Jewish History : Qumran Sect

There are three central periods that need to be analysed in order to evaluate the influence of Hellenisation on Jewish history, up until the period of the Roman invasion: the Ptolemaic period, the Seleucid period and the Maccabean revolts, and the Hasmonean state. Each of these historical events shaped Jewish society and had a profound influence over the religious beliefs of many Jews. But it was the conquests of Alexander the great that were the main catalyst that brought about the process of Hellenisation, a process that was embraced by many Jews and rejected by others. All in all, it was a process that contributed greatly to Jewish history up until the Romans took matters into their own hands.

The Ptolemic period begins with Alexander the Great, who before his death in (323 BCE) had established a vast empire reaching from Macedonia to Persia. He then captured Egypt and Palestine southward. As W Albright states, these conquests were the catalyst, which led to the phenomenon known as Hellenisation .

Alexander wanted to export and impose Hellenistic culture on the rest of his empire. In (98 1 Macc. 1 20-4) we discover that once Alexander died his empire was divided among his generals. Judea, the ancestral land of the Israelites, fell under the rule of the Egyptian based Ptolemaic ruler, Ptolemy, under whose rule the Hellenisation of Judea commenced. Jews who were living in Egypt were allowed to return to Palestine (Josephus Antiquities Chapter 2) and the Pentateuch was translated into Greek. (1 Macc. 1 5-15) Greek became the language used by officials, Greek money began circulating, Greek art was exported and inter ethnic marriage was encouraged, if not imposed. The taxation system was based on that of the Greeks.

Some members of the upper class were in favour of the process of Hellenisation since it benefited them in terms of power and money. Josephus explains this in the Antiquities of the Jews Book 12 Chapter IV, with the example of Joseph the tax collector who betrayed his people because he was attracted to Hellenistic ways . In biblical literature there is also evidence of a Hellenistic influence with the apparition of Greek words in the Old Testament. The book of Wisdom is another good example that shows how the Hellenistic influence changed the life of many Jews. The book of Wisdom was also an answer for a growing number of Israelites who were attracted to Hellenistic customs. In the book God is opposed to the concept of Reason, which stems from Greek philosophy (Levine). The Hellenist influence is also evident in certain writings in the Old Testament, such as the Song of Solomon, where in Chapters 4 and 5, the Hellenist fascination with sensuality is clearly apparent.

Some members of the ruling class were willing to abandon or to compromise their traditional beliefs and practices in favour of Hellenisation. Crucial evidence is found in the Zino Papyri, in which an influential Jewish military commander named Tobias, when greeting Apollinius, one of Ptolemy II ministers, compromises his Jewish beliefs in the uniqueness of God by saying many ‘thanks to the Gods’.

Of course not all Jews were enthusiastic about the process of Hellenisation. Towards the end of the third century there was a growing number of Jews who were most dissatisfied with the process. The Book of Tobit, which may have been written around 200 BC in Palestine, deals with the life of a Jewish family during a time of alienation. Tobit is described as a Torah obedient Jew (Tob. 1:1-10) who despite adversity, being captured and exiled, (Tob. 1:10-16) and becoming blind (Tob. 2:7-10), remains faithful to the Law of his fathers and is ultimately rewarded (Tob. 11:1-13:17). This story provides an insight into how many of the Israelites might have felt during this epoch. (Tob 2:14). Ultimately Tobit and his family’s faith in God was rewarded. For the Jews it was God who created the perfect and well-ordered universe (Sir 24: 1-22). It constantly reminded them to be faithful to the covenant. The Jews considered themselves the chosen ones as they had been given the Law. For Orthodox Jews, the Law was not a burden because they were the guarantors of cosmic order. It was not a chore but a privilege. The righteous would be rewarded and the unrighteous punished. The Law was central to the Israelites because God’s revelation was effectively confined to its limits. The legal tradition maintained by the Rabbis was an attempt to cover every conceivable situation in which a Jew could legitimately accept guidance as to how they should live their life .

In 198 the Saleucid king Antiochus III took control of Judea. Under his rule and that of his successor, the Israelites still maintained a certain level of religious freedom. But matters underwent a drastic change when the new king Antiochus Epiphanes came to power. In 174, Jason, the brother-in-law of