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Network Analysis of the Interaction Between Different Religious and Philosophical Movements in Early Judaism

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Network Analysis of the Interaction Between Different Religious and Philosophical Movements in Early Judaism philosophies Article Network Analysis of the Interaction between Different Religious and Philosophical Movements in Early Judaism Igor R. Tantlevskij 1 , Ekaterina V. Gromova 2,3 and Dmitry Gromov 2,* 1 Department of Jewish Culture, Saint Peterburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; [email protected] 2 Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; [email protected] 3 Higher School of Economics, National Research University, St. Petersburg Campus, 190121 St Petersburg, Russia * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: This paper presents an attempt to systematically describe and interpret the evolution of different religious and political movements in Judaea during the period of the Second Temple using the methods of the theory of social networks. We extensively analyzed the relationship between the main Jewish sects: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes (Qumranites), and later also Zealots. It is shown that the evolution of the relations between these sects agreed with the theory of social balance and their relations evolved toward more socially balanced structures. Keywords: Judaean sects; social networks; social network analysis; signed graphs; Essenes; Qumran- ites; Sadducees; Pharisees; Zealots 1. Introduction Citation: Tantlevskij, I.R.; Gromova, There has been a lot of interest in understanding and interpreting the evolution of E.V.; Gromov, D. Network Analysis of Judaism during the early stage of Jewish history, in particular during the periods of the the Interaction between Different First and Second Temple. In this contribution, we consider the relations between different Religious and Philosophical schools of Judaism during the period of the Second Temple. It is argued that the evolution Movements in Early Judaism. of the relations between different schools of thought that existed in that time can be better Philosophies 2021, 6, 2. https:// captured and understood using the theory of social networks, in particular the theory of doi.org/10.3390/philosophies6010002 signed social graphs, which has proved to be very efficient in analyzing different historical, political, and social interactions (see Section 4.1 for a detailed introduction to the theory of Received: 15 December 2020 signed networks and its applications). Accepted: 31 December 2020 In this contribution, we consider the following Jewish sects: Pharisees, Sadducees, Published: 8 January 2021 Essenes (Qumranites), and Zealots. Those sects continuously interacted with each other, forming friendly ties, or developing animosity. Identifying the genesis, development, Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu- interactions, and relationships of Judaean sects in the Hellenistic era and up to the de- tral with regard to jurisdictional clai- ms in published maps and institutio- struction of the Second Temple poses a major challenge. This is due to the fact that their nal affiliations. extant descriptions by their contemporaries are extremely scant and biased and are mostly directed at non-Jews; as for the rabbinic accounts of these Judaean sects, they are recorded about two to five centuries after these sects left the historical scene. Moreover, the Essenes are not mentioned at all either in the New Testament or in the Talmud. The Qumran Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Li- scrolls (2nd century BCE–1st century CE) shed a whole new light on the emergence of censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. sectarian Judaism. Following most researchers, we identify the Qumran community as This article is an open access article a congregation of the Essene trend (see Section2 for a detailed account on the identifica- distributed under the terms and con- tion of Qumranites and their relation to Essenes). On the other hand, the esoteric nature ditions of the Creative Commons At- of manuscripts from Qumran caves, the use of symbols, pejorative nicknames, ciphers, tribution (CC BY) license (https:// tendentious judgments, and direct language of hostility do not allow us to clearly restore creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ the picture of the emergence, interactions, and relationships of key Jewish sects in the 4.0/). Philosophies 2021, 6, 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies6010002 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophies Philosophies 2021, 6, x PhilosophiesFOR PEER REVIEW2021, 6, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 13 2 of 13 Philosophies 2021,, 6,, xx FORFOR PEERPEER REVIEWREVIEW 2 of 13 Philosophies 2021, 6, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 13 Philosophies 2021, 6, 2 2 of 13 picture of the emergence,picture of interactions, the emergence, and interactions,relationships and of key rela Jewishtionships sects of inkey the Jewish Hellen- sects in the Hellen- picture of the emergence, interactions, and relationshipstionships ofof keykey JewishJewish sectssects inin thethe Hellen-Hellen- istic era. In this regard,istic era. we In find this it regard, promising we find to try it promisingto use the frameworkto try to use of the signed framework social of signed social isticistic era.era. 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In Section 2 we briefly introduce the main Judaean sectsThe and paper outline issects organizedtheir and origins outline as follows. and their main In origins Sectionfeatures. and2 we We main briefly specifically features. introduce consider We the specifically main Essenes Judaean consider and Essenes and sects and outline their origins and main features. We specifically consider Essenes and sectsshow and that outline it can show theirbe identified originsthat it can andwith be main the identified sect features. of Qumranites.with We the specifically sect Sectionof Qumranites. consider 3 is devoted Essenes Section to and the3 is devoted to the show that it can be identified with the sect of Qumranites. 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Finally, thein Section signedSection 4. Finally, Section graphs and respective signed networks theory are presented in Section 4. Finally, Section graphs5 provides and an respective interpretation5 provides signed anof networks interpretationthe processes theory describedof are the presented processes in Section in described Section 5 in4 terms. Finally,in Section of the Section signed5 in 5terms of the signed 5 provides an interpretation of the processes described in Section 5 in terms of the signed graphsprovidesgraphs theory.theory. an interpretation TheThegraphs paperpaper theory. concludesconcludes of the The processes withpaperwith aa concludes DiscussionDiscussion described with in Section.Section. Section a Discussion 5 in terms Section. of the signed graphs theory. The paper concludes with a Discussion Section. 2.2. AA BriefBrief ExcursionExcursion2. A into intoBrief thethe Excursion PrincipalPrincipal into JudaeanJudaean the Principal SectsSects Judaean Sects 2. A A Brief Brief Excursion Excursion into the Principal Judaean Sects JosephusJosephusJosephus FlaviusFlaviusFlavius Josephus (37/38–after(37/38–after(37/38–after Flavius 100100100 CE),CE), CE),(37/38–after descridescridescribingbing 100 thethe CE), riserise descri ofof threethreebing principal principalthe rise of JudaeanJudaean three principal Judaean Josephus Flavius (37/38–after 100 100 CE), CE), descri describingbing the the rise rise of of three principal Judaean sects—thesects—the Pharisees Phariseessects—the (lit. (lit. “set “set Pharisees apart, apart, separate separate (lit. “setd”),d”), apart, the the Sadducees Sadduceesseparated”), (probably (probably the Sadducees after after Zadok, Zadok, (probably the the after Zadok, the sects—thesects — the Pharisees Pharisees (lit. (lit. “set “set apart, apart, separate separated”),d”),
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