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New Testament Chapter 4

Session goals

  • know that the writings of the New Testament are the Jewish world (i.e., they are written about Judaism)
  • understand the different sub-periods of the Second Temple Period
  • survey the important groups within Judaism around the time of the New Testament
  • understand the realities of Jewish identity around the time of the New Testament

The New Testament world is many worlds

  • The New Testament writings are not simply read; they are studied. (Powell)
  • To study the New Testament, we must understand three contexts (worlds), including their important events, figures, and perspectives:
    • Greco–Roman world (Last Lesson)
    • Non-Jesus-following Jewish world (This Lesson)
    • Jesus-following Jewish world (the New Testament)

Why are the worlds important?

  • The New Testament movement (the Jesus movement) did not originate or develop in a vacuum.
  • There were different contexts that influenced it:
    • Greco-Roman World
    • Jewish World (Non-Jesus-following)
    • Jewish World (Jesus-following) within the NT

The Jewish World

  • Key organizing concepts: Groups | Time Periods | Identity/Belief
  • TIME PERIODS UP TO THE NT (overview of major eras):
    • Patriarchal Era ($1800$–$1500$)
    • Period of the Judges ($1399$)
    • United Monarchy ($1025$–$928$)
    • Divided Kingdom ($922$)
    • Exile and Diaspora ($772$–$515$)
    • Persian Period ($515$–$332$)
    • Hellenistic Period ($332$–$167$)
    • Hasmonean Period ($167$–$63$ BCE)
    • Roman Period ($62$ BCE–$135$ CE)
  • SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD (roughly $585$ years; building of the second temple at $515$ BCE to destruction at $70$ CE)
    • Four units (periods) within the Second Temple Period:
    • Persian Period ($ca. 537$–$332$ BCE)
    • Hellenistic Period ($ca. 332$–$167$ BCE)
    • Hasmonean Period ($167$–$63$ BCE)
    • Roman Period ($63$ BCE–$70$ CE)

PERSIAN PERIOD

  • Lasted from $537$–$332$ BCE.
  • After Cyrus’s decree for Jewish liberation, Persian kings interfered very little with Jewish life.
  • The expression of religion becomes more local, aligning with earlier days (connects to Deuteronomy’s centralization discussion).
  • Synagogues begin to flourish as centers of teaching and worship.
  • There is a greater focus on the Torah as the identifier of Judaism.
  • This is a time when Israel is “starting over,” so there is a natural tendency to look back to core scriptural documents.

Hellenistic PERIOD

  • Lasted from $332$–$167$ BCE.
  • Multiple rulers during this time:
    • Alexander the Great (from Greece) – power from $332$–$320$ BCE
    • The Ptolemies (Egypt) – power from $320$–$198$ BCE
    • The Seleucids (Syria) – power from $198$–$167$ BCE
  • The influence of Alexander the Great’s conquest was life-changing for Jews, especially outside of Palestine.
  • Greek became the lingua franca, and Jews were exposed to Greek ideas and culture in new ways.

HASMONEAN AND ROMAN PERIODS

  • Hasmonean Period ($167$–$63$ BCE):
    • Jewish rebels (the Maccabees) revolt and win independence (as described in 1–2 Maccabees).
    • The Temple is rededicated after Antiochus is removed from power.
    • Jewish sects, including Pharisees and Sadducees, emerge during this time.
  • Roman Period ($63$ BCE–$70$ CE):
    • The Roman general Pompey annexed the territory without much struggle in $63$ BCE.
    • All events observed in the New Testament take place during the Roman period and under Roman occupation.

IDENTITY/BELIEF — THE COVENANT

  • Reading activity noted (Identity/Belief: The Covenant)

CORE BELIEFS OF JUDAISM

  • There was no single, unified system of beliefs or practices for all Jews, but a foundational set of beliefs:
    • There is only one God ext{(monotheism)}
    • God chose the Jewish people to be an elect and holy people
    • God made a covenant with them
    • God gave them the Torah
    • They practiced circumcision, kept the Sabbath, observed dietary restrictions, and followed the Ten Commandments
  • FOUNDATIONAL DISTINCTION: Jews, regardless of where they lived, shared a common religious identity. Differences among sects existed, but core beliefs were shared.
  • Greeks’ beliefs tended to be tied to local deities of each homeland (e.g., Thracians vs. Spartans).
  • Romans’ religion centered in Rome.

FOUNDATIONAL DISTINCTION — Judaism under Roman Rule

  • The Romans recognized Judaism as a religio (recognized religion).
  • Jews were allowed to follow their own customs.
  • Jews faced heavy taxes.
  • The Romans held final authority in legal matters affecting Jews; the Sanhedrin handled matters affecting only Jewish people.
  • Revolt in the 1st Century CE ($66$–$73$ CE) led by the Zealots.
  • Outcome: capture of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple ($70$ CE). This marked the end of the Second Temple period.

INFLUENCE OF HELLENISM

  • Basic Jewish beliefs retained, but there were influences on:
    • Synagogue life
    • Observance of Shabbat, calendar, and dietary laws
    • Purity codes
  • It is unclear how consistently or universally Jews observed practices with social implications.

GROUPS WITHIN JUDAISM (VISUAL REPRESENTATION)

  • Groups: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, Herodians, Samaritans, Gentiles

PHARISEES

  • Emphasized faithfulness to the Torah
  • Founded synagogues
  • Encouraged everyone to participate in prayer, studying the Torah, and worship
  • Encouraged laypeople to follow the same purity regulations as priests serving in the temple
  • Experts in the law
  • Jesus had the most in common with this group
  • Paul, even after his conversion, considered himself a Pharisee

SADDUCEES

  • Probably the most powerful group at the time of Jesus
  • Controlled the temple system in Jerusalem
  • Dominated the Sanhedrin (ruling Jewish body)
  • Distinct beliefs: no life after death; no belief in angels or demons outside the Torah
  • Regarded only the Torah as sacred Scripture; the rest were religious writings
  • Known for collaboration with Rome
  • More willing to compromise on politics if the temple and sacrificial systems remained untouched by Romans

ESSENES

  • Separatists who lived in private communities
  • Advocated strict dietary laws and other rigorous paths to holiness
  • Celibacy
  • Ritual bathing
  • Sacred meals
  • Messianic beliefs
  • Apocalyptic worldview
  • John the Baptist possibly influenced by Essene practices and teachings

ZEALOTS AND HERODIANS

  • Zealots: radical Jews, advocates of armed rebellion
  • Famous sub-group: Sicarii, who infiltrated crowds and assassinated Roman collaborators
  • Responsible for the Jewish–Roman War of $66$–$73$ CE
  • Herodians: political coalition of Jews who supported the Herodian dynasty (began with Herod the Great)
  • Collaborated with Pharisees in plots against Jesus

SAMARITANS

  • Lived in Samaria (area between Judea and Galilee)
  • Known for distinct beliefs
  • Claimed to be the true Israel; viewed “Jews” as pretenders
  • Considered the lost tribes of Israel taken into Assyrian captivity ($722$ BCE)
  • Jewish rivals started when Eli set up a rival sanctuary in Shiloh (1 Sam $1$: $3$)
  • Had their own temple mount on Mount Gerizim
  • Had their own Torah version, different from Jews’ version
  • Believed one of the commandments required worship on Mount Gerizim
  • Argued that Jews’ version of the Torah was a falsified text produced by Ezra during the Babylonian exile
  • Believed interaction with Jews was wrong (and Jews felt the same toward them)

GENTILES

  • All non-Jews (e.g., Romans, Greeks, Persians)
  • The New Testament presents Gentiles in various ways:
    • Pagans (an ancient term for non-believers)
    • God-Fearers
    • Proselytes

CONNECTIONS TO PREVIOUS LECTURES AND REAL-WORLD RELEVANCE

  • The three-world framework connects NT writings to broader historical contexts (Greco-Roman politics, Hellenistic influence, and Jewish identities in diverse settings).
  • The Roman period context explains political and religious dynamics shaping Jesus’ world, temple life, Sanhedrin authority, and the nature of early Christian encounters with Jews and Gentiles.
  • The Hasmonean and Roman periods show how Jewish identity and practice evolved under foreign rule and internal sectarianism, which informs NT portrayals of groups like Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots.
  • The spread of Greek as a common language helps explain the NT’s cultural and linguistic environment and the presence of God-fearers and proselytes in the early Jesus movement.

KEY DATES AND TERMS (RECAP WITH LA TEX)

  • Second Temple Period spans from the building of the temple in 515\text{ BCE} to its destruction in 70\text{ CE}.
  • Persian Period: 537\text{ BCE}–332\text{ BCE}.
  • Hellenistic Period: 332\text{ BCE}–167\text{ BCE}.
  • Hasmonean Period: 167\text{ BCE}–63\text{ BCE}.
  • Roman Period: 63\text{ BCE}–70\text{ CE}.
  • Key revolts and events: Judean independence under the Maccabees; destruction of the Temple in 70\text{ CE}; Jewish-Roman War ($$66$–$73$ CE).
  • Core theological concepts: monotheism, covenant, Torah, circumcision, Sabbath, dietary laws, Ten Commandments.
  • Terminology: religio (Roman recognition of Judaism), Sanhedrin, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, Herodians, Samaritans, Gentiles.

NOTE ON SOURCES IN THE PRESENTATION

  • The content references the broader historical timeline and key biblical-canonical groups, with cross-references to New Testament contexts and Old Testament-era developments (e.g., Deuteronomy’s centralization of worship, 1–2 Maccabees narrative).