Joseph and Mary moved to Egypt in order to avoid King Herod's cruelty in seeking to kill Jesus. Herod died shortly thereafter which gave Jesus' parents the opportunity they needed to return to their home country. But... when they heard rumors that Herod's son Archelaus had taken the throne, Joseph was afraid to go back to Bethlehem. God confirmed his fears and in a dream and sent the young family to Galilee instead, where the Herods' other son Antipas was just made ruler.
Why did Joseph fear Archelaus and not Antipas?
Before Herod died he had a large golden eagle placed on top of the temple that he was having rebuilt. Two very eloquent Jews who won the hearts of the people, named Judas and Mattbias, taught how the Law forbade the making of such images. As Herod was dieing these two convinced their young followers to tear down the idol even if it meant death, which it did.
The two men and fellow insurrectionists were burned alive by orders of Herod. In response, many of the Jews rioted, so the new ruler Archelaus killed almost 3,000 people during the Passover Festival. Upon further insurrections while he was in Rome, 2,000 more people were crucified.
He was a bad ruler and only lasted 10 years in his position, nevertheless, his short reign was marked with extreme violence. No doubt Jesus' parents wanted to stay away from this.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Jesus and King Herod
Both Matthew and Luke set Jesus' birth in the context of King Herod's reign. I have already written about Herod and some of his power issues.
Late in his reign several Eastern Star Gazers came before him asking him where the new King of the Jews was born. They had noticed that the stars were lining up in such a way that they concluded there was a very important Jewish king coming into the world. Without a doubt Herod was shocked at this new information (the Bible also says that all of Jerusalem had caught wind of the new birth). In order to protect his position Herod craftily asked the chief preists and scribes where this new child might be born so that he too could pay reverence. In reality, he only wanted only to kill the child. The chief priests and scribes willingly offer Herod the information that the Jewish scriptures say that a new king would be born in Bethlehem.
The fact that the chief priests and scribes willingly gave up this information implies that they were in some kind of political arrangement with Herod. Whether this arrangement was one based in fear, or based in political advantage, or both the scribes and chief priests did offer the king crucial information that endangered the political future of their own people.
The star gazers did find the child and on their return to the East, they went another way, thus avoiding Herod entirely, which elevated Herod's cruel ire. Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem 2 years old and younger. Fortuneately for Jesus, his parents were already on their way to Egypt because Jesus' dad (Joseph) had a dream telling him to go.
Late in his reign several Eastern Star Gazers came before him asking him where the new King of the Jews was born. They had noticed that the stars were lining up in such a way that they concluded there was a very important Jewish king coming into the world. Without a doubt Herod was shocked at this new information (the Bible also says that all of Jerusalem had caught wind of the new birth). In order to protect his position Herod craftily asked the chief preists and scribes where this new child might be born so that he too could pay reverence. In reality, he only wanted only to kill the child. The chief priests and scribes willingly offer Herod the information that the Jewish scriptures say that a new king would be born in Bethlehem.
The fact that the chief priests and scribes willingly gave up this information implies that they were in some kind of political arrangement with Herod. Whether this arrangement was one based in fear, or based in political advantage, or both the scribes and chief priests did offer the king crucial information that endangered the political future of their own people.
The star gazers did find the child and on their return to the East, they went another way, thus avoiding Herod entirely, which elevated Herod's cruel ire. Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem 2 years old and younger. Fortuneately for Jesus, his parents were already on their way to Egypt because Jesus' dad (Joseph) had a dream telling him to go.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
King Herod, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the High Priest
Politics were important to the writers and readers of the Bible. Both Matthew and Luke mention in their opening scenes that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod who gained the official title "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. In gaining the throne over Israel, he replaced Israel's High Priest as the ruler over the Jews. It was also Herod who represented the the beginning of Rome's rule over Israel.
Herod was brutal in his attempts to gain and to keep his position secure. Suffering from depression and paranoia, he killed two sons and one of his wives and the Bible tells us that he killed dozens of Bethlehem's children because of a rumor that the king of the Jews was born there.
Even though we know next to nothing about common talk in the time of Jesus, I believe that politics permeated the discussions of the people in Judea and Galilee. The people lived under a cruel ruler who established by and represented the foreign city of Rome. Under him were Sadducees who controlled the temple and were all too happy to aid the foreign leaders in support. The Pharisees also had a history of political involvement battling the Sadducees for control under the watchful eye of Rome, but by Jesus' day the Sadducees had the upper hand both fiscally and politically even though they both worked together through the Sanhedrin and in their daily politics.
The High Priest descended from a line of priests that were considered illigitimate by many in Israel. In fact, the Qumram community left the cities to live in the desert because they were so discusted by the politics of Jerusalem. The Pharisees were wealthy and pretty much controlled the temple requiring taxes to the temple on top of the taxes paid to Rome.
Herod was brutal in his attempts to gain and to keep his position secure. Suffering from depression and paranoia, he killed two sons and one of his wives and the Bible tells us that he killed dozens of Bethlehem's children because of a rumor that the king of the Jews was born there.
Even though we know next to nothing about common talk in the time of Jesus, I believe that politics permeated the discussions of the people in Judea and Galilee. The people lived under a cruel ruler who established by and represented the foreign city of Rome. Under him were Sadducees who controlled the temple and were all too happy to aid the foreign leaders in support. The Pharisees also had a history of political involvement battling the Sadducees for control under the watchful eye of Rome, but by Jesus' day the Sadducees had the upper hand both fiscally and politically even though they both worked together through the Sanhedrin and in their daily politics.
The High Priest descended from a line of priests that were considered illigitimate by many in Israel. In fact, the Qumram community left the cities to live in the desert because they were so discusted by the politics of Jerusalem. The Pharisees were wealthy and pretty much controlled the temple requiring taxes to the temple on top of the taxes paid to Rome.
Jesus and Herod Antipas
In 4 B.C. King Herod died and his kingdom was split between 3 of his sons. None of his sons would ever be called "King of the Jews" like Herod was, but they would rule over different parts of the Jewish territory. Herod Antipas ruled over Perea and over Galilee. After living a short time in Egypt, after King Herod died, Joseph and Mary decided to avoid living in Judea because Herod Archelaus was the ruler of that territory. Instead they moved to Galilee which was their original home under the rulership of Herod Antipas.
During Herod's reign he built a capital city in Galilee called Sepphoris which was only 3 miles away from Jesus' hometown Nazareth. It is extremely possible that as carpenters, Jesus and his father were simply two of the many people who were employed in building that city. Being so close to the capital city, Jesus no doubt heard and possibly discussed a lot of politics. However, this part of his live is unknown to all of us so we can only guess what Jesus did and what he said.
During Herod's reign he built a capital city in Galilee called Sepphoris which was only 3 miles away from Jesus' hometown Nazareth. It is extremely possible that as carpenters, Jesus and his father were simply two of the many people who were employed in building that city. Being so close to the capital city, Jesus no doubt heard and possibly discussed a lot of politics. However, this part of his live is unknown to all of us so we can only guess what Jesus did and what he said.
Friday, May 21, 2010
John the Baptist and Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas fell in love with his dead brother's wife Herodias while they were in Rome. Antipas divorced his wife to marry Herodias sometime in A.D. 34.
John the Baptist spoke boldly against Antipas' divorce, saying that it was contrary to the Law. For that and for speaking against other undefined evils done by Herod Antipas, John was put into prison. Josephus, however, tells us that Herod Antipas was afraid of John's popularity that it would lead to political rebellion.
Although we don't have any other information about what else John said about Herod Antipas, we can say this: The Bible only records John speaking against Herod breaking God's Law. In the Bible, John did not speak against the foolishness of Herod's political decision in divorcing another king's daughter and thus endangering Galilee in order to marry his brother's wife. In other words the Bible (as it addresses John's preaching) is only concerned with God's Law, not political savvy. Secondly, John did not verbally attack Herod as a leader, neither did he suggest that somebody else should be placed in his position... he only spoke out against an immoral act accomplished by Herod.
It is possible that the Galileans of Jesus' day compared Herodias to the wicked queen Jezebel because she was so wicked and Herod Antipas was compared to Jezebel's husband king Ahab by the populace. Whatever the truth about that may be we do know that Herod Antipas was very unpopular among the Jews. He converted to Judaism and obeyed many of their customs, but offended the Jews with many of his Roman ways and his marriage to Herodias.
John the Baptist simply reflected and stated publicly what the people were talking about with each other. For that he was imprisoned by Herod Antipas. Rulers in Jesus' day tried to protect their positions by imprisoning or killing people they believed posed a threat to them. Victims could be family members, mothers and people among their population who posed any threat to them. In Herod's case, he was threatened by a wilderness preacher named John the Baptist because John publicly announced that Herod was wrong in divorcing his wife in order to marry his brother's wife Herodius.
Once in jail Herod was amused by John and liked listening to him. It may be that Herod really wanted to do what was right but was coerced by his position and his wife to do terrible things. His behavior several years later with Jesus shows that he did indeed have a fascination with the spiritual, because when Jesus stood before him he was delighted with the hopes that Jesus would perform some miracle for him.
Unfortunately for John, Herodias finally maneuvered to have her husband behead John. Her daughter danced for Antipas thus pleasing him tremendously. Antipas promised her up to half the kingdom (probably given after his death), but she only wanted John the Baptist's head. That request was previously set up by her mother Herodias. Evidently, Herodias did not find John as interesting as her husband.
John the Baptist spoke boldly against Antipas' divorce, saying that it was contrary to the Law. For that and for speaking against other undefined evils done by Herod Antipas, John was put into prison. Josephus, however, tells us that Herod Antipas was afraid of John's popularity that it would lead to political rebellion.
Although we don't have any other information about what else John said about Herod Antipas, we can say this: The Bible only records John speaking against Herod breaking God's Law. In the Bible, John did not speak against the foolishness of Herod's political decision in divorcing another king's daughter and thus endangering Galilee in order to marry his brother's wife. In other words the Bible (as it addresses John's preaching) is only concerned with God's Law, not political savvy. Secondly, John did not verbally attack Herod as a leader, neither did he suggest that somebody else should be placed in his position... he only spoke out against an immoral act accomplished by Herod.
It is possible that the Galileans of Jesus' day compared Herodias to the wicked queen Jezebel because she was so wicked and Herod Antipas was compared to Jezebel's husband king Ahab by the populace. Whatever the truth about that may be we do know that Herod Antipas was very unpopular among the Jews. He converted to Judaism and obeyed many of their customs, but offended the Jews with many of his Roman ways and his marriage to Herodias.
John the Baptist simply reflected and stated publicly what the people were talking about with each other. For that he was imprisoned by Herod Antipas. Rulers in Jesus' day tried to protect their positions by imprisoning or killing people they believed posed a threat to them. Victims could be family members, mothers and people among their population who posed any threat to them. In Herod's case, he was threatened by a wilderness preacher named John the Baptist because John publicly announced that Herod was wrong in divorcing his wife in order to marry his brother's wife Herodius.
Once in jail Herod was amused by John and liked listening to him. It may be that Herod really wanted to do what was right but was coerced by his position and his wife to do terrible things. His behavior several years later with Jesus shows that he did indeed have a fascination with the spiritual, because when Jesus stood before him he was delighted with the hopes that Jesus would perform some miracle for him.
Unfortunately for John, Herodias finally maneuvered to have her husband behead John. Her daughter danced for Antipas thus pleasing him tremendously. Antipas promised her up to half the kingdom (probably given after his death), but she only wanted John the Baptist's head. That request was previously set up by her mother Herodias. Evidently, Herodias did not find John as interesting as her husband.
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