The Charismatic Age: First-Century Galilee Essays -- Research Papers C

The Charismatic Age First-Century GalileeThe long-awaited death in 4 BCE of Herod, the unpitying architect of an oppressive Judean police state, sparked a serial of spontaneous revolts by the Judaic peasantry. Once these rebellions were subdued, the Jews continued to chafe under a series of tyrannical Roman governors until the massive revolt of 66-70. This period was marked by widespread discontent and periodic turbulence. Direct Roman rule, along with the taxing tribute that accompanied it, was highly offensive to the Jews, who considered themselves subjects only to God. Many, in fact, considered their conditions equal to slavery (Horsley and Hanson 34-5). This highly-charged atmosphere reached a fever pitch in Galilee, which produced a host of eccentric figures many of whom amassed sizable followings. As the peasantry anticipated the reaching of the promised Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression, a number of social bandits were godly to pretend to this mantle of king of the Jews. Others assumed the role of prophet, attempting to recreate the miracles of Joshua or predicting an impending judgment. Also circulating in the area were various Jewish holy men revered as miracle-workers, allegedly capable of influencing earthy phenomena. It is in this milieu that the figure of Jesus Christ emerged. Prophetic Movements Among Jewish peasantry at the time of Jesus were two distinct types of prophets the action prophets, who take sizable movements of peasants from the villages of Judea in anticipation of Gods new, eschatological act of liberation, and the oracular prophets, who delivered oracles of any judgment or deliverance (185). The former, as illustrated by the case of Theudas, appea... ... Hanina disobeyed the rabbinic code of conduct by walking alone at shadow he also owned goats despite a Mishnaic banning against doing so in Palestine, and even went so far as to slobber the unclean carcass of a snake. Another Hasid was found ignorant of the founding of a biblical law concerning ritual uncleanness, while still another(prenominal) scoffed at a rule forbidding the use of liquids kept in an uncovered vessel at night (Vermes 77-8). Jesus of Nazareth, presumably, would have been exceedingly comfortable in such company Works Cited The Holy book of account Revised Standard Edition. New York Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1952. Horsley, Richard and Hanson, John. Bandits, Prophets and Messiahs Popular Movements in the condemnation of Jesus. Minneapolis Winston Press, 1985. Vermes, Geza. Jesus the Jew A Historians Reading of the Gospels. Philadelphia Fortress Press, 1973.