C. Judaism and Hellenism (333 B.C.E.-70 C.E.)

C. Judaism and Hellenism (333 B.C.E.-70 C.E.)

Judea remained a Persian province until Alexander the Great invaded the Middle East. With his victory at Issus in 333 B.C.E. he secured control of Asia and spread Greek culture, government, and language throughout his realm. The Hellenistic period had begun.

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The Battle of Issus, by Albrecht Altdorfer 1528-29, Alte Pinakothek, Munich -- Artchive

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    Alexander allowed the Jews to observe their own ritual laws and traditions and was generally kindly disposed to them. This lenient policy of "live and let live" continued through the period of Ptolemaic control of Judea. This changed when control of Palestine passed from the dynasty of Ptolemy to the dynasty of Seleucus in 198 B.C.E. The Seleucids, especially Antiochus IV Epiphanes, attempted to force Hellenism upon the Jews of Palestine, often with extreme cruelty.
    Hellenism fundamentally challenged Jewish culture and religion. The Greek language displaced Aramaic as the language of the Middle East. Greek literature; philosophy; and institutions such as the gymnasium, polis (city), and theater, transformed traditional societies . . . and threatened Hebrew culture. Many Jews "modernized" and went along with the changes, but others resisted and refused to give up their Jewishness as traditionally defined. The book of Daniel tells of the struggles of Daniel and his friends to remain faithful to Torah the in a culture that sought to assimilate them (see Chapter 17).
    The Maccabean uprising was one attempt to reverse the progress of Hellenization. Led by Judas the Maccabee, the Jews were able for a time to reestablish home rule. It was effective to the point that an independent Jewish state was created and ruled by the Hasmonean house for almost eighty years, from 142 to 63 B.C.E.
    In 63 B.C.E. the Romans took control of the Middle East. Pompey captured Jerusalem, and the territories of Palestine were incorporated into the larger Roman empire. Local government was first entrusted to local princes, of whom Herod the Great (37-4 B.C.E.) was one. Herod was the ruler of greater Palestine at the time Jesus was born. Later, procurators appointed by Roman emperors were placed in charge of smaller Palestinian territories.
    Jewish society was anything but homogeneous at this time. The Sadducees, a religious-political party, were not opposed to accommodating Greco-Roman forms. While they advocated an exclusively Torah-based form of religion and continued the ritual forms of the priesthood, they tended to cooperate with the occupiers of Palestine, thereby retaining a role in the administration of the province.

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Herodian Lamp found at Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery. The Dead Sea Scroll illuminate the history and religion of early Judaism. Library of Congress Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit

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    The Essenes, to whom many authorities attribute the Dead Sea Scrolls, were the most conservative Jewish group. They led an ascetic existence in the wilderness, withdrawn from the Jewish religious establishment in Jerusalem which they believed was corrupt. They devoted themselves to the Torah, and in this way prepared themselves for the eagerly expected messiah.
    The militant Jewish group called the Zealots sought to rid Judea of Roman occupation. This form of Judaism, traceable to the Maccabees, campaigned for Jewish independence and a resurrection of the great Israelite monarchy. They precipitated a rebellion, called the First Jewish Revolt, which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.
    The Pharisees, the religious liberals of their day, practiced a dynamic faith which actively translated Mosaic and prophetic religion to life in their day. Of all the traditional Jewish groups, not surprisingly it was Pharisaic Judaism that survived the disasters of the first and second Jewish Revolts (66-73 C.E. and 132-135 C.E.), along, of course, with the early Christians. Christianity began as a Jewish religious phenomenon, shaped by the belief that the messianic age had been inaugurated through the life, death, and resurrection of their leader, Jesus of Nazareth. Only later was it altogether distinguished from Judaism.