Introduction to NT

Tim Stephenson

- 4 minutes read - 693 words

Background

  • 722 Assyrian conquest of the north (Israel)

  • 526 Babylonian conquest of the south

  • return from exile - a mixed result

  • 336BC the goat from the west (Daniel 8:1-14)

    • the two horns = Medes and Persians

    • The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off [Alexander’s premature death], and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven [Alexander’s four generals who took over and divided the kingdom]. Daniel 8 (NIV)

  • Ptolomies vs Selecuids (successors of Alexander)

  • 167BC Antiochus vs Maccabees - forced hellenisation

  • What this entailed - 1 Macc 1:44-50

  • The abomonation of desolation was the pinnacle of this (1 Macc 1:54)

  • Jesus refers to this in the so-called eschatological discourse in Mk 13:14

  • Mattathias and his zeal (repeated) (1 Macc 2:15-28 cf Num 25 6-13 and Phil 3:4-6)

    • I and my sons…​

    • zeal echo’s Phineas in Numbers

  • 164BC recapture followed by rededication (Hanukkah) Jesus in Jerusalem for this in John ?10?BC

  • Jonathon Apphus accepts High Priesthood (Real high priests had fled to Egypt and built alt. table)

  • Hasidim (possibly forerunners of Pharisees) disapproved

  • Simon Thassi 143-135

    • Wonderful moment when Syrian taxes were reduced

  • John Hyrcanus (3rd son of Simon)

    • Forced coversions, recaptured Galilee and idumea; destruction of Samarian temple

  • King Aristobulus

  • Alaxander Jannaeus

    • expanded borders tto that of David / Solomon

    • Hardened factoinalism when sides with Suddducees to crucify 2K? Pharisees

  • Queen Salome Alexandra

    • peace

  • Aristobulus initially supported by Rome; Antipater helps Hyrcanus win Roman support

  • Pompei enters temple but not struck dead (hmm! but died shortly thereafter)

  • Antipater helps Caesar in Egypt and wins many concessions

  • The Hasmonean dynasty - highs and lows

    • initial revolt glorious, just and uniting with independence in some ways a golden age

    • marred with division, cruelty etc

  • Herod the Great dies 4BC

  • Romans withold title of king making Archeleus ethnarch (higher than tetrarch)

  • Taxes go right up (hence census of Quirinius) - both roman tribute and temple tax extracted and calculated with no regard of one for the other

  • 26AD Pilate arrives *

The parties

  • Lots of rehabilitation of Pharisees in academic circles. Not quite the pantomime villain made out to be but not angels either. Philosophy was to build a fence to avoid getting close to breaking a law. Queen Alexandra had favoured them but most of the others preferred Sadducees. Many of the people liked the idea of post mortem justice.

  • Sadducees Aristocracy created and therefore reliant on Herod the Great. No fate just personal responsibility. Not much known now as modern Judaism largely reliant on Pharisees traditions.

  • Essenes Disillusioned by change from lunar to solar calendar. Idea of John the Baptist being an Essene not so popular now. Baptism is different, once for all not regular (as Essenes). John’s gospel felt very Greek before finding sons of light and sons of darkness quotes in Dead Sea Scrolls.

  • Zealots Pharisaic? (according to Josephus) War inspired by echos of Maccabeens

Power vs engagement dynamic

  • Sadducees : in power disengaged

  • Pharisees: not in power but engaged

  • Essenes: disengaged but influential

  • Zealots: highly engaged not waiting for God

What makes you a 1st C Jew?

  • Election: The chosen people

  • Monotheism: bizarre in their time. Romans tolerated because it was an ethnic thing (cf Christianity)

  • Eschatology: End times

  • The Land

  • Torah (The Law but not just law also revelation)

  • The Temple

  • Circumcision

  • Food laws and Sabbath

Still in exile? (associated with NT Wright)

  • Romans in charge

  • Has God’s presence returned to the Temple?

  • Still awaiting deliverance / forgiveness

Criticised for applying it too widely but seems credible to Peter Turnill

Hopes and fears

  • more exile and destruction

  • messiah

  • subjugation of gentiles

  • rule of God

Jesus

  • born somewhere between 6BC and 6AD

  • Aramaic speaker (and more, probably? Greek, Hebrew and even Latin are possible)

  • Being a techtone (construction worker) lkely worked on building Greek cities

  • Educated but not formally

  • Lay person not priest or theologian

  • Peasant but not the poorest of the poor

  • Crucified 7 Apr 30 (Meir) or 3 Apr 33 (years in that area with a passover on the Sunday) baseed on John’s chronology

Mindmaps