Second Temple Period

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Submitted to Prof. Kendall In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

201530 Summer 2015 NBST 510-B03 LUO By

Shane Korthas June, 27th 2015

Contents

Introduction Second Temple Period ................................................................................................1

Persian Empire ...............................................................................................................................3 Jews return from Exile .........................................................................................................3 Person effecting Jewish Culture...........................................................................................4

Saul of Tarsus .................................................................................................................................5 Paul’s Conversion………………………….…………….………………………….…….5 Paul’s works .........................................................................................................................5

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................8 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction Second Temple Period

The following essay will be separated into two major sections, the first being a synopsis of the Persian Empire just pre-temple destruction, and Israel’s return from a long exile in Persian Empire. Finally, the first section will end with a discussion on Alexander the Great and his empire, in order to explain how a combination of the latter impacted the Jewish people leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ. The second portion of this essay will cover the conversion of Saul, and how this greatly impacted Judaic thought on the Messiah. This essay will cover the above themes about the Second Temple Period. The most important concept to understand in the coming essay is that the return of the Jewish people from exile played a crucial role for the coming of the Messiah, which was also a direct result for the destruction of the Second Temple. Also, that the conversion of Saul single handedly had a significant effect on the Jewish culture in the 1st century AD. This essay is attempting to confirm the significant role that the Exile, Persian Empire, and Saul had on Jewish culture was lasting. The effects on Jewish culture would be in duration of the time of Jesus Christ, and forward towards the next age being for the Holy Spirit. Persian Empire The Persian Empire in 539 BC dominated Babylon to the point of surrender. After the fall of Babylon the Persian Empire stood for 200 years. The Empire has the characteristics of being a strong a tolerant ruling. Ian Barnes has this to note about the Persian Empire “After a bloodless victory over the Babylonians in 539 BC, the Persian king, Cyrus, went on to build a strong, tolerant empire, which extended as far south as Egypt. The Persians employed unusual military

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tactics and remained the dominate power in the Near and Middle East for more than 200 years”1. The Persian Empire is considered to be one of the most successful empires to rein in this area of the world. Evidence for the Persian Empire is prevalent through artifacts such as: pottery, frieze art work, and wide spread cultural influence. There is an abundance of secular knowledge for the existence of the Persian Empire, the next paragraph will cover the biblical proof. Biblically, there is outstanding prove for the Persians presence in Israel during the Second Temple Period. For example, Isaiah gives a great description here in Isaiah 44:26-28; 45:1 “That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my Shepard, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut”2 This Biblical quote is very in depth with the Prophets understanding of what is to come of Israel. He mentions that the temple foundation will be build which it was as an act of toleration. Also, the prophet alludes to Cyrus being under the authority of God. Meaning that the actions of the Persian Empire were not against God’s will, but working for God’s will. It is God’s intention to subdue the people of Israel by Cyprus, and again Israel misinterprets this. Even when Israelis

1 Dr. Ian Barnes, The Historical Atlas of The Bible (New York, New York: Chartwell Books, 2014), 152. 2 Isaiah 44:26-28; 45:1 “That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my Shepard, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut”

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return some are hesitant, having built a life again in a different place. Essentially, Jewish people would have to cope with losing a comfortable place to live, and face the rebuilding of their homeland. In fact this time is understood as the Day of Trumpets which is celebration for a return from exile, and to the reestablishment of worship in the land of the Lord. Overall, the Persian Empire greatly impacted Jewish tradition, and resulted is a defining moment for Jewish doctrine, which paved the way for the coming Messiah. Jews return from Exile The next portion will be discussing the exile of the Jewish people. In approximately 538 BC Jewish people receive an edict to return to Israel under Cyrus. Judaic people did not leave without a trace, for example, some places were left with the unifying symbol of the Star of David as a memento of solidarity. There are many aspects for the evidential prove of the exile burdening the Jewish people. As mentioned before many Jews after the edict were hesitant to leave, and many did not feel the need to go back to Israel. It was some time until most of the Jews did return in belief that God was calling them home to Israel. Overall, the Jewish left empirical proof for their stay in the Persian Empire, and also what was left was a large amount of Biblical proof. Biblical proof is abundant for the Exile, and much praise came from a return to Israel. In the following quote, there is an explanation for the building of the temple and a return of the Jewish people Ezra 6:3-5 “In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof three cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house: and also let the golden silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again 3

unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, everyone to his place, and place them in the house of God.”3

Above the prophet is describing the restoration of Jerusalem as a whole. This is important, because, it is a common misconception that all of the Jewish people left Israel during the exile. In fact some remained behind, and this must have been a spring of fantastic news to the relatives of the exiled. The laying of the Temple wordage is significant in that it represents God’s abode being constructed. As for Christians, it represents the coming of incarnation. It is a significant figure to note that the building of the second temple was in part a fulfillment of prophesy for the Messiah. The next quotation by Michael Harbin offers a description of Jewish life at the return from exile “Once the Jews had reached the land, they gathered in Jerusalem, where they erected and dedicated an altar. They began offering sacrifices on the altar as part of a renewed national worship, although the temple was not yet rebuilt. This service took place on the first day of the seventh month, the day of the festival of trumpets…The people had made a good start. Their journey had been successful, and they were safely in the land. Worship was reinstituted. The temple had not yet been rebuild, but that was the next item on the agenda”4 Upon return to Israel Jewish people had to redefine much of what they knew to be tradition, but amazingly they were able to hold on to age old traditions, and at the same time adapting to a new

3 Ezra 6:3-5 “In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof three cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house: and also let the golden silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, everyone to his place, and place them in the house of God.” 4 Michael A. Harbin, The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 333.

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precious introduction to the Holy Land. In the following portion there will be a definition on how a select person and series of events impacted the Jewish. These two are described in reference to the coming of Jesus Christ. Person effecting Jewish Culture

There are many notable figures during the Second Temple Period before Jesus Christ. People such as, the Prophet Daniel and Cyrus are a notable to mention. There is one name that stands out as Hellenistic and dominating, that is Alexander the Great. He single handled conquered most of the known world, and brought Greek thought to Israel. Alexander the Great left a great empire after his youthful death. As most people may know his empire was left to his generals. This would cause great strive, and be the demise of the empire. Barnes notes this on the legacy of Alexander “In a decade, Alexander the Great created an empire that stretched from Greece to the Punjab. After his death in 323 BC, his generals divided up the Empire, fought among themselves, and destroyed the prosperity of the great trading ports of Greece. The center of wealth then shifted to Alexandria, where Jewish culture thrived.”5 Certainly, Alexander’s legacy put the permanent mark of Hellenism on his conquered world, and it just so happened that the concentration of wealth turned to be in a lively city called Alexandria. This would have greatly affected Jewish people in that the city provided a safe haven for practice, a tolerable governance for their theocratic ways, and time enough for the Pharisees to negatively define Judaic law. Alexander the Great died young, and wanted to push further east, but his generals would not hear of it. Perhaps if the Empire was pushed farther east the spread and Hellenism and

5 Dr. Ian Barnes, The Historical Atlas of The Bible (New York, New York: Chartwell Books, 2014), 158.

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perhaps Judaic idealism would have flourished. The Israeli people have been known for having a theocratic for a form of government. A theocratic form of government may have been tolerated under the rule of Alexander, as it was temporarily tolerated under the Roman government in the time of Jesus. Overall, Alexander the Great is a very influential individual over Jewish culture. Saul of Tarsus Opening up for the next portion of this essay is enquiry into Saul, and how his conversion so greatly affected Judaism. Firstly, a brief explanation of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a Jewish man who came from a moderately wealthy family of tent makers. He was known as a fierce persecutor of Christians, and his time period of most activity is considered to be post-crucifixion. The most important parts of Saul’s life is his conversion, missions teachings, and works. Firstly, Kostenberger has this to state on Saul’s lifestyle prior conversion “As an ideal Pharisee, Paul may have been active as a Jewish missionary, winning Gentiles as proselytes to the Jewish faith. He may have been like the Pharisees Jesus described who “travel over land and sea to make one proselyte”.”6 Clearly, Saul was a devote Jew, and the only reason tradition calls him Paul is due to a Roman transliteration issue. Saul was prepared for his conversion to Christianity by God, but he did not understand it at the time. Some of his preparations were his education in Greek and his status as a Roman citizen. The latter two aspects of Saul’s life coupled with his journeys to Greece, and his time as a Roman prisoner provided great opportunity to preach and write the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In conclusion, Saul was being prepared to live a life for God, while he did live a life for the Old Covenant, he was not aware of the majesty of Jesus Christ until his enlightenment on the road to Damascus.

6 Andreas J. Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum, Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, The Cross, and The Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2009, 567.

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Paul’s Conversion Next there is will be a discussion towards one of the most important aspects of Paul’s life which is his conversion. The single most defining moment is found in scripture Acts 9:1-43 “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ....” Dissecting this experience is necessary, in order to, understand what truly made Paul hear his calling. Paul was on a rampage in the sense that he passionately persecuted Christians. He was actionable in contacting synagogues in order to further close in upon people of the Way. Though finally the Lord decided to show Paul who He was, it is common for the Lord to make a presentable appearance in light. For example, Moses seeing God’s back, and being filled with light or Jesus showing His flowing gown again being filled with light. The light that Paul seen was so bright that it blinded him for three days, and during this time Paul was weary in that he may never see again. Blindness was necessary for Paul due to his level of commitment to persecution, and this humble state is what led him to change his path against the Judaic tradition. Another perspective for Paul’s conversion comes from Michael Harbin “When Saul asked who was speaking, he was told that it was Jesus. He was also told to go into the city, where he would be given guidance…Saul was now blind and had to be led into Damascus. For three days, he remained blind and did not eat nor drink. It was clearly a time for inner reflection….”7 Paul used this inner reflection to understand his calling. The Holy Spirit indwelled in Paul, and forever he

7 Michael A. Harbin, The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 443.

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would denounced his Pharisaic roots, and be a follower of Jesus’ teaching. As Paul is being divinely inspired he proved his ability for apologetics. Many times Paul does as Christ says, and first attempts to convert Jewish people, but many times they would not be tolerable towards the distortion of the Judaic law. So, in that event Paul would then turn to Gentiles who were much more receptive to the teachings of the Gospel. With a growing number of apostolic churches, Jews must have felt the pressure to promote their own way of life. These false teachings are also reflected in Pauline writing, he warns about heresies, and people coming to distort the Gospel. In conclusion, Paul’s conversion is a defining moment for Jewish culture in that they lost an extremely talented and apologetic person to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul’s works Another valuable portion of Paul’s life that greatly affected Judaism during the Second Temple Period is the works the Apostle dedicated himself to after conversion. His theology is what helped define doctrine for the struggling apostolic churches. The reason for Paul’s success contextually is the fact of relevance, combined with truth of his writing. The latter successes coupled with timeliness, Paul’s writings were divinely inspired, disseminated, and brought faith to the new Christians. Paul Enns describes Pauline theology is these higher theological terms: Revelation, Sovereignty, Christ, Holy Spirit, Sin, Salvation, Church, and Last Things. These terms are vast in what it would take to completely describe them, but each of these theological themes have affected Jewish culture in the Second Temple Period. For example, the idea of the Trinity coined by Tertullian was definitely described and raised to new heights by Paul. Although, the Old Testament alludes to the truth of the Trinity, it was not until the New Testament that the concept was clairvoyantly defined. Paul had a great role in the pronouncement of the Trinity, and this pronouncement effected Jewish culture. Some ways the

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culture was effected are: no more sacrifices to obtain God’s spirit, Jesus as the final and pure Lamb, and the latter resulting in Pharisaic laws being debunked. Enns has this to say on Pauline Theology “Paul’s theology represents a high watermark in terms of a theology of God. Paul portrays God as sovereign, revealing Himself in grace through Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21; 1 Cor. 2:10; 2 Cor. 12:7). That which God purposed from all eternity has now been revealed in time.”8 Many Jewish people especially the Pharisees had difficulty accepting what was just stated above, which is the truth in God’s revelation and incarnation through His Son Jesus Christ. Paul’s works were defined in his extensive writings affirming the teachings of Jesus, and his work ethic. Paul’s work ethic set the standard for Gentiles trying to use Christianity as a means of slothfulness. This effected Jewish culture in the fact that Jews would not be able to accuse Christians of being lazy and detrimental to the traditional Judaic way of life. Meaning, that Jews had a tendency of familial work this was much a part of their tradition. So, Paul’s frivolous work ethic in persecuting the Christians is was now transformed into the Jews worse enemy in that it was an example on how to live for new Christians. Conclusion The above essay discussed the following concepts concerning the Second Temple Period. Those being listed as such: synopsis of the Persian Empire pre-temple destruction, Israel’s return from a long exile in the Persian Empire, a collection of various events coupled with Alexander the Great’s influence. The second portion of the essay covered the conversion of Saul, and how this greatly impacted Jewish thought on the Messiah. The whole purpose of the above writing is to make a clear inclination that the latter people and events of the Second Temple Period had a large impact of Jewish culture.

8 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 108.

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Bibliography

Dr. Barnes, Ian. The Historical Atlas of the Bible. New York, New York: Chartwell Books, 2014. Harbin A., Michael. The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Kostenberger J., Andreas, and Kellum L. Scott, and Quarles L. Charles. The Cradle, The Cross, and The Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2009. Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014. Noll, Mark A., Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2012.

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