Part Three begins.
Last time, we spoke of 445 B.C. when the Jerusalem walls were rebuilt, the Medo-Persian dominion developed, followed by the developments of the Hellenic conquests of Alexander the Great and the Seleucid-Ptolemaic control of Palestine. To close the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, is to leap through four hundred years of history.
As the history of the Old Testament drew to a close, Israel emerged “chastened, divided and expectant.”[1] They had learned of the severe judgment that had befallen them, exile. Following the exile, many returned to Palestine, but many stayed in Persia and others in Egypt. This scattering is sometimes called the “Diaspora,” a Greek word, meaning the “dispersed.”
Irrespective of the adversities, most had not abandoned the Edenic, Noahic, Abrahamic and Mosaic faith, hope and promises. They knew the might and majesty of God’s promises and the strong story of God’s deliverance from Egypt.
After Alexander the Great’s conquests, Jewish affairs would come to be dominated by Greek and Roman influences. In divine providence, it was a move that meant that Christ's Church and Gospel would largely moved westward.
In 320 B.C., Palestine was annexed by Ptolemy 1, one of the surviving Generals of Alexander the Great. This control extended down to 198 B.C.[2] This general also ruled Egypt. There appears to have been freedom of religion with substantial self-rule accorded the Palestinians.
We know that Jewish life in Alexandria, Egypt flourished during this period. Varied schools of Jewish thought and exegesis developed here, including that of the allegorical method of Philo; this model would continue down into the Christian period with Origen of the late second and early third centuries A.D. One of the literary productions of this period in time, c. 250 B.C., would be the Septuagint, commonly abbreviated with the Roman numerals LXX, allegedly, for the seventy scholars who translated the Hebrew Old Testament to the Greek language.
Another one of Alexander’s surviving Generals was Seleucus. He became the ruler of an empire that extended from the western coast of Asia Minor (Turkey) to Babylon and beyond, e.g. Bactria. Antioch, Syria was the Selucid capital—later an important centre in Christian history—and this centralization presented a continual challenge to the Ptolemaic rulers in their holding of Palestine.
Then, Antioches III, a Seleucid, took power and the balance of power shifts. By 198 B.C., Antioches III was able to occupy Palestine. There soon was a shift in cultural focus that soon was felt by Israelites.
Antiochus had an ardent passion for Hellenization and the superiority of Greek culture. He desired to make Greeks out of the Jews. But Jewish Scriptures proscribed images. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make graven images…
Antiochus was resisted by pious Jews, adhering to our ancient revelation. A new breed, however, was in the making. They were called “Hasidic” or “pious Jew.” They are still around in Israel today and can be identified by their long curls, black hats, and black cassock coats. Jewish culture was being eclipsed. The Pharisees emerge from this group. We might even call them the original Puritans. These were the “separated ones.” They were zealous for the covenant of God and the Scriptures.[3] By the time of the New Testament period, we see them as a self-righteous breed. Originally, they were godly stalwarts, defending our ancient book, the ancient revelation of our Covenant God.
175 B.C. is another important year in Israel’s history. Another Antioches arose to power. This is Antiochus IV, or Antiochus Epiphany. He was the “Revelation” or “God-Manifestation.” Some said he was demented. Some played off the Greek word epiphans for epapnns,[4] that is, “madness” instead of “revelation.” We are unable to reproduce the Greek text in this venue. He was a radical, religious, and philosophic bigot and anti-christ willing to use his power to enslave others to his ideas. He was the Hitler of the second century B.C. This was one of Israel’s very difficult periods.
The Madman sought to unify his Seleucid holding by Hellenizing those under his orbit. Some Jews welcomed the development like modern day appeasers. Others resisted citing the authority of His Majesty’s Word, no doubt aided by the observation of their weak and apostasizing brethren. The Madman underestimated the character of God’s people and their history. Bigots do not like resistance, especially when they think they are divine.[5] A few notable actions and policies by Antiochus IV.
First, he prohibited the Sabbath, a day commanded under the Older Covenant, a day that many of us under the Newer Covenant still view as a Creation and Redemption ordinance. This was and is a day of rest, worship, and review of the work of God.
Second, he prohibited infant circumcision according to the Scriptures. While Baptists do not persecute us, nor we they, this is like telling us that we cannot baptize our children. It is a poor parallel, since many Baptists are our friends. However, we feel strongly about this covenantal ordinance. Only Antiochus backed it up bigotry with
Third, the possession of the Old Testament texts was prohibited. This will not be the last time that Christ's Church experiences this. Later, during Roman imperial persecutions, Scriptures will be outlawed. This will also happen during the period of the Reformation when Madmen in Rome prohibit and draw back Scriptures from the people. It's driven by the same malignant spirit of evil.
These three policies were matters of capital crimes and one could be put to death for them. Some were put to death.
The ultimate outrage came in 167 B.C. when the Madman entered Jerusalem, insulted our[6] fellow believers, desecrated our Temple, set up a statute of Zeus in the Temple, and sacrificed pigs to it. This was a wickedness that was intolerable.
A guerilla war ensured, called the Maccabean Revolt. It draws its name from Judas Maccabeus, or Judas “The Hammer.” Small bands of guerilla fighters faced off with and defeated Seleucid armies. Ultimately, freedom from Seleucid insolence and control was won. Our fellow believers re-occupied Jerusalem and re-dedicated the Temple in 164 B.C. This is the origin of the Jewish Feast of Hannukah, celebrated by Jews to this day.[7]
We defer developments for another day.
Part Three ends.
[1] The New Geneva Study Bible (Nashville, Atlanta, London, Vancouver: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 1497.
[2] We call your attention to excellent summaries and articles on Alexandria, Egypt in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
[3] We often associate self-righteousness with the Pharisees. I periodically worry about Christians in post-modern culture “tightening up” and becoming self-righteous. I worry about that with respect to myself. Fortunately, the Scriptures, our Confessions and a good Prayer Book keeps me in mind on the matter.
[4] Having difficulty getting the final sigma in the fonts for the Word document. It will not appear at all for the blog.
[5] We might say the same thing for many in Christendom, like Popes, Anglo-Romanists, and those thinking themselves entitled by the term “apostolic succession”, e.g. Archbishop William Laud.
[6] We use the pronoun our because the Older Covenant community is our church and our faith. We accept Abraham’s Messiah, his seed (Gal.3.16), of the house of David.
[7] These events are related in 1 Maccabees, one of the books accepted in the Apocrypha. The Jews and Protestant Churchmen do not accept them as canonical authorities for doctrinal matters. The Roman schismatics accept them as Deutero-canonical.
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