Not of this World

The Hasmoneans

Maccabean Revolt - Characters

Antiochus IV Epiphanes - Seleucid (Greek) ruler of Palestine (175 - 163 BC), forcefully introduced Greek culture into Jerusalem to the horror and outrage of devout Jews at the time. Races themed around pagan deities, Greek Theaters, adoption of Greek clothing styles, changing of Hebrew names for Greek names, etc.

Hasideans - “pious people”, “puritans”. Jewish believers who opposed this paganization of their culture

Hasmoneans - A family of anti-Hellenistic Jews from a priestly line who also lived under this persecution. Mattathias, Judas, Jonathan, Simon

The Revolt Begins

Mattathias, patriarch of the Hasmoneans, was compelled to offered pagan sacrifices by a Royal Agent of Antiochus. He refused.

When another Jew attempted to comply with the order, Mattathias killed him, killed the agent, destroyed the altar, and fled into the mountains with his five sons and other sympathizers. (167 B.C.)

Successes

Under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, a group of rebels utilize guerrilla tactics to defeat the Seleucids in several pitched battles.

The Maccabeans also triggered a civil war among pro-Hellenistic and anti-Hellenistic Jews

After years of struggle, The Maccabeans expelled the Seleucids from the citadel in Jerusalem, regained religious freedom, rededicated the temple, and conquered Palestine. The cleansing of the temple is the origin of Hannukah (Day of Dedication)

Judas dies in battle (160 B.C.), his brothers successively take over leadership and negotiate with the Seleucids for recognition of their independence. This began the Hasmonean Dynasty in Jerusalem.

The Resulting Division

The political ambitions and aspirations of the Hasmoneans overpower their religious sensibilities, alienating them from Hasideans. The Hasmoneans’ aristocratic political allies eventually become known as the Sadducees.

The Hasideans themselves become divided into the Pharisees and the Essenes. The Pharisees are the legalistic antagonists in the NT. The Essenes hide themselves away in the desert, considering all Judaism within Jerusalem as apostate. The Essenes in the Qumran Community are most likely responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls, though they do appear to have succumbed to a form of Gnosticism, developing a worshipful relationship with a “teacher of Righteousness” that appears in many of their commentaries.

Sadducees = Political, naturalists (killed the Greeks to become the Greeks)

Pharisees = Legal, superficial ritualism (uncircumcized hearts [Stephen])

Essenes = Separatist, Puritanical, out of play

Finally, to Scripture!

Mark 12:13-17

Here we see the Pharisees attempting to utilize the Roman political apparatus to get Jesus arrested for attempting an uprising. Pssssst!! This is exactly what they themselves are trying to do! Isn’t this even more ironic, knowing that their movement originated as a counter to the overly-political Hasmoneans.

Mark 12:18–27

Here we see the Sadducees making an attempt to appear spiritual, in spite of the scriptural ignorance that they’ve developed pursuing their political motivations. They’ve lost even the most basic understanding of the nature of life and the resurrection through their distraction.

Mark 12:28-31

If loving our neighbor is the greatest commandment, even if our neighbor is a dirty, syncretic Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) or an apostate Jew, what does this say about the isolationism and aloofness of the Essenes? Is hiding in a cave loving your neighbor? Is hiding winning hearts? Is any one of the Essenes truly righteous?

Personal Application

As I read about the history of the Intertestamental Jews, I see myself in a mirror. If I’m being honest, the story of the American Revolution and the founding of our nation engenders revolutionary impulses within me that make me look a great deal more like the faithless antagonists of Jesus Christ than his disciples. I would, on my worst day, attempt to utilize the ridiculous notion of my spiritual purity to leverage a revolt against the secular powers that exist today. This makes me a Pharisee

My political opinions, if they are not scriptural, make me ignorant of the example of Jesus, of Stephen, of Peter, of Paul, of James, etc… They make me want to behave more like a Maccabean, a Hasmonean, A Sadducee than a disciple of Christ

My “righteousness”, which is rags, makes me more prone to nit-pick the believers and even worse, the lost sheep, around me until I complete cut myself off from those who need to see God the most. This makes me an Essene!

As I reconcile myself with this internal reality, to this broken nature still warring with the Holy Spirit within me, I am convicted towards living and loving ALL of the broken people in my personal world. This doesn’t always mean hanging out with them, doing what they do, or subscribing to their beliefs, but it does involve being in their world. This makes every step we take outside of our home a mission field, and I think this puts us in more line with the ministry of Jesus, his disciples, Paul, etc.