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Historical and Social
Background
Greek and Roman influences:
-
Greek philosophy and
religious ideas influence early Christian interpretation of Jesus’ life
(ideas such as virgin birth, god-men, etc. are found in Greek religion but
are foreign to Jewish thought)
-
Greek culture - the
people speak Greek as the vernacular, the Hebrew scriptures had been
translated into Greek (the Septuagint); problems in translation also
influence later Christian reading of the Hebrew prophecies (e.g., Isaiah:
"and a virgin shall conceive")
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Roman political power
in the Holy Land causes many clashes with the Jewish people who desire both
civil relationships but also, ultimately, self-rule
Judaism in Jesus’ Day:
:
separatists concerned with ritual purity, emphasis on Torah and oral law;
but more flexible and "modern" compared to...
Sadducees:
their life lay in close connection to the temple and the ancient priestly
rites and rituals; they stuck strictly and only to the written law of Torah
rather than to the oral law found so important to the Pharisees; they died out
with the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE
Esseans :
mystical beliefs, monastic and ascetic withdrawal from the world/society into
a cooperative brotherhood focused on strict discipline, intense study of
scripture, acts of ritual purification (e.g., water purification rites of
baptism) and messianic expectations as an immanent answer to Roman
persecution; both Jesus and John the Baptist may have been involved or
otherwise influenced by this group; destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE
Zealots :
a revolutionary and political response to Roman occupation, more nationalist
than religious in nature; deep hatred for the Romans; ancient counterpart to
modern Zionism with same desire for Jewish self-rule
Messianic/Charismatic
personalities, expectations and movements: Esseans and Zealots were
expressions of an overall first century Jewish hope and expectation for the
promised "King of the Jews" (the Messiah); the people were
constantly on the lookout for potential messiahs and there were plenty to go
around. Jesus was one of many charismatic itinerant preachers wandering the
countryside, drawing followers in hope that "this might be the one"
they awaited. John the Baptist was part of this activity. However, the
"King" the Jews expected was to be a worldly, political ruler; the
Jewish messiah was to be no more than human. The Messiah, King and Savior
Christians view Jesus to be is quite different from Jewish expectations.
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