1st Century Hebrew Culture & Religion
Overview:
For the Jewish peoples of the 1st Century AD, their culture and their religion were almost indistinguishable. They generally followed the Mosaic Law as handed down in the Torah (the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible), the prophetic writings and the literary writings such as the Psalms. The Mosaic Law influenced, if not outright controlled many aspects of their daily lives. How they related to one another, familial instructions, which foods were declared ‘clean’ and therefore were permitted to be consumed. Of particular importance were the several holy days and festivals that were celebrated throughout the year, of which many influenced Jesus’ decisions and movements during his ministry, they also carry foreshadowing’s of a Messiah.
These include (many of which are outlined in Leviticus 23):
¨ Shabbat (the Sabbath): the seventh day of the week, that the Jews were instructed to keep holy. The Sabbath as a holy day of rest, is unique to Judaism and isn’t found in any other contemporary religions in that region. Jews were not allowed to work (including cooking meals), nor permitted to travel more than a mile on that day.
¨ Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets): ushers in the Jewish New year, usually with the blowing of the shofar. It is a festival that includes 10 days of penitence, culminating in the observance of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), where specific sacrifices needed to be made to cleanse individuals and the nation of Israel from its sins.
Foreshadowing & Fulfilment: Yom Kippur: As part of the rituals that had to be conducted as part of the ‘Atonement’ sacrifice two goats were used. One was sacrificed to cleanse the sins of the nation of Israel, the other was released into the desert for ‘Azazel’ (an evil spirit/devil) to devour – it bore the sins of all the people. This where the concept of the scapegoat comes from. Jesus is not only the scapegoat for our sins, but he is also the sacrifice for our individual sins. 1 John 2:2 – Jesus was led outside of Jerusalem to be killed, burdened by the sins of all humanity.
¨ Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles): celebrates the temporary dwellings and place of worship the Israelites had during their 40 years of wandering the desert. In it, palm fronds are waved about.
Foreshadowing & Fulfilment: A Temporary Dwelling: Jesus was present with Moses (this will be explored in sections later on), as was the presence of God, the shekinah glory. The tabernacle was a temporary and mobile place of worship. The physical body of Jesus of Nazareth, was a temporary tabernacle of the presence of God on Earth. His name ‘Immanuel – God with us’ shows us this (Matthew 1:23).
¨ Hanukkah (Festival of Lights): celebrates the victory of the Maccabean revolt and the re-establishment of worship in the Temple in Jerusalem, under Jewish control.
¨ Purim: celebrates the stopping of the plot to destroy the Jews during the Persian captivity by Esther and Mordecai. While not a foreshadowing of the messianic mission, it does show that God will use ordinary people to bring about the salvation of others, who are being called to Him.
¨ Pesach (Passover): celebrates the flight from Egypt and the deliverance from captivity and the Angel of Death. It is a week-long feast and festival. It is a remembrance of God’s mercy and salvation for His people. It contains messianic overtones in its observance and the rites in specific meals. His family used to travel to Jerusalem regularly to celebrate the Passover (Luke 2). This was a feast that Jesus would have presided over in his family household being the oldest son (because his father had died), as well as the ‘Last Supper’ with His disciples prior to his death and resurrection. In the Exodus account (Exodus 12) an unblemished (or perfect) lamb was meant to be sacrificed, and whose bones were not meant to be broken, and its blood was to be spread on the doorframe, as a sign of protection from the Angel of Death. There is a number of significant connections between the Passover and Jesus as the Messiah, which will be discussed in a later section.
Foreshadowing & Fulfilment: The Sacrificial Lamb: before Jesus’ ministry even started, John the Baptist had already referred to him as the ‘Lamb of God’ (John 1:29 & 36), not only is this an echo of the instructions in Exodus 12, but may also refer to Psalm 34:19-20. He was the lamb without blemish (Hebrews 4:15), and it was his blood spread across the beams of the cross that defeats the effects of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). It is that same blood that was shed, cleanses our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
¨ Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): is celebrated seven weeks after Passover. It marks and celebrates several important religious and cultural aspects. Firstly, it is the remembrance of God passing on the Law to Moses. Secondly, it is the bringing of the first-fruits to the temple to be offered as a sacrifice and ritual before God. The bringing of first-fruits culminates in the bringing in of the wheat harvest, some 50 days after the beginning of the festival – this marks Pentecost (or 50 in Greek). So, the days of Pentecost were originally for the celebration of God’s bountiful provision of food crops – then after the events of the 2nd Chapter of Acts, it became a time of celebration for the church for God’s provision of the Holy Spirit.
Foreshadowing & Fulfilment: Pentecost, Birth of the Body of the Messiah: On the Day of Pentecost, the Jews were meant to bring their first-fruits of the wheat harvest, along with two leavened (with yeast) loaves. In Matthew 13:33, Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a woman who puts yeast into the flour, and mixes it all in. The gospel, and the truth it contains flows through all people and cultures. It has been said that from a Christian perspective the two loves can symbolise both the Jews and Gentiles who belong to Jesus. After the events of the 2nd Chapter of Acts, the church was born, and it soon spread across the whole of the Mediterranean region and beyond. Its growth would have been impossible if it weren’t for Jesus sending the Holy Spirit as a guide and councillor.
Pharisees & Sadducees:
There were three significant religious sects within 1st Century Judea – the Pharisees and the Sadducees were the more dominant of the three. The Essenes being a stricter fringe group that segregated themselves in communities out in the Judean desert and hill-country – they were the group that produced the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ discovered in the mid-20thCentury. The Pharisees (the P’rushim, in Hebrew) were a large group, much larger than the Sadducees, and their focus was on the precise interpretation of the Law, they believed in the resurrection of the dead, but they also relied heavily on the ‘traditions of the fathers’. They were seen to be pious in their observance and belief in God, and probably came from what we would recognise as the middle-class of Jewish society, in particular their views on ritual purity. They had a mixed relationship with the average Jewish person, as they were to be found in most towns and cities, as they presided over the local synagogue – however, they often demanded to be treated with more respect and reverence, due to their position. In Matthew 15:1-9, Jesus directly rebuked the Pharisees for their strict adherence to human traditions, double-standards and rituals rather than the living word of God. The Sadducees (the Tz’idukim, in Hebrew), were the main priestly body of the sects, however some were also amongst the wealthy ruling elite of Jewish society. They were based in the Temple in Jerusalem, as it was the centre of Judaic religious ceremonies and worship. They did not believe in following the oral traditions of their forefathers, nor did they believe in the resurrection of the dead – which is interesting, as many put their faith in Jesus, as the Messiah, after his resurrection (Acts 6:7) – nor did they believe that the books of the prophets should be included in the Tanakh (the Jewish scriptures, our Old Testament). Furthermore, the Sadducees were as much a political sect as they were a religious one. The High Priest was appointed by the Romans – in Jesus’ day this was Caiaphas. They controlled the Sanhedrin, which was the council of priests, Pharisees and wealthy elite that ruled Jerusalem. The conflict that Jesus had with both these sects predominantly revolved around Jesus’ claim to be ‘God’ and the ‘Son of God’ – as can be found in his trials in Mark 14.
Jesus in the Synagogue:
The synagogue of weekly worship and teaching on Shabbat (the Sabbath). Each Sabbath there was a specific scripture reading, and it was expected of Jewish men to be able to stand and discuss and teach on this scripture, and how it related to their daily walk with God. It was also the place of teaching for the children to learn the scriptures and memorise them. So, when Jesus said ‘Is it not written in the scriptures….” – they would know precisely where he was quoting from. Jesus would have grown up being able to speak and teach in his local synagogue. This gives some context to the story told in Luke 2 of Jesus staying behind and sharing his wisdom, and discussing the scriptures with priests in the Temple. Also, when in Luke 4, Jesus reads from a messianic prophecy from Isaiah, he did so in a manner that everyone was accustomed to, and were ready to hear him teach. In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus himself says that he came to ‘complete’ the Law, and that nothing shall be removed from the Torah, until the end of time. So, he clearly understood that the Jewish people needed to be shown that he was the ‘Son of God’ and the Messiah from their own scriptures and Mosaic Law.
Matthew 4:23 – Jesus travelled all around the Galilee region teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel, and the Kingdom of Heaven. He also healed people along the way. Jesus undertook this type of ministry because he knew that it was not only culturally appropriate, but that it was a place of both worship, and for seeking the truth about God. He brought the truth of his Heavenly Father, and the salvation which was to come ‘first to the Jews’ in a way that they understood.
The Jewishness of Jesus is perhaps one of the most mis-understood and least recognised part of HIS life. Without the Jewish connection to both Old Testament practices and beliefs, there would have been no fulfilment of the Law and of prophecy.
Part 4: Jesus as Creator