THE JEWS AND JUDAISM DURING THE GREEK PERIOD Books by W. 0. E. OESTERLEY, D.D. Ancient Hebrew Poems. 6s. An Introduction to the.Books of the Old Testament. ios. 6d. An Introduction to the Books of the Apocrypha. ios. 6d. Immortality and the Unseen World. A Study in Old Testament Religion. Bs. 6d. Readings from the Apocrypha. 3s. 6d. The Gospel Parables in the Light of their Jewish Back­ ground. 7s. 6d. The Wisdom of Ben-Sira (Ecclesiasticus). 41. 6d. The Wisdom of Egypt and the Old Testament. In the light of the newly discovered "Teaching of Amen-em­ Ope." 6s. The Wisdom of Solomon. 3s. 6d. The Sayings of the Jewish Fathers. (Pirke Aboth.) 5s. Tractate Shabbath. (Mishnah.) 6s. The Psalms. Translated with Text-critical and Exegetical )< Notes. 2 Vols. each r6s. The Psalms, Book III (lxxiii-lxxxix). Hebrew Text. 5s. The Psalms, Book IV (xc-cvi). Hebrew Text. ¥• WITH G. H. BOX, D.D. A Short Survey of the Literature and Rabbinical and Medi~val Judaism. 7s. 6d. WITH T. H. ROBINSON, D.D. Hebrew Religion: Its Origin and Development. ios. 6d. LONDON: S.P.C.K. THE JEWS AND JUDAISM DURING THE GREEK PERIOD: THE BACKGROUND OF CHRISTIANITY By W. 0. E. OESTERLEY D.D., Litt.D. LONDON SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, W.C.2 NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY First publish,d z.941 MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN PREFATORY NOTE THE importance of the study of Judaism-i.e., the Jewish religion as developed during and after the Exile, and especially the forms it assumed during the Greek period-needs no insisting on. Christianity was born of Judaism, the study of which is a necessary prelimin<!,ry to the understanding of much that we read in the New Testament. In many respects Judaism was, under divine providence, a preparation for Christianity. To illustrate this is the main object of the present volume. It will be found that there are a large number of passages quoted from Jewish writings belonging to the Greek Period. We have given many quotations in preference to merely indicating references, because the editions of the • writings in question are not always easily available to the _general reader. It must be emphasized that this book is not intended for specialists in the subject; rather, it is written for those who may be interested in the somewhat intricate inves­ tigation, but who are unable to find the time to study the sources and the various works of authoritative writers, English, American, German, and French, who have done so much to further information and knowledge, and to whom the present writer is much indebted. Our object is to deal with the more outstanding and funda­ mental subjects; various subsidiary matters are, therefore, omitted. The illustrative material could have been greatly increased; but we felt that that was not necessary; to be exhaustive in this would be wearisome. It will be found that here and there some repetitions occur, but these could not well be avoided. Warm thanks are due to Dr. Rowley, who has most kindly read through the manuscript, and made some valuable sug­ gestions. W. 0. E. 0ESTERLEY. V CONTENTS P.A.G.B PREFATORY NOTE V PART I HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION CHA.P. I. GENERAL HISTORICAL SURVEY i. The Conquest of Persia to the Death of Alexander the Great 11. From the Death of Alexander the Great to the Conquest ofCrele-Syria by Antiochus iii 3 m. From the Death of Alitiochus iii to the Down- fall of the Syrian Kingdom I I II. THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS DURING THE LAST THREE PRE-CHRISTIAN CENTURIES 16 i. Jewish History during the Third Century B.c. 16 ii. Hellenistic Influence upon the Jews 19 iii. The History to the Eve of the Maccabrean Revolt • 21 iv. The Maccabrean Revolt. The Hasmonrean High-priesthood 26 v. The Jews under Roman Sovereignty 38 PART II THE SOURCES III. THE SCRIPTURES i. The Hebrew Canon 42 ii. The Greek Canon 46 iii. The Use of the Scriptures in the New Testa- ment 53 vii viii CONTENTS CJIAP. PA.OK IV. THE LAW AND THE ORAL TRADITION 56 I. The Law, or Torah 56 ii. The Oral Tradition 58 lll. The Law in Post-Biblical Jewish Literature 59 iv. The New Testament and the Law 66 V. THE APOCALYPTISTS AND THEIR LITERATURE 69 i. The Apocalyptists 70 ii. The Apocalyptic Literature 74 VI. THE INFLUENcr- OF PERSIAN THOUGHT AND TEACHING 85 I. The Stages Preceding and Following Zaro- astrianism 85 u. The Ancient Persian Scriptures 86 Ill. An Outline of Persian Eschatological Beliefs . 88 lV. The Period of Persian Influence on Jewish Eschatology . 90 PART III THE THEOLOGY OF EARLY JUDAISM VII. MONOTHEISTIC BELIBF 93 i. Monolatrous Worship 94 ii. The Greek Period 97 iii. Divine Transcendence 103 iv. Jewish.Teaching and Christian Belief 108 VIII. UNIVERSALISM AND PARTICULARISM I I[ i. The Universalistic Outlook. I I I ii. Jewish Particularism . u5 iii. The New Testament Teaching I 18 IX. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 120 i. The Time of Primeval Happiness, and its Looked-for Return 1 21 ii. The Kingdom of Yahweh • I 24 iii. The Signs of the End 1 26 iv. The Teaching of the Apocalyptists I 28 v. The Teaching of the New Testament 132 CONTEN'I'S. IX CIIAP. PAG'lt x. THE MESSIAH: THE FIRST PHASE OF BELIEF 137 i. The Teaching of the Old Testament 137 ii. The " Messianic " Person . 140 iii. The Teaching of the Apocrypha and other uncanonical writings 143 XI. THE MESSIAH : THE DEVELOPMENT OF BELIEF I 52 i. Messianic Teaching in the Apocalyptic Litera- ture 152 ii. The Seeking after Truth I 59 iii. The Fullness of Belief in the New Testament 160 XII. THE DocTRINE OF Sm AND RETRIBUTION 165 I. The Origin of Sin 165 ll. The Prevalence of Sin 169 lll. Retribution 170 iv. The Obliteration of Sin 172 v. Our Lord's Teaching on Sin and Forgiveness 174 XIII. BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY: THE OLD TESTAMENT . 1 76 XIV. BELIBF IN IMMORTALITY: THE APOCALYPTIC LITER- ATURE 186 i. The Judgement 186 ii. The Resurrection 188 m. Heaven . 191 iv. Hell 194 v. The Teaching of the New Testament 196 PART IV WORSHIP xv. THE TEMPLE 199 XVI. THE SYNAGOGUE 211 XVII. PERSONAL RELIGION 219 X CONTENTS PART V TEACHERS CHAP. PAGE XVIII. THE SCRIBES XIX. THE WISDOM TEACHERS XX. THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES XXI. THE EssENEs. THE THERAPEUTiE PART VI BELIEF IN INTERMEDIATE SUPERNATURAL BEINGS XXII. ANGELOLOGY XXIII. DEMONOLOGY XXIV. RETROSPECTIVE SUMMARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX PART I: HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I GENERAL HISTORICAL SURVEY WHILE our main concern is with the history of the Jews, a brief reference to the outstanding events of world-history during approximately the last three pre-Christian centuries is de~anded; for it need hardly be said that in various ways, sometimes directly, at other times indirectly, the Jews were affected by the world of their surroundings. This was a period during which, as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great {he died in 323 B.c.), the world underwent some remarkable changes in almost every sphere. Of these changes, those in which we are here more particularly interested were: {I) the intermingling of peoples of different nations, with a consequent universalistic tendency among certain circles of the Jews ; {2) the use of Greek as an international language, whereby the interchange of thought among the nations was facilitated; (3) the influx of oriental influences, the result of which was that religious beliefs were affected in various degrees. These far-reaching consequences, arising out of Alexander's conquests, were not affected by the ultimate break-up of the world-empire which he founded. I THE CONQ,UEST OF PERSIA TO THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT It was in the year 334 B.c. that Alexander's advance east­ wards began. In this year was- fought the battle of Granicus (the name of a river in Bithynia), which, as Diodorus (Hist. xvii. 19, 21) says, shook the edifice of the Persian empire to its foundations. Although the Persian forces under Darius iii Codomannus greatly preponderated, he suffered a very I 2 THE JEWS AND JUDAISM DURING THE GREEK PERIOD severe defeat. Other blows followed: the fall of Halicarnassus, and the surrender to Alexander of the whole of Lycia and Pamphylia; similarly, Paphlagonia submitted to him. But Darius had not given up the struggle. There followed the battle of Issus in Cilicia (October 333 B.c.), at which the Persians were again badly beaten. Darius retired into Meso­ potamia, where, for the present, he was safe. Alexander now turned southwards, his initial purpose being to take possession of the Phrenician coast-cities, for the . Phrenician ships had constituted the main part of the Persian fleet, the destruction of which was essential. Moreover, he could not prosecute his chief object, the invasion of Egypt, while leaving hostile cities in his rear. In addition, he needed the wealth to be obtained in Egypt before continuing his campaigns. The leading Phrenician city at this time .was Tyre; other· cities had submitted, but Tyre refused to receive Alexander. It was, therefore, necessary for the city to be subdued. The siege began in January 332, but it was not until July or August that the city fell. On his entry into Tyre, Alexander, we are told, offered sacrifice to Melkart, the god of the city (identified with the Greek Heracles). The only other city that offered any resistance during his further advance southwards was Gaza, which held out for two months before it was captured.1 The whole coastland of Syria, Phrenicia, and Philistia was thus mastered by Alexander, and he was now free to advance upon Egypt.