New Testament Chapter 2

Gentile

people who are not Jewish.

Which of the following is not characteristic of the Pharisees?

practiced celibacy

Zealots

radical anti-Roman Jews who advocated armed rebellion against the Roman forces.

Hasmonean Dynasty

(142-63 BCE) After defeating Antichus and reestablishing independence, the Maccabees established a Jewish state ruled by the Hasmonean Dynasty. Hasmonean being the official family name of the leaders of the Maccabees. Jewish sects, including those that would eventually be known as "Pharisees" and Sadducees," emerged at this time.

What were the unifying practices of first-century Jews?

Basic fidelity to Mosaic covenant (Decalogue circumcision) · The typical first century Jew did not endeavor to follow every letter of the law · The Decalogue was a non-negotiable · The commandment of circumcision would also have been kept · Most would have followed the food laws as best they could Basic allegiance to Jerusalem and the temple (mainly in the homeland with more ambivalence in the Diaspora) Participation in local Synagogue for worship and community issues ·Began to emerge in the Persian period ·Both in Palestine and diaspora ·Not a church

Messiah-

Christ. Jesus does not refer to himself as the Messiah but does not refute it when he's called the Messiah. An Aramaic word meaning "anointed one" it designated a promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish people.

8."common falsehoods" about ancient Judaism (drawing on Levine article)

Christian caricatures of Judaism are typically formulated as a way to assert the superiority of Christianity- as if Jesus came along to correct Judaism's shortcomings But if your love for Christianity, and your proclamation of the gospel is predicated on a prior degeneration of Judaism, then you are missing Christianity from the start. · Judaism was never a monolithic religion. It was quite diverse o A wide spectrum of possibilities depending on: § Where they lived § Social class § Affiliation with the temple (and type of affiliation) § Their view and reaction to the Roman occupation § Their approach to Torah § Their expectations for Messiah · Jewish law was never burdensome or oppressive. It is a blessing. · Judaism was never about "earning" salvation. It is about God's grace and human response to that grace. o Jesus did not come to correct Judaism on this score · Judaism was never inherently misogynic. It was relatively progressive within ancient systemic patriarchy. o And this includes common Jewish approached to divorce o Jesus did not come to correct Judaism on this score · The Jewish God was never "distant." Rather both transcendent and intimate. o Jesus did not come to correct Judaism on this score · Judaism was never inherently exclusivist. It encouraged Gentile affiliation and envisioned an idea future of divine blessing upon the Gentiles. o Powell tackles this on page 49-50 o To be clear, there are exceptions to this rule. But it is rule. · Judaism was not "against" Jesus and the early church. Part of the first century Jewish diversity included Jesus and the early church. o His main opponents were conventional leaders within Palestinian Judaism, while his followers were Jewish

Passover

During the last supper, a final Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples on the night he was arrested; the context that gave rise to Christian celebrations of the Lord's supper (Eucharist, Holy Communion) Originally the Passover - During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, Passover was a spring festival that was connected to the offering of the "first-fruits of the barley", as barley was the first grain to ripen and to be harvested in the Land of Israel.[9] The festivals now associated with the Exodusbegan as agricultural and seasonal feasts but became completely subsumed into the central narrative of Israel's deliverance from oppression at the hands of God.[10]

Which ruling family ruled an independent Jewish state until civil wars made them ripe for conquest by the Romans?

Hasmoneans

Christ

Jesus was a devout Jew from a Jewish family. Anointed one. The man known as Jesus the Christ eventually came to be simply Jesus Christ.

Maccabean Revolt

Jewish rebels nicknamed "Maccabees" led a revolt against Antiochus and won independence. The temple, (defiled by Antichus) was rededicated in an event that would come to be commemorated through the Festival of Hanukkah.

Which group led a successful Jewish rebellion to gain freedom from foreign rule?

Maccabees

First Jewish Revolt

Palestine became unstable in the latter half of the first century. Passionate Jewish Rebels knows as Zealots eventually led an all-out war against Roam (66-73CE) that had disastrous consequences for Jewish people. The city of Jerusalem was conquered and the temple destroyed in 70C.

8.Know the differences between Pharisees and Sadducees as outlined in the class handout, "The Diversity of First-Century Judaism." Know three major points of disagreement as mentioned by Powell.

Powell's points of disagreement: 1) Sadducees did not believe in life after death and they were skeptical of nonbiblical stories regarding angles and demons. 2) The regarded only the Pentateuch (the first five books of our OT) as sacred Scripture. 3) Pharisees emphasized Torah and synagogues, the Sadducees were priests who focused on sacrifices and temple worship. Social Class: Sadducees- Mainly priests, aristocratic, based in Jerusalem. Pharisees- Teachers of more local influence, especially Galilee View of Roman Occupation: Sadducees- accepted it and benefitted from it Pharisees- Varied View of Hellenistic Culture: Sadducees- open, within limits Pharisees- Varied, but generally less open than Sadducees View of Torah obedience: Sadducees- Only written Torah; Priest held to highest standard, others do basics Pharisees- Developed oral Torah to interpret written Torah: All Jews should follow as completely as possible Messianic Expectations: Both: Varied

Sanhedrin

a ruling body of the Jewish people during the time of Roman occupation; composed of the high priest, chief priests, and other powerful Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin was granted authority for matters of legislation that did not require direct Roman involvement.

Circumcision

a surgical procedure that removes the foreskin of a penis in the Jewish tradition, the rite is viewed as a sign of the covenant that God had made with Israel.

Diaspora

Term meaning dispersion refers to Jews living outside the traditional homeland of Palestine.

Abraham

The Jewish people as a history began with God's selection of Abraham and Sarah and with God's decision to have a special relationship with all of their descendants (known as the children of Israel) The chosen people. Land. Gentile blessing.

Decalogue

The Ten Commandments

Exodus

Through Moses, God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt.

Septuagint

a Greek translation of the OT produced during the last three centuries, BCE. The Septuagint (abbreviated as LXX) incudes fifteen extra books that Protestants call the Apcrypha (eleven of these are classed as deuterocanonical writing by Roman Catholics).

Mishnah

a collection of rabbinic discussions regarding interpretation of the law of Moses. The Mishnah forms one major part of the Jewish Talmud.

Synagogue

a congregation of Jews who gather for worship, prayer, the Torah study, or the pace where they gather for these purposes.

Covenant

an agreement or pact between God and human beings that establishes the terms of their ongoing relationship.

Hanukkah

and eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Jewish temple in 164 BCE.

Essenes-

ascetic, separatist Jews who lived in private communities. They probably identified with the group that lived at Qumran and preserved a library of manuscripts now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Which of the following is not characteristic of the Essenes?

associated with the Jerusalem temple

Moses

deliverance from Egypt- Israel's most formative collective experience. Introduced the celebration of the Passover. Moses implies both liberation and law. Gives the law at Sinai.

Pharisees

one of the major Jewish groups active during the Second Temple period; the Pharisees were largely associated with synagogues and placed high value on faithfulness to Torah; most rabbis and many scribes were Pharisees.

Sadducees

one of the major Jewish groups during the Second Temple period; the Sadducees were closely associated with temple in Jerusalem and were concerned with maintaining the sacrificial system; most priest appear to have been Sadducees.

Herod the Great

ruled all of Palestine from 37to 4 BCE. He was adept at political maneuvering (switching sides at exactly the right time politically). He was a master builder. He was responsible for expanding and refurbishing the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He will always be remembered for "the massacre of the innocents" described in Matthew 2:1-18. He was considered to be half Jewish, but he was viewed by the Jewish people as a foreigner and Roman collaborator. Known as the Puppet King.

Torah

the law of Moses, as contained in the Pentateuch; or, frequently, a synonym for "Pentateuch" (referring, then to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.

Aramaic

this was the common language for Jesus and other Palestinian Jews. A Semitic language similar to Hebrew that was native tongue for Jesus and many other Jews living in Palestine during the New Testament period.

8. Be able to describe/explain the significance of the unifying scriptural story and unifying practices of first-century Jews.

· Jesus was a devout Jew from a devout Jewish family. · Jesus' disciples were all first century Palestinian Jews · The first Christians were simply Palestinian Jews who believed that Israel's promised Messiah/ king had come in person of Jesus and they would have remained Jews for their entire lives · Paul was a Jew both before and after his conversion · Even as Christianity became something different from Judaism, it still retained many Judaism's traditions and beliefs, not to mention it's scriptures. · Some prisoners think that Jesus was the first Christian and that he founded the religion but it was a form of Judaism and the Jewish origins continue to be significant. Not only for understanding Christian History, but also for how we understand the meaning of scripture today. Christianity continues to be rooted in Jewish stories, beliefs and even customs. · Without some foundational knowledge in ancient Judaism, we are more susceptible to misreading the NT, and if we misread the NT, what will that say about our theology.

Temple-

· Jewish temple or Jewish Temple, may refer to the Temples in Jerusalem o The First Temple, destroyed by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 BC o The Second Temple, destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 AD o The Third Temple, based on a futuristic prophecy

What were the unifying beliefs of first-century Jews?

· One creator God; Goodness of God's creation o The creator is sovereign · God promised to be faithful to Abraham's descendants o Descendants/ land/ blessing · Through Moses, God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt · Through Moses, God called Israel into covenant of holiness · God gave promised land to Israel o Makes foreign conquest/ occupation problematic o Problem of violence · God raised up kinds to unite Israel and emulate virtue · God delivered Israel from bondage in Babylon · God will remain faithful to the Davidic royal line