 Seminar 1: "Between the Testaments" Lesson 6
Introduction The children of Israel had been sent away captive to Babylon. They hung their harps on the willows because they could not sing the songs of Zion in a strange land. From the time of their captivity, that is, from the last prophet Malachi, unto the coming of Christ would be 400 years of prophetic silence. The harps were silent and the voice of God was heard no more throughout the land. Israel had ceased to be an independent country and was a mere slice of Mesopotamia, just another oft conquered territory. She was taffy in the hands of vacillating monarchies for 400 years. Sometimes favorably treated, but most often downtrodden. Few of the captives were allowed to return to the land under Ezra and Nehemiah. The remainder had already spread like wild seed over the vast then known world. In every city and every nation there were known settlements of Jews. It is no wonder that on the day of Pentecost, recorded in the book of Acts, there were men of every nation under heaven gathered for that Jewish holiday. (Pathians, Medes, Elamites, and dwellers of Mesopotamia, Judea, Capadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and parts of Lybia, Cyrene, Rome, Cretes, and Arabians.) Greek historians such as Strabo, Philo and Josephus all testify to the dispersion of Jews everywhere in the inhabited earth. Josephus declared that they were "widely dispersed in all the world among its inhabitants." With 400 years to mingle among the inhabitants of other nations it is a wonder that there were any true Jews left. Yet the Jewish nation kept its eyes fixed on Jerusalem, generation after generation. The Law of God they carried with them became the solidifying factor. Jews still married Jews. Genealogies were meticulously kept. Lineage was still as important to the Jew as one's own name; it cannot be forgotten. So clear was the unmixed race of Jews that exact boundaries could be traced in any district within the Jewish quarter. Great care was given to research and study genealogies to preserve accurate records to establish the purity of descent. Official records regarding the priesthood, of course, were kept in the Temple. Besides this the Jewish authorities had a general official register which mad Herod burned in an attempt to destroy records of the kingly and priestly line. ===================================================================== Part 1: EASTERN DISPERSION: ===================================================================== The EASTERN DISPERSION, those who remained in the east, the Trans-Euphratic Jews numbered in the millions. One historian writes "So dense was the Jewish population in Persia that Cyrus forbid the return of further exiles lest the country be depopulated." (p6) They were often kindly treated under the Persian regime, and again under Alexander the Great. It was the wealthiest and most influential Jews that remained behind in the countries of exile. The Eastern dispersion remained Hebrew and tenaciously attached to mother Jerusalem. So much so that fire-signals atop mountains relayed the signal to distant mountains the beginnings of each months ceremonial festivities. The Hebrew language, however, was not so easy to retain. The Jewish tongue became Aramaic, both in Palestine and in Babylonia. The common people were totally ignorant of Hebrew. It became such a crisis that translators (Methurgeman) had to be employed to translate the reading of Scriptures into the vernacular at public services. This was the origin of what is known as the TARGUMIM (or targums), or paraphrase of Scripture. The translator was forbidden to write down, or read his targum lest it be confused as equal in inspiration as the Hebrew Scripture. Their use became necessary and sanctioned until the second century A.D. The Babylonian Jews highly respected the Law of God. With zeal they attached themselves to it in every letter. Scribes meticulously copied the original Hebrew text counting the words, letters, and accent marks lest a "jot or tittle" be lost. This zeal for preservation of the Law led to the development of the MISHNAH, or the Second Law, which served to explain and supplement the first Law. Then commentaries on the law, the MISHDRAH, became popular. Jewish theology developed along two lines: the Halakhah, and the Haggadah. THE HALAKHAH (from halak, to go) became the Rule of the Spiritual Road, and when finished had even greater authority than the Scriptures of the Old testament. Its purpose was to explain and apply the Law. THE HAGGADAH, on the other hand, (from nagad, to tell) was only personal sayings of a teacher of the law, and was only valued because of the popularity of the teacher himself. It had no authority in doctrine, practice, or exegesis. "Strange as it may sound almost all the teaching of the synagogues were based on the Haggadah," which characterized Jewish traditions of men. ===================================================================== Part 2: THE WESTERN DIASPORA - HELLENISTS OR GREEKS ===================================================================== The Jews in the Western part of the world were less attached to the old Hebrew ways. Though they had the same innate nationalism, fervency for the Law of God, and love for Jerusalem, their minds were to be influenced in a more worldly direction. The Jews in the west became known as "Hellenists" or Greek influenced Jews. The Greek culture made strong impressions on their lives. They were intensely Jewish to be sure, but their new culture pressed in on them on every side, whether in the forum, the marketplace, or the street. The Greek influence was all around them. Greek critical thought and philosophies brought questions and ideas foreign to their eastern brothers. Greek civilization was polished, elegant, and highly attractive. The Hellenistic Jews became the thinkers of their faith. They searched for truth, reasoned with their senses, and researched the Scriptures for deeper meanings. They studied the letter of the Law while their eastern counterparts studied the tradition of the Law. So troubling was this Greek influence to the Jewish fathers that a ban was placed on anyone who studied Greek Wisdom. Yet Greek thought and influence could not be outlawed. It was to be found everywhere in the Greek world even at the doorstep of Palestine. ===================================================================== Part 3: THE LOST TRIBES ===================================================================== There were originally 12 Tribes of Israel. The Northern Ten Tribes called Israel, went into captivity to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. The Southern Tribes, Judah, went into captivity to the Babylonians in 587 B.C. Israel's tribes were so far flung to the corners of the globe that only the few that returned 'en masse' under Ezra and Nehemiah, mainly constituting just the two Southern Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) of the twelve tribes. The other 10 tribes were for all intents and purposes lost in the morass of gentile lands. The Lost Tribes of Israel has become the object of much speculative theology and has bred many cults. It will be interesting for the student to do some outside reading on some of these philosophical arguments regarding the Lost Tribes. Run a search for "lost tribes" on the Internet to see just what comes up. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The tribes of Israel were 12 in number and * * named after the sons of Jacob. They are: * * * * Reuben Gad * * Simeon Asher * * Levi Dan * * Judah Naphtali * * Issachar (Joseph) - Ephraim & Manasseh * * Zebulun Benjamin * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ( M E M O R I Z E T H I S L I S T ) * * * Jacob (whose name was changed by God to Israel when he wrestled with the angel) was the father of 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel. The Levis were the tribe of priests and were not allotted land in the promise land, but Joshua gave them 48 towns. (Joshua 21:1-45) Joseph was the father of two tribes. Jacob adopted his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Thus they made up for the political and military requirement of 12 tribes (Levi being excluded.) Moses and Joshua numbered the people in a census given in the first chapter of the book Numbers. The Levites were excluded from the census and Joseph portion was Ephraim and Manasseh. |