Olketa Hasmonaean and Samting wea Kamaot From Olketa

TAEM Jesus stap long earth, Jew religion hem divaed long olketa difren sekson, and evri sekson hia trae for win for kasem paoa ovarem pipol. Hem nao samting wea happen olsem olketa Gospel storyim, and Jew man for raetem history long first century Josephus hem raet abaotem diswan tu.

Olketa Pharisee and olketa Sadducee stap long datfala taem olsem olketa wea garem paoa, wea savve changem tingting bilong pipol and mekem pipol rejectim Jesus olsem Messiah. (Matthew 15:1, 2; 16:1; John 11:47, 48; 12:42, 43) Bat, olketa Hebrew Scripture nating storyim tufala grup hia wea garem paoa.

Firstaem wea Josephus hem storyim olketa Sadducee and Pharisee hem taem hem raet abaotem mek-tu century B.C.E. Long datfala taem Hellenism, wea minim Greek kastom and idea, hem switim planti Jew for followim. Nogud feeling midolwan long olketa wea followim Greek kastom and Jew religion hem big tumas taem olketa Seleucid ruler mekem temple long Jerusalem dirty, long wei for dedicatem long Zeus. Wanfala barava strong Jew leader, Judah Maccabee, from famili wea olketa kolem olketa Hasmonaean, hem leadim wanfala army wea aotem olketa Greek from datfala temple.a

Olketa year stretawe bihaen datfala win bilong olketa Maccabee hem taem wea olketa sect kamap wea garem olketa difren idea, and each wan trae for winim narawan for switim Jew community. Bat why nao diswan hem kamap? Why nao Jew religion hem divaed long staka difren wei olsem? For ansarem diswan, iumi lukluk gud long history bilong olketa Hasmonaean.

Wei for Independent and Divaed Hem Kamap Big

Bihaen hem kasem goal bilong hem saed long religion for mekem worship kamap gud moa long temple bilong Jehovah, Judah Maccabee change for joinim politik. From diswan, planti Jew finis for followim hem. Nomata olsem, hem go ahed for faet againstim olketa Seleucid ruler, mekem wanfala agreement witim Rome, and hem lukaotem wei for startim wanfala gavman bilong olketa Jew seleva. Bihaen Judah hem dae long war, Jonathan and Simon, tufala brata bilong hem, go ahed witim disfala faet. Firstaem, olketa Seleucid ruler strong for againstim olketa Maccabee. Bat gogo, olketa ruler agree long samfala samting saed long politik, wea letem tufala Hasmonaean brata for garem lelebet paoa for rul.

Nomata olketa kam from laen bilong olketa priest, no eni Hasmonaean serve olsem hae priest long enitaem. Planti Jew tingse olketa priest long laen bilong Zadok, wea Solomon appointim olsem hae priest, shud garem disfala position. (1 Kings 2:35; Ezekiel 43:19) Jonathan iusim war and wei for story tugeta for muvim olketa Seleucid for appointim hem olsem hae priest. Bat bihaen Jonathan hem dae, brata bilong hem Simon duim moa samting. Long September 140 B.C.E., wanfala important law hem start long Jerusalem, wea olketa keepim long olketa bronze ston long Greek raeting: “King Demetrius [datfala Greek Seleucid ruler] appruvim hem [Simon] for insaed sekson bilong olketa hae priest, mekem hem wanfala Fren bilong hem, and givim hem bigfala honor. . . . Olketa Jew and olketa priest disaed hao Simon shud kamap leader bilong olketa and hae priest for olowe, go kasem taem eni profet wea fit for kasem trust hem kamap.”—1 Maccabees 14:38-41 (wanfala history buk insaed long Apocrypha).

So position bilong Simon olsem ruler and hae priest—for hem and olketa laen pikinini bilong hem—hem samting wea no datfala Seleucid paoa nomoa agree long hem, bat tu, “datfala Bigfala Assembly” bilong pipol bilong hem. Diswan markem wanfala important change. Olsem man for raetem history Emil Schürer hem raetem, taem olketa Hasmonaean startim wei for rul long politik, “main goal bilong olketa hem no for pipol followim datfala Torah [Jew Law] bat for keepim and mekem moa big paoa bilong olketa saed long politik.” Bat, from hem careful for no mekem olketa Jew feel nogud, Simon iusim title “ethnarch,” or “leader bilong pipol,” winim wei for kolem hemseleva “king.”

No evriwan hapi long wei wea olketa Hasmonaean tekova for kontrolem religion and politik. Olsem planti savveman sei, long datfala taem datfala Qumran community hem start. Wanfala priest long laen bilong Zadok, wea pipol biliv hem nao datwan wea olketa raeting bilong Qumran kolem “Teacher bilong Raeteous Fasin,” lusim Jerusalem and leadim wanfala grup wea go difren for go long Judean Desert saed long Dead Sea. Wanfala long olketa Dead Sea Scroll, wea storyim buk bilong Habakkuk, hem tok againstim “datfala Wicked Priest wea firstaem olketa kolem hem long nem bilong truth, bat taem hem rul ovarem Israel heart bilong hem kamap praod.” Planti savveman tingse maet Jonathan or Simon nao datfala “Wicked Priest” wea rul, wea datfala sect storyim.

Simon go ahed witim army bilong hem for mekem territory wea hem kontrolem for kamap moa big. Bat, rul bilong hem seknomoa finis taem son-in-law bilong hem, Ptolemy, killim hem dae witim tufala son bilong hem taem olketa enjoyim wanfala feast klosap long Jericho. Wei wea Ptolemy trae for kasem kontrol hem fail. John Hyrcanus, son bilong Simon wea laef yet, kasem warning hao Ptolemy bae trae for killim hem dae. Hem kasholem olketa wea lukaotem chance for killim hem dae and hem changem dadi bilong hem olsem man wea lead and hae priest.

Kamap Moa Big and Givim Moa Hevi

Firstaem, John Hyrcanus feisim serious danger from army bilong Syria, bat then long 129 B.C.E., datfala Seleucid rul lusim bigfala war againstim olketa Parthian. Saed long wei wea disfala war affectim olketa Seleucid, Jew savveman Menahem Stern hem raet olsem: “Evri arrangement bilong datfala kingdom hem foldaon.” Long wei olsem Hyrcanus hem “fit for tek full kontrol moa saed long politik long Judea and for start for grow go aot long planti difren ples.” And hem barava duim diswan.

From no eni danger from olketa Syrian savve stopem hem, Hyrcanus start for go attakim and tekovarem olketa territory aotsaed Judea. Hem forcem pipol for joinim Jew religion or sapos nomoa bae hem finisim evribit taon bilong olketa. Wanfala war olsem hem againstim olketa Idumaean (olketa Edomite). Abaotem diswan Stern hem sei: “Disfala wei for changem religion bilong olketa Idumean hem firstaem samting olsem hem happen, from hem no tu-thri man nomoa bat full tribe wea change.” Witim samfala nara area olketa tekovarem Samaria, wea Hyrcanus finisim evribit datfala Samaritan temple wea stap long Maunt Gerazim. Taem hem storyim wei wea hem hard for minim why nao Hasmonaean rul forcem olketa for changem religion, man for raetem history Solomon Grayzel, hem raet: “Granson bilong Mattathias [dadi bilong Judah Maccabee] barava spoelem datfala principle—freedom bilong religion—wea genereson bifor trae hard for defendim.”

Olketa Pharisee and Sadducee Kamap

Firstaem wea Josephus storyim paoa bilong olketa Pharisee and Sadducee wea start for grow, hem long taem wea hem raet abaotem rul bilong Hyrcanus. (Josephus storyim finis olketa Pharisee wea stap long taem wea Jonathan hem rul.) Hem no talem wea nao olketa kam from. Samfala savveman tingim olketa Pharisee olsem wanfala grup wea kamaot from Hasidim, wanfala holy sect wea saportim olketa goal bilong Judah Maccabee saed long religion, bat lusim hem taem hem changem olketa goal for followim politik.

Planti minim disfala nem Pharisee olsem hem kam from Hebrew word wea minim “olketa wea stap separate,” bat samfala tingse hem join witim word for “olketa wea transleit.” Olketa Pharisee nao olketa savveman from midolwan long olketa man nating, no from eni spesol laen. Olketa stap separate from dirty kastom samting from olketa garem idea bilong spesol holy wei, olketa iusim olketa temple law wea mekem priest hem holy long olketa samting wea happen long evriday living. Olketa Pharisee wakem niu wei for minim olketa Scripture and wanfala idea wea gogo olketa kolem law wea olketa talem. Long taem bilong rul bilong Simon, olketa kasem moa paoa taem samfala kasem appointment long Gerousia (council bilong olketa old man), wea bihaen olketa kolem Sanhedrin.

Josephus talem hao firstaem John Hyrcanus hem wanfala student bilong olketa Pharisee and man for saportim olketa. Bat, gogo, from hem no laek lusim position olsem hae priest, olketa Pharisee repruvim hem. Diswan kosim wanfala big raoa. Hyrcanus tambuim olketa law bilong olketa Pharisee saed long religion. For panisim olketa moa, hem saed witim enemy bilong olketa, olketa Sadducee.

Luk olsem datfala nem Sadducee join witim Hae Priest Zadok, wea olketa laen pikinini bilong hem kasem position olsem olketa priest start kam from taem bilong Solomon. Bat, no evri Sadducee kam from datfala laen. Olsem Josephus talem, olketa Sadducee nao olketa richfala bigman bilong datfala nation, and pipol les for saportim olketa. Professor Schiffman hem sei: “Klosap evriwan long olketa . . . olketa priest, or olketa wea marit insaed famili bilong olketa hae priest.” Long wei olsem olketa join klos witim olketa wea garem paoa for longtaem finis. Dastawe, olketa Sadducee tingim wei wea olketa Pharisee kamap moa big long pablik laef and idea bilong olketa for mekem evri pipol holy olsem olketa priest, olsem danger wea savve spoelem paoa bilong olketa. So, long olketa last year bilong rul bilong Hyrcanus, olketa Sadducee kasem bak paoa.

Politik Kamap Big, Religion Gogo Daon

Firstborn son bilong Hyrcanus, Aristobulus, hem rul for wanfala year nomoa bifor hem dae. Hem followim tu rul for forcem olketa Iturean for changem religion and hem mekem wanfala sekson long Galilee stap anda kontrol bilong olketa Hasmonaean. Bat anda long rul bilong brata bilong hem Alexander Jannaeus, wea rul long 103-76 B.C.E., datfala Hasmonaean rul kasem full paoa bilong hem.

Alexander Jannaeus rejectim wei bilong bifor and talemaot stret hao hem nao hae priest and king. Raoa midolwan olketa Hasmonaean and olketa Pharisee kamap moa worse, wea lead go long war wea 50,000 Jew dae. Bihaen hem stopem olketa wea againstim hem, Jannaeus killim dae 800 bilong olketa, kaen samting wea olketa heathen king duim bifor kam. Taem olketa klosap dae, olketa killim dae olketa waef and pikinini bilong olketa front long eye bilong olketa, taem Jannaeus go ahed feast witim olketa concubine.b

Nomata hem heitim olketa Pharisee, Jannaeus garem savve olsem wanfala bigman bilong politik. Hem luksavve hao planti start for saportim olketa Pharisee. Taem hem klosap dae hem givim instruction for waef bilong hem, Salome Alexandra, for waka witim olketa. Jannaeus chusim waef bilong hem and no tufala son for changem rul bilong hem. Datfala nation kasem wanfala peaceful taem bilong Hasmonaean rule (76-67 B.C.E.) taem waef bilong hem showimaot hem wanfala ruler wea fit. Olketa Pharisee kasem bak olketa position bilong paoa, and datfala tambu saed long law bilong religion bilong olketa hem finis nao.

Taem Salome hem dae, tufala son bilong hem Hyrcanus II, wea serve olsem hae priest, and Aristobulus II faet againstim each other for kasem paoa. Tufala evriwan no garem savve saed long politik and army, wea olketa laen dadi bilong olketa garem, and hem luk olsem tufala evriwan no luksavve why planti man from Rome stap long datfala area bihaen datfala Seleucid kingdom finis evribit. Long 63 B.C.E., tufala brata hia go long Pompey, ruler bilong Rome taem hem long Damascus, and askem help bilong hem for stretem disfala raoa. Long sem year, Pompey and army bilong hem march insaed Jerusalem and tek kontrol. Diswan hem start bilong taem wea datfala Hasmonaean kingdom gogo for finis. Long 37 B.C.E., Bigfala King Herod bilong Idumaea, man wea Gavman long Rome appruvim olsem “King bilong Judea,” “partner and fren bilong pipol bilong Rome,” hem tekovarem Jerusalem. Datfala Hasmonaean kingdom finis nao.

Samting wea Kamaot From Olketa Hasmonaean

Taem bilong olketa Hasmonaean, from Judah Maccabee go kasem Aristobulus II, hem faondeson bilong wei wea religion hem divaed olabaot taem Jesus stap long earth. Olketa Hasmonaean garem strong for worshipim God firstaem, bat gogo datwan hem brekdaon and olketa start for ova tumas for tingim olketa seleva nomoa. Olketa priest, wea garem chance for helpem pipol for wan mind followim Law bilong God, leadim nation go long raoa saed long politik. Diswan mekem hem isi tumas for olketa difren tingting wea divaedem pipol saed long religion for kamap. Olketa Hasmonaean finis nao, bat datfala stragol for kontrolem religion midolwan olketa Sadducee, olketa Pharisee, and samfala narawan, hem fasin bilong datfala nation anda long Herod and Rome.

[Olketa Footnote]

[Chart on page 30]

(Lukim pablikeson)

Datfala Hasmonaean Rul

Judah Maccabee Jonathan Maccabee Simon Maccabee

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John Hyrcanus

↓ ↓

Salome Alexandra — maritim — Alexander Jannaeus Aristobulus

↓ ↓

Hyrcanus II Aristobulus II

[Piksa long page 27]

Judah Maccabee lukaotem wei for olketa Jew mas independent

[Credit Line]

The Doré Bible Illustrations/Dover Publications, Inc.

[Piksa long page 29]

Olketa Hasmonaean faet for garem moa kontrol ovarem olketa taon wea no bilong olketa Jew

[Credit Line]

The Doré Bible Illustrations/Dover Publications, Inc.