The Birth of Jesus Christ: Social & Political Background PDF

The Birth of Jesus Christ The Background of the Birth of Jesus Christ Adiel Nathan G. Caspe  GAP 400 Silent Years Old Testament New Testament Intertestamental Malachi...

The Birth of Jesus Christ The Background of the Birth of Jesus Christ Adiel Nathan G. Caspe  GAP 400 Silent Years Old Testament New Testament Intertestamental Malachi Period Matthew Deuterocanonical Period GAP 400 years The gap of time between the period covered by the Old Testament and New Testament. Protestant term for 400 years GAP - Intertestamental Period Catholic term for 400 years GAP - Deuterocanonical Period. Intertestamental is the period of two centuries between the composition of the last book of the Old Testament and the first book of the New Testament. 400 years when God did not speak by a prophet to the people (Israel). The word apocrypha means “hidden” while the word deuterocanonical means “second canon.” Pseudepigrapha refer to the Apocrypha of the Old Testament. The term "Pseudepigrapha" comes from Greek words (pseudo - false and epigraphe - to inscribe), which means false writings, refers to works that attempt to create Scripture under false names. The Graeco-Roman World - was the context of the birth of Jesus. An empire created by a young conqueror from Macedonia, Alexander the Great. Alexander dreamt of establishing one great empire, wielding the east and the west by spreading the Greek Culture (HELLENISM) and Greek Language (KOINE) throughout his empire.  Alexander the Great - did not live long to see his dream come true. Alexander the Great died at the young age of 33 in Babylon, and his kingdom was divided among the quarrelling generals. The Antigonids in Greece, the Ptolemies in Egypt, and the Seleucids in Syria.  Antigonus (GREECE) Seleucids (SYRIA) Ptolemy (EGYPT) The Greco-Roman Empire The Graeco-Roman World The large sea in the middle of the Roman Empire is called Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean came from the Roman word “Medi” meant “middle” and “terra” was their word for “land” (English “terrain”). The Hellenization of Palestine (Israel) The Greek culture and language influenced the Jews and had great impact on their religion. The Hebrew Scripture was translated into Greek (Septuagint) as a result of Hellenization. Ptolemies allowed the Jews to live in peace so the Jews enjoyed considerable degree of autonomy but remained passive. The Hellenization of Palestine (Israel) 198 B.C. Antiochus II imposed the Greek culture and religion on the Jews. 167 B.C. Antiochus IV strictly enforced Hellenism upon the Jews. He claimed he was the visible manifestation of Zeus (chief God of the Greeks) and called himself Epiphanes (Revealer of Zeus) demanded that the Jews worship him. The Hellenization of Palestine (Israel) Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) abolished three important Jewish religious practices: 1. Circumcision 2. Reading the Torah 3. Sabbath Some priest supported the Hellenization, while others condemned it. As a result, people became angry and crisis arose. Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Dynasty In response to the religious oppression by the Seleucids, the Jews revolted. Mattathias, the priest of Modein, led the first revolt. When he died his son, Judas, succeeded him. Judas was called “Maccabee” which means “Hammerer.” He wanted to restore religious freedom and independence. Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Dynasty In 165 B.C. Judah “Maccabee” successfully marched into Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple and restored Temple worship. Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Dynasty When Judas died his brothers succeeded him. They established the Hasmonean Dynasty ruled by priest-kings. The Jews enjoyed relative independence and autonomy, but soon the descendants of the dynasty quarreled over the throne. Civil war broke out. Roman Period In 63 B.C. the Jews who were divided into rival groups supporting two different kings appealed to Rome for arbitration. The Roman General Pompey, supporting one side, captured Jerusalem after a three-month siege. This marked the beginning of the Roman rule which was to last until the seventh century A.D., the time of Arab invasions. Roman Period In 40 B.C. the Roman Senate named Herod as King of the Jews. It was not until 37 B.C. that Herod finally ascended the throne. Roman Period When Jesus was born, Herod was the ruling King of Palestine. His greatest project in Jerusalem was the construction of the temple. He was called the “The Great” because he was a powerful ruler who built several structures such as theaters, amphitheaters, and gymnasiums around Palestine. Roman Period Herod forcefully imposed Hellenism by collecting heavy taxes from the people. Worst, Herod was ruthless and suspicious of people, even his family. He wanted no rival to the throne so he had spies all over the place to watch out for any disloyalty. He killed some of his family members and responsible for the killing of male babies in Jerusalem when Jesus was born. Roman Period Roman period was the environment of Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection. It extended until the conception of Christianity and the beginning of the early church. Many of the followers of Jesus and early Christians were martyred during the rule of the Romans in Palestine. Greek Influence/Contribution Hellenism brought by Alexander the Great. Hellenism consisted of Arts and Literature, Sculpture and Architecture, philosophy and Religious Belief. Hellenism is characterized by: - syncretism - universalism - individualism - democratization of learning Roman Influence/Contribution Romans were famous for their government, engineering and military tactics. Roman contributions to the Jews are the following: - Pax Romana (Roman Peace) - Safety - Infrastructure - Philosophy - Religion - Equality - Education Jesus Jesus was born to Jewish parents in the land we know today as Israel. Although Jesus lived in what was known as the Roman Empire, we have seen that Jesus and his countrymen were not Romans by nationality. Instead they were Jews. Jesus Jesus and his countrymen were natives of Palestine were not called Palestinians, but JEWS. The Jews were not only people who live in Palestine. The Jews have been conquered by the Roman Empire. Rome kept a strong military force in every country it occupied. TEMPLE was the most important religious structure to the Israelites. It was the center of all religious activity. The construction of the temple was first planned by David, but materialized by Solomon. The first temple built by Solomon took seven and one-half years to build. It stood for 350 years until Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 586 B.C. The second temple in Jerusalem was built during the return from Babylonian exile. The construction was led by Zerubbabel. This temple was smaller than the original and stood for five centuries until the Greeks robbed and defiled it. Third temple was built by Herod when he became ruler of Judea, about 16 years before Jesus’ birth. Bigger than Solomon and destroyed in 70A.D. TEMPLE TEMPLE The temple was divided into two rooms: - Holy Place - Holy of Holies (which contains the ark of the Covenant) Heavy curtain separated the two rooms. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, once a year during the Day of Atonement. SYNAGOGUE - took the place of the temple during the Babylonian exile. It serve as a meeting place of the Jews. It was a place for fellowship, study and services. - The synagogue has three functions: 1. House of Assembly 2. House of Prayer 3. House of Study PRIEST - served as mediator between man and God, and they were consecrated for this purpose. - consecration means they are separated from the people; separated from the profane and everyday activities to enter the temple. Three-fold Order of Priesthood 1. Levites – are descendants of Levi, belonged to the lowest order. Served as temple assistants, musicians, porters and guards. 2. Priest – are descendants of Aaron. a. to diagnose and cure certain diseases b. to inspect animals for sacrifice c. to instruct people in the ceremonial law d. to pronounce blessing on the people 3. High Priest – the supreme ruler of the people. He was always present when a new leader or ruler was appointed. He intercede with God for the rulers of the people. He served as the head of the Sanhedrin (Jewish high court). RELIGIOUS GROUPS 1. Pharisees. The term Pharisee originated from the Hebrew word parushim which means “separated ones”. The Pharisees were the strictest religious sect of their day. They were separated from the common people by their strict observance of the rituals, laws, and ceremonies of their religion. They were known for their blatant hypocrisy for which Jesus criticized them. They were very prominent during the time of Jesus. They composed a large portion of the Sanhedrin (Jewish high court) that any decision concerning Jesus or the church was bound to be unfavorable. RELIGIOUS GROUPS 2. Sadducees. The name came from the word Zadokites (to be righteous), the descendants of Zadok, Solomon’s priest. Their chief concern were temple worship, proper administration of sacrificial rites, and administration of public affairs. They recognized only the Pentateuch (Torah) as the authoritative Scripture. RELIGIOUS GROUPS 3. Essenes The term Essenes could have come from the Aramaic word “hasen” which means “pious”, or from a Hebrew word which means “the silent ones.” This religious sect was not mentioned in the Bible, however, they were a group that flourished in Jesus’ day. Their main objective was to achieve a standard of absolute holiness. They were celibate, and avoided ordinary pleasures as something morally bad. The Dead Sea Scrolls are thought to be part of the library of the Essenes. The Scrolls were hidden in clay pots in a cave, which were later discovered accidentally by a shepherd boy in 1947 near Khirbet Qumran. RELIGIOUS GROUPS 4. Zealots They formed the radical left wing and at the same time were the legalist, pietist, messianist and nationalist. The Zealots resisted the coming and intrusion of foreign rulers in their national affairs. Their aim is to liberate their nation from foreign rule by taking arms. Interestingly, one of the disciples of Jesus, Simon the Zealot or the Canaanite, was one of these people. NON-RELIGIOUS GROUPS 1. Publicans They were the tax collectors employed under the Roman government. They were despised by other Jews because they aided the Romans in oppressing the people by collecting exorbitant taxes. The Pharisees called them sinners for oftentimes they had pocketed large amounts of money for themselves. Jesus, however, befriended them and even called one of them, Matthew, to be his disciple. NON-RELIGIOUS GROUPS 2. Herodians These were a class of Jews that existed at the time of Jesus, and supporters of the dynasty founded by Antipater. They favored the Roman government and opposed the Jews who were hostile to Rome. To improve their social and political standing, they took a stand for Roman domination. They joined the Pharisees in a plot to destroy Jesus. NON-RELIGIOUS GROUPS 3. Scribes The task of the Scribes was to interpret the Law and serve as teachers of the Law, gathering and forcing students to memorize the Sacred Law. They became expert copyists and interpreters of the Scriptures. They devoted themselves to a careful study of the text and laid down rules for copying it with reliable correctness. The Scribes were a rigid as the Pharisees in observing the Law. Jesus called them hypocrites, white sepulchers, offspring of vipers, blind guides and extortionist. NON-RELIGIOUS GROUPS 4. Samaritans The Samaritans came into being as a result of the Assyrian invasion of Palestine. They were products of intermarriage between the Israelites left in Palestine and the heathen brought into this country by Assyria. They were a mixed race with a mixed religion. The Jews despised them because they were ceremonially unclean, and did not allow them to join in their religious community. The Samaritans built their own temple in Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. This place is believed to be where Abraham sacrificed Isaac.