Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894/Dealings with Gentiles

by Palestine Exploration Fund

 

III.—Dealings with Gentiles.

The Jews had to deal with Greeks, Romans, pagan natives, and a few Christians, whom they appear to have called Minim, a term which some have connected with the name of Manes the heretic. The prevailing religion of the country was a Polytheism partly Greek and partly native, and its character is established by the texts found in the ruins of pagan temples, especially in Bashan and in Syria. The statue of Hadrian continued erect on the Holy Rock of the Jerusalem temple even as late as the fourth century. The temples to Augustus at Samaria and Cæsarea, and those at Ascalon, at Gaza, and at Afka, at Daphne and at Carchemish in Syria, were all still standing. Those of Baalbek and on Hermon, at Gerasa and Rabbath Ammon, still remain in ruins, with traces of smaller sanctuaries, and especially of the Temple to the pagan deity Aumo, raised by Herod the Great in Bashan.

The inscriptions tell us that the deities worshipped by the Greek speaking population included Zeus Keraunios, Zeus Kassios, Kronos, Athene Gozmaia, Tyche (or fate), to whom one text is addressed showing that a temple was built to her (Waddington, No. 2413), with Herakles, Helios, Selene, Atergatis and Theandrites. Among the native gods were Marna of Gaza, Aumo, Aziz, and Du Shera, all of whom have Greek texts ill their honour, with Baal Markod near Beirut, and the Palmyrene gods Baal Samin, Melek Baal, and Aglbaal, while at Daphne there was still a priest of Apollo. The worship of some of these deities continued even after the establishment of Christianity, especially among the Arabs. Aumo is invoked in 320 A.D. (Waddington, 2393). Du Shera was worshipped in 164 A.D. (No. 2023).

An important, tract (Abodah Zara) relates to the Jewish dealings with Pagans, but the only deities named are Aphrodite (iii, 5), whose image stood in the public bath at Accho, and Markulim or Mercury (iv, 1), who was represented by a stone before which a dolmen altar of three stones was placed. The Epicureans (Beracoth, ix, 5; Sanhedrin, xi, 1) and philosophers (Abodah Zara, iii, 5) are noticed, and the Asharoth or sacred trees (iii, 7), under which sometimes, as at Sidon (iii, 7) was a stone heap, including a rude hermaic image. All images were unlawful, including votive hands and feet (iii, 2), yet the Jews now carve the "hand of might" on their doorways even in Jerusalem, where I have seen one painted red.^[1] The worship of the spirits of mountains, hills, trees, and springs, which dated back among the Hittites to 1400 b.c., continued (iii, 6) to be observed,^[2] and the little niches for statues are still found at springs in Palestine. The triumphal arches of the Romans were unclean to the Jew (iv, 6) on account of sculptures such as we still find on the roof of the Baalbek temple. A few statues of gods, from Gaza, Baalbek, &c., have also survived the destruction by the monks in the times of Constantine and of Theodosius.

The Jews had often pagan servants, and the Jewesses pagan nurses (Abodah Zara, ii, 2, 4), but the touch of the "country folk" polluted the Pharisees (Hagigah, ii, 7). To entice a Jew to worship some local demon was a heinous offence (Sanhedrin, vii, 10), and sorcerers were punished with death while the Sanhedrin had power, though conjurers were allowed (Sanhedrin, vii, 10). The Samaritans^[3] rendered a third of the Holy Land unclean, and the waters of Jordan and of the Yermuk impure (Parah, viii, 10). Samaritan bread was unclean (Shebiith, viii, 10), yet an Israelite in Syria might serve a Samaritan as gardener (Khalah, iv, 7). The Samaritans were charged with lighting false beacons to throw out the proclamation of the New Moon by the Jews (Rosh hash Shanah, ii, 4), but the eating of garlic on the Sabbath—for family reasons-—was common to Jew and Samaritan (Nedarim, iii, 10).^[4] The Mishnah was the work of Pharisees; and the Sadducees and Boethusians are hardly less condemned in it than the pagans.^[5] The Galilean Sadducees^[6] appear to have been in their own opinion Pharisees, but not in that of the Jerusalem School. The Khasidin or Saints, of whom Simon the Just said that the world stood on their acts (Pirki Aboth, i, 2), were probably the companions of Judas Maccabæus. They, as well as the Perushim (Hagigah, ii, 7), or Pharisees, are still a sect. The "stranger" of the Old Testament^[7] was, according to the Rabbis, to be recognised only in the convert who had accepted baptism and circumcision (Demai, vi, 10), including such famous persons as Helena of Adiabene, Monobasus and Izates, and King Agrippa. Rabbi Gamaliel said (Pirki Aboth, ii, 5): "A boor cannot be fearful of sin, nor can one of the country folk be a saint."

Purifications were rendered necessary by contact with Gentiles,^[8] and strict rules were enforced to prevent even suspicion of countenancing or assisting in idolatrous rites. For three days before or after their feasts (Abodah Zara, i, 1) no Jew might deal with idolaters, or lend or borrow with them, or take or give payment. The feasts specified are the Kalends Saturnalia and Quartisima, also every anniversary when incense was burned to an Emperor (i, 3). Fir cones, figs, incense, and white cocks might not be sold to idolaters ^[9](Abodah Zara, i, 5) because connected with their rites. Lions and bears could not be sold, being used in the games (i, 7), which were still celebrated at Seleucia in 221 A.D. (Waddington, No. 1839), and which were yet observed in the time of Chrysostom. The Jews became victims at such games in 70 a.d., after the fall of Jerusalem, and the theatres in which they were held still exist at Cæsarea, Bethshean, Gadara, Gerasa, Amman, &c. The Jews might not erect basilicas, stadia, or bemas for Gentiles, might not make ornaments for their idols, or let buildings or fields to them in the Holy Land (i, 7, 8, 9). The general regulations of this important tract show fear of violence as well as fear of idolatry. "In every place in which you find a high mountain, or high hill, or flourishing tree, know that there is strange worship" (iii, 6). Vessels bought from pagans must be scoured or cleansed with fire (v, 12). Lights burned in honour of idols and of the dead are noticed (Beracoth, viii, 6). The Mishnah does not, however, seem, even in its latest tracts, to intimate that the Jews were prevented from observing the Law, save that their Temple was desecrated, and their condition, in absence of the ashes of the Red Heifer, one of legal uncleanness.

1. Dr. Chaplin tells me of other examples painted white.
2. In Kholin, i, 8, is mentioned also the invocation of mountains, hills, rivers, the sea, and the desert.
3. The story of the dove worshipped on Gerizim is not found in the Mishnah, though Maimonides relates it. It appears to originate in the Samaritan legend of the dove which carried news from Joshua when enclosed by the giants in the seven magic walls of the brazen city of Jocneam to Nabih, King of Gilead (Samaritan Book of Joshua). I conjecture that the impurity of the rivers was due to their passing by the Samaritan region.
4. Garlic was regarded as a stimulant; it prevented jealousy (T. B. Baba Kama, 82a).
5. The sects are noticed in Rosh hash Shanah, ii, 1, 2; Niddah, iv, 2, vii, 3; Yadaim, iv, 6; Menakhoth, x, 3.
6. Yadaim, iv, 8.
7. "Stranger" is, strictly speaking, a man of another tribe living with protectors, like the Arab jár.
8. Purification was by means of one quarter log of water poured on the hands (Yadaim, i, 1), or about a wineglassful. Purifications connected with sacrifices required double the amount of water.
9. Myrtle (sacred to Venus) and willows were also connected with idolatry (Succah, ii, 2, 3).