CHAPTER 2 Historical Setting of the New Testament How this chapter is organized: Historical and political backgrounds Religious and philosophical backgrounds Cultural backgrounds Historical and Political Backgrounds THE INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD 18 Close of Old Testament history at about 400 BC Development of religious writings and Judaism Canonization of the Old Testament Council of Jamnia- c. AD 90 The Septuagint (LXX) C. 250-150 BC Hebrew scholars translated the Hebrew canon into Koine 19 Greek LXX Roman numeral for 70 used as a quick reference to the Septuagint 80% of the quotations of Old Testament passages in the New Testament come from the LXX Changes observed between the Old and New Testament periods in Israel Roman occupations of the entire region 18 The term Intertestamental Period is refers to the period between the approximately 400-year period between the Old and New Testaments. This period is sometimes called the Interbiblical Period. 19 Koine is a Greek word meaning common. This refers to the form of Greek spoken and written commonly throughout the Greco-Roman world. Koine Greek was used as the common language from about the mid-fourth century BC to about the mid-fourth century AD. It is also the form of Greek used by the New Testament writers.
Judaism is more advanced and organized that in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah Sanhedrin the judicial arm of Judaism (not present in the Old Testament period) Synagogue 20 some think synagogues developed during the Exilic Period Pharisees and Sadducees political/religious parties within Judaism Chronology of the Intertestamental Period 00-70 Persian Rule 70-34 Greek rule 34-37 Jewish Independence 37-00 Roman rule 400 BC 330 BC 166 BC 63 BC 1 BC Figure 7 Chronology of the Intertestamental Period GREEK CAMPAIGNS AND INFLUENCE Alexander the Great Son of Philip of Macedon 334 BC Conquered down along the coastline of Palestine to Egypt in 332 BC Built Alexandria in Egypt Alexander visited the high priest at Jerusalem ( Josephus, Ant. 11:325-339) Died at the age of 32 in 323 BC in Babylon 20 Synagogue comes from two Greek words meaning to assemble together. It refers to the assembly of Jews for worship. 27
Division of the Greek Empire after Alexander s Death 21 Ptolemy Dynasty in Egypt Controlled Egypt and Palestine after 323 BC First of Alexander s successors to control Jerusalem The Ptolemy dynasty controlled Palestine until 198 BC Seleucid Dynasty in Syria Seleucus I ruled over Syria Began competition with Ptolemies for control of Palestine Seleucid control over Palestine Figure 8 Ptolemy I Antiochus III (Seleucid) (201-198 BC) Took control of Jerusalem from Ptolemies after 122 years of Ptolemaic rule Had favor and support of the citizens of Judea (Josephus, Ant. 12:138) Began the process of Hellenization Greek Language Greek Culture Greek Religion Figure 9 Seleucus I EARLY ROMAN THREATS TO GREEK DOMINANCE Rome won the Second Punic War (defeating Carthage) 218-201 BC Rome then defeated the Macedonian monarchy in 197 BC Battle of Magnesia (in modern Turkey) - 190 BC Ended Seleucid power in the West 21 Alexander s empire was divided among four of his generals. However, only the Ptolemy and Seleucid dynasties are important for this study. 28
Peace of Apamea (188 BC)--imposed heavy indemnity on Seleucids Importance Rise of Roman power Distraction of the Seleucids from Palestine Historical Setting of the New Testament Annual indemnity payments to Romans created financial problems for the Seleucids leading to their willingness to accept bribes from Jews wishing to be the high priests in Jerusalem Onias III - Zadokite 22 high priest Jason Brother of Onias III Offered large bribe to Antiochus IV to become high priest Promised to expedite the process of Hellenization in Jerusalem Menelaus - 171 BC Also bribed for the high priesthood in Jerusalem Not of Zadokite priesthood In control of the Temple in 167 BC when Antiochus IV converted it to a temple to Zeus Antiochus IV Seleucid king from 175-163 BC Called himself Antiochus Epiphanes ( the manifest god ) His enemies called him Antiochus Epimanes ( the insane ) Under enormous pressure from Romans for reparation payments Tried to take Egypt from the Ptolemies in 168 BC Defeated in Egypt by Romans Figure 10. Antiochus IV 22 Zadok was the high priest during the reigns of David and Solomon. Judaism accepted that a legitimate high priest must come from the line of Zadok. 29
He was upset about reluctance of the Jews to Hellenize Decided to turn the Temple of God into a Greek temple for Zeus (whom he equated with the God of Israel) The abomination of desolation 167-164 BC 23 years after the Battle of Magnesia (190 BC 167 BC = 23 years) Sacrificed a pig on the altar of the Temple See: Daniel 11:31; 1 Maccabees 1:54-61; 2 Maccabees 6:1-6 His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation (Dan. 11:31) Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege upon the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah, and burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the law which they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if any one adhered to the law, the decree of the king condemned him to death. They kept using violence against Israel, against those found month after month in the cities. And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar which was upon the altar of burnt offering. According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks. (1 Maccabees 1:54-61) Not long after this, the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their fathers and cease to live by the laws of God, and also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and call it the temple of Olympian Zeus, and to call the one in Gerizim the temple of Zeus the Friend of Strangers, as did the people who dwelt in that place. Harsh and utterly grievous was the onslaught of evil. For the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and besides brought in things for sacrifice that were unfit. The altar was covered with abominable offerings which were forbidden by the laws. A man could neither keep the sabbath, nor observe the feasts of his fathers, nor so much as confess himself to be a Jew. (2 Maccabees 6:1-6) 30
JEWISH REVOLT (167-160 BC) Historical Setting of the New Testament Mattathias Priest and head of the Hasmonean 23 family Refused to command other priests to sacrifice to the Greek gods Killed a Jew who was about to comply Turned over the altar to Zeus Was joined in revolt by the Hasidim ( the Pious ) Was killed in combat Judas Maccabeus Third son of Mattathias Skillful in battles against Lysias, the Seleucid/Greek commander Terms to Know: Hasmonean The surname of the leading family of the Jewish Revolt. The Hasmonean dynasty ruled from 167 to 135 BC. Maccabee A term from the Hebrew word for hammer. This term was used as a nickname for Judas (son of Mattathias). Sometimes, the term Maccabees was used to refer to the army commanded by Judas. 165 BC Captured the Temple mount Cleansed the Temple and made repairs Ended 3 ½ year ban on sacrificing to God Lit the lamps of the menorah to light up the Temple Feast of Hanukkah 24 25th day of Kislev (December 14), 165 BC 1 Maccabees 4 (historical account in the Apocrypha) Judas died in battle 160 BC 23 The Hasmoneans were the leading family in the Jewish Revolt. Mattathias was succeeded by his son, Judas, who was called the Maccabee, from the Hebrew word for hammer. 24 Jews observe an 8-day celebration, sometimes referred to as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah begins on December 14. 31
His leadership set up control of Judea from 164-141 BC John Hycranus 134-104 BC Grandson of Mattathias Declared himself king as well as high priest Forced the Idumeans 25 to convert to Judaism (which explains why Herod the Great could become king of the Jews) Series of successful battles to secure the borders of Israel Destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim (128 BC) Succeeded by his son Alexander Jannaeus Salome Alexandra 76-67 BC Wife of Alexander Jannaeus - succeeded him as civil ruler Used her sons to help establish peace in Israel Aristobulus II - became military leader Hycranus II - became high priest Upon her death Civil war broke out between the partisans of her two sons This civil war is what brought the Romans to Jerusalem Antipater Idumean politician Used Hycranus II as an avenue for befriending the Romans 25 The Idumeans were descendants of Esau. They lived in the Negev, the desert areas around the southern end of the Dead Sea. Notable among the Idumeans were Herod the Great and his father, Antipater. 32
ADVANCE OF THE ROMANS Historical Setting of the New Testament Roman Emperors of the First Century Augustus 30 BC - AD 14 Ruling at the time of Jesus birth Tiberius AD 14-37 Ruling during ministry and death of Jesus Caligula AD 37-41 Not mentioned in the New Testament Claudius AD 41-54 Ruling during Paul s missionary journeys, the great famine, and expelled the Jews from Rome Nero AD 54-68 Nero ruled during the first trials of Paul in Rome. He persecuted Christians severely. Galba - AD 68 Otho - AD 69 Vitellius - AD 69 33
Vespasian 26 AD 69-79 Ruling during the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) Titus - AD 79 81 Figure 11 - Judea Capta Domitian AD 81-96 Historians are uncertain about the extent of persecution of Christians under Domitian May have been ruling when John wrote Revelation Nerva - AD 96-98 Trajan - AD 98-117 26 The coin (both sides are shown) are called Judea Capta. Jewish History. Retrieved on March 8, 2007 from http://www.jewishhistory.com/panos/judea_capta.html. These are copied from the Jewish History web site. The explanation is as follows: A bronze sestertius, one of a series of Judaea Capta coins, struck in Rome in 71 AD to commemorate the Roman victory over Judaea. The bust depicts the Emperor of Rome, Vespasian, surrounded by his Latin title. The reverse of the coin bears two figures flanking a palm tree: on the left, an upright Roman soldier; on the right, a seated, mourning woman symbolizing defeated Judaea. The inscription around the two figures reads IUDEA CAPTA. 34
Pompey s Invasion of Israel Campaigns In 63 BC to Damascus - ended the rule of the Seleucids Siege of Jerusalem in 63 BC Ramps built along the walls Jews refused to fight on the Sabbath Romans took advantage of the Sabbaths to advance Forced his way into the Holy of Holies in the Temple Set up Hycranus II as high priest and titular leader of Israel under Roman control - this gave Antipater even more power Pompey s Directives Jews kept control of Judea Galilee Perea Idumea Samaritans were given independence League of Ten Cities (Decapolis) formed East of Jordan Civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar Julius Caesar - 47 BC Was helped by Antipater during a siege of Caesar s palace in Alexandria (48-47 BC) Appointed Antipater as ruler over Israel Made him tax-free Roman citizen Allowed Antipater to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (broken by Pompey) Appointed Herod, Antipater s young son, governor over Galilee Was assassinated in 44 BC 35
The Roman Empire during the New Testament Period 27 Figure 12 27 From http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/roman-empire.html 36
Figure 13 Hasmonean Family Tree Adapted from Frank, Harry Thomas. 1975. Discovering the Biblical World, Revised edition. Edited by James F. Strange. Maplewood, NJ: Hammond, p. 162 37
HEROD THE GREAT Brief History of Herod the Great Early Life 73-4 BC The assassination of Julius Caesar (44 BC) was followed by revolution Herod s father, Antipater, was killed in 43 BC Herod avenged his father s death on the side of Octavian and Mark Anthony Parthian invasion 40 BC Invaded Syria and Judea The Parthians placed Antigonus (son of Aristobulus II ) on the throne in Jerusalem as priest-king of the Jews Parthians captured and killed Phasael, Herod s brother Figure 14 Roman and Parthian Empires Adapted from image by Gabagool under Creative Commons License 38
Rome Herod s ally Herod escaped to Rome Octavian and Mark Anthony persuaded the Senate of Rome to appoint Herod King of Jews in 40 BC Herod captured Jerusalem in 37 BC and began his rule Civil war between Octavian and Anthony/Cleopatra Battle of Actium in 31 BC Octavian won (Anthony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt and committed suicide) Herod declared his allegiance to Octavian Herod was reappointed king of the Jews and given the territories in Palestine that Cleopatra had taken Octavian s name was changed to Augustus Three periods of Herod s rule Period of consolidation (37-25 BC) Period of Prosperity (25-13 BC) Extensive building projects Renovation of Zerubbabel s Temple began in 19 BC Figure 15 Battle of Actium Period of domestic troubles (13-4 BC) murdered his sons: Alexander, Aristobulus, and Antipater Herod s Disfavor with the Jews He was an Idumean (a descendant of Esau) He had only married into the Hasmonean family through his marriage to Mariamne (see Figure 13 Hasmonean Family Tree on page 37 and Figure 17 Family Tree of Herod the Great on page 43) Set up temples to foreign deities both overseas and in Hellenistic cities of Judea 39
Oppressive taxes for his building projects ( although he remitted taxes during famine) Allowed his own statue to be erected in pagan temple in Batanaea (Northeast of Galilee) Demanded an oath of allegiance to himself in 17 BC ( the Pharisees refused) Set up Rome s golden eagle over the gate of the Temple on Jerusalem Herod s building projects 28 Fortresses Fortress of Antonia - Hasmonean fortress northwest of the Temple area in Jerusalem (named for his friend, Mark Anthony) - built about AD6 Fortress of Masada Fortress of Machaerus (east of the Dead Sea) Fortress of Herodeion (near Jerusalem) Fortress of Alexandreion (near Jericho) Cities Antipatris Phasaelis Agrippias Sebaste Caesarea Maritima with aqueduct from Mt. Carmel (formerly called Strato s Tower) Harbor around Caesarea (22-10 BC) Temples and public buildings Athens Sparta Rhodes Paved the main street in Antioch of Syria 28 These are attributed to Herod but he died before many were finished 40
Rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem Began in 19 BC Completed c. AD 64 His murders Mariamne, his wife, in 29 BC Aristobulus and Alexander, his sons by Mariamne, in 7 BC Children of Bethlehem Attempted murder of Jesus Herod s Will Herod willed that his kingdom be divided between his three sons Antipas Galilee and Perea Archelaus Judea, with the title of King of the Jews Philip area east and northeast of the Sea of Galilee The will had to be ratified by Augustus in Rome The three sons went to Rome to make their claim Revolt in Galilee Insurgent named Judas Revolt put down by Varus, imperial legate of Syria 41
Figure 16 Herodian ashlars at lower southwest corner of Temple Mount 42
Figure 17 Family Tree of Herod the Great 43
Figure 18 Division of Herod's Kingdom 29 29 From Thomas Brisco. Holman Bible Atlas. Nashville: Holman Reference. 1988, p. 208. Used with permission. 44
DIVISION OF ISRAEL AFTER HEROD S DEATH See Figure 18 Division of Herod's Kingdom on page 44 for the regions received by Herod s three sons. Archelaus C. 23 BC AD 18 Son of Malthace, a Samaritan Received the provinces of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria Was given the title of ethnarch (governor) rather than king Killed 3,000 Jewish pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover This was the cause for alarm that caused Joseph and Mary to take Jesus to Nazareth: When he [Joseph] heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. (Mt 2:22-23) 30 Was opposed in Rome by people of both Judea and Samaria and by Antipas, his brother Was banished to Vienne in Gaul, in AD 6 by Augustus Was replaced by a series of Roman governors, such as Pontius Pilate Herod Antipas Was given the territories of Galilee and Perea Was given only the title of tetrarch ( ruler of a fourth part ) Antipas is mentioned 20 times in the New Testament, often as Herod (taking this title after the death of Archelaus) Building projects Sepphoris about 3 miles from Nazareth and capital of Galilee until AD 18 Tiberias On the southwest shore of the Sea of Galilee 30 Mt 2:19-23 is the only mention of Herod Antipas in the New Testament 45
Built in honor of his benefactor, Tiberius Served as the capital of Galilee until Antipas was deposed by Caligula in AD 39 Jesus spent most of his time in the territory of Herod Antipas Marriages Daughter of Aretas IV He married a daughter of Aretas IV, King of the Nabatean Arabs (whose capital was Petra) He divorced the daughter of Aretas in order to marry Herodias Aretas declared war on Herod Antipas Aretas defeated Antipas in AD 36 Herodias Wife of his half-brother, Philip Granddaughter of Herod the Great Herodias was responsible for the murder of John the Baptist by having her daughter, Salome, dance before Herod Jesus vs. Herod Antipas Jesus warned against the leaven of Herod (Mk 8:15) Herod plotted against the life of Jesus (Lk 13:31) Jesus called Herod that fox (Lk 13:32) Herod was in Jerusalem at Jesus arrest and trial Pilate sent Jesus to Herod for judgment since Jesus was from Galilee (Lk 23:6-12) His desire to be king Antipas sought the title of King and traveled to Rome to make the request to Caligula His nephew, Agrippa I (son of Herod the Great s murdered son, Aristobulus), sabotaged Antipas by divulging that Antipas had secret stores of weapons and alleging that Antipas was plotting with the Parthians against Caligula Caligula immediately exiled Antipas to Gaul in AD 39 Herodias went into exile with Antipas Was succeeded by Herod Agrippa I (AD 39-44) 46
Herod Philip Received the title of Tetrarch over the regions of Gaulantis, Batanea, Auranitis, Panias, Trachonitis, and Iturea (all north and east of the Sea of Galilee see Figure 18 on page 44) His districts were occupied mostly by non-jews Built Caesarea Philippi, in honor of Caesar Augustus Marriages Was abandoned by Herodias so she could marry his half-brother, Antipas Married Salome (daughter of Herodias) but had no children There is confusion about the identity of the father of Salome She is definitely the daughter of Herodias, the first wife was Philip, almost certainly not Philip s daughter Josephus and others identify Salome s father as Philip I, another son of Herod the Great (see Figure 17 Family Tree of Herod the Great on page 43) Philip died in AD 34 His territory eventually came under the control of Agrippa I Roman Governance of Israel after Archelaus EARLY PROCURATORS Archelaus (son of Herod the Great) was too extreme and ruthless for Rome. Augustus deposed him and exiled him to Gaul in AD 6 Procurators (same as a governor) ruled over Israel as representatives of Rome beginning in AD 6 Lived in Caesarea Maritima Were responsible for collecting taxes and keeping the peace (but controlled only a small number of soldiers recruited from local volunteers) Depended upon the Legate in Syria for official Roman military support Had the some power in the appointment of High Priests (probably had to consult with the Legate in Syria) 47
Governor s appointed by Augustus Coponius (AD 6-9) Marcus Ambibulus (AD 9-12) Annius Rufus (AD 12-15) Governor s appointed by Tiberius Valerius Gratus (AD 15-26) Pontius Pilate (AD 26-36) Governor appointed by Vitellius, Legate of Syria because of the death of Tiberias Removed Pontius Pilate after complaints of abuse from the people Marcellus (AD 37) Governor appointed by Caligula Marullus (AD 37-41) ROME S FIRST CLIENT-KING Agrippa I (10 BC AD 44) Son of Aristobulus (killed by Herod the Great in 7 BC) and Bernice Herod the Great had Agrippa sent to Rome to be raised in the home of the emperors o Agrippa was friends with Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius AD 41 Claudius gave Agrippa I all the territories of Antipas, Archelaus, and Philip and gave him the title of King (his territory and influence with Rome as a great as that of his grandfather, Herod the Great) Had some early respect from the Jews because he interceded with Caligula not to establish an image of himself in the Temple in Jerusalem (AD 41) 31 Agrippa I is the Herod of Acts 12 31 Caligula rejected the appeal from his friend, Agrippa I. He was murdered in AD 41 before he could carry out his order. 48
Was ruling at the time of the early Christian movement in Israel Killed James, brother of John (Acts 12:1-3) (AD 44) Arrested Peter Died a horrible death in AD 44 at a public event in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 12:21-23) LATER PROCURATORS Claudius did not immediately appoint Agrippa II to succeed his father. Instead, Claudius resumed the practice of appointing Roman procurators Had to deal with growing militant Messianic groups in Israel Theudas But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. (Acts 5:34-36) Some Egyptian The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him! As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you? "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" (Acts 21:33-38) Nearly all of these were corrupt and hated by the Jews Procurators appointed by Claudius Cuspius Fadus (AD 44-46) Tiberius Alexander (AD 46-48) procurator during the famine of Acts 11:27-30 Ventidius Cumanus (AD 48-52) Antonius Felix (AD 52-60) Procurators appointed by Nero Porcius Festus (AD 60-62) 49
Lucceius Albinus (AD 62-64) Gessius Florus (AD 64-66) Agrippa II LAST OF THE CLIENT-KINGS Agrippa II was also raised and educated in Rome Since he was only 17 when his father, Agrippa I, died, he was not immediately appointed as king in Israel AD 53-55, eventually received most of the territories of Agrippa I Heard Paul s defense with Festus (Acts 25-26) Supported the Romans when the Jews rebelled in AD 66 Is thought to have lived in Israel until the mid-90s AD 50
Religious and Philosophical Backgrounds PHARISEES Thought to be the successors of the Hasidim ( the pious ones ) The word Pharisees means the separated ones Largest of the political/religious parties Prominent in the synagogues Beliefs Accepted all of the Old Testament as authoritative Accepted both the oral and the written laws More liberal in interpreting the law than the Sadducees Believed in life after death and the resurrection of the body Believed in the reality of angels and demons Zealous for missions and conversions of the Gentiles Opposed Jesus because he would not accept the teachings of the oral law and traditions Cooperated with the Sadducees on one occasion - the need to destroy Jesus SADDUCEES Claimed linkage to the Zadok line of priests (Zadok served as priest during David s reign) Sophisticated, educated, urban Controlled the Great Sanhedrin Controlled the Temple Beliefs Accepted only the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) as authoritative Interpreted the law literally Rigidly conservative Denied divine providence 51
Denied resurrection and life after death Denied rewards or punishment after life Denied the existence of angels and demons In charge of the Temple and its services Politically active Favored Hellenization Opposed Jesus Feared Jesus would cause problems with Rome and cost the Sadducees their lucrative power position in Jerusalem. Opposed Jesus on religious grounds (e.g. resurrection, demons/angels, the authority of the Old Testament) Cooperated with the Pharisees on one occasion: the need to destroy Jesus OTHER POLITICAL/RELIGIOUS PARTIES IN ISRAEL Zealots Simon the Zealot was one of the Twelve (Lk 6:15) Similar to the Pharisees in religious beliefs Believed that only God had the right to rule over the Jews (not Rome) Were fanatical and willing to become martyrs for their beliefs Herodians Not a religious party Interested only in politics Conspired with the Pharisees against Jesus (Mk 3:6) Scribes Similar to the Pharisees Educated and very knowledgeable of the Old Testament Held official office and served as judges 52
Interfaced with the Pharisees and Sadducees (used as judges within the Sanhedrin) Were severely criticized by Jesus in Mt 23 Essenes Not mentioned in the New Testament The second largest of the religious/political parties (numbered about 4,000) Ascetic and communal Probably responsible for the collection of writings at Qumran (the Dead Sea Scrolls) INFRASTRUCTURE OF JUDAISM Synagogues Probably began to emerge during the Babylonian/Persian exile Synagogue means gather together Were found in local communities where ten men of leisure could be found Many cities throughout the Mediterranean world had several synagogues Were led by the Jewish men of that congregation, not by priests, scribes, or rabbis Sanhedrin Were councils for administration of Jewish law Were found in many Jewish towns The Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem was ruled over by 70 scribes and elders and the high priest (71 in all) The Sanhedrin was destroyed and disappeared from history in AD 70 by the Romans Temple Herod the Great began renovating Zerubbabel s temple (dedicated in 515 BC) in 19 BC Was still under construction during the days of Jesus Was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans 53
PHILOSOPHIES RELEVANT TO THE NEW TESTAMENT Historical Setting of the New Testament Platonism Originated with Socrates and Plato in Greece in the 5th century BC Truth, they thought, was found only in forms and in the idea Could not understand how life could exist apart from the body Epicureanism A Greek philosophy coming from the 3rd century BC Sought pleasure as the highest value Stoicism A Greek philosophy from the 4th century BC Sought knowledge and self-control as the highest value Cultural Backgrounds LANGUAGES SPOKEN Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. (John 19:20) Hebrew Known and used primarily by the rabbis and scribes Not widely used among the people Aramaic Probably the native language of Jesus Had come to the Jews during the Babylonian/Persian exile Targum The Old Testament translated into Aramaic 54
Used in the synagogues Greek Had been brought in by the process of Hellenization Was the lingua franca of the Greco-Roman world Was the language of the Septuagint Words like Synagogue, baptize Latin The official language of Rome Pontius Pilate s language (the trial of Jesus may have required a translator) Words like: centurion, legion, denarius, Praetorium Our Calendar and the Birth of Christ CALENDARS There are an estimated 40 calendars active today Ancient calendars Greece Started calendars with the Olympic Games in 776 BC Rome Started calendars with the founding of Rome in 753 BC Julian Calendar Introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar (the year 709 in the Roman calendar) Used by the Western world until AD 1582 55
In AD 730, Venerable Bede 32 discovered an error in counting days Historical Setting of the New Testament The Julian Calendar of 365.25 days was 11 minutes and 14 seconds too long The error was corrected in AD 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII Gregorian Calendar Pope Gregory XIII Deleted 10 days (the accumulation of errors from the Julian calendar) on October 4, 1582 Thus, the day following October 4, 1582 became October 15,1582 (Oct. 5 - Oct. 14 deleted) Leap years were adjusted to prevent problems in the Julian Calendar These corrections were important since the date for Easter is based on the knowing the first day of Spring (usually March 20 or 21) Bede noted that the Vernal Equinox and the calendar had drifted apart and that the first day of Spring was occurring as early as March 11 Corrections enabled the church to establish a regular pattern for observing Easter Easter is always observed in western Christianity on the First Sunday Following the first full moon Following the first day of Spring THE CHRISTIAN CALENDAR (BC/AD) A product of the work of Dionysius Exiguus (AD 470-544) The notation BC means Before Christ even though there are about 4-6 years between the birth of Jesus and the year AD 1 The notation AD means anno domini (meaning the year of our Lord ). The calendar was based on Latin and Roman Numerals thus, there is no year zero 32 Bede was a respected 8 th century scholar from a region in modern England. He is one of the few scholars to be named a Doctor of the Church by the Roman Catholic Church. He is also known as the Father of English History. 56
How to Designate Years BC AD 3 BC Jan. 1 to Dec 31 2 BC Jan. 1 to Dec 31 1 BC Jan. 1 to Dec 31 AD 1 Jan. 1 to Dec 31 AD 2 AD 3 How to Designate Centuries BC AD 300 to 201 BC Third Century 200 to 101 BC Second Century 100 to 1BC First Century AD 1 to 100 First Century AD 101 to 200 Second Century AD 201 to 300 Third Century 57