exercises when they saw him throwing the javelin and shooting the
arrow straight to the mark. In addition to these advantages of mind and
body, fortune was also very favorable to him, for he seldom failed in war,
and when he failed, he was not himself the cause, but it happened either
through the treachery of some one or else through the rashness of his own
soldiers.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 21:1b, 4a]
Herod also built for himself at Jerusalem in the upper city a palace,
which contained two very large and most beautiful apartments to which not
even the temple could be compared. One apartment he named Caesareum and
the other Agrippeum [after his friends Caesar Augustus and Agrippa]. But
he did not preserve their memory by particular buildings only and the
names given them, but his generosity also went as far as entire cities.
For when he had built a most beautiful wall over two miles long about a
city in the district of Samaria and had brought six thousand inhabitants
into it and had allotted to them a most fertile territory and in the midst
of this city had erected a large temple to Augustus, he called the city
Sebaste [from Sebastus, the Greek of Augustus]. And when Augustus had
bestowed upon him additional territory, he built there also a temple of
white marble in his honor near the fountains of the Jordan. The place is
called Panium. The king erected other buildings at Jericho and named them
after the same friends. In general there was not any place in his kingdom
suited to the purpose that was allowed to remain without something in
Augustus's honor.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 21:6a-8a]
And when he observed that there was a city by the seaside that was much
decayed, called Straton's Tower, and that the place, because of its fair
situation, was capable of great improvements, through his love of honor he
rebuilt it all of white stone and adorned it with magnificent palaces and
in it showed his natural munificence. For all the seashore between Dora
and Egypt (between which places the city is situated) had no good harbor,
so that every one who sailed to Phoenicia from Egypt was obliged to toss
about in the sea because of the south wind that threatened them. But the
king by great expense and liberality overcame nature and built a harbor
larger than was the Piraeus, and in its recesses built other deep
roadsteads. He let down stones into one hundred and twenty-one feet of
water. And when the part below the sea was filled up, he extended the wall
which was already above the sea until it was two hundred feet long. The
entrance to the harbor was on the north, because the north wind was there
the most gentle of all the winds. At the mouth of the harbor on each side
were three colossi supported by pillars. And the houses, also built of
white stone, were close to the harbor, and the narrow streets of the city
led down to it, being built at equal distances from one another. And
opposite the entrance of the harbor upon an elevation was the temple of
Caesar Augustus, excellent both for beauty and size, and in it was a
colossal statue of Caesar Augustus as big as the Olympian Zeus, which it
was made to resemble, and a statue of Rome as big at that of Hera at
Argos. And he dedicated the city to the province, and the harbor to those
who sailed there. But the honor of founding the city he ascribed to Caesar
Augustus and accordingly called it Caesarea. He also built other edifices,
the amphitheater, the theater, and market-place in a manner worthy of that
name.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 21:9a-10a]
Herod was also a lover of his father, for he built as a memorial of his
father a city in the finest plain that was in his kingdom [the lower
Jordan valley], which had rivers and trees in abundance, and called it
Antipatris. He also fortified a citadel that lay above Jericho and was
very strong and handsome, and dedicated it to his mother, and called it
Cypros. Moreover, he dedicated a tower at Jerusalem to his brother
Phasaelus. He also built another city in the valley which leads north from
Jericho and named it Phasaelis. As a memorial for himself he built a
fortress upon a mountain toward Arabia and called it after himself
Herodium.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 21:11a]
And when he had built so much, he showed the greatness of his soul to many
foreign cities. He built gymnasiums at Tripolis, Damascus, and Ptolemais.
He built a wall around Byblus, and arcades, colonnades, temples, and
market-places at Berytus and Tyre, and theaters at Sidon and Damascus. He
also built an aqueduct for those Laodiceans, who lived by the seaside; and
for the inhabitants of Ascalon he built baths and costly fountains, as
also encircling colonnades that were admirable for their workmanship and
size.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 22:1a, c-2b]
Herod, however, began to be unhappy on account of his wife, of whom he was
very fond. For when he attained the kingship, he divorced her whom he had
married when he was a private person, a native of Jerusalem by the name of
Doris, and married Mariamne, the daughter of Alexander, the son of
Aristobulus. Because of Mariamne disturbances arose in his family, and
that very soon, but chiefly after his return from Rome. For the sake of
his sons by Mariamne he banished Antipater, the son of Doris. After this
he slew his wife's grandfather, Hyrcanus, when he returned to him out of
Parthia, on suspicion of plotting against him. Now of the five children
which Herod had by Mariamne two of them were daughters and three were
sons. The youngest of these sons died while he was being educated at Rome,
but the two elder sons he treated as princes because of their mother's
honorable rank and because they had been born after he became king. But
what was stronger than all this was the love he bore to Mariamne.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 22:2c-4]
But Mariamne's hatred toward him was as great as his love for her. She,
indeed, had a just cause for indignation for what he had done, while her
freedom of speech was the result of his affection for her. So she openly
reproached him for what he had done to her grandfather Hyrcanus and to her
brother Aristobulus. For he had not spared this Aristobulus, though he was
but a lad, for after he had given him the high priesthood at the age of
seventeen, Herod caused him to be slain immediately after he had conferred
that honor upon him; for when Aristobulus had put on the holy garments and
had approached to the altar at a festival, the assembled multitude wept
for joy. Thereupon the lad was sent by night to Jericho, and there in a
swimming-pool at Herod's command was held under water by the Gauls until
he was drowned. For these reasons Mariamne reproached Herod, and railed at
his sister and his mother most abusively. He was dumb on account of his
affection for her, but the women were vexed exceedingly at her and charged
her with being false to him, for they thought that this would be most
likely to arouse Herod's anger. When, therefore, he was about to take a
journey abroad, he intrusted his wife to Joseph, his sister Salome's
husband. He also gave him a secret injunction that, if Antony should slay
him [Herod], Joseph should slay Mariamne. But Joseph without any evil
intention and in order to demonstrate the king's love for his wife
disclosed this secret to her. And when Herod came back, and when they
talked together, he confirmed his love to her by many oaths and assured
her that he had never loved any other woman as he had her. "To be sure,"
said she, "you proved your love to me by the injunctions you gave Joseph
when you commanded him to kill me!" When Herod heard that this secret was
discovered, he was like a distracted man, and said that Joseph would never
have disclosed his injunction unless he had seduced her. Made insane by
his passion and leaping out of bed, he ran about the palace in a wild
manner. Meantime his sister Salome improved the opportunity for false
accusations and to confirm the suspicion about Joseph. So in his
ungovernable jealousy and rage Herod commanded both of them to be slain
immediately. But as soon as his passion was over, he repented for what he
had done; and indeed his passionate desire for Mariamne was so ardent that
he could not think that she was dead, but in his distress he talked to her
as if she were still alive.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 23:1a, d, 2a, c-3a]
Now Mariamne's sons inherited their mother's hate; and when they
considered the greatness of Herod's crime toward her, they were as
suspicious of their father as of an enemy. This state of theirs increased
as they grew to be men. And when Herod had been poisoned with calumnies
against them, he recalled Antipater, his son by Doris, from exile as a
defence against his other sons, and began to treat him in every way with
more distinction than them. But these sons were not able to bear this
change, for when they saw Antipater, who was the son of a private woman,
advanced, the nobility of their own birth made them unable to restrain
their indignation. For Antipater was already publicly named in his
father's will as his successor. The two weapons which he employed against
his brothers were flattery and calumny, whereby he brought matters
privately to such a point that the king thought of putting his sons to
death. So Herod dragged Alexander with him as far as Rome and charged him
before Augustus with attempting to poison him, but Alexander very ably
cleared himself of the calumnies laid against him and brought Augustus to
the point of rejecting the accusation and of reconciling Herod to his sons
at once. After this the king returned from Rome and seemed to have
acquitted his sons of these charges, but still he was not without some
suspicion of them, for Antipater, who was the cause of the hatred,
accompanied them. But he did not openly show his enmity toward them, for
he stood in awe of the one who had reconciled them. But the dissensions
between the brothers still accompanied them, and the suspicions they had
of one another grew worse.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 24:1a, 27:1, 2a, 6b]
Alexander and Aristobulus were much vexed that the privilege of the
first-born was confirmed to Antipater, and Antipater was very angry
because his brothers were to succeed him. Moreover, Salome incited Herod's
cruelty against his sons, for Aristobulus was desirous of bringing her who
was his mother-in-law and aunt into the same dangers as himself. So he
sent to her to advise her to save herself, and told her that the king was
preparing to put her to death. Then Salome came running to the king and
informed him of the warning. Thereupon Herod could restrain himself no
longer, but caused both of his sons to be bound, and kept them apart from
one another, and speedily sent to Augustus written charges against them.
Augustus was greatly troubled in regard to the young men, but he did not
think he ought to take from a father the power over his sons. So he wrote
back to him, and gave him full authority over his sons, and said he would
do well to make an examination of the plot by means of a common council
consisting of his own kinsmen and the governors of his province, and if
his sons were found guilty to put them to death. With these directions
Herod complied. Then he sent his sons to Sebaste and ordered them there to
be strangled, and his orders being executed immediately, he commanded
their bodies to be brought to the fortress of Alexandrium.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 28:1a, 29:2c]
But an unconquerable hatred against Antipater rose up in the nation now
that he had an indisputable title to the succession, because they well
knew that he was the person who had contrived all the calumnies against
his brothers. Later he secured permission by means of his Italian friends
to go and live at Rome. For when they wrote that it was proper for
Antipater to be sent to Augustus after some time, Herod made no delay but
sent him with a splendid retinue and a large amount of money, and gave him
his testament to carry in which Antipater was inscribed as king.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 30:5a, 31:1a]
And after the death of Herod's brother Pheroras, the king devoted himself
to examining his son Antipater's steward; and upon torturing him he
learned that Antipater had sent for a potion of deadly poison for him from
Egypt, and that the uncle of Antipater had received it from him and
delivered it to Pheroras, for Antipater had charged him to destroy his
father the king, while [Antipater] was at Rome, and so free him from the
suspicion of doing it himself. Antipater's freedman was also brought to
trial, and he was the concluding proof of Antipater's designs. This man
came and brought another deadly potion of the poison of asps and of other
serpents, that if the first potion did not accomplish its end, Pheroras
and his wife might be armed with this also against the king.
[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 33:1, 7, 8a]
Now Herod's illness became more and more severe because his various
ailments attacked him in his old age and when he was in a melancholy
state, for he was already almost seventy years of age and was depressed by
the calamities that had happened to him in connection with his children,
so that he had no pleasure in life even when he was in health. The fact
that Antipater was still alive aggravated his disease, and he preferred to
destroy him, not incidentally but by crushing him completely. When letters
came from his ambassadors at Rome containing the information that
Antipater was condemned to death, Herod for a little while was restored to
cheerfulness; but presently being overcome by his pains, he endeavored to
anticipate destiny, and this because he was weakened by want of food and
by a convulsive cough. Accordingly he took an apple and asked for a knife,
for he used to pare his apples before eating them. He then looked around
to see that there was no one to hinder him and lifted up his right hand as
if to stab himself. But Achiabus, his cousin, ran up to him and, holding
his hand, hindered him from so doing. Immediately a great lamentation was
raised in the palace, as if the king was dying, and as soon as Antipater
heard that, he took courage and with joy in his looks besought his keepers
for a sum of money to loose him and let him go. But the head keeper of the
prison not only prevented that but also ran and told the king what his
design was. Thereupon the king cried louder than his disease could well
bear, and immediately sent some of his body-guards and had Antipater
slain. He also gave orders to have him buried at Hyrcanium, and altered
his testament again and therein made Archelaus, his eldest son, and the
brother of Antipas, his successor, and made Antipas tetrarch. Herod, after
surviving the death of his son only five days, died, having reigned
thirty-four years, since he had obtained control of affairs; but it was
thirty-seven years since he had been made king by the Romans.
I. Herod's Character. The character of Herod is comparatively easy to
understand, for it is elemental and one that constantly recurs in history.
We in America are familiar with this type which is represented by our
unscrupulous captains of industry or political bosses--energetic,
physically strong, shrewd, relentless toward all who threaten to thwart
their plans, skilful in organization, not troubled about the rightness of
their methods, provided they escape the toils of the law, able to command
men and successfully to carry through large policies. They are not without
their personal attractions, for it is instinctive to admire that which is
big and able to achieve. Many of them also make permanent contributions to
the upbuilding of the nation. Oriental history is also full of analogies:
Nebuchadrezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, and in more recent times Mohammed Ali of
Egypt. Herod was largely the product of his inheritance and training. His
father, Antipater, had taught him to regard the Jews with secret but
well-concealed contempt, and to hate Aristobulus and his ambitious sons.
His religion was loyalty to Rome, for this meant wealth and success. He
delighted in public approval, and his ambition was to be known as a great
builder. As is true with this type of man, he was a natural tyrant. Power
was his ruling passion, and he regarded with extreme suspicion any who
might take it from him. In this respect the contemporary rulers of the
Roman Empire set an example which he was not slow to follow. His Idumean
and Arabian blood coursed hot and fierce through his veins. It was an age
when moral standards were exceedingly low, and Herod never learned to rule
his passions. The Oriental institution of the harem gave him full license,
and he lived and loved as he fought and reigned--vehemently. Such a man is
especially susceptible to the weaknesses and crimes that come from
jealousy, and the influences of his family and court intensified these
fatal faults.
Herod is not without his attractive qualities. A man who is able to
execute on a large scale and win the title Great is never commonplace.
In giving Palestine the benefits of a strong and stable government he
performed a real service. In his love for Mariamne and for the sons she
bore him he was mastered by a passion that for a time ennobled him.
Like every man, moreover, who fails to taste the joys of disinterested
service for his fellow-men, Herod paid the bitter penalty for his own
unrestrained selfishness. He awakes pity rather than denunciation. He
never found life, because he never learned to lose his life in the service
of his people.
II. His Attitude toward Rome. Herod's policy was loyalty at any cost to
the man who at the moment ruled Rome. During the first part of his reign
Antony's power on the eastern Mediterranean was still in the ascendancy.
Notwithstanding the powerful intrigues of Cleopatra, Herod succeeded in
retaining the favor of his patron. When the battle of Actium in 32 B.C.
revealed Antony's weakness, Herod forthwith cast off his allegiance, and
his treachery was one of the chief forces that drove Antony to suicide.
Octavian, who henceforth under the title of Augustus attained to the
complete control of Rome, recognized in Herod a valuable servant. Herod's
title as king of the Jews was confirmed, and Augustus gradually increased
his territory until it included practically all of Palestine with the
exception of certain Greek cities along the coast and east of the Jordan.
Herod's task was to preserve peace in the land thus intrusted to him and
to guard the eastern border of the empire against its Parthian foes. This
task he faithfully performed.
III. His Building Activity. The spirit and policy of Augustus were
clearly reflected in Herod's court and kingdom. When his position was
firmly established, Herod devoted himself to magnificent building
enterprises. In Antioch, Athens, and Rhodes, he reared great public
buildings. Jerusalem, his capital, was provided with a theatre and
amphitheatre, and other buildings that characterize the Graeco-Roman
cities of the period. The two crowning achievements of Herod's reign were
the rebuilding of Samaria and Caesarea, as its port on the Mediterranean
coast. Both of these cities were renamed in honor of his patron Augustus.
On the acropolis of Samaria he built a huge Roman temple, the foundations
of which have recently been uncovered by the American excavators. The city
itself was encircled by a colonnade, over a mile long, consisting of
pillars sixteen feet in height. Caesarea, like Samaria, was adorned with
magnificent public buildings, including a temple, a theatre, a palace, and
an amphitheatre. The great breakwater two hundred feet wide that ran out
into the open sea was one of the greatest achievements of that building
age. By these acts Herod won still further the favor of Augustus and the
admiration of the Eastern world.
IV. His Attitude toward His Subjects. The peace which Herod brought to
Palestine was won at the point of the sword. The fear which he felt for
his subjects was surpassed only by the fear which he inspired in them. He
was unscrupulous and merciless in cutting down all possible rivals. The
treacherous murder of Aristobulus III, the grandson of Hyrcanus, and last
of all the murder of the inoffensive and maimed Hyrcanus, are among the
darkest deeds in Herod's bloody reign. The power of the sanhedrin, the
Jewish national representative body, was almost completely crushed.
Following the policy of Augustus, Herod developed a complex system of
spies, or espionage, so that, like an Oriental tyrant, he ruled his
subjects by means of two armies, the spies who watched in secret and the
soldiers who guarded them openly. His lavish building enterprises led him
to load his people with an almost intolerable burden of taxation, and yet
for the common people Herod's reign was one of comparative peace and
prosperity. At last they were delivered from destructive wars and free to
develop the great agricultural and commercial resources of the land. While
outside of Judea Herod built heathen temples, he faithfully guarded the
temple of Jerusalem, and was careful not to override the religious
prejudices of his subjects. His measures to relieve their suffering in
time of famine reveal a generosity which under better environment and
training might have made him a benign ruler.
V. The Tragedy of His Domestic Life. The weakness of Herod's character
is most glaringly revealed in his domestic life. Undoubtedly he loved the
beautiful Maccabean princess, Mariamne, with all the passion of his
violent nature. It was a type of love, however, which passes over easily
into insensate jealousy. Accordingly, when he left Judea just before the
battle of Actium, and later when he went to meet Octavian, he had his wife
Mariamne shut up in a strong fortress. Unfortunately Herod, like most
despots, was unable to command the services of loyal followers. The
discovery of Herod's suspicions toward her aroused the imperious spirit of
Mariamne. She was also the victim of the plots of his jealous family.
Human history presents no greater tragedy than that of Herod putting to
death the one woman whom he truly loved, and later a victim of his own
suspicions and of the intrigues of his son Antipater, finally obtaining
royal permission to put to death the two noble sons whom Mariamne had
borne to him. It is difficult to find in all history a more pitiable sight
than Herod in his old age, hated by most of his subjects, misled by the
members of his own family, the murderer of those whom he loved best,
finding his sole satisfaction in putting to death his son Antipater, who
had betrayed him, and in planning in his last hours how he might by the
murder of hundreds of his subjects arouse wide-spread lamentation.
VI. Effects of Herod's Reign. One of the chief results of Herod's policy
and reign was the complete extinction of the Maccabean house. Herod's
motive and method were thoroughly base, but for the Jewish people the
result was beneficial, for it removed one of the most active causes of
those suicidal rebellions that had resulted disastrously for the Jews and
brought them under the suspicion and iron rule of Rome. With his heavy
hand Herod also put a stop to the party strife that had undermined the
native Jewish kingdom and brought loss and suffering to thousands of Jews.
The Pharisees and Sadducees at last were taught the lesson of not
resorting to arms, however widely they might differ. By removing the
Pharisees from public life Herod directed their energies to developing
their ceremonial regulations and to instructing the people. Thus the
influence of the Pharisees became paramount with the great majority of the
Jews. As Herod extended his rule over all Palestine, he brought into close
relations the Jews scattered throughout its territory and so strengthened
the bonds of race and religion. In building the temples he also emphasized
the ceremonial side of their religious life and centralized it so that
even the Jews of the dispersion henceforth paid their yearly temple tax,
made frequent pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and regarded themselves as a part
of the nation. Furthermore, Herod brought peace and prosperity to his
people and gave the Jews an honorable place in the rôle of nations. Thus,
while his career is marked by many unpardonable crimes, he proved on the
whole an upbuilder and a friend rather than a foe of the Jews.
Section CXIX. HEROD'S TEMPLE
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:1a]
Now Herod, in the eighteenth year of his reign, undertook a very great
work, that is, to rebuild the temple of God at his own expense, and to
make it larger in circumference and to raise it to a more magnificent
height. He thought rightly that to bring the temple to perfection would be
the most glorious of all his works, and that it would suffice as an
everlasting memorial.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:2c]
So he prepared a thousand wagons to bring stones, chose ten thousand of
the most skilful workmen, bought a thousand priestly garments for as many
of the priests, and had some of them taught how to work as builders, and
others as carpenters. Then he began to build, but not until everything
was well prepared for the work.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:3a-c]
And Herod took up the old foundations, and laid others. He erected a
temple upon these foundations: its length was one hundred cubits and its
height twenty additional cubits. Now the temple was built of stones that
were white and strong. Each was about twenty-five cubits long, eight
cubits high, and twelve cubits wide. The whole temple enclosure on the
sides was on much lower ground, as were also the royal colonnades; but the
temple itself was much higher, being visible for many furlongs in the
country round about. It had doors at its entrance as high as the temple
itself with lintels over them. These doors were adorned with variegated
veils, into which were interwoven pillars and purple flowers. Over these,
but under the crown-work, was spread out a golden vine, with its branches
hanging far down, the great size and fine workmanship of which was a
marvel to those who saw it.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:3f-l]
Herod also built very large colonnades all around the temple, making them
in proportion. He exceeded all who had gone before him in his lavish
expenditure of money. There was a large wall about the colonnades. The
hill, on which the temple stood, was rocky, ascending gradually toward
the east of the city to its highest point. At the bottom, which was
surrounded by a deep valley, he laid rocks that were bound together with
lead. He also cut away some of the inner parts, carrying the wall to a
great height, until the size and height of the square construction was
immense, and until the great size of the stones in front were visible on
the outside. The inward parts were fastened together with iron and the
joints were preserved immovable for all time. When this work was joined
together to the very top of the hill, he finished off its upper surface
and filled up the hollow places about the wall and made it level and
smooth on top. Within this wall, on the very top, was another wall of
stone that had on the east a double colonnade of the same length as the
wall. Inside was the temple itself. This colonnade faced the door of the
temple and had been decorated by many kings before. Around about the
entire temple were fixed the spoils taken from the barbarous nations. All
these were dedicated to the temple by Herod, who added those that had been
taken from the Arabians.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:4a, d]
Now in an angle on the north side of the temple was built a citadel, well
fortified and of extraordinary strength. This citadel had been built
before Herod by the kings and high priests of the Hasmonean race, and
they called it the Tower. In it were deposited the garments of the high
priest, which he put on only at the time when he was to offer sacrifice.
Herod fortified this tower more strongly than before, in order to guard
the temple securely, and gave the tower the name of Antonia to gratify
Antony, who was his friend and a Roman ruler.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:5a-g]
In the western side of the temple enclosure were four gates; one led to
the king's palace, two others led to the suburbs of the city, and the
fourth led by many steps down into the valley and up on the other side to
the entrance to the other part of the city. The fourth front of the
temple, that on the south, had gates in the middle; before this front were
the three royal colonnades, which reached from the valley on the east to
that on the west. These colonnades were especially remarkable for their
great height, which seemed more because the hill at their base dropped
abruptly into a very deep valley. There were four rows of pillars, placed
side by side. The fourth was built into the stone wall. Each pillar was
about twenty-seven feet high, with a double spiral at the base, and was so
thick that three men joining hands could just reach around it. The number
of the pillars was one hundred and sixty-two. The columns had Corinthian
capitals, which aroused great admiration in those who saw them because of
their beauty. These four rows of pillars made three parallel spaces for
walking. Two of these parallel walks were thirty feet wide, six hundred
and six feet in length, and fifty feet in height, while the middle walk
was half as wide again and twice as high. The roofs were adorned with
deep sculptures in wood, representing many different things; the middle
was much higher than the rest, and the front wall, which was of polished
stone, was adorned with beams set into the stone on pillars.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:5h, i]
The second enclosure, which was reached by ascending a few steps, was not
very far within the first. This inner enclosure had a stone wall for a
partition. Upon this wall it was forbidden any foreigner to enter under
penalty of death. This inner enclosure had on its northern and southern
sides three gates at intervals from each other. On the east, however,
there was one large gate, through which those of us who were ceremonially
pure could enter with our wives. Within this enclosure was another
forbidden to women. Still further in there was a third court, into which
only the priest could go. Within this court was the temple itself; before
that was the altar, upon which we offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings to
God.
[Sidenote: Jos. Ant. XV, 11:5k, 6]
Herod himself took charge of the work upon the colonnades and outer
enclosures; these he built in eight years. But the temple itself was
built by the priest in a year and five months. Thereupon all the people
were filled with joy and returned thanks, in the first place to God for
the speed with which it was finished, and in the second place for the
zeal which the king had shown. They feasted and celebrated this rebuilding
of the temple; the king sacrificed three hundred oxen to God, as did the
others, each according to his ability. The time of this celebration of the
work about the temple also fell upon the day of the king's inauguration,
which the people customarily observed as a festival. The coincidence of
these anniversaries made the festival most notable.
I. Herod's Motives. It is not difficult to appreciate the reasons which
influenced Herod to begin the rebuilding of the temple. Chief among these
was doubtless the desire to win still further the approval of his master
Augustus. It is also a characteristic of a man of Herod's type to seek to
gain popular approval by the munificence of his public gifts. Throughout
his reign he was painfully aware of the suspicions of his Jewish subjects.
He trusted, and the event proved the wisdom of his judgment, that he might
conciliate them by giving them that about which their interest most
naturally gathered. The methods which he employed in building the temple
clearly indicate that this was one of his leading motives. He also
gratified that love of construction which had found expression in many of
the cities of Palestine and the eastern Mediterranean. He desired to rear
a great memorial for himself, and in this hope he was not disappointed,
for later generations continued to think of him with gratitude because of
the temple which bore his name.
II. Preparations for the Rebuilding of the Temple. Herod's temple was
begun in 20 or 19 B.C. and was not entirely completed until a few years
before its destruction in 70 A.D. The task in itself was a difficult one,
for on the north the city prevented the extension of the temple area, and
on the south the hill rapidly descended toward the juncture of the
Tyropoean and Kidron valleys. Herod met the difficulty by filling in to
the south with vast stone constructions which rose to the height of
seventy to ninety feet above the virgin rock. To economize building
materials he built the huge underground vaults and arches known to-day
as Solomon's Stables. Thus with a vast expense of labor and wealth he
extended the temple area to the south until it was double that which
surrounded Solomon's temple. It was also important to regard in every
detail the ceremonial scruples of the Jews. To this end a small army of
priests were trained as masons and carpenters in order to do the work in
the immediate proximity of the temple. To bring the ancient temple into
proportions with the rest of his buildings, a huge porch or facade was
reared in front of it on the east, rising, according to Josephus, to the
height of one hundred and twenty feet. For the roof that covered the
porches he apparently brought cedar from the distant Lebanons. Only with
all the resources of the kingdom at his command was it possible to carry
through this vast enterprise.
III. The Approaches to the Temple. The entire temple area was
rectangular in form, about twelve hundred feet in length and six hundred
feet wide. Its chief approaches were on the south and west. A small gate
through which sacrificial animals were introduced immediately into the
temple precincts opened from the north. The one gate on the east, which
opened into the Kidron Valley, was apparently opposite the eastern
entrance to the temple. The two gates on the south opened toward the City
of David. The one was a double gate with an incline leading into the
temple area, and the other farther to the east was a triple gate. The main
approaches were from the west. The southern of these was a low viaduct
spanning the Kidron Valley and thence by steps or inclined approach
ascending to the temple area. Remnants of the arches that spanned the
valley at this point and a little farther north are still traceable on the
present walls of the temple area far down in the Tyropoean Valley. The
third approach farther to the north was probably also a viaduct leading
directly into the temple area, while the extreme northern approach,
according to Josephus, led from the palace of Herod directly to the
temple. The entire temple area was encircled by a colonnade. One row of
pillars was built into the high wall that surrounded the area. On the
south was found the royal porch with its four rows of columns, the first
and second about thirty feet apart, the second and third forty-five, and
the third and fourth thirty. The pillars on the sides were about
twenty-seven feet in height, while the two rows in the middle were double
this height. Each of these colonnades was covered with a richly ornamented
cedar roof, thus affording grateful shelter from the sun and storm. The
great space at the south of the temple area was the Court of the Gentiles,
the common park of the city where all classes of its population freely
gathered. The colonnade on the east of the temple area bore the name of
Solomon's Porch, and from it the steps led up to the raised platform of
native rock twenty or more feet above the Court of the Gentiles. Somewhere
to the east of the temple was found the famous Beautiful Gate. The series
of steps led into the so-called Court of the Women. West of this was the
Court of the Israelites, to which only men were admitted. Thence a broad,
high door led to the open space before the temple. Surrounding the altar
and cutting off approach to the temple proper was a stone balustrade.
The space within this was known as the Court of the Priests. Here no
laymen were admitted except as the ritual of private sacrifice required.
These inner courts were surrounded by a high wall and adjoining chambers
for the storing of the paraphernalia used in connection with the
sacrifice and for the residence of the priests. On the southern side of
the temple was the room where the national council, the sanhedrin, held
its public meetings. Four gates on the north and four gates on the
south led from the temple court to the lower Court of the Gentiles.
IV. The Organization of the Temple Service. At the head of the temple
organization was the high priest. Since the deposition of the ill-fated
Hyrcanus the high priests had been appointed by Herod, for to them was
intrusted large civil as well as religious authority. The one duty which
the high priests could not neglect, unless prevented by illness, was to
perform the sacrifice in behalf of the people and to enter the Holy of
Holies on the day of atonement. Frequently he also offered the sacrifice
or presided at the special services on the sabbath, the new moons, or at
the great annual festivals. Otherwise the temple duties were performed by
the army of priests and assistants who were associated with the temple.
According to Josephus there were twenty thousand priests. They were
divided into twenty-four courses. Each course included certain priestly
families to which were intrusted for a week the performing of the
sacrifices. Corresponding to the twenty-four courses of the priests were
the courses of the people, who were represented by certain of their number
at each of the important services. The priests not only performed the
sacrifices but also guarded the temple treasures and the private wealth
placed in their keeping. The Levites attended to the more menial duties in
connection with the temple service. They aided the priests in preparing
the sacrifices and in caring for the utensils that were used in connection
with the sacrifice. Some of them were doorkeepers. Probably from the
Levites were drafted the temple police at whose head was the captain of
the temple. Their task was to preserve order and to prevent Gentiles from
entering the sacred precincts of the temple. The singers constituted a
third group of Levites.
Two public services were held each day, the first, at sunrise, consisted
in the offering of a sacrificial ram with the accompaniment of prayer
and song. The same rites were repeated at sunset. After the morning
sacrifice the private offerings were presented. On the sabbaths, new
moons, and great festivals, the number of sacrifices was greatly increased
and the ritual made more elaborate. Upon the Jews, instructed in the
synagogue in the details of the law and taught to regard the temple and
its services with deepest reverence, the elaborate ceremonies of this
great and magnificent sanctuary must have made a profound impression.
As the people streamed up to Jerusalem by thousands at the great feasts,
their attention was fixed more and more upon the ritual and the truths
which it symbolized. Herod's temple also strengthened the authority of the
Jewish hierarchy with the people, and gave the scribes and Pharisees the
commanding position which they later occupied in the life and thought of
Judaism.
Section CXX. THE MESSIANIC HOPES AND THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF JUDAISM
[Sidenote: Sibyl. Oracles, III 767-784]
Then a kingdom over all mankind for all times shall God raise up, who once
gave the holy law to the pious, for whom he pledged to open every land,
the world and the portals of the blessed, and all joys, and an eternal,
immortal spirit and a joyous heart. And out of every land they shall bring
frankincense and gifts to the house of the great God. And to men there
shall be no other house where men may learn of the world to be than that
which God hath given for faithful men to honor; for mortals shall call it
the temple of the mighty God. And all pathways of the plain and rough
hills and high mountains and wild waves of the deep shall be easy in those
days for crossing and sailing; for perfect peace for the good shall come
on earth. And the prophets of the mighty God shall remove the sword; for
they are the rulers of mortals and the righteous kings. And there shall be
righteous wealth among mankind; for this is the judgment and rule of the
mighty God.
[Sidenote: Ps. Sol. 7:23-35a]
Behold, O Lord, and raise up to them their king, the son of David, in the
time which thou, O God, knowest, that he may reign over Israel thy
servant; and gird him with strength that he may break in pieces those who
rule unjustly. Purge Jerusalem with wisdom and with righteousness, from
the heathen who trample her down to destroy her. He shall thrust out the
sinners from the inheritance, utterly destroy the proud spirit of the
sinners, and as potters' vessels he shall break in pieces with a rod of
iron all their substance. He shall destroy the ungodly nations with the
word of his mouth, so that at his rebuke the nations will flee before him,
and he shall convict the sinners in the thoughts of their hearts. And he
shall gather together a holy people, whom he shall lead in righteousness;
and shall judge the tribes of the people that has been sanctified by the
Lord his God. And he shall not suffer iniquity to lodge in their midst;
and none that knoweth wickedness shall dwell with them. For he shall take
knowledge of them, that they are all the sons of their God, and shall
divide them upon earth according to their tribes, and the sojourner and
the stranger shall dwell with them no more. He shall judge the nations and
the peoples with the wisdom of his righteousness. And he shall possess the
nations of the heathen to serve him beneath his yoke; and he shall glorify
the Lord in a place to be seen by the whole earth; and he shall purge
Jerusalem and make it holy, even as it was in the days of old.
[Sidenote: Ps. Sol. 7:35b-46]
And a righteous king and taught of God is he who reigneth over them; and
there shall be no iniquity in his days in their midst, for all shall be
holy and their king is the Lord Messiah. For he shall not put his trust in
horse and rider and bow, nor shall he multiply unto himself gold and
silver for war, nor by ships shall he gather confidence for the day of
battle. The Lord himself is his King, and the hope of him who is strong in
the hope of God. And he shall have mercy upon all the nations that come
before him in fear. For he shall smite the earth with the word of his
mouth, even for evermore. He shall bless the people of the Lord with
wisdom and gladness. He himself also is pure from sin, so that he may rule
a mighty people, and rebuke princes and overthrow sinners by the might of
his word. And he shall not faint all his days, because he leaneth
upon his God; for God shall cause him to be mighty through the spirit
of holiness, and wise through the counsel of understanding, with might and
righteousness. And the blessing of the Lord is with him in might, and his
hope in the Lord shall not faint. And who can stand up against him; he is
mighty in his works and strong in the fear of God, tending the flock of
the Lord with faith and righteousness. And he shall allow none of them to
faint in their pasture. In holiness shall he lead them all, and there
shall be no pride among them that any should be oppressed.
[Sidenote: Enoch 46:1-3]
And there I saw One who had a head of days, and his head was white like
wool, and with him was another being whose countenance had the appearance
of a man, and his face was full of graciousness, like one of the holy
angels. And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the
hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who he was, and whence he was,
and why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said to me,
"This is the Son of Man who hath righteousness, with whom dwelleth
righteousness, and who reveals all the treasures of that which is hidden,
because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen him, and his lot before the Lord
of Spirits hath surpassed everything in uprightness for ever."
[Sidenote: Enoch 48:3-6]
Before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of the heaven
were made, his name was named before the Lord of Spirits. He will be a
staff to the righteous on which they will support themselves and not fall,
and he will be the light of the Gentiles, and the hope of those whose
hearts are troubled. All who dwell on earth will fall down and bow the
knee before him and will bless and laud and magnify with song the Lord of
Spirits. And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before him
before the creation of the world and for evermore.
[Sidenote: Enoch 49:27-29]
And he sat on the throne of his glory, and the sum of judgment was
committed to him, and the Son of Man caused the sinners and those who have
led the world astray to pass away and be destroyed from off the face of
the earth. With chains they shall be bound, and in their assembling-place
of destruction shall they be imprisoned, and all their works will vanish
from the face of the earth. And henceforth there will be nothing that is
corruptible; for the Son of Man hath appeared and sitteth on the throne of
his glory, and all evil will pass away before his face and depart; but the
word of the Son of Man will be strong before the Lord of Spirits.
[Sidenote: Enoch 51:1, 2]
And in those days will the earth also give back those who are treasured up
within it, and Sheol also will give back that which it has received, and
hell will give back that which it owes. And he will choose the righteous
and holy from among them; for the day of their redemption is at hand.
I. The Growth of Israel's Messianic Hopes. Eternal hopefulness is a
marked characteristic of the Hebrew race. Throughout most of their history
the greater the calamities that overtook them the greater was their
assurance that these were but the prelude to a glorious vindication and
deliverance. This hopefulness was not merely the result of their natural
optimism, but of the belief, formed by their experiences in many a
national crisis, that a God of justice was overruling the events of
history, and that he was working not for man's destruction but for his
highest happiness and well-being. It was their insight into the divine
purpose that led the Hebrew prophets to break away from the popular
traditions that projected backward to the beginnings of history the
realization of man's fondest hopes. Instead they proclaimed that the
golden era lay in the future rather than the past. The hopes of Israel's
prophets regarding that future took many different forms. Often the form
was determined by the earlier experiences of the nation. At many periods
the people looked for a revival of the glories of the days of David. In
later days, when they were oppressed by cruel persecutions, they revived
in modified form the dreams that had been current in the childhood of the
Semitic race, and thought of a supernatural kingdom that was to be
inaugurated after Jehovah and his attendant angels, like Marduk in the old
Babylonian tradition of the creation, had overcome Satan and the fallen
angels. Israel's messianic hopes were also shaped and broadened by the
teachings of the great ethical prophets. A growing realization of the
imperfections of the existing order led them to look ever more expectantly
to the time when the prophetic ideals of justice and mercy would be
realized in society, as well as in the character of the individual. These
different expectations regarding the future are broadly designated as
messianic prophecies. The word "messianic," like its counterpart "Messiah"
(Greek, "Christ"), comes from the Hebrew word meaning to smear or to
anoint. It designated in ancient times the weapons consecrated for battle
or the king chosen and thus symbolically set aside to lead the people as
Jehovah's representative, or a priest called to represent the people in
the ceremonial worship. The common underlying idea in the word is that of
consecration to a divine purpose. In its narrower application it describes
simply the agent who is to realize God's purpose in history, but in its
broader and prevailing usage it designates all prophecies that described
the ideal which Jehovah is seeking to perfect in the life of Israel and of
humanity, and the agents or agencies, whether individual or national,
material or spiritual, natural or supernatural, by which he is to realize
that ideal.
II. The Kingly, Nationalistic Type of Messianic Hope. The messianic
prophecies of the Old Testament seem only confusing and contradictory
until the three distinct types are recognized. These different types of
messianic prophecy naturally shade into each other, and yet they are
fundamentally distinct and were represented throughout Israel's history by
different classes of thinkers. The first is the kingly, nationalistic type
of hope. It came into existence as soon as Israel became a nation, and may
be traced in the Balaam oracles in Numbers 24:17-19, where the seer is
represented as beholding Israel's victorious king smiting its foes, the
Moabites and Edomites, and ruling gloriously over a triumphant people. It
is echoed in II Samuel 7:10-16 in the promise that the house of David
should rule peacefully and uninterruptedly through succeeding generations.
Ezekiel, in his picture of the restored nation in 37:21-28, declares in
the name of Jehovah that "my servant David shall be king over them and
they shall dwell in the land that I have given to my servant Jacob wherein
their fathers dwelt, and they shall dwell therein, they and their sons
forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever." In such
passages as Isaiah 9 and 11 the Davidic ruler is represented as reigning
not despotically or selfishly, but in accordance with the principles of
justice and mercy, bringing peace to all his subjects. As has already been
noted, in the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah and in connection with
the rebuilding of the second temple Israel's kingly, nationalistic hope
reached its culmination, but through the victories of Darius was rudely
cast to the ground (Section XCV:vi). For the next three centuries and a
half, throughout the Persian and Greek periods, this type of Israel's
messianic hope was apparently silenced. The Maccabean struggles and
victories, however, and the oppressive rule of Rome stirred this
smouldering hope into a flame and gave it wide currency among the people
at the beginning of the Christian era. Again the nation came to the
forefront. In the beautiful prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, 10, which
apparently comes from the earlier part of the Maccabean era, is found the
noble picture of a peasant king, humble yet victorious, establishing with
the sword a world-wide kingdom. Memories of the glorious achievements of
the Maccabean leaders kindled the popular imagination. When in 63 B.C.
Rome's iron hand closed upon Palestine, the eyes of the Jews looked
expectantly for the advent of a champion like David of old, who would
crush the heathen, convict the sinful Jews, and gather the faithful
people, ruling over them in justice and with tender care. These hopes are
most plainly expressed in the Psalms of Solomon, which were written near
the beginning of the Roman period. These expectations in their more
material form inspired the party of the Zelots during the earlier part of
the first Christian century repeatedly to unsheathe the sword in the vain
effort to overthrow Rome and to establish at once the rule of the Messiah.
It was because this type of hope was so strong in the minds of the common
people that the false messiahs who rose from time to time were able
quickly to gather thousands about them in the vain expectation that the
moment of deliverance had at last arrived.
III. The Apocalyptic, Catastrophic Type of Messianic Hope. Another class
of thinkers in Israel looked not for a temporal but for a supernatural
kingdom. It is usually described in the symbolic language of the
apocalypse. The inauguration of this kingdom was not dependent upon man's
activity but solely upon the will of God. The exact time and manner of its
institution was clothed in mystery. Traces of this belief are found in
the references in Amos to the popular expectations regarding the day of
Jehovah. Evidently the Northern Israelites lived in anticipation of a
great universal judgment day, in which their heathen foes would be
suddenly destroyed and they themselves would be exalted. It was a belief
which Amos and the ethical prophets who followed him strongly combated,
for they were fully aware of the fundamental weakness in the apocalyptic
or catastrophic type of prophecy: it took away from the nation and
individual all personal responsibility. Furthermore, its roots went back
to the old Semitic mythology. This type of hope, however, was too firmly
fixed in the popular mind to be dispelled even by the preaching of
Israel's greatest prophets. As a result of the calamities that gathered
about the fall of the Hebrew state it was revived. It is found in Ezekiel,
Zechariah, and Joel. Each of these prophets looked forward to the time
when Jehovah would miraculously overthrow their heathen foes, restore his
scattered people, and establish for them a world-wide, eternal kingdom. In
the closing chapters of the book of Daniel this form of belief attains its
fullest expression in the Old Testament. In the Similitudes of Enoch
(37-71), which come either from the latter part of the Maccabean era or
else from the days of Herod, these messianic hopes are still further
developed. Instead of Israel's guardian angel Michael, represented as
coming on the clouds from heaven and in appearance like a son of man, a
heavenly Messiah is introduced. He is known by the title of the Messiah,
the Elect One, and the Son of Man (probably taken from the book of
Daniel). In Enoch the term Son of Man has evidently become, as in IV
Esdras, the title of a personal Messiah. He is described as pre-existent
and gifted with the divine authority. When he appears, the dead are to
rise, and angels, as well as men, are to be tried before his tribunal. The
sinners and the fallen angels he will condemn to eternal punishment. All
sin and wrong shall be driven from the earth. Heaven and earth shall be
transformed, and an eternal kingdom shall be established in which all the
righteous, whether dead or living, shall participate. This was evidently
the type of messianic hope held by the Pharisees as well as the Essenes.
As the result of the teaching of the Pharisees it was held widely by the
Jews of the first Christian century. It was clearly in the minds of Jesus'
disciples when he made his last journey to Jerusalem. It was both the
background and the barrier to all his work. It is the key to the
interpretation of Paul's conception of the Christ, or the Messiah, for he
had been educated a Pharisee. This apocalyptic type of messianic hope
powerfully influenced the life and thought of the early Christian Church
and even permeated the Gospel narratives. The question of how far Jesus
himself was influenced by it is one of the most vital and difficult
problems of early Christian history.
IV. The Ethical and Universalistic Type of Messianic Prophecy.
Far removed from the kingly, messianic hopes of the people and the
supernatural visions of the apocalypses were the plain, direct, practical
ideals of Israel's great ethical prophets. Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and
Jeremiah all united in declaring that the realization of Jehovah's purpose
in history depended primarily upon the response of his people. They
regarded the kingdom of God as a natural growth. It represented the
gradual transformation of the characters of men under the influence
of God's truth and spirit working in their minds. They hoped and labored
to see the nation Israel living in full accord with the demands of
justice, mercy, and service. The II Isaiah, under the influences which
grew out of the destruction of the temple and the closer contact with the
heathen world, voiced this type of messianic hope in its broadest and
most spiritualized form. He declared that the Israelites had been called
and trained for a unique service and that that service was to be performed
by them quietly and unostentatiously, as prophets and teachers of men. He
also presented most clearly Israel's missionary ideal, and showed that its
task was not to destroy but to bring light to the Gentile world. He and
the more enlightened prophets who followed him saw an ever-widening
kingdom established without the aid of the sword and freed from all racial
barriers--the eternal, universal, spiritual kingdom of God on earth. It is
evident that in contrast to the other types of messianic prophecy this
form was comprehensible, practicable, and alone capable of realization.
V. The Messianic Hopes of Judaism at the Beginning of the Christian Era.
Unfortunately, as a result of the varied experiences through which Judaism
passed in the centuries immediately preceding the Christian era, its
ethical and universal messianic hopes were largely eclipsed. The ideal of
the suffering servant appears to have been almost forgotten. As the later
Jews read the earlier scriptures of their race in order to determine what
the future held in store for them, they fixed their eyes upon the
kingly and apocalyptic prophecies. Regarding all scriptures as equally
authoritative, they attempted the impossible task of blending these
fundamentally different types of prophecy. The result was that their
beliefs became, indeed, a complex labyrinth with paths leading in opposite
directions. Later events have proved beyond question that these popular
types were the dreams of religious enthusiasts rather than true pictures
of the way in which the divine purpose was to be perfected in human
history, and yet the apocalyptic type of prophecy was not without its
significance. It tended to correct the narrow national hopes of the Jews
and to lift them to the consideration of that which was spiritual and
eternal. It also led them to appreciate the unity of all history, and in
times of distress it kept alive their faith in a God who was wisely
guiding their destinies. Underlying all these different types of prophecy
is the appreciation of the broad truth that God was working out in the
lives of men and nations a definite purpose, and that that purpose was
good, and that the God back of all history was a God not only of power but
also of love. It was inevitable that the ethical and more spiritual
expectations of the early Hebrew prophets should find the fullest response
in the heart and life of the Great Teacher. In the face of opposition from
the leaders of his race, from the multitudes that gathered about him, and
even from the disciples who loved and followed him, he proclaimed that the
kingdom of God would not come by observation, but that its growth would be
natural and gradual like that of the mustard seed, that it was not
external but within the hearts of men, that membership in that kingdom
depended not upon the arbitrary will of God, but upon men's acting in
accord with that will in the every-day relations of life. Thus Jesus
prepared the way for the complete fulfillment of all that was noblest and
best in Israel's messianic hopes, and in his character and teachings far
surpassed the highest expectations of the inspired teachers of his race.
APPENDIX
I
A PRACTICAL REFERENCE LIBRARY
Books for Constant Reference. The complete text of the biblical writings
of the post-exilic period are found in Volumes II to VI of the _Student's
Old Testament_. A careful, thorough résumé of the history is contained in
Riggs's _History of the Jewish People during the Maccabean and Roman
Periods_. Professor Bevan, in his _Jerusalem Under the High Priests_,
presents, especially from the ecclesiastical point of view, a fresh
survey of the history during the Greek and Maccabean periods. The
geographical background may be studied either in George Adam Smith's
_Historical Geography of the Holy Land_ or in Kent's _Biblical Geography
and History_.
Additional Books of Reference: Introductions and Commentaries. In
addition to the standard Old Testament introductions by McFadyen, Cornill,
and Driver, the collection of monographs in Professor Torrey's _Ezra
Studies_ will be found especially valuable. The introduction, as well as
the critical notes, in the brief yet scholarly volumes of the _New Century
Bible_ are exceedingly useful for the general reader. More fundamental are
the volumes in the _International Critical Commentary._ The introductions
to the different books in Hastings' _Dictionary of the Bible_ and the
_Encyclopedia Biblica_ are clear, concise, and written from the modern
point of view.
Jewish and Contemporary History. The thorough student of this period
will find a wealth of suggestive material in Smith's _Old Testament
History_ and in Schürer's monumental work, _A History of the Jewish People
in the Time of Jesus Christ_. The later development of Israel's religion
is presented in Marti's _Religion of the Old Testament_, in the first part
of Toy's _Judaism and Christianity_, in Bousset's _Judaism_, and in
Charles's _Eschatology, Hebrew, Jewish and Christian_. An excellent survey
of the contemporary history of the period is to be found in the _History
of the Ancient World_ by Goodspeed or in Meyer's _Ancient History._ A more
detailed treatment of the contemporary history will be found in the
_History of Greece_ by Curtius or by Holm. The _History of Rome_ is fully
traced in the monumental works of Mommsen or Gibbon or the more recent
study in _The Greatness and Decline of Rome_ by Ferrero. Briefer but
equally reliable histories of Rome are those by Botsford, Horton, and
Seignobos.
II
GENERAL QUESTIONS AND SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH
The General Questions, as in the preceding volumes, follow the main
divisions of the book, and are intended to guide the student in
collecting and co-ordinating the more important facts presented in the
biblical text or in the notes.
The Subjects for Special Research are intended to guide the reader to
further study in related lines, and, by means of detailed references, to
introduce him to the most helpful passages in the best English books of
reference. In class-room work many of these topics may be profitably
assigned for personal research and report. The references are to pages,
unless otherwise indicated. Ordinarily, several parallel references are
given that the student may be able to utilize the book at hand. More
detailed classified bibliographies will be found in the appendices of
Volumes II-VI of the author's _Student's Old Testament_.
THE EXILE AND REVIVAL OF THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY
Section XCI. The Jews in Palestine and Egypt. GENERAL QUESTIONS:
1. What did the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 mean to the
Jewish people? 2. Describe the structure and contents of the book of
Lamentations. 3. Its probable authorship and date. 4. Its theme and
historical value. 5. The condition of the Jews who were left in Palestine.
6. The numbers of the Jews in Egypt. 7. The life of the Jewish colony at
Elephantine. 8. The character and service of the
temple of Jahu.
SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The literary history of the book of
Lamentations. McFadyen, _Introd._, 294-7; Driver, _Lit. of the O.T._,
456-65. 2. History of Egypt from 600 to 560 B.C. Breasted, _Hist, of the
Ancient Egyptians_, 404-18. 3. The discoveries at Elephantine. Sayce and
Cowley, _Aramaic Papyri Discovered at Assuan_; Sachau, _Drei aramäische
Papyrururkunden aus Elephantine_.