Chaos ruled as the New Testament opened. Everyone missed the calm which passed through their midst. When chaos becomes ordinary, calm seems too out of character to be pleasing. Having Roman control in Jerusalem had an effect on Jewish worship, thereby changing many things from a religious point of view. While the priests, temple, and Sanhedrin functioned almost the same as always, there were major differences. For one, the high priest became a political position, and a distraction. When Herod Archelaus was deposed, Quirinius, the Syrian governor, appointed Annas as high priest. However, the newly appointed prefect Coponius held the vestments of the high priest in his quarters at the Antonia Fortress which was next to the temple. The prefect then held the power of when the high priest could perform his official duties. In addition, the act of capital punishment was given to the prefect and taken from the Sanhedrin (Jn 18:31).

Annas was able to maintain his position as high priest for approximately ten years. Within the next three years, the prefect Valerius Gratus instituted and deposed three high priests before instituting Annas’ son-in-law Caiaphas as high priest who maintained the position for the next eighteen years. Caiaphas was high priest during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Mt 26:57). Yet Annas still had much power and persuasion on how things went (Lk 3:2) and why he could hold an audience with Jesus even though not being the high priest (Jn 18:13). Because the position of high priest could be bought, this could be why Annas was able to get seven family members to become high priests in future years as well. He and his family had a corner of the market, so to speak. They had money changing stalls on the Mount of Olives to turn pilgrims’ money into temple shekels since that was the only coinage the temple would take. This allowed him to charge high exchange rates. They also had these stations in the temple courtyard as well as stations where people could buy animals for sacrifice rather than carry them great distances when they traveled – again at high prices. This allowed his family to become very rich, very influential, as well as very corrupt. They were also very much disliked by the common people. However, this affluence allowed them to be better known in society circles. While this did not necessarily endear them to the Romans, or vice versa, it allowed them to play the political game to stay in power and maintain their social prestige.

Therefore, many of the Sadducees embraced the Greek, or Hellenized, lifestyle and pandered to the Romans as needed. This kept them aligned with the aristocracy of the day and enabled them to maintain their accustomed status. The Pharisees, on the other hand, liked neither the actions of the Sadducees nor the Romans. They identified more with the common people and were the ones who taught at the synagogues. The Sadducees served only at the temple in Jerusalem and so were somewhat out of touch with the common people. Although the Sadducees outnumbered the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees spoke for the people, so the Sadducees had to listen to them or suffer the reprisal of the people. It was a delicate balance. The Pharisees brought the ear of the common Jew while the Sadducees brought the ear of Rome to which they were held accountable. Therefore, the Sanhedrin had to find the middle ground that would not be too unfavorable for both sides. Not an easy task.

Therefore, all eyes were diverted from what was really important. The people’s eyes were on Rome and their oppression. The priests’ eyes were on their position and stature, and how to maintain it. The Jewish leaders were trying to preserve their heritage and way of life at the very time the one to whom their heritage and way of life pointed was already in their midst. May we not follow suit but keep our eyes focused on the one who really matters.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As the New Testament opens, chaos ruled with not just one dominant force in the world, but two: Rome and Parthia. They were considered equal in strength and as much as Rome tried, it never took Parthia. A détente had been established between the two, but this was always tenuous. As stated earlier, the border between the two was the Euphrates River and Syria was the Roman border state to help keep that peace.

It is interesting that these tenuous times was when God decided to fulfill his promise to Adam and Eve (Gn 3:15). There was always potential war between Rome and Parthia. If war had broken out, then Jesus would not have been able to accomplish what he did. Also, there was much tension between Rome and the Jews in Judaea. The prefect in Jerusalem had to be on high alert during Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) as there was a large influx of Jews during these feast times. This was a time when Jewish Zealots would often try to incite the crowds against Rome. Then there was the clash between the Greek/Roman and Jewish cultures which was like mixing oil and water – they did not mix well. The Jewish culture was very conservative, modest and would display no images as that was considered against the Law of Moses (Lv 26:1). However, the Roman and Greek cultures had no issues with public displays of nudity at athletic events and believed their gods wanted public displays of images to show their devotion. Therefore, the Romans had a very tough time keeping peace and order in such an environment.

By New Testament times, there were congregated Jews not only in Judaea but also in Egypt, Syria, Greece, Rome, and other prominent cities throughout the Roman Empire. Their religion was protected by Roman law, but they usually formed tight-knit groups because they did not blend in well with the surrounding cultures. Also, because an orthodox Jew could only travel certain distances on the Sabbath, they had to be close to their synagogue which almost invariably created “Jewish Quarters” in whatever city they lived. Many of the synagogues were treated as colleges so as to get around the Roman law that forbade secret societies. Unless in large cities, many Jews probably did not see Roman soldiers that often, yet the presence of Roman authority was known and ever present. This was especially true at the time of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot when many Jews and Jewish proselytes would attend in person in Jerusalem for these pilgrimage feasts. Then Rome’s present was quite evident. Rome made it quite clear who was in charge.

Although Herod the Great had his flaws and his agendas, he probably was one of the last rulers who really understood the Jews’ actions and thought process. It became very apparent that his son, Archelaus, did not since the Jews in both Judea and Samaria demanded he be removed from office. The prefects who ruled Judaea were also not often sympathetic to the Jews and considered them irritating. Most of the prefects did not reside in Jerusalem but in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast in northern Samaria which had more of a Roman atmosphere. They would usually come to Jerusalem only during feasts times as they knew they would need an extra vigilant watch for the potential of a Jewish insurrection. There were often anti-Semitic attitudes that prevailed. Some of them were the following:

• Worshipping one God was often held against the Jews. Because the Jews worshipped only one God and not the pantheon of gods as did the Greeks and Romans, they were often considered responsible for any disasters that befell a community. However, at the same time, many Greeks and Romans were fascinated by the radical idea of monotheism which they found philosophically elegant.

• The privacy of the temple was held against the Jews. Because what went on inside the temple in Jerusalem could only be observed by the priests, rumors started that the Jews sacrificed human beings. For example, it was widely believed that when the Roman general Pompey took the city and entered the temple, he liberated a Greek prisoner who was being fattened for the sacrifice.

• Keeping the Sabbath was held against the Jews. Because the Jews maintained that no work was to be done on the Sabbath, Jews were considered to be lazy by many Greeks and Romans. This thought can be found in the Fourteenth satire of the Roman poet Juvenal (c.67-c.145).

• Jewish customs were held against the Jews. The customs, laws and dietary restrictions of the Jews were regarded as strange and often led many Greeks and Romans to make jokes, sometimes good-natured, but usually not.

• Keeping the Law of Moses was held against the Jews. Many considered them to be ignoring the laws of the state in which they resided. Of all accusations against the Jews, this one is the oldest; this is what Haman accused the Jews of in the story of Esther (Es 3:8).

• Jewish society was held against the Jews. Jews were believed to be antisocial. Most Jews lived in close proximity to each other and to their synagogue. However, orthodox Jews could only travel certain distances on the Sabbath and so they had to be sure they were in walking distance to their synagogue. This did not mean they were antisocial, but likely became so when received with anti-Semitic attitudes from the surrounding peoples.

• The practice of circumcision was held against the Jews. It was considered “mutilation of genitals” and barbarous. The Greeks and Romans thought the Jews circumcised their boys to prevent them from assimilating into society. Greek philosophy considered the body the vehicle of the soul and so many Greeks and Romans could not understand this “lack of integrity” of one’s body.

Pontius Pilate was one such prefect who had these views. He was appointed prefect of Judaea about the same time that Tiberius Caesar let Lucius Aelius Sejanus rule as his regent. Sejanus was very anti-Semitic in his policies. Pontius Pilate ruled with the same attitude. No previous prefect had brought images into Jerusalem because of the Jews’ beliefs. However, Pilate brought effigies of Tiberius Caesar on ensigns into the city of Jerusalem under the cover of darkness and created quite an uproar of opposition. Pilate threatened to have all the complainers killed, but rather than back down they bared their throats and stated they would gladly die for the cause. This caused Pilate to rethink the situation and he backed down instead.

On another occasion, Pilate had votive shields bearing the emperor’s image on them attached to his palace in Jerusalem. After much complaining, the Jews finally appealed to Tiberius Caesar in Rome who then requested Pilate to remove them and take them to his palace in Caesarea.

A third occasion was when Pilate used money from the temple to fund the construction of an aqueduct. Many Jews were again outraged about this. However, this time, Pilate had his soldiers dress like, and scatter throughout, the thousands of protestors who had gathered to complain to him. At his signal, the soldiers drew knives and killed as many as they could before the others fled. These may have been the ones killed whose blood Pilate had mingled with the temple sacrifices (Lk 13:1-2) to further infuriate the Jews.

So, this was the world into which Christ came. Seems strange, doesn’t it? But isn’t that when we need him the most? Don’t we need someone in the midst of our confusion, chaos, and turmoil to bring perspective and right thinking? Isn’t that why we still need him today?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Over time the Jewish mindset and word view changed. In our last post, we discussed how there were many different cultures within what the Romans called Syria, their border state between themselves and the Parthian Empire. Rome was used to parceling out areas of one state into another to gain favors, to increase revenue, and to gain tighter power. The areas which the rulers of the Hasmonean Dynasty had gained for Israel were now just areas for Rome to use as favors. What those who Rome allowed to rule these areas didn’t realize were that Jews were different from other cultures. In their mind, a Jew was a Jew. They didn’t try to understand their, to them, nuisance differences. Yet these differences led to many clashes, both within Israel and between Israel and Rome. The Jewish leaders at the time had to work hard to keep Rome from removing their positions and wiping them out of existence. Unfortunately, to do that, many compromises were made. Let’s see how Israel got to this point in the first place.

Rome didn’t occupy Judea until the mid-first century BC – and by invitation. Prior to the Maccabean Revolt, Antiochus Epiphanes deposed the high priest Onias in 174 BC and installed Jason, the brother of Onias, as the high priest which broke the tradition of the first-born becoming the succeeding high priest. Onias fled to Egypt. In 171 BC Menelaus bought the high priesthood from Antiochus and became high priest. Up until this point, all high priests from the time of Solomon were descendants of Zadok’s line (1Ki 2:35). Therefore, the Zadok high priest lineage ceased from 171 BC until 23 BC when Herod the Great appointed Simon son of Boethus (a descendant of Onias V from Zadok’s lineage) as high priest due his love for Simon’s sister Mariamne II. Simon rules as high priest from 23-4 BC. Menelaus was determined to bring Judaism into the modern world and helped Antiochus to Hellenize the Jews: bringing in athletic games (where competitors competed nude) to Jerusalem and established an idol of Zeus in the temple. Conservatives were in an uproar and led to the Maccabean Revolt which we have discussed previously.

The priests started to fall into two camps: (1) those who favored and adopted Greek ways – Hellenizers – who became the Sadducees, although they were not as extreme as the Hellenizers themselves. These were also more of the aristocratic group who usually held the high priesthood; (2) those who wanted to stay loyal to Judaism – called Hassidim, or “Pious ones.” These had strict observance of the law and were called Separatists and later came to be the Pharisees.

Simon Maccabee became high priest in 141 BC when Parthia overcame Seleucid control and gave autonomy back to Judea. Simon was recognized by the priests and elders as high priest, military commander, and ruler of Israel. He began the Hasmonean dynasty but was assassinated in 135 BC. John Hyrcanus became high priest and ruler after his father Simon Maccabee from 135-104 BC. He forced Idumea, or Edom, south of the Dead Sea, to become Jewish proselytes. Herod’s grandparents were of this forced conversion – they outwardly portrayed to be Jewish but did not live that way. John Hyrcanus also destroyed the temple in Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. The Qumran settlement (northwest shore of Dead Sea) began at this time. The Essenes were of the line of Zadok and formed as a group to study scripture because they wanted no part in the secularization of the high priest role by the Hasmoneans.

Aristobulus I (Jewish name Judah and son of Hyrcanus) reigned for one year. He pushed Judah’s borders to include Galilee. He was the first to assume the title of king. His brother, Alexander Jannaeus ruled from 103-76 BC. He brought the Golan Heights (east and northeast of the Sea of Galilee) to be within the Judean borders. He established Gamla which became a town of zealot activity (where five-thousand Jews committed suicide rather than being taken by the Roman army). He hated Pharisees, was immoral, and not well liked. He once had eight-hundred Pharisees crucified at a banquet and he massacred six thousand Jews at a Feast of Tabernacles because they pelted him with citron leaves to show their disfavor of him when he attended the feast.

Salome Alexandra (76-67), the wife of Alexander Jannaeus, was the antithesis of her husband. After his death in 76 BC, education and peace spread – called the Golden Age. She died in 67 BC.

Hyrcanus II was the son of Alexander and Salome and was favored by the Pharisees. Aristobulus II, also the son of Alexander and Salome, was favored by the Sadducees. Civil war broke out between the two sons. They both went to Pompey, a Roman military leader to seek assistance. Pompey favored Hyrcanus II. For a price of giving up the independence of the Judean kingdom to Rome, Pompey helped Hyrcanus II overcome his brother, and Aristobulus II was put into Roman prison. Judea then became a Roman province attached to Syria, and Hyrcanus II became the high priest from 63 to 40 BC.

Antipater, the father of Herod, was governor in Idumea. He supported Hyrcanus II and became procurator In Judea. He made his son Phasael the military head of Judea and made Herod the military governor of Galilee. When Aristobulus II was released from prison, his son Antigonus overthrew Hyrcanus II and cut off Hyrcanus’ ears. Therefore, Hyrcanus II was no longer able to be high priest because the Law forbade a priest with a physical deformity to serve (Lv 21:16-21).

Antigonus had genealogical right to be high priest. He got Parthia to dislodge all power of Hyrcanus II and Herod. Herod fled to Masada and later went to Rome to seek assistance. Parthia ruled Palestine for three years (40 BC to 37 BC). Herod got the Roman senate to make him officially “king of the Jews” and allowed to take the land back by force. With Roman forces, Mark Antony led an invasion to drive the Parthians back east of the Euphrates River. Antigonus was captured, taken to Rome, and executed. Mark Antony tried to drive the Parthians back further and attacked them in Armenia; however, he was severely defeated and barely escaped with his life. Détente lasted between Rome and Parthia from 36 BC to 58 AD.

Herod the Great was the son of a Jewish proselyte and a Gentile mother who was Nabataean. His religion was Jewish, his race was Idumean (Edomite), culturally he was Greek, and politically he was Roman. This is where things stood as the New Testament opened. Although Herod had his faults, many of them, he was probably the last one who understood the Jews. After him, clashes only escalated, and Rome became even more brutal. As you can see, a King of Peace was really needed. Odd how we often reject the very thing we really need. We haven’t really changed as human beings, have we?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens