Palestine in Jesus Time

8/4/2019 Palestine in Jesus Time

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THE WORLD OFJESUS


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DEFINITION OF TERMS1. Client king- a term used for non-Roman rulers who

enjoyed Roman patronage, but were not treated asequals. They dont pay taxes but required to providemilitary manpower to the Roman government.

2. One country, two systems-pronouncing that allpeople had religious freedom, political freedom, and

freedom of thought, yet maintaining strict control.


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3. Syncretism is the process by which elements of one

religion are assimilated into another religion resultingin a change in the fundamental tenets or nature ofthose religions. It is the union of two or more oppositebeliefs, so that the synthesized form is a new thing. It

is not always a total fusion, but may be a combinationof separate segments that remain identifiablecompartments

4. Sanhedrin- the Jewish highest court

5. Synagogue- place of prayer and study. It is anassembly house

6. Temple- center of Jewish worship


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PALESTINE IN THE TIME OF JESUS

Most of the people in the Bible stories lived in oraround a land that was called Palestine in Jesus' day,and which is now part of the modern state of Israel.Rome was a city-state then (Rome is now the capital ofItaly), ruling large tracts of land around theMediterranean Sea, including Palestine.


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The Herod family ruled Palestineand this family came from Idumea,a southern Province in Palestine.

King Herod the Great ruled the areawithin 37 until 4 BCE. Herod was a

'client' king, ruling on behalf of theRomans who had invaded in 63BCE. He began the rebuilding of theJerusalem Temple, one of the'Wonders of the Ancient World'.When Herod died his kingdom wasdivided among his surviving sons -Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, andHerod Archelaus

Jesus was born in Bethlehem (a fewmiles fromJerusalem)

Jesus fled to Egypt with his parentswhen he was a baby

Jesus grew up in Joseph's hometownof Nazareth in northern Palestine,and worshiped at the Temple inJerusalem.
http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jesus.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jerusalem.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jerusalem.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jerusalem.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jesus.htm


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Jesus did a great deal ofhis preaching andteaching in the north,around the Sea ofGalilee, but he also hadfriends he visitedfrequently in Bethany,just outside ofJerusalem.Many of his disciplescame from the smalltowns around the Sea ofGalilee
http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/lent5mles.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jerusalem.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/disciple.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/disciple.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/jerusalem.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/lent5mles.htm


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The distance fromNazareth to Jerusalem isabout sixty-five miles.Most of the traveling ofJesus, his family, and hisdisciples was done onfoot. Jews who traveledfrom the region aroundGalilee to Jerusalemwould make a detour sothat they would not haveto travel throughSamaria.
http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/samaria.htmhttp://www.sundayschoollessons.com/samaria.htm


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POLITICAL SITUATION For thousands of years, the Jewish people were

primarily subject to foreign rule (Egyptian, Syrian,

Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, etc.), with onlybrief periods of independence. In the first century,Romans ruled the Mediterranean area known asPalestine (modern day Israel), where Jesus was born

and lived his life. In the hierarchy of power, the Jewishself-government reported to the authority of the localRoman government (King Herod), which reported toRome (Emperor Caesar).


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The Roman government practiced syncretism,accepting that all religious beliefs, philosophicalteachings, and government systems are ultimatelycompatible, or a reflection of, a larger system theRoman system. They practiced one of the first onecountry, two systems policies pronouncing that allpeople had religious freedom, political freedom, andfreedom of thought, yet maintaining strict control.


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The Jews understood the world to be divided into two typesof people: Jewish and Gentile (non-Jew). The Jews workedhard to disassociate themselves from the Gentiles.

The Jewish people accepted their freedom in both theirgoverning system, and in maintaining their own traditions,

yet the Roman government required that everything beultimately subject to Roman authority. For example, Jewish

citizens were under the authority of the Jewish courtsystem (the Sanhedrin), yet all rulings for the death penalty

were sent to the Roman government


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The Jewish religious and governing system was dividedbetween two parties: the Pharisees the peoplesparty, taught the law and traditions of Israelspatriarchs, and were strictly conforming to Jewish law;and the Sadducees the wealthy and conservativeleaders who rejected the traditions in favor of politicaland religious cooperation with the Romans.


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People were subjected to taxes

1. Head tax- one denarius (a days wage)

- 20 years and up

- tax applied to all who were subject to theRomans directly.

2. Temple tax- maintenance of the temple

- paid annually by the Jews

- half shekel (modern day: 8 grams of silver)

3. Tithes- Religious law commanded people to paytithes , a portion of the fruits of a persons labor to thepriests and the Levites ( 10% of their income)

4. Arkabala- tax being paid by vendors

5. Tax of the properties and taxes paid by thoseengaged in fishing in Galilee


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ECONOMIC SETTING The economy of first century Israel was supported by three

key segments: agriculture of olives, figs, grains, dates, andvineyards; trade fostered by Israels key location on theMediterranean Sea; and large government building projects

sponsored by King Herod. King Herod employed many laborers by commissioning

many public works (e.g. building temple in Jerusalem,palaces, ports, fortresses, stadiums, ornate stone carvings,etc.)

There was a very large disparity between rich and poor. The upper class was made up of the temple priests and

priestly aristocracy (including the Sadducees a Jewishsect)


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The middle class was comprised of traders andmerchants, artisans (stonecutters, masons, sculptors)and craftsman (metal, wood, cloth dye). The Pharisees(another Jewish sect), sages, scribes, and teachers werealso a part of the middle class.

The lower class was made of laborers (weavers, stonecarriers, slaves (non-Jewish person taken into slaverybecause of debt), and the unemployable (lepers, blind,insane, crippled, etc.)


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CULTURAL SETTING Jesus spent most of his life in and around the farming

village area of Nazareth. Similar to many farming villagesthroughout the world, life was patterned after traditions,roles and rituals passed down from many generations

beforehand. Population: The village area of Nazareth was populated

mostly by Jews, but also with some diversity of Syrians,Greeks, and Romans. The major city of Palestine was

Jerusalem, which was more cosmopolitan and contained far

greater ethnic diversity. Language: The common language in the Roman Empire

was Greek. However, at the time it was common for Jews toalso use Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin. Jesus every daylanguage was Aramaic.


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Village Life: The hub of a village was the marketplace andshops. And for a Jewish village, the synagogue was a centralmeeting place, and the seat of the local Jewish government.

Housing: Houses were all purpose 1-2 room squares, withdirt floors, flat roofs, low and narrow doorways, and front

wooden doors. Often people would sleep on flat roofsduring hot nights. The houses were arranged around acentral shared courtyard where neighbors performed dailychores (cooking, laundry, etc.) in each others company.

Water was carried in from a public well and stored in acourtyard cistern. Lighting was provided by earthenwareoil lamps. People slept on mats, and owned limitedpersonal goods


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Food: Kosher food (clean food)

Clothing: The undergarment was called a tunic. The outergarment was called a mantle it was loose fitting with

fringes, bound by blue ribbon. Men wore a belt a four-inch wide leather belt or cloth girdle. If one was wearingonly an undergarment, then he was said to be naked orstripped. If one was wearing only an undergarment

(tunic) and belt, they were said to be wearing a loincloth.People also wore sandals on their feet, and a white clothover their head, hanging to their shoulders. This clothprotected them from the sun.


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Family Structure: The husband was the spiritual and legalhead of the house. He was responsible for feeding,sheltering and protecting the family. Children wereinstructed early to honor their parents. A Jewish family

lived by very strict moral, social and religious rules.Parents, unmarried children, and a married son and spouse

would often all live under one roof. The Role of Women: In first century Israel, women were

considered second-class citizens, akin to slaves. The fact

that they are mentioned as avid followers of Jesus isunusual both that they would be allowed to follow himwith his disciples, and unusual that the authors of Jesusbiographies would mention their presence at all.


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EDUCATIONAL SETTING For the first century Jew, religion, law, history, ethics

and education were inseparable. Through both written(Torah) and oral (Mishna) law, teaching was passedfrom generation to generation. Rabbi's (teachers) andsynagogues were highly esteemed aspects of society.

The Jewish education emphasized law, ethics, andhistory for the purpose of right, moral living. Incontrast, the Greek education system calledgymnasium emphasized science, arts, linguistics andbodily training.


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For Jews, the Torah, translated law was the source of alllearning religion, history and ethics. The Torah includesthe first five books of the modern Bible (Genesis, Exodus,

Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) The synagogue translated house of assembly was the

Jewish place of both worship and education

Young Jewish boys started formal education at the age of 5,learning to read and write. At age 10, boys would start to

learn the Jewish law. Formal education was complete by age18. Young girls would learn at home from their mothers andother women. Young men were educated by a Rabbi(teacher) from the local synagogue.


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RELIGIOUS SETTING Jewish leaders fought for the purity of their belief in one God in

the face of conflicting foreign religions. Yet at the same time,they fragmented into sects divided over variations of the Jewishlaw.

The Jewish people believed in one God (monotheism) who wasinvisible and could not be portrayed. In contrast, thesurrounding cultures believed in many gods (polytheism) whocould be represented by images or idols.

Jewish tradition was centered on the Sabbath Day the daybegan on Friday at sundown and ended at Saturday sundown.Sabbath was started with prayer, the lighting of the candles bythe wife of the household, followed by a joyful Friday supper.Sabbath was considered to be a day of rest and worship, whereeverything one did was in honor of God.


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The Jewish people were seeking a Messiah or savior theywere waiting for the leader God had promised who,according to their understanding, would bring themspiritual renewal and political freedom from centuries of

foreign oppression, currently from the Roman Empire. The major religious holiday during the Jewish year was the

Passover feast celebrating the deliverance of the Jewishpeople from their slavery in Egypt. During the Passover,many Jews would travel to Jerusalem in order to celebrate

in the holy city. This is why Jesus and his disciples traveledto Jerusalem for their last supper together they werecelebrating the Passover. This is also the tradition thatcaused so many Jews to be present in Jerusalem at the timeof Jesus arrest, trial, and crucifixion.


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Groups/ Movements

The Sadducees were mostly members of the wealthy

conservative elite. They had opened their hearts to the secular

world of Greek culture and commerce, while insisting that the

only worthy form of Judaism was to be found in a rather

spiritless, fundamentalist, "pure letter-of-the-law" reading ofthe Torah. Philosophically, they denied such concepts as

resurrection, personal immortality, or other ideas that were only

found in the oral tradition. Politically, they contented

themselves with the way things were and resisted change,preferring instead to promote cordial relations with the

Romans. Although they often held influential positions in

society, they were unpopular with the masses who generally

opposed all foreign influences.


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The Pharisees, the largest group, were mostly middle-classJews who emphasized the exact keeping of the law as it had

been interpreted by sages, elders, and rabbis. Politically,they were ardent anti-Hellenists and anti-Romans. ThePharisees were admired by the majority of Jews, but they

were never a very large group since most people hadneither the education nor the time to join the party andfollow all their stringent rules regarding prayer, fasting,festival observance, tithing, etc. Pharisees were greatlyinfluenced by Persian ideas of Good and Evil, and theyadhered to the growing belief in the resurrection of thebody with an afterlife of rewards and punishments. Overtime, many of the finer impulses of Pharisaism would

weaken into an empty religious formalism (as is ever thecase), focusing on outward actions rather than the inwardexperience of the soul. Although the group had initiallybeen exceedingly tolerant, this began to devolve into afeeling of contempt toward those Jews who did not meettheir standards of behavior.


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From among the more politically radical of the

Pharisees there came a new group called the Zealots,

meaning 'men of action'. These were revolutionarypatriots, who sought to overthrow the Roman regime

by whatever means necessary. They were strongest in

Galilee. As the Romans committed one atrocity after

another, the ranks of the Zealots grew. (By 66 CEtheir ranks would be swollen, and they would lead the

charge against the Roman oppressors, initiating a

long, costly, and bitter war, that finally ended with the

inevitable Roman victory and the destruction of theSecond Temple in 70 CE).


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At the other extreme were the Essenes. These were religious Jewswho, in contrast with the Sadducees, now rejected the Temple andthe Priesthood believing these had been defiled by corruption and

murder. They also scorned what they felt was the spiritually emptyand overly 'comfortable' life of the Pharisees. And unlike the Zealots,they had no taste for politics or violence. They chose, instead, towithdraw from secular activities and devote themselves entirely tospiritual purification and contemplation within austere religiouscommunities. The Essenes are not mentioned in the New Testament,

but Flavius Josephus, Philo, Pliny, and various others speak of themin their writings. According to the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrollsthat were discovered in 1947, and the additional scrolls that werelater excavated from a Jewish monastery in Qumran, the Essenecommunities worked and worshipped according to their owncustoms, studied and copied religious literature, practiced baptism

and a communion meal, and lived an ascetic life devoted to spiritualgrowth and the perfection of the soul.


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RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS1. Passover (Pesah)- commemorates the fact that God

brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.

* Remember annually

* Eat unleavened bread

* Cleanse all leaven out of ones house

2. Pentecost (Shavuot)-fifty days after the omer offering(

1st grain, a grain offering that marked the beginning ofthe spring grain harvest). This festival marks its end.


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3. Tabernacles (Sukkot)- third agricultural festival. It

celebrated the fall harvest. People dwell in huts duringthe festival and are to come to the temple wavingbranches of palms while singing praises to God askingrain for the crops.

4. New Year- begins with the first day: Rosh Ha- Shanahand end ten days later with the Day of Atonement orYom Kippur. This is a period of serious reflection onthe ways in which one has failed to be faithful to God

during the past year. Yom Kippur is devoted to fastingand repentance before God


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Hanukkah- feast of lights. It commemorates therededication of the temple and is an eight day holidaywhich the people had been unable to celebrate while

the temple was in pagan hands.


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SYNTHESISPalestine during the time of Jesus was under the ruleof the Roman empire. Great injustice is present withinthe society which is evident in the taxes imposed on

people and the large gap between the rich and thepoor. Religious groups and movements were alsopresent during this time which greatly influenced thereligious life of the people. The Torah was given

importance during this time and people were waitingfor the promised Messiah or savior.


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VALUESIt is important to know the background or lifesituation during the time of Jesus Christ in order tounderstand better the turn of events in the Gospels. It

is in the same way, that we have to know thebackground and life stories of people around us, ourclassmates and friends that we may better understandtheir actions and behaviors. It is also true in knowing

the socio-economic political situation of our countrytoday to comprehend well why certain things happenthat will help us make our definite stand on issues thatmay confront us in our society.

Palestine in Jesus Time

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