Book03 unit3
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Transcript of Book03 unit3
The Rays of Hope
An Introduction to the Old Testament
Rev. Dn. K.A. George
(Book 3)
Lesson 1 – Greek Religion
• Greek culture influenced Judaism. This influence is called Hellenism or Hellenization
• Second Temple Judaism (515 BCE to 70 CE) 515 reconstruction of Temple & 70 destruction of Temple by Romans.
• (sometimes known as Intertestamental Period)
Lesson 1 – Greek Religion
• Philip the Macedon and Alexander the Great (whose tutor was Aristotle)
• 356-323 B.C – Alexander’s Conquest is said to have visited Jerusalem.
• After Alexander Palestine ruled by Ptolemaic (Egyptian) and Seleucid (Syrian)
• Antiochus Epiphanes (Seleucid Ruler) tried extreme Hellenization. Maccabees(Hasmoneans) revolt (167 – 165 BCE)
Alexander’s Empire
Lesson 1 – Greek Religion
• Jewish Diaspora within a rising Greek Culture – Hellenistic Judaism
• Alexandria in Egypt – Septaugint (LXX)• Despite several centuries of Greek
Influence the Semitic mode of reasoning dominated.
Lesson 2 – Chief Divisions in the second Temple Period
• Maccabees
-organized rebellion against Antiochus Epiphanes. Rejection of Hellneization• Scribes
-Soferim – strict interpretation of Torah• Pharisees
-special group of scribes
-oral tradition (unwritten Torah) – Mishnah; Letter & Spirit of Torah
• Sadducees
-wealthy conservative; Letter of Torah Alone• Basic distinction between Pharisees and Sadducees
is how to interpret Jewish law for contemporary life. • Sanhedrin – Jewish court ; majority were Pharisees• Essenes
Ascetic community (pre-monasticism); retreated into desert; believed end was imminent. John the Baptist• Zealots
Opposed Greek and then later Roman Occupation
Lesson 2 – Chief Divisions in the second Temple Period
Two Individualsfrom 2nd Temple Period
• Philo (15 bc – ad 50) Alexandrian Jew. Synthesize faith and philosophy
• “And even if there be not as yet any one who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labour earnestly to be adorned according to his first-born Logos, the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names; for he is called, the authority, and the name of God, and the Word, and man according to God’s image, and he who sees Israel.”
• Josephus (ad 37-100)
-Jewish Historian
Lesson 3 – Dead Sea Scrolls
• Discovered in 1947. Role of Syrian Bishop
Lesson 3 Dead Sea Scrolls
• Useful:– History of Palestine – Emergence of Xianity– Ancient Biblical Manuscripts
• Ex. Aleppo Codex & DS 1000 years apart but both texts match.
Lesson 4 - Apocrypha
• Literally Hidden• Aka as “Intertestamental Literature” or
“Deuterocanonical Books”• Tobit – Maccabees Group• Peshitta includes Tobit-Maccabees• Different from N.T Apocrypha• Best Resource OSB or NRSV Bible• Available in Malayalam Bibles – Catholic
Editions
List of Books in Peshitta
Lesson 4 - Apocrypha
• Wisdom of Solomon
“wisdom 9:1-9:2
9‘O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy,who have made all things by your word, 2 and by your wisdom have formed humankindto have dominion over the creatures you have made,”
Important in development of Theology of Logos & Trinitarian Theology