The Rays of Hope

An Introduction to the Old Testament

Rev. Dn. K.A. George

(Book 3)

Lesson 1 – Greek Religion

• Greek culture influenced Judaism. This influence is called Hellenism or Hellenization

• Second Temple Judaism (515 BCE to 70 CE) 515 reconstruction of Temple & 70 destruction of Temple by Romans.

• (sometimes known as Intertestamental Period)

Lesson 1 – Greek Religion

• Philip the Macedon and Alexander the Great (whose tutor was Aristotle)

• 356-323 B.C – Alexander’s Conquest is said to have visited Jerusalem.

• After Alexander Palestine ruled by Ptolemaic (Egyptian) and Seleucid (Syrian)

• Antiochus Epiphanes (Seleucid Ruler) tried extreme Hellenization. Maccabees(Hasmoneans) revolt (167 – 165 BCE)

Alexander’s Empire

Lesson 1 – Greek Religion

• Jewish Diaspora within a rising Greek Culture – Hellenistic Judaism

• Alexandria in Egypt – Septaugint (LXX)• Despite several centuries of Greek

Influence the Semitic mode of reasoning dominated.

Lesson 2 – Chief Divisions in the second Temple Period

• Maccabees

-organized rebellion against Antiochus Epiphanes. Rejection of Hellneization• Scribes

-Soferim – strict interpretation of Torah• Pharisees

-special group of scribes

-oral tradition (unwritten Torah) – Mishnah; Letter & Spirit of Torah

• Sadducees

-wealthy conservative; Letter of Torah Alone• Basic distinction between Pharisees and Sadducees

is how to interpret Jewish law for contemporary life. • Sanhedrin – Jewish court ; majority were Pharisees• Essenes

Ascetic community (pre-monasticism); retreated into desert; believed end was imminent. John the Baptist• Zealots

Opposed Greek and then later Roman Occupation

Lesson 2 – Chief Divisions in the second Temple Period

Two Individualsfrom 2nd Temple Period

• Philo (15 bc – ad 50) Alexandrian Jew. Synthesize faith and philosophy

• “And even if there be not as yet any one who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labour earnestly to be adorned according to his first-born Logos, the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names; for he is called, the authority, and the name of God, and the Word, and man according to God’s image, and he who sees Israel.”

• Josephus (ad 37-100)

-Jewish Historian

Lesson 3 – Dead Sea Scrolls

• Discovered in 1947. Role of Syrian Bishop

Lesson 3 Dead Sea Scrolls

• Useful:– History of Palestine – Emergence of Xianity– Ancient Biblical Manuscripts

• Ex. Aleppo Codex & DS 1000 years apart but both texts match.

Lesson 4 - Apocrypha

• Literally Hidden• Aka as “Intertestamental Literature” or

“Deuterocanonical Books”• Tobit – Maccabees Group• Peshitta includes Tobit-Maccabees• Different from N.T Apocrypha• Best Resource OSB or NRSV Bible• Available in Malayalam Bibles – Catholic

Editions

List of Books in Peshitta

Lesson 4 - Apocrypha

• Wisdom of Solomon

“wisdom 9:1-9:2

9‘O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy,who have made all things by your word, 2 and by your wisdom have formed humankindto have dominion over the creatures you have made,”

Important in development of Theology of Logos & Trinitarian Theology