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Real Messiahs, False Messiahs, and Half-Messiahs: Apocalypticism and Messianism in Early Judaism Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich SVAJ Intellectual History Series April 29, 2018 Timeline 587-586 BCE Babylonians destroy the Jerusalem Temple; Babylonian Exile complete 539-538 Persia destroys the Babylonian Empire; allows Judeans to return 515 Building of the Second Temple is complete 334-333 Persian Period ends; Alexander the Great defeats Persia and the Hellenist Period begins 200 Judea has been mainly controlled by Ptolemies (Egyptian Greeks); it now comes under the control of Seleucids (Syrian Greeks) 175-164 Hasmonean Rebellion 103–76 Alexander Jannaeus rules Judea 99–93 Civil war in Judea between rebels against Alexander Jannaeus and his supporters; as many as 50,000 people are killed; Jannaeus finally suppresses this rebellion and crucifies 800 Pharisees (Josephus) 76–67 Salome Alexandra reigns as Queen of Judea 63 Hasmonean period ends; Judea becomes a client kingdom of Rome c.37–4 Herod reigns Judea c. 20 Philo of Alexandria is born 6 CE Judea becomes a province of Rome c. 32 Jesus is crucified by the Romans 38–41 Riots against the Jews in Alexandria, supported by Flaccus, the governor, and largely ignored by Gaius Caligula, the emperor c. 40 Philo of Alexandria writes Embassy to Gaius 66–73 The Jews rebel against Rome; the Jerusalem Temple is destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE; the rebellion is fully quelled three years later 115–118 Jewish rebellions against Roman rule crop up throughout the empire, leaving Jewish communities, particularly those in the vicinity of Alexandria, devastated 132–135 The Bar Kokhba revolt, which results in the Jews’ expulsion from Jerusalem; Rabbinic community moves to Yavneh and the Galilee c. 200 The Mishnah, first Rabbinic code of law, is written down 5th cent. The Jerusalem Talmud is edited and redacted 6th cent. The Babylonian Talmud is edited and redacted (it will still be subject to small revisions over the next three centuries) 1 Half Messiahs 1. Daniel 7:13–14, 23–27 גי ההזָח ֵיבּ,תֲוֵ ְוְזֶח לֵי ָ,אְיֵיל עוַּראו ִםֲ - נֲע נָ מיֵשׁ כָּ,אַיְּ ראְב ַ שׁאֱנ ָההָת ֵ א;ֲו ַדְעָו - קתּמ ַההקאיטיַּעמוֹי ִד, ְָיָוּוֹמ ְִָ די ַעל ְָשׁלןָט ָ ְָשֵׁלנטהּ ָ ְיפלחוּן; לְִהּ ַָָליּנשּׁא,ֵ ְוִ ַָאיּמּא ֻ ְעַָמיּמא ְוֹכלַ וְַּמלכוּ, ִויָקר ְָשׁלןט, ָ יהב ְוֵלְִהּ ,ם ִ דּ י - א ְ,הדֶּעָלי ֵ . ְִיְוּבהרַהק . מוּ ַ ְ ל תוּכ ,הֵּ ִ דּ י - תאת ְַלִבָּלח ַַלבּל א גכ ןֵכּ,א ַח,רֲמ ְראתוֵי ִיעְָב ,מְאתָי יירְעבוּהכַלָ ָָאִיעְב(ר )ה וֱהֶ תּ אֵ אְ ב רַ עְ אָ יִ דּ ִשׁת נְ אֵ ןִ מ - ָכּל - ;ָאתְוְכַמל כּ,ֵֻלְאכתָו ָל - ְ,אעַאר ָ דכ ֲַעשׂר ְוַקְַָריּנא -- עוּ,כהּאמנּתִמ ְל כַהמרַַָשׂ ְְל ִןָיַ ן;וּמקי ֳָרְחֻאוְ חםןא י ,ֵןֹיְֲַהרוּקָ וא ְאןִמנְִשׁוּהי ֵ - ֵ,אְָימַקד . תוּ נִּשׁוּדְ ,הַּ דַּתְ ו נִּקְ הַּ ְִדּת הּ ִוְּת הכ ,ןיִלִּמוּ דַצְל אילע ע( )הָאָלִּ ,לִלַּמְ י דַּקְלוּ יֵשׁיִ נוֹיְלֶע ,ןיִ ;אֵלַּבְ י יְ ו ,רַבְּסִ נְשַׁהְל יָ הָ נְמִ ז ןיִ דְ ו ,תָ יְ ו ִ בןוּהְתי ֲַ . תוּ ְ ָ ל ָ ת המ כְלַ ,ןיִ ַשׁהְ י פְּ לִפּ שְׁי,י ְַה זכ מוּ ַ ְ ל תוּכ אָ ְ ו ָ שׁ ְ ל ָ ט ָ נ א . וכ ְָשֵׁלנטהּ ְוָ יתּב; ְִוָידנִאִ, העד הוּלָהָוֹבדַ ,ְלָָהשׁמדְ ְְַיעהדּוְַֹן - וֹס ָ פ א . ,עהּ ִַבּיֵדד - וןדִּעדּ יןְגןִָעְפנלָדִּע וּ ִַָ וּ יןְגןִָעְפנלָדִּע וןדִּעדּ בְתוּרוּ ,ָא יִ דּ לַ מ כְ וְ תָ תוְֹח תּ לָ כּ - ָ,אַיְּשׁמ ַבלְ,תהי שְׁםַקעִדּי ֵעיִַי ן;ִימנוְֹיֶל ֵת,מלהּ ַעְתוּלכַ ,ָםלְוּכ ֹלְשׁכוַ ְָטל ָיַּל,אָנ הּ ןוְּחלִפֵי ְ ןוְּחלִפֵי הּ ָיַּל,אָנ ְָטל ֹלְשׁכוַ ,ָםלְוּכ ַעְתוּלכַ ֵת,מלהּ ן;ִימנוְֹיֶל ֵעיִַי שְׁםַקעִדּי ַבלְ,תהי ָ,אַיְּשׁמ . ְְִויַשְׁתּמּעוּן 13As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. 14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. 23 This is what he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth that shall be different from all the other kingdoms; it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. 24As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them. This one shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. 25 He shall speak words against the Most High, shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High, and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law; and they shall be given into his power for a time, two times, and half a time. 26 Then the court shall sit in judgement, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and totally destroyed. 27 The kingship and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High.1 2. The Aramaic Apocalypse (4Q246) 2 amlo<<b>>{{l}} akl[m -- ] .aysrk Mdq lpn trC yhwl[o -- ] 4Q246 f1i:1 4 3 Nybr|b[r -- ] .amlo do hta alkw Kwzj a|r[ -- ] KynCw zgr hta 5 ]rwta Klm[ -- ] 6 atnyd|m|b br NØyryCjnw[ -- ] .aora lo att hqo 8 7 -- ] 9 NwC|mCy alkw Nwdb|o[y -- ] aor|a «lo hwhl br [ -- ] Nyrx[mw . r[b|a ytqra wbCmh ytknh. 2 Nk atØwzj yd ayqyzk .hnwrqy Nwylo rbw rmaty la yd hrb 4Q246 f1ii:1 Cwdy Mol Mo NwCdy alkw aora 3 lo Nwklmy [N]ynC .hwht Nhtwklm 5 4 .brj Nm jØwny alkw la Mo MØwqy do ≤ ≥ .h[n]»ydml hnydmw alkw f«Cqb aora 6 [N]»ydy .fwCqb htjra lkw Mlo twklm htwklm abr la .Nwdgsy hl atnydm lkw 7 PsØy aora Nm brj .MlC dboy .yhwmdq hmry 9 Nhlkw hdyb Ntny Nymmo brq hl dboØw awh 8 hlyab .ymwht lkw Mlo NflC hnflC 1 All translations of Tanakh and New Testament are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). 2 I. ... [the spirit of God] dwelt on him, he fell down before the throne... O [K]ing, you are angry for every and your years....your vision and all. For ever you... [the gre]at ones. An oppression will come to the earth...a great massacre in the provinces...the king of Assyria [and E]gypt...he will be great on earth...will make and all will serve...he will be called (or: call himself) [gran]d...and by his name he will be designated (or: designate himself). II The son of God he will be proclaimed (or proclaim himself) and the son of the Most High they will call him. Like the sparks of the vision, so will be their kingdom. They will reign for years on the earth and they will trample all. People will trample people (cf. Dan. 7.23) and one province another province vacat until the people of God will arise and all will rest from the sword. Their (the people of God’s) kingdom will be an eternal kingdom (cf. Dan 7.27) and all their path will be in truth....2 3. Enoch 71:14–17 And [the angel] came to me and greeted me with His voice, and said to me, ‘This is the Son of Man who is born unto righteousness, and righteousness abides over him, and the righteousness of the Head of Days forsakes him not... he proclaims unto thee peace in the name of the world to come; For from hence has proceeded peace since the creation of the world, and so shall it be unto thee forever and for ever and ever. And all shall walk in his ways since righteousness never forsakes him: With him will be their dwelling- places, and with him their heritage, and they shall not be separated from him for ever and ever and ever. And so there shall be length of days with that Son of Man, and the righteous shall have peace and an upright way in the name of the Lord of Spirits for ever and ever.’3 4. Building on Genesis 6 “Sons of God” ב ְִרַויּאוּ ֵיְנב - יֱםלִהָהא ֶתא - וֹתנְבּ ָםָאָדה , יִכּ תֹבֹט ָהנֵּה ; ְוּחִקיַּ ו ֶםָהל .א ִיְהַוי ִיכּ - ֵלֵהח ָםָהדאָ , ָֹרל ב ַלע - יֵנְפּ ָָמהֲָאדה ; וֹתנָוּב , וְּדֻלּי ֶםָהל ד יםִִלְפנַּה וּיָה .ג ֶֹאַויּרמ ְהָויה , לא - ָיןוֹד ִירוּח ָםָבאָד ְֹעל ָםל , ַםַגְּבּשׁ , וּאה ָרָבשׂ ; וּיְָהו ויָָמי , ֵאָהמ ִיםְרְֶעשׂו ָהנָשׁ . ִיָנםשׁ , ִלֹכּמ ֲֶרשׁא ָָוּרחבּ . ֶץָבאָר , יִםָמיַּבּ ֵםָהה , ַםגְ ו ֲראַח ֵי - ןֵכ ֶרֲשׁא וּאָֹבי יֵנְבּ יִםֱלהָאה ֶלא - וֹתנְבּ ָםָאָדה , יְ ו וְּדלָ ֶםָהל : ָהֵהמּ ִיםרִֹבּגַּה ֶרֲשׁא ָוֹלֵעמ ם , נאַ שְׁ ֵ י שַּׁ ה ֵ םֵשּׁ When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. 3Then the Lord said, ‘My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’ 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterwards—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown. 5. Mark 14:57–62 57Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.”’ 59But even on this point their testimony did not agree.