Topic 2 World of Jesus and NT

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Topic 2 World of Jesus and NT

• A. Jewish history (late OT NT period)
• Oppression, persecution, and rebellion
• Babylonian period (587-39 BC) Jerusalem fell
  Temple destroyed Exile Babylonian captivity
• Persian period (539-333 BC) Restoration -
  Temple rebuilt
• Hellenistic period (333-166 BC) - Greek
  influence.
• Alexander the Great spread Greek
  language/culture.
• 167 BC - persecution by Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
• Daniel written about 165 BC as call to
  faithfulness.
• 1 and 2 Maccabees stories of persecution and
  resistance.
• Maccabean/Hasmonean period (166-63 BC)
• Maccabean Revolt won Jewish independence
• Hasmonean dynasty provoked Jewish factionalism

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• Jewish History (cont.)
• Roman period (63 BC 135 AD) - NT period
• Pax Romana - Augustus (27 BC)
• Indirect rule of Palestine through the Herods
  Jewish client rulers appointed by Rome
• Herod the Great (37-4 BC)
• King of the Jews/Judea
• Great building campaign - rebuilt Temple
• Brutal tyrant ruthless
• Birth of Jesus c. 6 BC (Mt. 2)
• Three sons
• Herod Antipas (4 BC-39 AD) - Galilee and Perea
• aCapital at Sepphoris (and Tiberias)
• aBeheaded John the Baptist suspicious of Jesus.
• b) Philip (4 BC-34 AD) NE districts
• Archelaus (4 BC-6 AD) Judea and Samaria
• aRemoved in 6 AD replaced by Roman procurator.

Herodian Palestine Pictures
Map
Sepphoris Pictures
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• A. Jewish History (cont.)
• Roman period cont.
• c. The procurators (prefects) 6 AD onward
• Direct Roman rule of Judea census new tax.
• Uprising of Judas the Galilean.
• Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD) crucified Jesus c.
  30.
• d. Jewish War (66-70 AD)
• 70 AD Jerusalem fell Temple destroyed.
• Josephus Jewish historian.
• e. Council (Academy) of Jamnia (90-100 AD)
• Reorganized Judaism around Scripture, tradition,
  and synagogue.
• Closed Hebrew canon.
• Banned Christians from synagogue.
• f. Second Jewish Revolt (132-135 AD)
• Simon bar Kochba alleged messiah.
• Jerusalem demolished, rebuilt as Roman city.

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• Religious developments in Judaism
• Scripture (Hebrew Bible)
• Torah (400 BC)
• Prophets (200 BC)
• Writings (90 AD)
• Oral law Cumulative body of interpretations of
  Torah by scribes and rabbis.
• Synagogues
• Jewish centers of worship and study.
• No animal sacrifices (as in Temple).
• Reading/interpreting Scripture recital of
  prayers.
• 4. Sanhedrin
• Jewish ruling council (71 members).
• Presided over by high priest (appointed by
  procurator).
• Had limited authority under Roman rule.

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• 5. Jewish Eschatology doctrine of last things
• Hope for Messiah
• Ideal king to restore Israel rule over Golden
  Age of peace and justice.
• Messiah Hebrew for anointed one
• Christ Greek for anointed one
• NT claims that Jesus fulfills messianic hope
  but in unexpected ways.
• Apocalypticism
• Apocalypses flourished c. 200 BC-200 AD in times
  of crisis.
• Apocalypse revelation
• Symbolic visions of (near) end of world
• Doctrine of two ages this age and age to
  come
• Expectations tribulation defeat of evil
  resurrection of dead final judgment glorious
  new age/world.
• Usually not a messiah sometimes a heavenly Son
  of Man as cosmic judge.
• New age is Kingdom of God restoration of Gods
  sovereignty.
• These themes pervade the NT.

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Doctrine of the Two Ages
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• Jewish Parties (Sects) Before 70, Judaism was
  quite diverse many different forms. After 70,
  many parties disappeared Judaism became more
  uniform.
• Sadducees
• Chief priests wealthy aristocrats.
• Controlled Temple, local government.
• Compromised with Romans maintained order.
• Conservative rejected oral law, resurrection.
• Opposed Jesus as potential revolutionary.
• After 70, disappeared.
• Pharisees
• Devoted to Torah written and oral law.
• Maintained ritual purity in daily life.
• Rules for Sabbath, tithing, washings, fasting,
  etc.
• Progressive believed in resurrection afterlife.
• Neglect of Torah delays Messiah.
• Challenged Jesus view of Torah.
• After 70, Pharisaism survived, developed into
  Rabbinic Judaism.

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• C. Jewish Parties (cont.)
• Essenes
• Josephus (and others) describe as a sectarian
  group living on shore of Dead Sea.
• Probably associated with Dead Sea Scrolls at
  Qumran.
• Origin in Hasmonean period as Temple protest.
• Apocalyptic expected final war between good and
  evil (Sons of Light vs. Sons of Darkness)
  expected 2 messiahs.
• Strict discipline and ritual purity daily baths
  of ritual purification sacred meals.
• Not mentioned in NT many parallels.
• Destroyed in Jewish War.
• 4. Zealots
• Militant revolutionaries freedom fighters.
• Not a single, continuous party.
• Ideology of violent opposition to foreign rule
  and compromise of Jewish law motivated by
  devotion to God and Torah.
• Many wished Jesus to be Zealot type leader.
• Zealot movements faded after 70 and 135.

Qumran Pictures
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• D. Hellenistic Judaism
• 1. Diaspora - scattering/dispersion of Jews
  outside Palestine.
• 2. Diaspora Judaism - more open to Hellenistic
  influence.
• Septuagint (LXX) - Greek translation of Jewish
  scripture (OT).
• Produced in Egypt, beginning c. 250 B.C.
• Adopted by early Christians influenced NT
  writers.
• Philo of Alexandria
• Jewish theologian trained in Greek philosophy.
• Combined Jewish theology and Greek philosophy.
• Proselytes and God-fearers
• a. Proselytes - Gentile converts to Judaism (see
  Acts 65)
• Circumcision
• Ritual immersion (proselyte baptism)
• Sacrifice
• God-fearers Gentiles attached to synagogues
  did not convert (see Acts 101-2).

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• E. Larger Greco-Roman World
• 1. Hellenistic culture
• Greek culture dominant.
• Pessimism no confidence in human ability to
  cope.
• Superstitious fatalism, magic, astrology.
• 2. Religious ferment
• Proliferation of new religions.
• Syncretism blending together different
  religions into new pattern.
• 3. Popular philosophies
• Platonism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Cynicism.
• Wandering philosophical teachers.

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• Larger Graeco-Roman World (cont.)
• 4. Mystery religions
• Secret rituals bring rebirth to immortality.
• Myth of dying and rising gods.
• Influenced Christian sacraments (cf. Rom. 63-4).
• 5. Gnosticism
• Dualism of spirit (good) and matter (evil).
• Human being good spirit trapped in evil body.
• Salvation by secret gnosis (knowledge).
• Ethics of asceticism or libertinism
• Asceticism - rigorous discipline of fleshly
  appetites.
• Libertinism - absence of moral restraint.
• Interacted with early Christianity.