The books 1 and 2 Maccabees focus on the rebellion of the Jewish people of Jerusalem against the hellenization of their city. While the events of both books are ultimately defined by the Jewish faith as demonstrated by the works’ protagonists, the two books utilize different aspects of that faith; 1 Maccabees is written in a mostly historical manner, showing chronologically how the actions of Jewish individuals contributed to the revolt against the hellenization of Jerusalem, but 2 Maccabees takes the focus away from Jewish people and places it with the Jewish God, declaring that it was his intervention which allowed the Jews to overcome the ungodly act of hellenization in their city. The aim of each author, to promote the Jewish community …show more content…
In 1 Maccabees it was Jewish citizens who started the process of Hellenization in Jerusalem, opting to construct a gymnasium in their city: “[the king] authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom” (1 Maccabees, 1.13-14). Furthermore, these Jewish citizens of Jerusalem went on to “remove… the marks of circumcision” (1 Maccabees, 1.15). It is clear through the language that the author of the piece uses to describe these people (“lawless men” who “sold themselves to do evil”) that they are to be viewed unfavorably and seen as if they are destroying the faith (1 Maccabees, 1.11-15). The author doesn’t just show those people who should not be emulated, however, but provides a depiction of the model Jew: “Mattathias and his friends went about and tore down the altars; they forcibly circumcised all the uncircumcised boys that they found within the borders of Israel,” writes the author (1 Maccabees, 2.46-47). These two passages from 1 Maccabees provide a perfect balance to the reader, first denouncing that which should not be committed by those who practice the Jewish faith and then providing an example of how those who practice the Jewish faith should choose …show more content…
While the promotion of the Jewish faith and the Jewish community of Jerusalem over that of the Hellenistic invaders is the aim of the authors of both pieces, the understanding of what it is that they are promoting is fundamentally different. The author of 1 Maccabees presents a Jewish faith that is constructed with levels of faithfulness; one can subscribe to some of the actions necessary of followers of the religion while not taking part in others, given extenuating circumstances. People, in the eyes of 1 Maccabee’s author, will maintain their position as Jewish without needing to be one-hundred percent devout at all times. The author of 2 Maccabees, on the other hand, presents a Jewish faith that is immensely strict. Despite facing pressures of self-preservation, the individuals presented by 2 Maccabee’s author are unwavering in their devotion to their faith, they simply continue to follow their beliefs and God acts for them according to the necessities of the situation; this presents an image of Judaism in 2 Maccabees as being very black and white, either an individual is Jewish or they are not. It is important for a reader of both Maccabees books to make the distinction that although both authors are attempting to accomplish the same thing, there is a clear
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
...ht and the damnation of the Children of Darkness. Much like the eschatological traits found in John, this message is one of hope and perseverance. Where John emphasizes the role of hope for the near future in which salvation was within reach, the War Scroll focuses on perseverance in the hope for the dawning of the battle between the Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness culminating in the abolition of evil and dualism. These thematic parallels are of significant value to the understanding of the influence of the community at Qumran on the author of the Fourth Gospel; so impressive are these parallels that they can not simply be attributed to the concept of a common Jewish milieu of late Second Temple Judaism. In eschatological terms, the corresponding ideals of the two communities are suggestive of a Johannine author who was influenced by the society at Qumran.
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives and to understand the significance Rachel's life had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapter titled “Shul” and “School” next to each other with each giving a view of the problems they faced in school. Here both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassm...
Through previously analysing examples of early Christian anti-Judaism, this chapter provides an insight into the connection between early Christian anti-Judaic attitudes and the Nazi understanding of the Jews. As Ruether contends that Christian anti-Semitism originates from the ‘left hand of Christology’, it will become apparent through analysing Nazi ideology and propaganda how early Christian anti-Judaism is repeated in the Nazi depiction of the Jews. Conversely, it is counter argued by Langmuir that Nazi anti-Semitism differed from early Christian anti-Judaism and therefore was not a continuation of anti-Judaism. He contends that despite the medieval church referring to the Jews as blind to the truth and the symbol of disbelief, medieval authorities did not condone the slaughter of the Jews. Therefore, it can be argued that there is not a direct connection between anti-Judaism and the racial anti-Semitism adopted by the Nazis. In response to Langmuir’s argument, the racial hatred for the Jews expressed by the Nazis, as with any hatred, has to have an origin and a trigger point which generates the feelings of contempt. For example, Christian contempt for Jews originates from the idea that the Jews were responsible for the death of Christ. Taking this into account, Langmuir’s argument is problematic and this chapter will reveal the repetition of early Christian anti-Judaism in Nazi propaganda. Although the Nazis interpreted the Jews from a racial discriminative standpoint, which was distinct to the early Church Fathers portrayal of the Jews, they used Christian anti-Judaic accusations and stereotypes of Jews to contribute to their portrayal of the Jewish race. This leads to the conclusion that the Nazis were influenced by the...
It is mentioned that the bishops tell the common folk that “the Jews have stolen your religion and yet the Jews live with you in your own land.” As a result, these words create violence as the common folk “rush out together in search of Jews, and when they find one they kill him.” The killings and violence committed during this time was also predominately recognized as acts of vengeance for many bishops and other Christians deem “the Jews as Christ-killers.” Again, this idea supports the notion that Jews created mischief and thus, the cruelty directed to them is understandable and
Christianity and Judaism are major world religions which, though they worship the same God, have marked differences which have caused two thousand years of strife and animosity between the two religions. In his book We Jews and Jesus, Samuel Sandmel likens the link between Judaism and Christianity to a type of parent-child relationship, saying, “Early Christianity was a Judaism; within a century after the death of Jesus it was a separate religion. It was critical of its parent, and hostile to it, and elicited from its parent reciprocal criticism and hostility.”1 Opposing views of Jesus Christ caused the initial rift between Judaism and Christianity and is the primary source of the tension between the two religions which has continued for the last two millennia. Therefore, in order to understand how Judaism and Christianity relate to one another, it is essential to understand the way Jesus is perceived in each religion. The way that Christians view Jesus is quite well known, but Judaism’s view of him is much lesser known, so it is important to explore Judaism’s perceptions of Jesus, beginning with New Testament times, and to examine the ways in which these feelings and opinions have changed over time.
Notably, Bultmann’s approach is less as a debunker and more as an interpreter: his idea of the NT is a kind of pure theology written in the poetry of narrative. Therefore, the narrative elements are not important they are means of expressing a theological insight born of an encounter with God. Particularly, Jesus’ the death and resurrection are not two separate events, or two halves of one event. Christ simultaneously is crucified and God resurrects him to conquer death, is a singular event. As a result, the act of proclaiming Christ transcendence of the fallen world results in the person experiencing an encounter and relationship with Christ. Therefore, faith is an act of trust in this encounter and Christ's resurrection is an ongoing activity within the kerygma, and historical "facts" become irrelevant. Bultmann is criticized of denying the actual resurrection; perhaps it may be more accurate to say he redefines it.
Even though the Christmas play was directly against her Jewish faith, Shirley did not pay much attention to that fact. She was more concerned about perfecting her role so that everyone watching her would be proud of her. However, Shirley’s mother was very concerned about her daughter’s performance in the play. Shirley’s mother had quickly noticed that the school was trying to encroach upon the non-Christian students with these Christian beliefs. She felt the students were being deceived, and she was very frustrated about the situation. Shirley’s mother stated, “Very funny, Misha. What is becoming of you? If we came to a new country a long time ago to run away from tyrants, and instead we fall into a creeping pogrom, that our children learn a lot of lies, so what’s the joke.” (171) The mother was rather fearful and furious that Shirley was playing a role in a play that would directly be against her own Jewish faith. Shirley’s mother felt that they had come to America so they could practice their own Jewish faith freely, which was something they could do not do back home. Yet, here in the American schools, her daughter and other children were presently being forced to learn about Christianity. Shirley’s mother used the term “creeping pogrom” as a way of referring the American schools to the organized massacres of Jews in czarist Russia. She felt that the children were being massacred of their Jewish faith because they were learning lies against their own Jewish religion. Shirley’s mother was further enraged because the children were young and did not know that they were doing something against their own religion.
The Book of Daniel is the only full-blown apocalyptic book in the Protestant recognized version of the Canon. A literary device divides the book into two halves. Chapters 1-6 are a collection of stories that introduces the reader to Daniel and three other Israelites as unwilling guests of the Babylonian Empire ruled by Nebuchadnezzar. The second half, Chapters 7-12, consists of apocalyptic imagery of deformed beasts and the heavenly court. The focus of this paper will be on chapter 7, which serves as a bridge between the two halves.
In the story Dubliners by James Joyce, he writes about a few different themes, some of these being autonomy, responsibility, light, and dark. The most important of the themes though must be the individual character in the story against the community and the way they see it. I have chosen to take a closer look at “Araby,” “Eveline,” and “The Dead” because the great display of these themes I feel is fascinating. Many things affect the way the individual characters see the community, for example their family, friends, fellow citizens, or even new places. In Dubliners, the way the characters see the community affects them and other people around them.
Judaism is one of the main religions in the world today along with Christianity and Islam. The three religious beliefs share similar patriarchs and origins that have roots to Abraham. The differences that exist between Islam and Judaism are apparent, however, these are less distinct when a comparison is made between Christianity and Judaism. Regardless of the similarities that exist in the two religions, Judaism has many interesting and sometimes puzzling features. The paper will illustrate the features that I found interesting in Judaism and those that are more difficult to grasp and understand.
Throughout Jewish History we have seen significant transitions from 2,000 B.C.E. to 1492 C.E. These transitions changed many different aspects of Jewish life. There are three specific events or turning points that caused tremendous change in Jewish life and had many ramifications. These three events were the Formation of the United Monarchy, the Rise of Hellenism and the Golden Age of Spain. Each of these transitions impacted Judaism in different ways that changed it forever. The different groups of people involved changed different parts of Jewish life including linguistics, politics, traditions, and literature.
Judaism and Christianity are two of the most commonly known religions in the world. The latter is practiced by more than 2.2 billion people—by far the largest practiced faith. The former is practiced by a far smaller population—about 14 million. Despite the significant difference in the amount of people belonging to either religion, they share a history, and compare in far more ways than people realize. However, Judaism and Christianity are also far more different than people realize, as well.
Religion has been taught as a set of beliefs that relates to the forces of nature, a cause, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a deity and/or associates. It would often contain a moral pull to themselves and onto others and creates the goodness they believe in and what they think what is right and what is wrong. Whatever the religion they worship, many of them strongly believes on their beliefs and their ties would become so powerful, it could give hope to many, or be seen as a controlling cult. In their own way, they are their own utopia and society like the books, "The Giver" and "Fahrenheit 451." Though not all, the worshippers believe the other is wrong and tries to convert or condemns them, they never think about, these religions have more in common.
Both Christianity and Judaism are religions that have some relationship between them as much as they also have differences. Judaism and Christianity developed on the basis obeying God, on adherence to his rules and fulfillment of God’s will is a duty of a Jewish or Christian person, both religions fall into the rule deontological category.