FOURTEENTH STUDY

Blackboard Outline

I.Gen. Asp. Kin. Jud.1. Terr. Tri. Jud. 3,435 m. 2. Gov. mon. 3. Rel. 1.) Jeh. 2.) Idol.II.Dur. Kin.1. Ret. sit. 2. Un. peo. 3. Conc. Jer. 4. Rev. Ho. Dav. 5. Pur. rel.III.Per. Hist.1. Fir. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. Reho. Abi. 2.) Rev. As. Jehosh.2. Sec. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. 200 y. 2.) Rev. Hez.3. Thi. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. Man. 2.) Rev. Jos.4. Fin. dec. fal. 1.) Ris. Bab. 2.) Des. Jer.

Review Questions

What was embraced in the kingdom of Ju´dah? What was its area? How was it governed? What was its religion? What was associated with the worship of Je-ho´vah? What was the religious tendency of the people? How long did the kingdom of Ju´dah last? What were the causes of this duration? What were the periods in its history? Under what kings was the first decline? Who led in a revival and reformation? Who was the greatest of the kings of Ju´dah? What took place during the second decline? Who was the usurping queen? What did this queen try to do? Who wrought the second great reformation? What was the character of this king? What great destruction of Ju´dah's enemies took place at this time? Which reign was both longest, wickedest, and most evil in its results? Who attempted a third reformation? What was the result of his endeavor? What was the political cause of the fall of Ju´dah? By what nation and by what king was Je-ru´sa-lem finally destroyed?

The Captivity of Judah

Part One

I. We must distinguish between theCaptivity of Is´ra-eland that ofJu´dah.

1. The captivity of Is´ra-el took place B. C. 721, that of Ju´dah B. C. 587. The southern kingdom lasted one hundred and thirty-four years longer than the northern.

2. Is´ra-el was taken captive by the As-syr´i-ans under Sar´gon; Ju´dah by the Chal-de´ans under Neb-u-chad-nez´zar.

3. Is´ra-el was taken to the lands south of the Cas´pi-an Sea (2 Kings 17. 6); Ju´dah to Chal-de´a, by the river Eu-phra´tes (Psa. 137. 1).

4. Is´ra-el never returned from its captivity, which was the end of its history; but Ju´dah was brought back from its captivity and again became a flourishing state, though subject to foreign nations during most of its after history.

II. There wereThree Captivitiesof Ju´dah, all in one generation and all under one Chal-de´an king, Neb-u-chad-nez´zar:

1.Je-hoi´a-kim's captivity, B. C. 607. Je-hoi´a-kim was the son of Jo-si´ah, placed upon the throne after the battle of Me-gid´do, in which Jo-si´ah perished (2 Kings 23. 34). For three years Je-hoi´a-kim obeyed Neb-u-chad-nez´zar; then he rebelled, but was speedily reduced to subjection, and many of the leading people among the Jews were carried captive to Bab´y-lon (2 Kings 24. 1, 2). Among these captives was Dan´iel the prophet (Dan. 1. 1-6). From this event theseventy yearsof the captivity were dated (Jer. 27. 22; 29. 10), though the kingdom of Ju´dah remained for twenty years longer.

2.Je-hoi´a-chin's captivity, B. C. 598. Je-hoi´a-chin was the son of Je-hoi´a-kim (called Jec-o-ni´ah, 1 Chron. 3. 16; Jer. 24. 1; and Co-ni´ah, Jer. 22. 24). He reigned only three months, and then was deposed by Neb-u-chad-nez´zar and carried to Bab´y-lon. With theyoung king and the royal family were taken thousands of the people of the middle classes, whom the land could ill spare (2 Kings 24. 8-16). Among these captives was E-ze´ki-el, the prophet-priest (Ezek. 1. 1-13).

3.Zed-e-ki´ah's captivity, B. C. 587. He was the uncle of Je-hoi´a-chin and the son of the good Jo-si´ah (2 Kings 24. 17), and had been made king by Neb-u-chad-nez´zar. But he too rebelled against his master, to whom he had taken a solemn oath of fidelity (2 Chron. 36. 13). The Chal-de´ans were greatly incensed by these frequent insurrections, and determined upon a final destruction of the rebellious city. After a long siege Je-ru´sa-lem was taken, and the king was captured while attempting flight. He was blinded and carried away to Bab´y-lon, the city was destroyed, and nearly all the people left alive were also taken to the land of Chal-de´a (2 Kings 25. 1-11). After this captivity the city lay desolate for fifty years, until the conquest of Bab´y-lon by Cy´rus, B. C. 536.

III. Let us ascertain theCauses of the Captivity—why the Jews were taken up bodily from their own land and deported to a distant country.

1. Such deportations were a frequentpolicy of Oriental conquerors. The Orientals had three ways of dealing with a conquered people: that of extermination, or wholesale butchery, which is frequently described upon the As-syr´i-an monuments; that of leaving them in the land under tribute, as subjects of the conqueror; and that of deporting themen masseto a distant land. Frequently, when the interests of the empire would be served by changing the population of a province, this plan was carried out. Thus the ten tribes were carried to a land near the Cas´pi-an Sea, and other people were brought to Sa-ma´ri-a in their place (2 Kings 17. 6, 24). A similar plan regarding Ju´dah was proposed by Sen-nach´e-rib (2 Kings 18. 31, 32), but was thwarted by the destruction of the As-syr´i-an host.

2. We have already noticed another cause of the captivity in the frequentrebellions of the kings of Ju´dahagainst the authority of Bab´y-lon. The old spirit of independence, which had made Ju´dah the leader of the twelve tribes, was still strong, and it was fostered by the hope of universal rule, which had been predicted through centuries, even while the kingdom was declining. The prophets, however, favored submission to Bab´y-lon; but the nobles urged rebellion and independence. Their policy was pursued, and theunequal strife was taken up more than once. The rebellions always failed; but after several attempts the patience of Neb-u-chad-nez´zar was exhausted, and the destruction of the rebellious city and the deportation of the population were ordered.

3. But underneath was another and a deeper cause—inthe rivalry of E´gypt and Bab´y-lon. Pal´es-tine stood on the border of the As-syr´i-an empire toward E´gypt; and in Pal´es-tine there were two parties, the As-syr´i-an and the E-gyp´tian: one counseling submission to As-syr´i-a, the other seeking alliance with E´gypt against As-syr´i-a (Isa. 31. 1-3; 37. 6). After Bab´y-lon took the place of Nin´e-veh the Chal-de´an party took the place of the As-syr´i-an, as the Chal-de´an empire was the successor of the As-syr´i-an empire. The prophets, led by Jer-e-mi´ah, always counseled submission to Bab´y-lon, and warned against trusting to E´gypt, which had never given anything more than promises; but the nobles were of the E-gyp´tian party, and constantly influenced the kings to renounce the yoke of Bab´y-lon and to strike for independence by the aid of E´gypt. The necessity of making the frontier of the Chal-de´an empire safe on the side toward E´gypt was the political cause for the deportation of the tribe of Ju´dah.

4. There was underlying all these political reasons a moral cause inthe divine purpose to discipline the nation. The captivity was a weeding-out process, to separate the precious from the vile, the false from the true, the "remnant" from the mass. There had always been two distinct elements in Is´ra-el and Ju´dah—the spiritual, God-fearing few, and the worldly, idol-worshiping many. The worldly and irreligious took part in the resistance to the king of Bab´y-lon, and the worshipers of Je-ho´vah, led by the prophets, urged submission. As a result the nobles and the warriors, for the most part, perished; while the better part, the strength and hope of the nation, were carried away captive. Notice that the captives were mainly of the middle class, the working element (2 Kings 24. 14-16). Those who had submitted to the Chal-de´ans were also taken away (2 Kings 25. 11). The prophet expressed greater hope for those taken away than for those left behind (Jer. 24. 1-10). The captives were the root of Ju´dah, out of which in due time a new nation should rise; and, as we shall see, the captivity in Bab´y-lon proved to be the most benign experience in all the history of God´s chosen people.

Blackboard Outline

I.Cap. Isr. Jud.1. Isr. 721. Jud. 587. 2. Ass. Sar.—Chal. Neb. 3. Cas. Sea.—Riv. Eup. 4. Nev. ret.—Bro. b.II.Thr. Cap. Jud.1. Jeh. cap. 607. 2. Jehn. cap. 598. 3. Zed. cap. 587.III.Caus. Cap.1. Pol. Or. conq. 2. Reb. kgs. Jud. 3. Riv. Eg. Bab. 4. Div. pur. dis.

Cap. Isr. Jud.1. Isr. 721. Jud. 587. 2. Ass. Sar.—Chal. Neb. 3. Cas. Sea.—Riv. Eup. 4. Nev. ret.—Bro. b.

Thr. Cap. Jud.1. Jeh. cap. 607. 2. Jehn. cap. 598. 3. Zed. cap. 587.

Caus. Cap.1. Pol. Or. conq. 2. Reb. kgs. Jud. 3. Riv. Eg. Bab. 4. Div. pur. dis.

Review Questions

From what earlier captivity must that of Ju´dah be distinguished? What were the dates of these two captivities? By whom was each nation taken captive? Where was each nation carried captive? What followed the captivity in each nation? What were the three captivities of Ju´dah? What were the events of the first captivity of Ju´dah? Who were carried away at this time? What date is connected with this captivity? What were the events of the second captivity of Ju´dah? Who were then taken away? What were the events of the third captivity? How long was Je-ru´sa-lem left in ruins? By whom and when were the Jews permitted to return from captivity? What causes may be assigned for the carrying away of the Jews? What were the customs of ancient Oriental conquerors? How did the conduct of the kings of Ju´dah bring on the captivity? What rivalry between nations was a cause of the captivity? What were the two parties in the kingdom of Ju´dah? How was the carrying away of the Jews a political necessity? What was the moral cause of the captivity?

Part Two

IV.The Condition of the Captives in Chal-de´awas far better than we are apt to suppose.

1. They receivedkind treatment; were regarded not as slaves or prisoners, but as colonists. At a later captivity by the Ro´mans the Jews were sold as slaves and dispersed throughout the empire. Such wholesale enslavement was common after a conquest. For some reason the Chal-de´ans did not enslave the Jews at the time of their conquest, but colonized them as free people. This may have been because the captives as a class were of the "Chal-de´an party" among the Jews, and hence were treated in a measure as friends. The letter of Jer-e-mi´ah to the exiles (Jer. 29. 1-7) shows that they were kindly dealt with in Chal-de´a. Some of them were received at the court and rose to high station in the realm (Dan. 1. 1-6).

2.Their organization was maintained.The exiles were not merged into the mass of the people where they were living, but retained their own system and were recognized as a separate colony. Their dethroned kings had a semi-royal state and at death an honorable burial (Jer. 52. 31-34; 34. 4, 5). The captives were governed by elders, rulers of their own nation (Ezek. 8. 1; 14. 1; 20. 1). There was a "prince of Ju´dah" at the close of the captivity (Ezra 1. 8). This fact of national organization was a fortunate one for the exiles. If they had been dispersed as slaves throughout the empire, or even had been scattered as individuals, they would soon have been merged among the Gen´tiles, and would have lost their identity as a people. But being maintained as a separate race, and in Jew´ish communities, they were readily gathered for a return to their own land when the opportunity came.

3.Their law and worship were observed.There were no sacrifices, for these could be offered only at Je-ru´sa-lem in the temple. But the people gathered for worship and for the study of the law far more faithfully than before the exile; for adversity is a school of religious character far more than prosperity. The exile would naturally exert an influence in the direction of religion. While the irreligious and idolatrous among the captives would soon drop out of the nation and be lost among the Gen´tiles, the earnest, the spiritual, and the God-fearing would grow more intense in their devotion.

4.They were instructed by prophets and teachers.Jer-e-mi´ah lived for some time after the beginning of the captivity, made a visit to Bab´y-lon, and wrote at least one letter to the exiles (Jer. 13. 4-7; 29. 1-3). Dan´iel lived during the captivity, and, though in the court, maintained a deep interest in his people, and comforted them by his prophecies. E-ze´ki-el was himself one of the captives, and all his teachings were addressed to them (Ezek. 1. 1-3). Many evangelical and eminent Bible scholars are of the opinion that the latter part of I-sa´iah, from the fortieth chapter to the end, was given by a "later I-sa´iah" during the exile; but whether written at that time or earlier, it must have circulated among the captives and given them new hope and inspiration. The radical change in the character of the Jews which took place during this period shows that a great revival swept over the captive people and brought them back to the earnest religion of their noblest ancestors.

5.Their literature was preserved and enlarged.Internal evidenceshows that the books of the Kings were finished and the books of the Chronicles written at this time or soon afterward; the teachings of Dan´iel, E-ze´ki-el, Ha-bak´kuk, and other of the minor prophets were given; and a number of the best psalms were composed during this epoch, as such poems are likely to be written in periods of trial and sorrow. Out of many psalms we cite Psa. 124, 126, 129, 130, 137, as manifestly written during the captivity. The exile was an age of life and vigor to He´brew literature.

V.The Results of the Captivity.In the year B. C. 536 the city of Bab´y-lon was taken by Cy´rus, king of the combined Medes and Per´sians. One of his first acts was to issue an edict permitting the exiled Jews to return to their own country and rebuild their city. Not all the Jews availed themselves of this privilege, for many were already rooted in their new homes, where they had been for two generations. But a large number returned (Ezra 2. 64), and reestablished the city and state of the Jews. The captivity, however, left its impress upon the people down to the end of their national history, and even to the present time.

1.There was a change in language, from He´brew to Ar-a-ma´ic, or Chal-da´ic. The books of the Old Testament written after the restoration are in a different dialect from the earlier writings. After the captivity the Jews needed an interpreter in order to understand their own earlier Scriptures. Allusion to this fact is given in Neh. 8. 7. The Chal´dee of Bab´y-lon and the He´brew were sufficiently alike to cause the people during two generations to glide imperceptibly from one to the other, until the knowledge of their ancient tongue was lost to all except the scholars.

2.There was a change in habits.Before the captivity the Jews were a secluded people, having scarcely any relation with the world. The captivity brought them into contact with other nations, and greatly modified their manner of living. Hitherto they had been mostly farmers, living on their own fields; now they became merchants and traders, and filled the world with their commerce. Rarely now do we find a Jew who cultivates the ground for his support. They are in the cities, buying and selling. This tendency began with the Bab-y-lo´ni-an captivity, and has since been strengthened by the varied experiences, especially by the persecutions, of the Jews during the centuries.

3·There was a change in character.This was the most radical ofall. Before the captivity the crying sin of Ju´dah, as well as of Is´ra-el, was its tendency to idolatry. Every prophet had warned against it and rebuked it, reformers had risen up, kings had endeavored to extirpate it; but all in vain—the worshipers of God were the few; the worshipers of idols were the many. After the captivity there was a wonderful transformation. From that time we never read of a Jew bowing his knee before an idol. The entire nation was a unit in the service of Je-ho´vah. Among all the warnings of the later prophets, and the reforms of Ez´ra and Ne-he-mi´ah, there is no allusion to idolatry. That crime was utterly and forever eradicated; from the captivity until to-day the Jews have been the people of the one, invisible God, and intense in their hatred of idols.

4.There were new institutionsas the result of the captivity. Two great institutions arose during the captivity:

1.) Thesynagogue, which grew up among the exiles, was carried back to Pal´es-tine, and was established throughout the Jew´ish world. This was a meeting of Jews for worship, for reading the law, and for religious instruction. It had far greater influence than the temple after the captivity; for while there was but one temple in all the Jewish world, there was a synagogue in every city and village where Jews lived; and while the temple was the seat of a priestly and ritualistic service, the synagogue promoted freedom of religious thought and utterance. Out of the synagogue, far more than the temple, grew the Christian church.

2.)The order of scribeswas also a result of the captivity. The days of direct inspiration through prophets were passing away, and those of the written Scripture, with a class of men to study and interpret it, came in their place. During the captivity the devout Jews studied the books of their literature, the law, the psalms, the histories, and the prophets. After the captivity arose a series of scholars who were the expounders of the Scriptures. Their founder was Ez´ra, at once a priest, a scribe, and a prophet (Ezra 7. 1-10), who arranged the books and in a measure completed the canon of Old Testament Scripture.

5.There was a new hope, that of a Mes-si´ah.From the time of the captivity the Jew´ish people looked forward with eager expectation to the coming of a Deliverer, the Consolation of Is´ra-el, the "Anointed One" (the word Mes-si´ah means "anointed"), who should lift up his people from the dust, exalt the throne of Da´vid,and establish an empire over all the nations. This had been promised by prophets for centuries before the exile, but only then did it begin to shine as the great hope of the people. It grew brighter with each generation, and finally appeared in the coming of Je´sus Christ, the King of Is´ra-el.

6. From the captivity therewere two parts of the Jew´ish people: the Jews of Pal´es-tine, and the Jews of the dispersion, 1.) The Jews of Pal´es-tine, sometimes called He´brews (Acts 6. 1), were the lesser in number, who lived in their own land and maintained the Jew´ish state. 2.) The Jews of the dispersion were the descendants of those who did not return after the decree of Cy´rus (Ezra 1. 1), but remained in foreign lands and gradually formed Jew´ish "quarters" in all the cities of the ancient world. They were the larger in number, and later were called "Gre´cian Jews," or Hellenists, from the language which they used (Acts 6. 1). Between these two bodies there was a close relation. The Jews of the dispersion had synagogues in every city (Acts 15. 6), were devoted to the law, made constant pilgrimages to Je-ru´sa-lem, and were recognized as having one hope with the Jews of Pal´es-tine. The traits of the two bodies were different, but each contributed its own elements toward the making of a great people.

Blackboard Outline

IV.Con. Cap.1. Kin. tre. 2. Org. main. 3. La. wor. obs. 4. Ins. pro. tea. 5. Lit. pre. enl.V.Res. Cap.1. Ch. Ian. 2. Ch. hab. 3. Ch. char. 4. Ne. ins. (syn. scr.) 5. Hop. Mess. 6. Two. par. peo.

Con. Cap.1. Kin. tre. 2. Org. main. 3. La. wor. obs. 4. Ins. pro. tea. 5. Lit. pre. enl.

Res. Cap.1. Ch. Ian. 2. Ch. hab. 3. Ch. char. 4. Ne. ins. (syn. scr.) 5. Hop. Mess. 6. Two. par. peo.

Review Questions

How were the captive Jews treated? What evidences show that their national organization was continued during the captivity? Why was this fact a fortunate one for the exiles? What customs of the Jews were observed during the captivity? What instructors did the Jews have during this period? What was the condition of Jew´ish literature during the captivity? What events followed the decree of Cy´rus? Did all the exiles of the Jews return? What change in language was wrought by the captivity? What change in habits followed the captivity? What great change in religion came as the result of the captivity? How can that change be accounted for? What two institutions arose during the captivity? What new hope arose at this time? How were the Jews divided after the captivity?

The Jewish Province

Part One

From the return of the exiles, B. C. 536, to the final destruction of the Jew´ish state by the Ro´mans, A. D. 70, the history of the chosen people is closely interwoven with that of the East in general. During most of this time Ju-de´a was a subject province, belonging to the great empires which rose and fell in succession. For a brief but brilliant period it was an independent state, with its own rulers. As most of this period comes between the Old and New Testaments its events are less familiar to Bible readers than the other portions of Is´ra-el-ite history. We therefore give more space than usual to the facts, selecting only the most important, and omitting all that have no direct relation with the development of the divine plan in the Jewish people.

I. The history divides itself intoFour Periods, as follows:

1.The Per´sian period, B. C. 536 to 330, from Cy´rus to Al-ex-an´der, while the Jew´ish province was a part of the Per´sian empire. Very few events of these two centuries have been recorded, but it appears to have been a period of quiet prosperity and growth. The Jews were governed by their high priests under the general control of the Per´sian government. The principal events of this period were:

1.)The second temple, B. C. 535-515. This was begun soon after the return from exile (Ezra 3. 1, 2, 8), but was not completed until twenty-one years afterward (Ezra 6. 15, 16). It was smaller and less splendid than that of Sol´o-mon, but was built upon the same plan.

2.)Ez´ra's reformation, B. C. 450. The coming to Je-ru´sa-lem of Ez´ra the scribe was a great event in Is´ra-el-ite history; for, aided by Ne-he-mi´ah, he led in a great reformation of the people. He found them neglecting their law and following foreign customs. He awakened an enthusiasm for the Mo-sa´ic law, aroused the patriotism of the people, and renewed the ancient faith. His work gave him the title of "the second founder of Is´ra-el."

3.)The separation of the Sa-mar´i-tans, B. C. 409. (For theorigin of the Sa-mar´i-tans see 2 Kings 17. 22-34.) They were a mingled people, both in race and religion; but until the captivity were permitted to worship in the temple at Je-ru´sa-lem. After the return from Bab´y-lon the Sa-mar´i-tans and the Jews grew farther and farther apart. The Sa-mar´i-tans opposed the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4. 9-24), and delayed it for many years; and a century later strove to prevent Ne-he-mi´ah from building the wall of Je-ru´sa-lem (Neh. 4. 2). Finally they established a rival temple on Mount Ger´i-zim, and thenceforth the two races were in bitter enmity (John 4. 9).

4.)The completion of the Old Testament canon.The prophets after the restoration were Hag´ga-i, Zech-a-ri´ah, and Mal´a-chi; but the author or editor of most of the latest books was Ez´ra, who also arranged the Old Testament nearly, perhaps fully, in its present form. Thenceforward no more books were added, and the scribe or interpreter took the place of the prophet.

2.The Greek period, B. C. 330-166. In the year B. C. 330 Al-ex-an´der the Great won the empire of Per´sia in the great battle of Ar-be´la, by which the sovereignty of the East was transferred from A´sia to Eu´rope, and a new chapter in the history of the world was opened. Al-ex-an´der died at the hour when his conquests were completed, and before they could be organized and assimilated; but the kingdoms into which his empire was divided were all under Greek kings, and were all Greek in language and civilization. Ju-de´a was on the border between Syr´i-a and E´gypt, and belonged alternately to each kingdom. We divide this period into three subdivisions:

1.)The reign of Al-ex-an´der, B. C. 330-321. The Jews had been well treated by the Per´sian kings and remained faithful to Da-ri´us, the last king of Per´sia, in his useless struggle. Al-ex-an´der marched against Je-ru´sa-lem, determined to visit upon it heavy punishment for its opposition, but (according to tradition) was met by Jad-du´a, the high priest, and turned from an enemy to a friend of the Jews.

2.)The E-gyp´tian supremacy, B. C. 311-198. In the division of Al-ex-an´der's conquests Ju-de´a was annexed to Syr´i-a, but it soon fell into the hands of E´gypt, and was governed by the Ptol´e-mies (Greek kings of E´gypt) until B. C. 198. The only important events of this period were the rule of Si´mon the Just, anexceptionally able high priest, about B. C. 300, and the translation of the Old Testament into the Greek language for the use of the Jews of Al-ex-an´dri-a, who had lost the use of He´brew or Chal´dee. This translation was made about B. C. 286, according to Jew´ish tradition, and is known as the Septuagint version.

3.)The Syr´i-an supremacy, B. C. 198-166. About the year B. C. 198 Ju-de´a fell into the hands of the Syr´i-an kingdom, also ruled by a Greek dynasty, the Se-leu´ci-dæ, or descendants of Se-leu´cus. This change of rulers brought to the Jews a change of treatment. Hitherto they had been permitted to live undisturbed upon their mountains, and to enjoy a measure of liberty, both in civil and ecclesiastical matters. But now the Syr´i-an kings not only robbed them of their freedom, but also undertook to compel them to renounce their religion by one of the most cruel persecutions in all history. The temple was desecrated and left to ruin, and the worshipers of Je-ho´vah were tortured and slain, in the vain endeavor to introduce the Greek and Syr´i-an forms of idolatry among the Jews. Heb. 11. 33-40 is supposed to refer to this persecution. When An-ti´o-chus, the Syr´i-an king, found that the Jews could not be driven from their faith, he deliberately determined to exterminate the whole nation. Uncounted thousands of Jews were slaughtered, other thousands were sold as slaves, Je-ru´sa-lem was well-nigh destroyed, the temple was dedicated to Ju´pi-ter O-lym´pus, and the orgies of the Bacchanalia were substituted for the Feast of Tabernacles. The religion of Je-ho´vah and the race of the Jews seemed on the verge of utter annihilation in their own land.

Blackboard Outline

I.Four Per.1. Per. per. 1.) Sec. tem. 2.) Ez. ref. 3.) Sep. Sam. 4.) Com. O. T. can.2. Gk. per. 1.) Rei. Alex. 2.) Eg. sup. 3.) Syr. sup.

Four Per.1. Per. per. 1.) Sec. tem. 2.) Ez. ref. 3.) Sep. Sam. 4.) Com. O. T. can.

Review Questions

With what history is that of the Jews interwoven during this period? What was the political condition of the Jews at this time? What are the four periods of this history? Who were the rulers of the Jews during the first period? What building was erected after the return from captivity? What great deliverance waseffected by a woman? What great reforms were effected by a scribe? What title has been given to him? What were the events connected with the separation of the Sa-mar´i-tans? Who were the prophets of the restoration? By whom was the Old Testament canon arranged? What brought on the Greek period? What events of Jew´ish history were connected with Al-ex-an´der the Great? Under what people did the Jews fall afterward? What were the events of the E-gyp´tian rule? What is the Septuagint? How was its translation regarded by the Jews of Pal´es-tine? In what kingdom, after E´gypt, did Ju-de´a fall? How was it governed by its new masters? Who instituted a great persecution?

Part Two

3.The Mac-ca-be´an period, B. C. 166-40. But the darkest hour precedes the day; the cruelties of the Syr´i-ans caused a new and splendid epoch to rise upon Is´ra-el.

1.)The revolt of Mat-ta-thi´as.In the year B. C. 170 an aged priest, Mat-ta-thi´as, unfurled the banner of independence from the Syr´i-an yoke. He did not at first aim for political freedom, but religious liberty; but after winning a few victories over the Syr´i-an armies he began to dream of a free Jew´ish state. He died in the beginning of the war, but was succeeded by his greater son, Ju´das Mac-ca-be´us.

2.)Ju´das Mac-ca-be´usgained a greater success than had been dreamed at the beginning of the revolt. Within four years the Jews recaptured Je-ru´sa-lem and reconsecrated the temple. The anniversary of this event was ever after celebrated in the Feast of Dedication (John 10. 22). Ju´das ranks in history as one of the noblest of the Jew´ish heroes, and deserves a place beside Josh´u-a, Gid´e-on, and Sam´u-el as a liberator and reformer.

3.)The Mac-ca-be´an dynasty.Ju´das refused the title of king, but his family established a line of rulers who by degrees assumed a royal state, and finally the royal title. In the year B. C. 143 Jew´ish liberty was formally recognized, and the Mac-ca-be´an princes ruled for a time over an independent state. Between B. C. 130 and 110 E´dom, Sa-ma´ri-a, and Gal´i-lee were added to Ju-de´a. The latter province had been known as "Gal´i-lee of the Gen´tiles" (Isa. 9. 1); but by degrees the foreigners withdrew, and the province was occupied by Jews who were as devoted and loyal as those of Je-ru´sa-lem.

4.)The rise of the sects.About B. C. 100 the two sects, or schools of thought, the Phar´i-sees and Sad´du-cees, began to appear, though their principles had long been working. The Phar´i-sees ("separatists")sought for absolute separation from the Gen´tile world and a strict construction of the law of Mo´ses, while the Sad´du-cees "moralists") were liberal in their theories and in their lives.

4.The Ro´man period, B. C. 40 to A. D. 70. It is not easy to name a date for the beginning of the Ro´man supremacy in Pal´es-tine. It began in B. C. 63, when Pom´pey the Great (afterward the antagonist of Ju´li-us Cæ´sar) was asked to intervene between two claimants for the Jew´ish throne, Hyr-ca´nus and Ar-is-to-bu´lus. Pom´pey decided for Hyr-ca´nus, and aided him by a Ro´man army. In his interest he besieged and took Je-ru´sa-lem, and then placed Hyr-ca´nus in power, but without the title of king. From this time the Ro´mans were practically, though not nominally, in control of affairs.

1.)Her´od the Great.We assign as the date of the Ro´man rule B. C. 40, when Her´od (son of An-tip´a-ter, an E´dom-ite, who had been the general of Hyr-ca´nus) received the title of king from the Ro´man Senate. From this time Pal´es-tine was regarded as a part of the Ro´man empire. Her´od was the ablest man of his age and one of the most unscrupulous. He ruled over all Pal´es-tine, I-du-me´a (ancient E´dom), and the lands south of Da-mas´cus.

2.)Her´od's temple.Her´od was thoroughly hated by the Jews, less for his character than for his foreign birth. To gain their favor he began rebuilding the temple upon a magnificent scale. It was not completed until long after his death, which took place at Jer´i-cho about the time when Je´sus Christ, the true King of the Jews, was born (Matt. 2. 1, 2).

3.)The tetrarchies.By Her´od's will his dominions were divided into four tetrarchies ("quarter-rulings," a title for a fourth part of a kingdom). Three of these were in Pal´es-tine: Ar-che-la´us receiving Ju-de´a, I-du-me´a, and Sa-ma´ri-a; An´ti-pas (the Her´od of Luke 3. 1; 9. 7; 23. 7-11) receiving Gal´i-lee and Pe-re´a; and Phil´ip (Luke 3. 1) having the district of Ba´shan. About A. D. 6 Ar-che-la´us was deposed, and a Ro´man, Co-po´ni-us, was appointed the first procurator of Ju-de´a, which was made a part of the prefecture of Syr´i-a. The rest of Jew´ish annals belongs properly to the New Testament history.

II. Through these periods we notice the gradualPreparation for the Gospel, which was steadily advancing.

1.There was a political preparation.Six centuries before Christ the world around the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an was divided into states,whose normal condition was war. At no time was peace prevalent over all the world at once. If Christ had come at that time it would have been impossible to establish the gospel except through war and conquest. But kingdoms were absorbed into empires, empires rose and fell by turns, each with a larger conception of the nation than its predecessor. From the crude combination of undigested states in the As-syr´i-an empire to the orderly, assimilated, systematic condition of the Ro´man world was a great advance. Christ appeared at the only point in the world's history when the great nations of the world were under one government, with a system of roads such that a traveler could pass from Mes-o-po-ta´mi-a to Spain and could sail the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea in perfect safety.

2.There was a preparation of language.The conquests of Al-ex-an´der, though accomplished in ten years, left a deeper impress upon the world than any other two centuries of history. They gave to the whole of that world one language, the noblest tongue ever spoken by human lips, "a language fit for the gods," as men said. Through Al-ex-an´der, Greek cities were founded everywhere in the East, Greek kingdoms were established, the Greek literature and Greek civilization covered all the lands. That was the language in which Paul preached the gospel, and in which the New Testament was written—the only language of the ancient world in which the thoughts of the gospel could be readily expressed. While each land had its own tongue, the Greek tongue was common in all lands.

3. While these preparations were going on there was another in progress at the same time, thepreparation of a race. We might point to the history of the Is´ra-el-ites from the migration of A´bra-ham as a training; but we refer now to their special preparation for their mission after the restoration, B. C. 536. There was a divine purpose in the division of Ju´da-ism into two streams: one a little fountain in Pal´es-tine, the other a river dispersed over all the lands. Each branch had its part in the divine plan. One was to concentrate its energies upon the divine religion, to study the sacred books, to maintain a chosen people, whose bigotry, narrowness, and intolerance kept them from destruction; the other branch was out in the world, where every Jew´ish synagogue in a heathen city kept alive the knowledge of God and disseminated that knowledge, drawing around it the thoughtful, spiritual minds who were looking for somethingbetter than heathenism. Pal´es-tine gave the gospel, but the Jews of the dispersion carried it to the Gen´tiles, and in many places synagogues in the foreign world became the nucleus of a Christian church, where for the first time Jew and Gen´tile met as equals.

4. Finally, there was thepreparation of a religion. The gospel of Christ was not a new religion; it was the new development of an old religion. As we study the Old Testament we see that each epoch stands upon a higher religious plane. There is an enlargement of spiritual being between A´bra-ham and Mo´ses, between Mo´ses and Da´vid, between Da´vid and I-sa´iah, between I-sa´iah and John the Bap´tist. Phar´i-see and Sad´du-cee each held a share of the truth which embraced the best thoughts of both sects. The work of many scribes prepared the way for the coming of the Lord, and just when revelation was brought up to the highest level, when a race was trained to apprehend and proclaim it, when a language had been created and diffused to express it, when the world was united in one great brotherhood of states, ready to receive it—then, in the fullness of times, the Christ was manifested, who is over all, God blessed forever.

Blackboard Outline

I.Four Per.(Cont.) 3. Macc. per. 1.) Rev. Mat. 2.) Jud. Macc. 3.) Macc. dyn. 4.) Ri. sec.4. Rom. per. 1.) Her. Gr. 2.) Her. tem. 3.) Tetr.II.Prep. Gosp.1. Pol. prep. 2. Prep. lan. 3. Prep. rac. 4. Prep. rel.

Four Per.(Cont.) 3. Macc. per. 1.) Rev. Mat. 2.) Jud. Macc. 3.) Macc. dyn. 4.) Ri. sec.

Review Questions

What was the effect of the Syr´i-an persecution? Who led the Jews in revolt? What great hero arose at this time? What line of rulers came from his family? What was the growth of the Jew´ish state at that time? What sects of the Jews arose? How did Ju-de´a fall under the Ro´man power? Whom did the Ro´mans establish as king? What were his dominions? What building did he erect? How was his kingdom divided after his death? What finally became of Ju-de´a? Name five ways in which there was a preparation for the gospel during this period. What was the political preparation? How was a language prepared for preaching the gospel to the world? What race was prepared, and how? What part had each of the two divisions of the Jew´ish race in the divine plan? What was the preparation of a religion for the world?

The Old Testament as Literature[16]

Part One

1.Importance.In order rightly to understand the Bible we must not only study it as a book of history, as a book of morals or ethics, as a book of doctrine, and as a book of devotion; we must also examine it asliterature, and ascertain the different types of forms of literature shown in its pages. The literary study of the Bible is often of the highest importance. For example, the incident narrated in Josh. 10. 12-14, printed as prose in most of our Bibles, is shown as poetry in the Revised Version; and we all know that poetry is to be interpreted upon principles different from prose.

II.Difficulties.In the study of the Bible as literature two difficulties arise and must be overcome:

1.The division into chapters and verses, and the printing of the Bible throughout in the form of prose, forms an obstacle to the student of the Bible as literature. Suppose that every history of England, the poetry of Milton, the dramas of Shakespeare, and the romances of Scott were printed in the form of our Bibles—broken up into short paragraphs—what a hindrance that would prove to the understanding and the enjoyment of these works! Except in the Revised Version of England and America, that is the condition in which we read our Bibles. Only in the Revised Version can the Bible be read as literature.

2. Another obstacle is in the fact that in the Bible all the differentforms of literature are mingled together. The prose has poetry here and there; history, personal narrative, drama, and lyric are all united in the same writings. We have Scott's prose and his poetry separate, Matthew Arnold's poems and his essays in separatevolumes; but in the Old Testament all these forms of literature are found together, and generally more than one form in the same book. There are few books in the Old Testament that are either all prose or all poetry.

III.Classification.We may arrange the different kinds of literature found in the Old Testament under six classes, as follows:

1. The larger portion of the Old Testament belongs to the department ofHistory. In its books we trace the early history of the world and the history through two thousand years of the Is´ra-el-ite people. This history may be classified as:

1.)Primitivehistory, in the book of Gen´e-sis.

2.)Constitutionalhistory, or the record of laws and institutions, in Ex´o-dus, Le-vit´i-cus, Num´bers.

3.)Nationalhistory, or historical events, in Josh´u-a, Judg´es, Sam´u-el, Kings, and Ez´ra. Although in some of these books are many narratives more biographical than historical, yet nearly all these stories have a bearing upon the national history.

4.)Ecclesiasticalhistory, in the books of Chron´i-cles, which tell the story of the kingdom of Ju´dah from a priestly point of view.

2. Next to the history comesPersonal Narrativeas a literary form in the Bible; such stories as those of Jo´seph, Ba´laam, Ruth, Da´vid, E-li´jah, E-li´sha, Jo´nah, and Es´ther; not historical, as the story of the nations, but personal, as the record of individuals. These narratives belong to the class called by scholars "prose epics," an epic being a work of narration, generally in poetry, as the epics of Homer, Dante, and Milton. The epics in the Bible are poetic in their thought, but prose in their form.

Blackboard Outline

I.Imp.The Bible as Hist. Eth. Doc. Dev. Lit. [Illust.]II.Diff.1. Div. chap. ver. 2. Lit. ming.III.Class.1. Hist. 1.) Prim. 2.) Const. 3.) Nat. 4.) Eccl. 2. Per. narr. J. B. R. D. E. E. J. E.

Class.1. Hist. 1.) Prim. 2.) Const. 3.) Nat. 4.) Eccl. 2. Per. narr. J. B. R. D. E. E. J. E.

Review Questions

With what various purposes may the Bible be studied? What is meant by the study of the Bible as literature? Give an instance showing that this study is important for the right interpretation of the Bible. How does the form in which ourBibles are printed hinder in the study of it as literature? What other difficulty is met in the literary study of the Bible? How many classes of literature are found in the Bible? What is the department of literature most prominent in the Bible? Name four kinds of history in the Bible, define each kind, and give an example of it. To what class of literature do the stories of the Bible belong? What are the subjects of some of these stories? What is an epic? Name some great epics in literature? Wherein do these differ from the epics in the Bible?

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