Early Judaism- A Comprehensive Overview

the form of images. Such practice they reckoned as profaning the spiritual

essence of God. The stance, of course, derives from the biblical command-

ment against graven images, and the struggle against idolaters fills the

pages of the Torah and the Deuteronomistic history. The principle re-

tained its power in the Second Temple. As we have seen, even theLetter of

Aristeas,a prime document for accord between the Jewish and Hellenic

worlds, draws the line firmly at idolatry, denouncing in harshest terms

those who fashion their own gods in wood or stone and thus fundamen-

tally misconceive the nature of divinity. Aseneth’s acceptance of Joseph’s

god could come only when she pulverized every idol in the household.

And the assault on idolatry gains voice also in theSibylline Oracles,com-

posed by Jews who emphasized the failings and offenses of Gentiles. The

incorporeal character of God represented an unshakable principle. Jewish

aniconism was conspicuous and widely acknowledged by non-Jews. Some

found it peculiar and puzzling, even akin to atheism. Others admired it.

The Roman historian Tacitus held up the Jewish practice as a worthy con-

trast with animal worship indulged in by Egyptians and with emperor

worship, which Tacitus deplored. Indeed the most learned of Romans, the

great scholar Varro, in the late first centuryb.c.e., praised the imageless

conception of the deity, likening it to ancient Roman custom as genuine

piety before the Romans began to set up images and adulterate their creed.

But whether questioning or admiring, pagan references to Jewish an-

iconism make clear that perseverance in this principle that set Jews apart

from their neighbors received widespread notice. They erected no façade

of assimilation.

Gentile Attraction to Judaism

The insistence on distinctiveness, however, did not entail a closed society.

Indeed the accessibility of Judaism to the outsider, a striking feature often

overlooked, merits attention. A considerable number of non-Jews found

Judaism enticing. We can no longer recover the reasons, and they doubt-

less varied from place to place, and person to person. Some may have been

attracted by its great longevity, by the ethical precepts, by the rigorous ad-

herence to the Law, by the discipline demanded in its practices, by the so-

cial bonding of the synagogues, by the celebration of its festivals, or by the

reputation not only for Eastern wisdom but for skills in both the practical

and the occult sciences. We can only speculate on the motives. But the fact

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erich s. gruen

EERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:03:56 PM