Early Judaism- A Comprehensive Overview

prayer. Synagogues appear not to have been seen as rivals in some sense to

the Temple but rather as complements to it.

Institutions

The Temple was a dominant institution in the Judaism as practiced in the

land, and later in the period synagogues served key functions, but there

were other institutions that played central roles in society. Some informa-

tion has survived regarding the political organization of the Jewish people

in their land. A fundamental fact of life throughout the centuries of early

Judaism was that Judah/Judea was under foreign control (Persia, the Helle-

nistic kingdoms of the Ptolemies and Seleucids, Rome), with the exception

of a few decades when the Hasmoneans controlled the state and were

somewhat independent of the Seleucid administration.

There was a governor in Jerusalem at a number of times, although the

evidence is insufficient to show that there was always an officer of this sort.

Sheshbazzar (Ezra 5:14) and Zerubbabel (Hag. 1:1), perhaps both descen-

dants of David, are called governors in the late sixth century, and

Nehemiah, who refers to his predecessors in the office (Neh. 5:15), served in

the same capacity in the second half of the fifth century. An official named

Bagohi/Bagoas/Bigvai was the governor at the end of the century accord-

ing to one of the Elephantine papyri (TA DA4.7 =CAP30), and a certain

Hezekiah is called governor on some coins from the end of the Persian and

perhaps the beginning of the Hellenistic periods. After this, there is a

lengthy gap in attestations of a governor, and it may be that the high priest

became the chief of state. This appears to be the case in the Tobiad Ro-

mance and also in Jerusalem as pictured at the beginning of the historical

account in 2 Maccabees (3:1–4:6). In all of the narratives in 1-2 Maccabees,

there is no mention of a governor other than a member of the Hasmonean

family (the governor Philip in 1 Macc. 5:22 is a foreigner imposed from

without for a short time).

When the Hasmoneans became high priests (starting in 152b.c.e.),

they continued serving as political leaders and army commanders. Begin-

ning either in the short reign of Aristobulus I (104-103b.c.e.) or in that of

Alexander Jannaeus (103-76), these rulers called themselves kings. They re-

tained that office (with one queen, Salome Alexandra) until the Roman

conquest of the area in 63b.c.e.Yet, even after this date a high priest such

as Hyrcanus II enjoyed very high positions in society and is still calledking

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Judaism in the Land of Israel

EERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:03:53 PM