Historical Background of the New Testament

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    Historical background of the New TestamentFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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    Most scholars who study theHistorical JesusandEarly Christianitybelieve that theCanonical Gospelsand life

    ofJesusmust be viewed as firmly placed within his historical and cultural context, rather than purely in terms of

    Christianorthodoxy.[1][2]

    They look at the "forces" such as theOral Gospel traditionwhich were in play regarding

    the Jewish culture at that time, and the tensions, trends, and changes in the region under theinfluence of

    Hellenismand theRoman occupation.Thus, the cultural and historical context of Jesus is that of 1st

    centuryGalileeandRoman Judea,and the traditions ofSecond Temple Judaism.

    ByPompey's 63 BCE siege of Jerusalem,the partiallyHellenizedterritory had come underRomanimperial

    rule, with the rise of theHerodian family,as a valued crossroads to trading territories andbuffer stateagainst

    theParthian Empire.Beginning in 6 CE, with the discredit and fall of Herod's sonArchelaus,

    Romanprefectswere appointed whose first duty to Rome was to maintain order through a political appointee

    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    theHigh Priest.After the uprising byJudas the Galilean,during theCensus of Quirinius(6 CE) and

    beforePilate(26 CE), in general,Roman Judeawas troubled but self-managed, and occasionalriots,sporadic

    rebellions, andviolent resistancewere an ongoing risk. Throughout the third quarter of the first century,

    theconflict between the Jews and the Romansgave rise toincreasing tensions.

    Before the end of the third quarter of the first century, these tensions culminated with the first Jewish-Roman

    Warand thedestruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.This war effectively flattened Jerusalem, and it

    was later renamed as a Roman settlement from which Jews were forbidden; resulting in the loss of records that

    relate to early Christianity in Jerusalem.

    Contents

    [hide]

    1 Factions, groups and cults in the Roman period

    o 1.1 Sadducees and Pharisees in the Roman period

    o 1.2 New Prophets

    o 1.3 Messiahs and Millennial Prophets

    o 1.4 Sicarii, Bandits, and Zealots

    2 Towards a Historical Jesus

    o 2.1 Analysis of the gospels

    3 The divergence of early Christians and Rabbinic Jews

    o 3.1 The Great Revolt and the Destruction of the Temple

    o 3.2 Loss of records

    o 3.3 The Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism

    o 3.4 The Emergence of Christianity

    4 See also

    5 Endnotes

    6 Reference Sources

    o 6.1 Primary sources

    o 6.2 Secondary Sources

    Factions, groups and cults in the Roman period[edit]

    This section needs additional citations forverification.Please helpimprove this

    articlebyadding citations to reliable sources.Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved. (August 2012)

    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    Historians seek to understand where Jesus and his followers fit among other Jewish factions at the time.

    According to the Jewish-Roman historianFlavius Josephus,the three parties in contemporary Judaism were

    thePhariseesandSadduceesandEssenes,the last of these three being apparently marginalized and in some

    cases retired to quasi-monastic communities. Josephus also speaks of "Fourth

    Movement" Zealots, Lestaior Sicari.

    The ancientsynagogueatCapernaum

    Scholars refer to the religious background of the early 1st century to better reconstruct Jesus' life. Some

    scholars identify him with one or another group.

    Phariseeswere a powerful force in 1st-century Judea. Early Christians shared several beliefs of the Pharisees,

    such as resurrection, retribution in the next world, angels, human freedom, and Divine Providence.[3]After the

    fall of the Temple, the Pharisaic outlook was established in Rabbinic Judaism. Some scholars speculate that

    Jesus was himself a Pharisee.[4]

    In Jesus' day, the two main schools of thought among the Pharisees were

    theHouse of Hillel,which had been founded by the eminentTanna,Hillel the Elder,and theHouse of Shammai.

    Jesus' assertion of hypocrisy may have been directed against the stricter members of the House of Shammai,

    although he also agreed with their teachings on divorce.[Mk 10:112][5]

    Jesus also commented on the House of

    Hillel's teachings (Babylonian Talmud,Shabbat31a) concerning thegreatest commandment[Mk 12:2834]and

    theGolden Rule.[Mt 7:12]

    Historians do not know whether there were Pharisees in Galilee during Jesus' life, or

    what they would have been like.[6]

    Sadduceeswere particularly powerful in Jerusalem. They accepted the written Law only, rejecting the

    traditional interpretations accepted by the Pharisees, such as belief in retribution in an afterlife, resurrection of

    the body, angels, and spirits. After Jesus caused a disturbance at the Temple, it was to have been the

    Sadducees who had him arrested and turned over to the Romans for execution. After the fall of Jerusalem,

    they disappeared from history.[7]

    Esseneswere apocalypticascetics,one of the three (or four) major Jewish schools of the time, though they

    were not mentioned in the New Testament.[8]

    Some scholars theorize that Jesus was an Essene, or close to

    them. Among these scholars isPope Benedict XVI,who supposes in his book on Jesus that "it appears that not

    only John the Baptist, but possibly Jesus and his family as well, were close to the Qumran community."[9]

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavius_Josephushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavius_Josephushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavius_Josephushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagoguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagoguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagoguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Hillelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Hillelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Hillelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannaimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannaimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannaimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Shammaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Shammaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Shammaihttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocityhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt+7%3A12&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt+7%3A12&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt+7%3A12&version=NIVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-ActJ-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-ActJ-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-ActJ-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kapernaum_Synagoga.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kapernaum_Synagoga.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kapernaum_Synagoga.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kapernaum_Synagoga.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-ActJ-6http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt+7%3A12&version=NIVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisraelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Talmudhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mk+10%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=NIVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Shammaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannaimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Hillelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagoguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esseneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadduceeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phariseeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavius_Josephus
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    Zealotswere a revolutionary party opposed to Roman rule, one of those parties that, according to Josephus

    inspired the fanatical stand in Jerusalem that led to its destruction in the year 70 AD/CE.[10]

    Luke identifies

    Simon, a disciple, as a "zealot", which might mean a member of the Zealot party (which would therefore have

    been already in existence in the lifetime of Jesus) or a zealous person.[10]

    The notion that Jesus himself was a

    Zealot does not do justice to the earliest Synoptic material describing him.[11]

    Sadducees and Pharisees in the Roman period[edit]

    There is a record of only one high priest (Ananus, in 62) being a Sadducee, although scholars generally

    assume that the JerusalemSanhedrinwas dominated by Sadducees. The Pharisees, primarily scholars and

    educators, were politically quiescent, and studied, taught, and worshipped in their own way. Although popular

    and respected, they had no power.

    During this period serious theological differences emerged between the Sadducees and Pharisees. Whereas

    Sadducees favored a limited interpretation of theTorah,Pharisees debated new applications of the law and

    devised ways for all Jews to incorporate purity practices (hitherto limited to theJerusalem Temple,see

    alsoMinistry of Jesus#Ritual cleanliness)in their everyday lives. Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees also

    believed in (and introduced) the concept of theResurrection of the Deadin a future,Messianic AgeorWorld to

    Come.These beliefs seem to have influenced Christians' belief in aresurrected Jesus.

    New Prophets[edit]

    Jordan River.

    During this time a variety of other religious movements and splinter groups developed. A number of individuals

    claimed to be new prophets, in the tradition ofElijahandElisha.TheTalmudprovides two examples of such

    Jewish miracle workers around the time of Jesus.MishnahTa'anit 3:8 tells of "Honi the Circledrawer"who, in

    the middle of the 1st century BCE, was famous for his ability to successfully pray for rain. On one occasion

    when God did not answer his prayer, he drew a circle in the dust, stood inside it, and informed God that he

    would not move until it rained. When it began to drizzle, Honi told God that he was not satisfied and expected

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=2http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=2http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_templehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_templehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_templehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Jesus#Ritual_cleanlinesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Jesus#Ritual_cleanlinesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Jesus#Ritual_cleanlinesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messianic_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messianic_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messianic_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Comehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Comehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Comehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Comehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_appearances_of_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_appearances_of_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_appearances_of_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=3http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=3http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elishahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elishahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elishahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honi_the_Circledrawerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honi_the_Circledrawerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honi_the_Circledrawerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jordan_River_Bushy.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jordan_River_Bushy.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jordan_River_Bushy.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jordan_River_Bushy.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honi_the_Circledrawerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elishahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_appearances_of_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Comehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_to_Comehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messianic_Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Jesus#Ritual_cleanlinesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_templehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-Cross-2005-Zealots-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealots
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    more rain; it then began to pour. He explained that he wanted a calm rain, at which point the rain calmed to a

    normal rain.

    MishnahBerakot 5:5 tells ofHanina ben Dosa,who in the generation following Jesus curedGamaliel's son by

    prayer (compare with Matthew 8: 5-13). A later story (In theBabylonian Talmud,Berakot 33a) tells of a lizard

    that used to injure passers-by. Hanina ben Dosa came and put his heel over the hole; the lizard bit him and

    died.

    Such men were respected for their relationship with God but not considered especially saintly; their abilities

    were seen as one more unknowable thing and not deemed a result of any ultra-strict observance of Jewish law.

    These men were sometimes doubted, often respected, and even (according toGeza Vermes)addressed by

    their followers as "lord" but never considered "saviors" or "messiahs."

    Messiahs and Millennial Prophets[edit]

    Main articles:Messiah,Moshiach(Jewish concept of the word)

    The English word "messiah"is derived from the Hebrew wordmashiyakhormoshiach(he: ), meaning

    "anointedone." But this word has had other meanings, for different groups of people at different times. We

    cannot immediately assume that when Jews, or indeed Jesus and his followers, used the word, they used

    it the same way as people do now.

    For many Christians today, "messiah" refers to the personal and divine savior of all humankind,

    anapocalypticnotion of messiah, as one who will usher in theend of historybyresurrecting the deadand

    by executingGod's judgementover humankind. This apocalyptic vision has its origins in Jewish culture

    during theBabylonian Exileand the Second Temple Period. Nevertheless, it existed alongside a nationalist

    notion of messiah, as one who will defend the Jews against foreign oppressors and rule the Jews justly,

    and by divine right. This nationalist vision has its origins in the Hebrew Bible, and endures among Jews

    today.

    In the Hebrew Bible, "messiah" was originally used to refer to formally appointed High Priests and Kings.

    The Essenes and theMishnah,edited in 200, uses the term mainly to refer to the High Priest. By the time

    of the Roman occupation, however, many Jews also used the term to refer to adescendant of King

    Davidwho would restoreGod's kingdom(see the passage from II Samuel[citation needed]

    quoted aboveCultural

    and historical background of Jesus#Priests and Kings.Thus, although all Jewish Kings were anointed, not

    all kings were considered messianic. TheHasmoneanKings (162-56 BCE) were not descended from

    David, and did not claim to have established God's Kingdom. After the fall of the Hasmoneans and the

    subsequent Roman occupation, many Jews seeing these as theend of days,hoped that the Romans

    would somehow fall or be replaced by a Jewish King. They were divided as to how this might occur. Most

    Jews believed that their history was governed by God, meaning that even the conquest of Judea by the

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanina_ben_Dosahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanina_ben_Dosahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanina_ben_Dosahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geza_Vermeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geza_Vermeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geza_Vermeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_timeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_timeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_timeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Judgmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Judgmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Judgmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Exilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Exilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David#Descendants_of_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David#Descendants_of_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David#Descendants_of_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David#Descendants_of_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_and_historical_background_of_Jesus#Priests_and_Kingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_and_historical_background_of_Jesus#Priests_and_Kingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_and_historical_background_of_Jesus#Priests_and_Kingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_and_historical_background_of_Jesus#Priests_and_Kingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmoneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmoneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmoneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_Days_(eschatology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_Days_(eschatology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_Days_(eschatology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_Days_(eschatology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmoneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_and_historical_background_of_Jesus#Priests_and_Kingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_and_historical_background_of_Jesus#Priests_and_Kingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David#Descendants_of_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David#Descendants_of_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Exilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Judgmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_the_Deadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_timeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geza_Vermeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanina_ben_Dosahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishnah
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    Romans was a divine act. Thus, the majority of Jews accepted Roman rule (there was no full scale

    majority revolt until 66 CE though there was a minority revolt during theCensus of Quirinius), and did not

    look for, or encourage, messiahs. They believed that the Romans would be replaced by a Jewish King only

    through divine intervention at a time of God's choosing. The word 'moshiach'came to be used for the one

    who would achieve these things.

    During this period a new class of prophets emerged who hearkened back toMosesandJoshuaas

    harbingers of national liberation. These men did not claim to be messiahs, and did not rely on physical

    force, but did lead large movements of people (from the hundreds to the thousands) to act in ways that,

    they believed, would lead God to restore his kingdom. For example, in 36 a Samaritan led a large group

    upMount Gerizim,where they believed Moses had buried sacred vessels (echoing Moses' ascent upMt.

    Sinai).Pilateblocked their route and killed their leaders. Josephus, who elsewhere expressed the common

    Judean prejudice againstSamaritans,suggested that they were armed. But the surviving Samaritans

    appealed to the SyrianLegate,Vitellius, that they were unarmed and that Pilate's actions were excessively

    cruel. According to historian H.H. Ben-Sasson, Samaria, as part ofRoman Judea,was in a sense a

    "satellite of Syria".[12]As a result, Pilate was sent to Rome and ultimately dismissed from his post as

    prefect. Another such prophet wasTheudas,who, sometime between 44 and 46 led a large group of

    people to the Jordan river, which he claimed he could part (echoing Moses at the Red Sea and Joshua at

    the Jordan river).Fadus,a procurator after Pilate, blocked their route and killed Theudas. An "Egyptian

    Prophet" (it is unclear if the prophet came from Egypt, or was invoking Moses' Egyptian origin) led thirty

    thousand around theMount of Olivesand sought to enter Jerusalem until stopped byFelix,a procurator

    after Fadus.

    Sicarii, Bandits, and Zealots[edit]

    Various groups also resisted the status quo by force of arms. In many cases these groups did not have a

    clearly defined revolutionary program; in some cases they were opposed more to urban elites than to the

    Romans per se. These groups took on different forms, with different methods in the North than in the

    South.

    Judean hills of Israel

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quiriniushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quiriniushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quiriniushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshuahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshuahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshuahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Gerizimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Gerizimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Gerizimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iudaea_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iudaea_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iudaea_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theudashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theudashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theudashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuspius_Fadushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuspius_Fadushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuspius_Fadushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Oliveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Oliveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Oliveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonius_Felixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonius_Felixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonius_Felixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Judea_1_by_David_Shankbone.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Judea_1_by_David_Shankbone.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Judea_1_by_David_Shankbone.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Judea_1_by_David_Shankbone.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonius_Felixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Oliveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuspius_Fadushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theudashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testament#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iudaea_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legatushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Gerizimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshuahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshiachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quirinius
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    In addition, bandits or brigands had been active in the region. Social historians have suggested that

    bandits are common in peasant societies, often poor men who identify with other peasants, but who seek

    to acquire wealth and political power. WhenHerodwas still military governor in the Galilee, he spent a

    good deal of time fighting bandits under the leadership of Ezekias. These bandits are best understood as a

    peasant group whose targets were local elites (both Hasmonean and Herodian) rather than

    Rome.Ventidius Cumanus(procurator 48 to 52 CE) often retaliated against brigandry by punishing

    peasant communities he believed to be their base of support. When a Galillean pilgrim on way to

    Jerusalem was murdered by aSamaritan,the bandit chief Eliezar organized Galilleans for a counter-

    attack, and Cumanus moved against the Jews. A Syrianlegate,Quadratus, intervened and sent several

    Jewish and Samaritan officials to Rome. The EmperorClaudiustook the Jewish side, and had the

    Samaritan leaders executed and exiled, and turned one named Veler over to the Jews who beheaded him.

    Thus, widespread peasant unrest of this period was not exclusively directed against Rome but also

    expressed discontent against urban elites and other groups; Roman policy sought to contain the power ofthe bandits while cultivating Jewish support.

    During theGreat Revoltin 66,Josephuswas sent to command the Galilee. He raised an army primarily of

    local bandits who pillaged nearby Greek and Roman cities (including ones occupied by Jewish elites),

    including the administrative centers ofSepphoris,Tiberias,andGabara(sometimes Gadara). This

    suggests that they were concerned primarily with gain or social insurrection against local elites, rather than

    a political revolution against Roman occupation. When Roman legions arrived from Syria, the bandit army

    melted away.

    The Romans employed a scorched-earth policy in its fight in the north, driving thousands of peasants

    southwards towards Jerusalem. Between 67 and 68, these peasants, perhaps led by bandits, formed a

    new political party called theZealots,which believed that an independent kingdom should be restored

    immediately through force of arms. It is unclear whether their leaders made messianic claims. The Zealots

    imprisoned members of the Herodian family, killed the former high priests Ananus ben Artanus and Joshua

    ben Gamaliel, and put on trial the wealthiest citizens. It is possible that they believed they were purging

    elements whom they believed would have surrendered to the Romans. But these purges also reveal the

    great social divide between Jewish peasants and aristocrats at this time. They formed part of a social

    revolution: although they ultimately lost to the Romans, elite groups like the Hasmoneans, Herodians, and

    Sadducees would never again have power in Roman Judea.

    Towards a Historical Jesus[edit]

    Main articles:Historicity of JesusandHistorical Jesus

    Part ofa serieson

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    Jesus in Christianity[show]

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    Analysis of the gospels[edit]

    Main article:Biblical Criticism#New Testament

    Most historians view the Gospels not as an objective account of Jesus, but as the product of men writing at

    a particular period, and grappling with particular theological as well as political issues. Specifically, they

    assume that after Jesus' death,his sayings,and stories about him, circulated among his followers until, at

    some point from the mid-1st century someone (or a group of people) wrote down his sayings in

    Greek (seeQ document), and someone edited and organized stories about his life into a historical

    narrative, theGospel of Mark.As these two documents circulated among Christians, other historical

    narratives were edited and organized. The four gospels ascribed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wereregionally authoritative byproto-orthodoxyby the 2nd century,

    [13]seeDevelopment of the New Testament

    canonfor details. Some historians have suggested that between Nero's persecution of Christians in 64 CE,

    and the Jewish revolt in 66 CE, Gentile Christians saw more sense in assigning Jews, rather than

    Romans,responsibility for Jesus' death.[14]

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ipedia.org/wiki/Religious_perspectives_on_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_background_of_the_New_Testamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Christianityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Christianity
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    Moreover, just as Rabbinic Judaism was in part the Pharisaic response to their acknowledgment that the

    Temple would not be rebuilt in their lifetimes, Christianity reflected the acknowledgment of early Christians

    that theSecond Comingof Christ and the establishment ofGod's kingdom on earthwas not to happen in

    their lifetimes. The critical analysis of the Gospels involves, at least in part, a consideration of how these

    concerns affected the Gospels' accounts of Jesus.

    According to historian Paula Fredriksen (1988: 5), critical scholars rely on four basic criteria for

    extrapolating an "authentic" historical account of Jesus out of the New Testament sources:

    1. Dissimilarity: "if the earliest form of a saying or story differs in emphasis from a characteristic

    teaching or concern both of contemporary Judaism and of the early church, then it maybe

    authentic."

    2. Coherence: "if material from the earlier strata of tradition is consonant with other material already

    established as probably authentic, then it too is probably authentic."

    3. Multiple attestation: "if material appears in a number of different sources and literary contexts,

    then it may be authentic."

    4. Linguistic suitability: "material with a claim to authenticity should be susceptible of Aramaic

    rendering, since Jesus did not teach in Greek, the language of the documents."

    As Fredriksen observes, these criteria do not guarantee an accurate historical reconstruction.

    Nevertheless, she argues,

    If something stands in the gospels that is clearly notin the interests of the late 1st-century church

    disparaging remarks about Gentiles, for example, or explicit pronouncements about the imminent end

    of the world then it has a stronger claim to authenticity than otherwise. Stated briefly, anything

    embarrassing is probably earlier. (1988: 6).

    Even these criteria are not sufficient to recover "what really happened." They can, however, enable

    historians to suggest "with reasonable security whatpossiblyhappened, whatprobablyhappened, and

    what could not possiblyhave happened.

    According to Fredriksen, two events in the Gospels probably happened:John's baptismandPilate's

    crucifixion of Jesus.These events are mentioned in all four gospels. Moreover, they do not conform to

    Jewish tradition in which there are no baptized and crucified messiahs. They are also embarrassing to

    the early Church. John the Baptist's prominence in both the gospels and Josephus suggests that he

    may have been more popular than Jesus in his lifetime; also,Jesus' missiondoes not begin until after

    his baptism by John. Fredriksen suggests that it was only after Jesus' death that Jesus emerged as

    more influential than John.[citation needed]

    Accordingly, the gospels project Jesus' posthumous importance

    back to his lifetime. Ways this was accomplished were by minimizing John's importance by having

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    John resist baptizing Jesus (Matthew), by referring to the baptism in passing (Luke), or by asserting

    Jesus' superiority (John).

    Given the historical context in which the Gospels took their final form and during which Christianity

    first emerged, historians have struggled to understand Jesus' ministry in terms of what is known about

    1st century Judaism. According to scholars such as Geza Vermes[citation needed]

    and E.P. Sanders,[citation

    needed]Jesus seems not to have belonged to any particular party or movement; Jesus was eclectic (and

    perhaps unique) in combining elements of many of these differentand for most Jews, opposing

    positions. Most critical scholars see Jesus as healing people and performing miracles in the prophetic

    tradition of the Galilee, and preaching God's desire for justice and righteousness in the prophetic

    tradition of Judea. (According to Geza Vermes, that Jesus' followers addressed him as "lord" indicates

    that they likened him to notable miracle workers and scribes. SeeNames and titles of Jesus)

    Historians also often note that as Jesus was Jewish, his life, words, and teachings must be

    understood in the context of 1st century Judaism, his native culture, see for exampleAramaic of

    Jesus.Moreover, they highlight 1st and 2nd century Judaism especially after the destruction of the

    Temple as being in a state of flux, consisting of a variety of sects.

    As the Gospel accounts are generally held to have been composed in the period immediately

    following the revolt of 66-73, it has been suggested that Christians had to refashion their theological

    and apocalyptic claims given that Jesus did not immediately return to restore the Jewish kingdom.

    Moreover, as Christianity emerged as a new religion seeking converts among the gentiles, and

    eventually as thereligion of the emperor himself,it needed to assure both Roman authorities and

    prospective Gentile audiences that it neither threatened nor challenged imperial sovereignty. Some

    historians have argued that these two conditions played a crucial role in the revision of accounts of

    Jesus' life and teachings into the form they ultimately took in the Gospels.[14]

    The divergence of early Christians and Rabbinic Jews[edit]

    Main article:Split of early Christianity and Judaism

    See also:Origins of ChristianityandList of events in early Christianity

    As with many religions, no precise date of founding is agreed by all parties. Christians traditionally

    believe that Christianity began with Jesus' ministry, and the appointment of theTwelve Apostlesor

    theSeventy Disciples,see alsoGreat Commission.[15]

    Most historians agree that Jesus or his

    followers established a new Jewish sect, one that attracted both Jewish and Gentile converts.

    Historians continue to debate the precise moment when Christianity established itself as a new

    religion, apart and distinct from Judaism. Some Christians were still part of the Jewish community up

    until the time of the Bar Kochba revolt in the 130s, see alsoJewish Christians.As late as the 4th

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    century,John Chrysostomstrongly discouraged Christians from attending Jewish festivals in Antioch,

    which suggests at least some ongoing contact between the two groups in that city. Similarly for

    theCouncil of Laodiceaaround 365. See alsoShabbat,Sabbath in

    Christianity,Quartodeciman,Constantine I and Christianity.According to historianShaye J. D. Cohen,

    The separation of Christianity from Judaism was a process, not an event. The essential part of this

    process was that the church was becoming more and more gentile, and less and less Jewish, but the

    separation manifested itself in different ways in each local community where Jews and Christians dwelt

    together. In some places, the Jews expelled the Christians; in other, the Christians left of their own

    accord.[16]

    According to Cohen, this process ended in 70 CE, after the great revolt, when various Jewish

    sects disappeared and Pharisaic Judaism evolved into Rabbinic Judaism, and Christianity

    emerged as a distinct religion.[17]

    Many historians argue that the Gospels took their final form after

    the Great Revolt and the destruction of the Temple, although some scholars put the authorship of

    Mark in the 60s, and need to be understood in this context.[18][19][20][21]

    They view Christians as

    much as Pharisees as being competing movements withinJudaism that decisively broke only

    after theBar Kokhba's revolt,when the successors of the Pharisees claimed hegemony over all

    Judaism, andat least from the Jewish perspectiveChristianity emerged as a new religion.

    The Great Revolt and the Destruction of the Temple[edit]

    Model of Jerusalem Temple.

    By 66 CE, Jewish discontent with Rome had escalated. At first, the priests tried to suppress

    rebellion, even calling upon the Pharisees for help. After the Roman garrison failed to stop

    Hellenists from desecrating a synagogue inCaesarea,however, the high priest suspended

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    payment of tribute, inaugurating theGreat Jewish Revolt.In 70, the Temple was destroyed. The

    destruction of the Second Temple was a profoundly traumatic experience for the Jews, who were

    now confronted with difficult and far-reaching questions:[22]

    How to achieve atonement without the Temple?

    How to explain the disastrous outcome of the rebellion?

    How to live in the post-Temple, Romanized world?

    How to connect present and past traditions?

    How people answered these questions depended largely on their position prior to the revolt. But

    the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans not only put an end to the revolt, it marked

    the end of an era. Revolutionaries like the Zealots had been crushed by the Romans, and had

    little credibility (the last Zealots died atMasadain 73). The Sadducees, whose teachings were so

    closely connected to the Temple cult, disappeared. The Essenes also vanished, perhaps

    because their teachings so diverged from the issues of the times that the destruction of the

    Second Temple was of no consequence to them; precisely for this reason, they were of little

    consequence to the vast majority of Jews).

    Two organized groups remained: theEarly Christians,andPharisees.Some scholars, such as

    Daniel Boyarin and Paula Fredricksen, suggest that it was at this time, when Christians and

    Pharisees were competing for leadership of the Jewish people, that accounts of debates between

    Jesus and the apostles, debates with Pharisees, and anti-Pharisaic passages, were written and

    incorporated into theNew Testament.

    Loss of records[edit]

    The siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 included a major fire at the Temple which destroyed all except

    the western wall, and what remained (including the altar tablet) was taken by Titus to Rome as

    trophies.[23]

    The destruction of Jerusalem, and the loss of significant portions of Jewish cultural

    records were significant, withFlavius Josephuswriting (about 5 year later c. 75 AD) in the "Jewish

    War"(Book VII 1.1) that Jerusalem had been flattened to the point that "there was left nothing to

    make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited."[24]

    And once what was left of the

    ruins of Jerusalem had been turned into the Roman settlement of Aelia Capitolina, no Jews were

    allowed to set foot in it; and almost no direct records survive about the history of Judaism from

    the last part of the first century through the second century.[25]

    Margaret M. Mitchellwrites that althoughEusebiusreports (Ecclesiastical HistoryIII 5.3) that the

    early Christians left Jerusalem forPellajust before Jerusalem was subjected to the final lock

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    down in AD 70, in the face of this total destruction we must accept that no first hand Christian

    document from the early Jerusalem Church has reached us.[26]

    The Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism[edit]

    Of all the major Second Temple sects, only the Pharisees remained (but seeKaraite Judaism).Their vision of Jewish law as a means by which ordinary people could engage with the sacred in

    their daily lives, provided them with a position from which to respond to all four challenges, in a

    way meaningful to the vast majority of Jews.

    Following the destruction of the Temple, Rome governed Judea through aProcuratorat

    Caesarea, which had always been the Roman provincial capital, and a Jewish Patriarch. A former

    leading Pharisee,Yohanan ben Zakkai,was appointed the first Patriarch (the Hebrew word,Nasi,

    also meansprince,orpresident), and he reestablished theSanhedrin at Javnehunder Pharisee

    control. Instead of giving tithes to the priests and sacrificing offerings at the Temple, the rabbis

    instructed Jews to give money to charities and study in localSynagogues,as well as to pay

    theFiscus Iudaicus.

    In 132, the EmperorHadrianthreatened to rebuild Jerusalem as a pagan city dedicated

    toJupiter,calledAelia Capitolina.Some of the leading sages of the Sanhedrin supported a

    rebellion (and, for a short time, an independent state) led bySimon bar Kozeba(also called Bar

    Kochba, or "son of a star"); some, such asRabbi Akiba,believed Bar Kochbah to be messiah, or

    king. Up until this time, a number of Christians were still part of the Jewish community. However,

    they did not support or take part in the revolt. Whether because they had no wish to fight, or

    because they could not support a second messiah in addition to Jesus, or because of their harsh

    treatment by Bar Kochba during his brief reign, these Christians also left the Jewish community

    around this time. Traditionally, it is believed theJerusalem Christianswaited out theJewish

    Roman warsinPellain theDecapolis.

    This revolt ended in 135 when Bar Kochba and his army were defeated. According to amidrash,

    in addition to Bar Kochba the Romans tortured and executed ten leading members of the

    Sanhedrin (the "Ten Martyrs"). This account also claims this was belated repayment for the guilt

    of the ten brothers who kidnappedJoseph.It is possible that this account represents a Pharisaic

    response to theChristianaccount ofJesus'crucifixion;in both accounts the Romans brutally

    punish rebels, who accept their torture as atonement for the crimes of others.

    After the suppression of the revolt, the vast majority of Jews were sent into exile; shortly

    thereafter (around 200),Judah haNasiedited together judgements and traditions into an

    authoritative code, theMishna.This marks the transformation of Pharisaic Judaism intoRabbinic

    Judaism.

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