Jewish Culture II via Adam Huschka The Dead Sea Scrolls • Found at Qumran. o The wilderness surrounding the Dead Sea is the lowest point of human habitation on the face of the earth. • The Dead Sea Scrolls are the greatest archaeological discovery ever made in Israel. • The members of the Qumran sect were extremely religious and spent their time copying and preserving their sacred scrolls (Tanach, Oral Law, stuff composed by the Qumran society). • Their once vibrant community contained a library, an assembly hall, and an elaborate water storage system. • In the very heart of the community was the Scriptorium where many Dead Sea Scrolls were written. • They are written on parchment, mostly animal leather. • Of the 10 major scrolls published to date, only 1 was written in Aramaic and the other 9 in Hebrew. • The Qumran community also wrote several original books intended only for members of their community. o All of these scrolls were written in Hebrew. • All their correspondence was also written in Hebrew. Evidence Supporting the Theory that Hebrew was the Main Language of Jesus and that the Synoptic Gospels were Originally Written in Hebrew • The belief of many, especially contemporary Jewish scholars, is that Hebrew was the main language used in Roman occupied Palestine. Thus their belief is that the Synoptic Gospels were originally communicated in Hebrew and later translated into Greek. • “A kind of legend developed about the whole subject of the language we call Aramaic.” o It was the language spoken by the Jews in Babylon. Historical Evidence • During the time of Jesus (“Second Temple Judaism”) Hebrew was used by the common people. • During the time of Jesus (“Second Temple Judaism”) Hebrew was even the language used in synagogue. Interpretative Evidence • “Almost certainly, Jesus would have spoken Hebrew. We can understand many phrases in the Synoptic Gospels only when we understand the language behind the Greek is Hebrew, not Aramaic.” o Many of the Gospels’ expressions are meaningless in Greek (Ex: good eye vs. bad eye; abolish and fulfill) o For example, if Luke 5:17-26 was originally communicated in Hebrew, then we can important insight into the anger caused by Jesus saying He

forgave the man’s sins because the Hebrew word “salach” (translated in English “forgive”) is used in the Bible only of God forgiving sins. Therefore, the anger was a result of Jesus applying an ability to Himself that is attributed only to God in the Hebrew Bible. • “The language of the gospels is Hebrew in Greek dress.” (Hebrew translated into Greek.) o The Greek is poor Greek. o The problem, according to David Bivin, is that the average English speaker learns Greek from an English point of view. The key is not only knowing the Greek, but the Hebrew as well. o Any Hebrew scholar who reads the Greek text will see the underlying Hebrew. o According to Bivin, it is very easy for a Hebrew speaking person to translate the Greek texts into Hebrew. His assertion is that this is further evidence that this is actually what happened. o The Greek translates into very good Hebrew. Rabbinic Evidence • We have at least 5000 rabbinic parables from ancient times and every one of them is written in Hebrew. o No one has ever “found” evidence of a 1st century Rabbi who taught in anything but Hebrew. • There exists no early church tradition of an Aramaic or Greek original of the Gospels, only Hebrew. Archaeological Evidence • In Masada (Herod’s mighty fortress on the Dead Sea), over 700 pottery fragments with Hebrew inscriptions have been found. • For many scholars, the Dead Sea Scrolls provide overwhelming evidence that Hebrew was the common language and thus the original language of the Gospels. The History of Jewish Persecution Prior to Christianity • Jewish persecution goes all the way back to the time when Judaism began to prove itself different than its Greek and Roman neighbors. • Jewish attacks started in Alexandria (Egypt). After the Rise of Christianity • The Roman Emperor Hadrian, in 135 AD, destroyed Jerusalem and rebuilt it, renaming it Oelia Capitolin after himself and greatly persecuted the Jews. • As a result of such early Roman persecutions in the middle of the 2nd century, the church to the west took on these old anti-Semitic feelings of the Romans and the Christians treated the Jewish believers as heretics. • John Chrysostom, a 4th century church leader, said of the Jews, “the Jews have been delivered into the hands of demons. They are only fit to be butchered…” • One basic foundation for the Jewish persecution was Chrysostom declaration that the Jews’ killed Jesus and that they were worthy of nothing more than death. World War II • 6 million Jews were killed by Hitler in the Holocaust. • The Yad Vashem (in Israel) is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

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o Along the street of the Gentiles, at the museum, there are trees planted in memory of those who assisted Jews during the Holocaust. o The Hall of Remembrance at the Yad Vashem is constructed of unhewn stone to remind us of the altar of sacrifice at the Temple. o The doors of the Hall of Remembrance are designed to remind us that the people were slain as a sacrifice in Germany. For Jews in concentration camps, the motto was, “Work makes you free,” because if you could work it was unlikely that you would be exterminated, if you couldn’t you were certain to be exterminated. When it was apparent that the Nazis would lose, the extermination increased. o The Nazis planned to keep the exterminations secret. One of the main reasons for the nation of Israel was the Holocaust. o The bulk of the initial residents were survivors (plus about 700,000 refugees from Arab countries.) Two major things lost as a result of the Holocaust were: 1. many ancient Torah scrolls, 2. great minds.

Evidence that Jesus was a Jew He was Born to Devout Jewish “Parents” • Judah was a Jewish province of the Roman area. • Joseph was the 2nd most common Jewish name for men in the 1st century. • Mary was the most common Jewish name for women in the 1st century. • Jesus was given His name on the 8th day at his circumcision which shows that Jesus was totally Jewish (that His parents were devout). Luke 1:21 • Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for Passover every year. Luke 2:41 o In His day, most Jews visited Jerusalem at Passover once in their entire lifetime. Jesus’ Life • The Gospels tell us that at least at times Jesus wore a tallit (prayer shawl). Matthew 9:20 • Jesus lived according to the Law of Moses. o No where in the Gospels is there evidence that Jesus broke the teaching of Torah. • The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are the principle sources where we get our earliest pictures of Jesus and they tell a story about a Jewish Rabbi with authority. • The Gospels even list examples of Jesus obeying the Oral Law. o The Gospels provide significant evidence that Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi with Shmeha (authority). Jewish Christians (“Messianists”) • From the 1st century onward, Christianity forbade the Jewish Christian to keep the commandments, persecuted them, increasing the separation between the Jewish and Western churches. • Based upon archaeological findings of Christian artifacts in ancient synagogues, it is clear that believers continued to worship in a Jewish setting for some time.

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The Jewish church was vibrant and alive in Israel until the 10th century. o The Crusades happened in the 11th.

Jewish Education • At the age of 3 (when the child began to talk) children began to memorize the Tanach. o They memorized and recited certain blessings. • They were taught to sing and chant the Tanach in Hebrew. • Jesus’ lifestyle and teaching style suggest that He was educated in the common Jewish educational method of His day. • “It is in the Mishnah that we find the key for understanding the early childhood and upbringing of Jesus.” • Education has always been emphasized in Jewish culture; for many it is the highest form of worship (“love God with all your mind”). • Jewish education in the 1st century did not begin in the school, nor was the school its end. o The most important aspect of 1st century Jewish education was the home. • When he could walk, they would take them on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. • Jews were taught how to read for the purpose of reading Scripture. o It is important to understand that Jewish education was not for the purpose of earning a living. • The first book of the Torah that a young child was taught to read was Leviticus. o Many speculate this is because Jewish education was found around the training of a priesthood, and Leviticus was the Jewish priests’ manual. • A primary condition for being a Jew was knowing what the Books of Moses had in them. • Steps of development according to tractate Pirke Avoth (in the Talmud): 1. Age 5 – Study of Scripture aka (Bet Sefer)  Began to memorize the Torah (many believe that they started with Leviticus).  Those that were successful went on to Bet Talmud. There was no foul in not being successful, the only foul would have been a failure to apply oneself. RVL speaks about this by saying it would not be fair to expect every kid to make the NBA, the majority just don’t have what it takes. 2. Age 10 – Study of Oral Law (Mishnah) aka (Bet Talmud)  Students in Bet Talmud had the whole Torah memorized.  The average child of the Jewish community in Jesus’ day would stop their formal education at the age of 10. That is, only the best of the best went on from Bet Sefer into Bet Talmud.  Begin memorizing the rest of the Tanach.  Half the day spent in Bet Talmud, the other half spent “plying a trade”. 3. Age 13 – Bar Vitza (son of the covenant, now responsible for their own action before God) 4. Age 15 – Study of Talmud (Jewish commentaries) aka (Bet Midrash)  Students in Bet Midrash had the entire Tanach memorized.

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Only the best of the best of the best made it to Bet Talmud. Students who thought they had what it takes would go to a Rabbi that they thought they could be like and ask them if they could be their talmid.  If the Rabbi thought they had what it takes they would say (this process took months), “Come, follow me.”  At any point in the next 15 years a Rabbi could say, “No, I don’t think you have what it takes, go ply your trade.” 5. Age 18 – Marriage 6. Age 20 – Pursuing a vocation 7. Age 30 – “Enters his full vigor” o Jesus baptized by John. o A talmid would either “graduate” or return to a trade. Jewish Homes • A central feature would have been a courtyard in the middle of the home which provided fresh air and light to the surrounding rooms. • Each home of the 1st century would have had at least one cistern (for drinking water). Jesus’ Rabbinic Teaching Style • There are several features found in the Gospels (pertaining to Jesus) that are consistent with what one would expect to see from a Rabbi: 1. Scribes came to Him and asked Him questions, 2. He traveled from place to place throughout the country (He was an itinerant teacher), 3. He had band of disciples that followed him and studied with Him (only Rabbis with authority had disciples), 4. He taught using Rabbinic methods (i.e. Parables, he used nature a lot, he asked a lot of questions). o All of the above features are found in the lives of other Rabbis from Jesus era. • The term “come follow me” was actually a term meaning “come study with me”, “come be my student”, “come be like me” and was used by Rabbis. o The individual being called had to leave everything to go study under the Rabbi. o Typically the disciples were servants of the Rabbi. o Rabbi comes from “rav” which means teacher or great or master. • Jesus often took a text from the Bible and made a slight change in the wording (technical term: “alluding”). He was not making a mistake, but was drawing attention to the point He wanted to make. o The people of Qumran did this same thing. • He taught in Hebrew. • He used parables. • “Sitting at the feet of” is a technical term used by the rabbis for being a talmid (disciple). Lord’s Prayer

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According to Dr. Wilson, it is questionable if we can understand the Lord’s Prayer in English or Greek. But, when we put Jesus’ words back into Hebrew we understand what He was saying. o To Hallow/Sanctify the Name of the Lord is the opposite of profaning it. o We sanctify the name of the Lord by our righteous living.  The Hebrew word for sanctify literally was used to refer to someone who suffered martyrdom for the righteous way of life. o “Give us this day our daily bread” literally means “this day’s bread” and thus Jesus is telling us to live one day at a time.  Hillel said, “I must bless the Lord this day.”

Messianic Texts that Jesus used to Demonstrate that He was the Messiah • Zechariah 9:9 o When John the Baptists’ disciples asked, “Are you the one to come or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:4) – they were referring back to Zechariah 9:9 and asking “Are you the king that is to come? Are you the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9?” o Jesus answered them by the rabbinical method and quoted what the Messiah would do as recorded in Isaiah, chapters 29, 35, 42, and 61. • Micah 2:12-13 o In Matthew 11:12, when it says we shall take the kingdom by force, Jesus is alluding back to Micah 2:12-13 where it tells of God assembling all of His people together like sheep in a fold then a breaker will go before the king and will break down the fence. This verse simply speaks of John the Baptist according to the ancient Jewish writings, as they called him the Breaker that would come before the Messiah. • Ezekiel 34 (Son of David will come and seek and save the lost) o In Luke 19:1-10 and the story about Zacchaeus Jesus identified himself as one sent to seek and save the lost sheep.  Sycamore trees don’t have leaves on the bottom branches. • Daniel 7:13-14 and the term “Son of Man” o Son of Man was thought to be one of the most supernatural phrases in the Bible in Jesus’ day. o Son of Man was a well known Messianic title. o In a sophisticated, Jewish, cultural way, when Jesus referred to himself as the “Son of Man” he was claiming to be the Messiah over and over. Messianic Expectations of Jews in the Time of Jesus • The Messiah would come and meet His people in the wilderness. o Jesus went out to the wilderness to be baptized. Messianic Concepts Fulfilled in Jesus but Not Common to the Jews of His Day • Jesus not only claimed to be Messiah, but God Himself. o It is important to understand that the Jewish people of Jesus’ day did not believe/understand that the Messiah would be God.

 Jews believe in one God, period (not the trinity). o Ultimately, it was Jesus’ claim to be God, not Messiah, that got Him in trouble with the religious establishment.  His claim to be able to forgive was a claim to be God.  His claim to be able to “give rest” was a claim to be God. • In the Tanach it was only God who granted rest.  In the Gospels there exists a progression from Son of Man to Shepherd to King. Three things that only God claims to be in the OT. Mishnah (Oral Laws) • •

There is a descending order for ritual immersion baths, a flowing river being at the top of the hierarchy. Jesus obeyed at least some of the Mishnah: o When He healed on the Sabbath, he used words, not “sav” or touch. This is keeping with what the Mishnah commanded. o Oral Law taught not to call God by name; never once did Jesus use God’s name (He used words like Heaven).

Pharisees • One of many religious sects in Jesus’ day (Ex: Catholics, Evangelicals, Methodists, etc.) o Pharisees were one of the more liberal groups of the people. o Among them there was a very conservative group whom the Pharisees themselves called “the hypocrites among us” (see 1 thru 5 below).  Almost every harsh interaction Jesus had with “the Pharisees” was with this very strict group. • Jesus’ teaching was so Pharisaic that many top scholars believe Jesus actually belonged to one of the many different groups of Pharisees. • Jesus’ teaching was definitely more in harmony with the Pharisees than any other sect in His day. • In Matthew 23:3-3 Jesus goes so far as to say, “Practice and obey whatever they tell you…” • We know from the ancient writings of the Pharisees that there was no one as critical toward the Pharisees as the Pharisees themselves. • This means that when we read Jesus’ apparently harsh language addressed to the Pharisees, Jesus was doing exactly what all the Pharisees did, that is, openly criticizing the movement. o Just like Christians today ardently disagree about what a Christian “is”, so the Pharisees disagreed about who a “Jew” was. • The ancient Talmud records 7 types of Pharisees (1-5 hypocrites; 6-7 righteous): 1. Shoulder Pharisee – carried heavy burdens on their shoulders. 2. Wait-Just-a-Moment Pharisee – always wanted to be excused to do another good deed.

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3. Bruised Pharisee – walked with eyes down to avoid lustfully looking at anyone or thing, and thus he kept running into walls. 4. Pestle Pharisee – walked with his head bowed down like a pestle in mortar. 5. Calculating Pharisee – who was always saying, “Tell me what good deed I might do to off-set a bad deed” that I want to do. 6. God-Fearing Pharisee – Pharisee like Job. 7. God-Loving Pharisee – Pharisee like Abraham. Jewish scholars claim that the final two categories made-up the majority of the Pharisees.

Roman Culture in the Life of Jesus • There are four types of execution allowed by Jewish law and crucifixition was not one of them (it was a Roman method of execution). o Only the Romans had the authority to crucify someone in Palestine in Jesus’ day. • Stucco was used in Jerusalem in the 1st century but was introduced by the Romans. Sanhedrin, Temple Aristocracy, and Sadducees • Sadducees = Jewish sect that supported Roman occupation because Rome allowed them to be the ruling party of the temple (the priests). o Typically categorized as not “text people” and thus liberal in their interpretation of Judaism. o So locked to the Temple and its practices were they that when the Temple was destroyed in AD 70 they ceased to exist as a Jewish Sect. o The area where the first century Sanhedrin were buried is called Sanhedria. o Jesus’ teaching struck at the heart of Sadducee theology. • Sanhedrin = the Jewish high court in Jesus’ day (Supreme Court) o Consisted of 71 members. o Made up by the Temple aristocracy. • Temple Aristocracy = those who were very wealthy and who ruled over the Jewish Temple and were also in good standing with Rome. o Made up mostly of Sadducees. o They lived in Upper Jerusalem, in the portion of the city that literally stood higher in elevation than the Temple itself and thus was the very wealthy lived. o Archaeologists have found homes from the Temple Aristocracy, most notably the “burnt house”. o These homes were destroyed only 30 days after the destruction of the Temple. o The burnt house was a 15,000 sq.ft. palace. The Temple Mount

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Many scholars believed that the events of Acts 2 actually happened on Monumental Staircase (Southern Staircase) leading up to the Temple Mount. Evidence to support this includes:

o 3000 Jews gladly received Peter’s words concerning Jesus and were baptized. Acts 2:38 o Within the Monumental Staircase was found a huge ritual emersion bath large enough to baptize all 3000 in a few minutes.  This bath was there because the Jewish people had to immerse themselves before entering the Temple. o It was here on the staircase that the Jews assembled on the three main feasts of the year: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. o The word “house” in Acts 2:2 referred both to an individual’s home or the Temple.  See Matthew 21:13, the word translated “house” is the same as that referred to in Acts 2:2. o Acts 2 happened on the day of Pentecost, a day Jews traditionally gathered on the Monumental Staircase. o The people were Jews (making it all the more likely they would have been at the Temple.)

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o The people came from many different countries (making it all the more likely that they were gathered at the Temple, a “public” place as opposed to a home. o They were all gathered in one place. o They were sitting together. The double and triple gates about the Monumental Staircase were called the Hula Gates.

Theology Forgiveness • No where in religious history has this point of forgiveness been emphasized the way Jesus did. He knew the tremendous force of freedom in forgiveness. The Kingdom of God • The Jewish concept of the Kingdom of God is the realm where God is ruling. • The Jews taught that the first reference is in Exodus 15:18. • Something of now, not the future. • The Rabbis talked about the Kingdom of God daily. • It was thought that anyone who recited the Shema (Deut 6:4-5) had taken upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom. • “The kingdom of God is where Jesus is operating and where He is operating through His disciples.” o I am God’s representative, regain the wonder. Faith • In the Hebrew language, the word for worry is literally the antonym for the word for faith. Rest • The term “give rest” is used 35 times in the OT and it was always used in conjunction with God. Family of God • According to the Bible there are only 2 classes of people, those who belong to the family of God and those who don’t. Eternal Life • The life you have when you live God’s way. A very rabbinic idiom common in Jesus’ day. • When you obey Torah, then you are really alive.