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What the Hellenist is this? |
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The question of what effect Hellenization had on Judaism is a subtle and difficult question. Unfortunately there are those who have thrown caution to the wind and have hypothesized a thoroughly Hellenized Palestine, and have re-interpreted Jesus to force fit him into molds like the "Cynic sage" thesis. Pikachu, having read only a limited amount on the subject (heaven forbid Martin Hengel should appear in his bibliography), falls headfirst for this theory and makes it out that Hellenism must have been infecting Judaea like a plague. In fact, while (at the point of the sword) Greek culture did make significant inroads into some of Judaea, that same infection caused a serious backlash -- which was still working itself out at the time of Jesus. We'll skip the background that our readers already know (the conquest of Alexander) and get right to the crucial period. |
Did
Hellenism affect the Jews? Yes, but how?
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Yes, the Diaspora. sent Jews all over the Roman Empire. Yes, they learned to speak and write Greek (while still retaining their home languages -- as was typical, since Greek was the lingua franca of Rome, much as English is in many countries today). |
Reality check |
| Although English is a lingua franca in many countries, only an idiot would claim this as proof that other American values go with it. There are countries today that speak our language, watch our TV shows, use our products -- and they aren't in any sense beyond that "Americanized". People move here, get jobs, and make friends -- and can still remain culturally insulated. Can you say, "Chinatown"? |
It's also something of a fudge to report that In Jerusalem, Greek language, commerce, and literature held sway among the quisling Jewish aristocracy. Yes, in Jesus' time the Sadducees were the most deeply Hellenized of the Jewish groups. They were also the most despised by the Jewish populace, precisely because of their butt-kissing to the Hellenistic ruling paradigm. The anti-Hellenist Pharisees represented the bulk of the people, who overall, had been and would continue to resist Hellenization beyond learning a little Greek (so that they could do business). They would not live in or visit pagan cities built in Palestine because these were ritually unclean. The biggest coverup Pikachu pulls though is when he answers the question, "Did any Jews cooperate?" "Of course," he says, and he notes how in "In 174 BC a fellow named Jason became the Jewish high priest at Jerusalem. Jason changed the Jewish government there from a temple-state to a Greek polis, with a governing council, citizen list, gymnasium and even a ephebeia (basically a college) He even changed Jerusalem's name to Antioch. What he forgets to tell you is that less than ten years later, a popular revolt overthrew Jason, and that, the Maccabbean revolt, was the result of attempts to foist Hellenism too deeply into Judaism -- in particular, into the religious aspects of Judaism (see here for a popular summary). Jews died as martyrs in this campaign rather than see Hellenism infect their lives further. All of Jason's changes were reversed, and thereafter, Hellenistic influence was carefully guarded against and, as a whole, relegated to specific areas of Jewish life. Now here's a darned good question: Why doesn't Pikachu mention a breath of this? He even cites the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees about some Jewish men reversing their circumcision -- but not a word about the massive, violent "reversal" of Hellenism described in the same books!
Did Hellenism affect the Jews? Yes, but where we're concerned, in the exact opposite way Pikachu wants you to believe. The "banning the old Jewish religion" was completely reversed; the destruction of the Scriptures was stopped; the Festivals, Sabbath observances, circumcision, and food laws came back with a vengeance, and the sacrifice of pigs to a Pagan god was reversed with a new dedication. So, uh, yeah, "in the diaspora and in Jerusalem and Judea, the Jews knew a thing or two about Pagan culture," as Pikachu says. That's why they hated it so much. When it tried to step too far, Hellenism got it's butt kicked. Keep in mind what the Roman historian Tacitus said: When the Macedonians became supreme, King Antiochus strove to destroy the national superstition, and to introduce Greek civilization, but was prevented by his war with the Parthians from at all improving this vilest of nations; for at this time the revolt of Arsaces had taken place. The Macedonian power was now weak, while the Parthian had not yet reached its full strength, and, as the Romans were still far off, the Jews chose kings for themselves. Expelled by the fickle populace, and regaining their throne by force of arms, these princes, while they ventured on the wholesale banishment of their subjects, wives, and parents, and the other usual atrocities of despots, fostered the national superstition by appropriating the dignity of the priesthood as the support of their political power. |
| And does Pikachu mention this? Not a word! Instead he passes it over entirely and zips right over to Herod the Great's Hellenizing building program. Never mind that sentiment was so strong against Hellenization in terms of religious belief that Herod had to maintain a facade of adherence to Judaism. And as for this: | Shorto says that, "The reign of Herod the Great transformed Judea... Wealth flooded the land... The landscape of the country changed as Herod built magnificent cities on the Greek model, added [pagan] temples, baths, fountains, and marketplaces..." Don't get too excited. That Hellenism failed to touch the average Jewish peasant, who instead resented the use and abuse of wealth for a priviliged few, and considered these pagan cities "unclean" to live in.
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The
next time you're with Lurch When they get to the part about Judaism(?), remember the revolt of the Maccabees. You'll know Pikachu is hiding something seriously detrimental to his case -- and thus deserves no credibility at all. Uhhhhhhhhh! |
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Whoops, missed those guys, but -- Although the Maccabean revolt is mysteriously missing from Pikachu's stunted history of Judaea, he does manage to dwiddle out a reference or so to a "subculture of resistance" (actually, "primary culture" would be a better phrase") that looked for salvation from Roman rule. Specifically he notes Qumran's messianic expectations, and amazingly (despite asking elsewhere if Jews did have a ritual baptism!) notes that they held beliefs about themselves similar to Christian beliefs (in the last days; the elect; baptism; sacramental meal, etc.) And yet, he doesn't see that this provides a much closer antecedent for Christian belief that does pagan religion! Incredible! |
| Pikachu also manages to mention so-called Messiahs of the centuries around Jesus. What he fails to mention (again!) is that not one of these prior to Jesus ever claimed to be a Messiah or ever had anyone claim they were a Messiah. That didn't happen until Bar Kochba, some 100 years after Jesus. |
Dipsy doodle |
After spending all this time talking about what was in common between pagans and Christians, Pikachu now has to explain why there isn't a better antecedent in groups like the Qumranites who sound a lot more like the Christians than the pagans do. He blurps it away with a small blurb that, yeah, I know it all sounds familiar, but remember, these folks were not Christians. Were (sic) talking about 150 years or more before Jesus. Nice dodgeball! |
| And don't get too excited about Price's list of "Messiahs" (below right), nor about that a few were named Jesus. Remember, none of these before Jesus claimed to be Messiah, nor were ever acclaimed as such; and "Jesus" was about the fourth most common name of Jewish men at the time. No bigger deal than that we have so many people named Bob and James these days. |
And to correct Pikachu, the Book of Acts does not "discusses the similarity between Jesus' story and those of Theudas, and Judas the Galilean" -- all that Acts mentions is that each had a movement, and that's where the similarities end. It is a blatant falsehood to say that there is anything to suggest that the movements were so similar that they can't be told apart -- there was no similarity at all in ideology, teaching, or practice. Yet another Pikachu puffball. |
Jesus
ben-Ananias
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The
next time you're with Lurch When they get to the part about about God's Messiah, who comes to save his followers, remember the Qumran community, Theudas, Judas the Galilean and Simon Bar Kochba all sought military, not spiritual solutions. You'll know Pikachu is playing his same old game again -- thinking that association by a single word ("messiah") is enough to prove links in ideology and dependence. Uhhhhhhhhh! |
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