Religious background

Religious Background

  • Temple Events (Mark 11:15): Jesus drives out merchants and money changers.

Required Readings

  • Scripture: Mark 12:28-34; Luke 2:22-38

  • Text: Perkins, Pheme. "The World of Jesus" (Pages 23-50).

Learning Objectives

Participants should be able to:

  1. Enumerate basic religious beliefs of Jewish people.

  2. Describe the layout of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

  3. Explain characteristics of various religious groups during Jesus' time.

Keywords

  • Passover

  • Day of Atonement

  • Pharisees

  • Essenes

  • Holy of Holies

  • Sadducees

  • Court of Women

  • Satan

  • Chosen Race (1 Peter 2:9)

A. Central Beliefs in Israelite Religion

  1. Monotheism: One exclusive God, a belief challenged by polytheistic influences.

    • Example from Maccabean period (IV Macc 5:23-24): Self-control, courage, justice, and piety towards the living God.

  2. Chosen Covenant People: Jews considered privileged; significant symbols like circumcision (Gen 17:11ff).

  3. Purity and Holiness: Strict distinctions between clean/unclean; societal and ritual purity emphasized; implications on community behavior.

B. Importance of Scriptures and the Torah

  • Authority: Hebrew Bible deemed authoritative and central in ethical life (Law, "the Prophets", "the Writings").

  • Jesus' Interpretation: Interpreted Torah through love (quote from E. Schurer on Israelite piety).

C. Angels and Demons

  • Development of beliefs during Persian and Greco-Roman periods.

  • Good and bad angels exist; bad angels linked to temptation and calamity, led by Satan.

  • Angels function as messengers of God, noting Greek translations (angelos from mal'ak).

D. Life After Death

  • Significant eschatological beliefs: immortality, resurrection, judgment prevalent among Jewish groups.

E. Messianism

  • Messiah: Anointed One connected to liberation from political bondage; Luke 2:22-38 illustrates messianic expectations.

F. Apocalyptic Expectations

  • Definition of apocalypse; revelatory narratives believed to have importance during crises.

  • Focus on condemnation of evil and promises of a new world after the end-times.

G. Holy Temple and Priesthood

  • Central Role: Temple as communion and reconciliation point with God; priests perform sacrificial duties.

  • High Priest's Role: Lead atonement for national sins; pivotal functions in temple management.

H. Jewish Feasts and Fasts

  • Booths: Celebrating grape harvest; symbolizes wilderness wanderings.

  • Passover: Commemorates angel of death passing over Hebrew homes (Exo 12:13); linked with Jesus’ passion.

  • Weeks (Pentecost): Celebration of land fertility, connected to Sinai and giving of Ten Commandments.

  • Rosh Hashanah: Marks Jewish New Year with special sanctity, ram's horn blown.

  • Hanukkah: Commemoration of temple rededication post-defilement; known as Feast of Lights.

  • Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): Sole prescribed fast for purification from sins (Lev 16).

  • Sabbath: Day of rest, significant restrictions on work (penalties include death for violations).

  • Synagogue: Place for study, discussion, worship, and communal activities.

I. Religious Groups

  • Pharisees: Teachers of the Law; separated from common people; debated with Jesus on legal matters.

  • Sadducees: Associated with Jerusalem aristocracy; controlled Sanhedrin; collaborated with Romans; opposed Jesus.

  • Essenes: Devout community, withdrew to the Dead Sea; believed in temple corruption; strict moral code; viewed themselves as God's true temple.

Illustration of Herod's Temple Layout

  • Diagram: Describing different areas—Holy Place, Holy of Holies, courts for men and women, and entrances.

Notes derived from the study guide discussion on the religious context of Jesus's time.

  • Passover: A Jewish festival that commemorates the exodus from Egypt, marked by the angel of death passing over Hebrew homes (Exo 12:13). It is linked with Jesus’ passion.

  • Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): Thesole prescribed fast in Judaism for purification from sins, emphasizing self-reflection and atonement (Lev 16).

  • Pharisees: A religious group known as teachers of the Law, who separated themselves from common people and were known for their strict adherence to the Torah; they frequently debated legal matters with Jesus.

  • Essenes: A devout community that withdrew to the Dead Sea, believing in the corruption of the temple and obeying a strict moral code, viewing themselves as God's true temple.

  • Holy of Holies: The innermost and most sacred area of the Jewish temple where the Ark of the Covenant was housed; it was believed to be the dwelling place of God on Earth.

  • Sadducees: A religious group associated with Jerusalem's aristocracy, they controlled the Sanhedrin and collaborated with the Romans, opposing Jesus and his teachings.

  • Court of Women: The area of the temple where women were allowed to enter; it was located before the main sanctuary and served as a space for worship and gatherings.

  • Satan: A figure representing opposition to God, often considered the leader of the bad angels associated with temptation and calamity.

  • Chosen Race (1 Peter 2:9): Refers to the belief that the Jewish people are specially selected by God and entitled to a covenant relationship, signifying a privileged status among humanity.