Discuss the origins and influence of Hellenism in Israel during the
Intertestamental Period. Be sure to identify any problems this movement
caused for the Jews and describe the Jewish response to these problems.
Which Hellenistic rulers most aggressively tried to influence Jews with
Hellenism? How did Hellenism positively and negatively impact the
Jews? What modern movement parallels the rise of Hellenism?
For
most of us who are studying some form of history when we hear the term
Hellenism, I assume it brings to mind the reign of Alexander the Great. He is
the person most often associated with the spread of the Hellenistic way of
life. In fact that was his goal as he sought to conquer as many lands as
possible and make them more Greek. According to Julius Scott, “Alexander deliberately
set out spread Greek culture. His army was accompanied by city planners and architects,
literary figures and philosophers, biologist and botanists, musicians and
actors, and other purveyors of culture.”[1]
With
Hellenism coming into Jewish culture that posed a big problem because for the Jews
the way they lived demonstrated their faithfulness to God and their status as
his “chosen people.”[2]
The Jewish people faced two major crises in the sixth and fourth centuries; one
was military and political and the other was cultural. With the rise of
Hellenism the way Juduaism was practiced changed dramatically, it went from
being a religion built upon the temple and ceremonial worship to a religion of
morality and ethics.[3]
One of the biggest changes that was noticed is that in this period the temple
is no longer the only place to worship because synagogues are becoming more
prominent.
In
order for a town to establish a synagogue it need to have at least ten men. Another
reaction that took place was a heavy defense of the authority of the Scriptures
for their time. Because if they allowed those to be desecrated it would have
vast implications on everything they understood about God, life and everything
else.
There
were some very different reactions to the rise of Hellenism in the Jewish
community. They ranged from those who were willing to completely dessert their
Hebrew roots and adopt paganism even if it meant hurting their own people and
culture.[4] Scott emphasizes that,
At the other extreme were those who, like
the original Maccabees, fought against the incursion of the new, or at least
parts of it. Between the extremes were those who withstood but without
violence, resorting to passive resistance or apathy toward Hellenism. Some groups
and individuals seem to have emphasized, or maybe overemphasized, Hebraic
distinctive against Greek influence. Hellenist Judaism represents the road of compromise,
the attempt to be both a part of the new world order and a loyal Jew at the
same time.[5]
Antiochus IV was
more determined than some other that Judea was going to become Hellenized one
way or another. The spread of Hellenism allowed the Jews to become more
involved in trade because of the use of a common language throughout the
region. It also allowed the books of the OT to be translated into Greek which
would allow for the possibility of more proselytes.
The
only movement that I can think of for this time frame that would be anything
like Hellenism would be Islam; I say that because of the way the laws are
enforced and how when it consumes a region it changes everything around it.
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