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Why was it up to the Christian church to preserve what was left of Hellenistic Judaism?
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans was a pivotal event that significantly impacted Jewish culture and religious practices. The obliteration of the Second Temple marked the end of the central place of worship and sacrifice for the Jewish people, leading to a transformation in how Judaism was practiced.
After the destruction, there was a shift towards rabbinic Judaism, which focused on studying the Torah and observing the law in the absence of the Temple. Many aspects of Hellenistic Judaism, incorporating Greek culture and philosophy, were set aside in favor of a more traditional and Torah-centered approach.
On the other hand, many early Christians were Hellenistic Jews themselves, familiar with Greek language and culture. Besides the LXX OT, the NT was written in Greek. Apostle Paul and others targeted the Greek-speaking Gentiles. They picked up the Hellenistic Jewish elements from Philo and Josephus and adapted and transformed them within the context of the developing Christian faith.
Was Hellenistic Jewish culture considered so worthless by the Jews of the period that it wasn't even worth preserving and even translating?
It's not that it was worthless, but the significance of Hellenistic Jewish culture declined. The rabbis fought for Judaism's identity and focused on Moses' Torah.
Why don't we have Hebrew translations of Jewish philosophers like Philo or Jewish historians like Josephus?
They wanted to focus on Jewish identity and core traditions. The Mishnah and Talmud became central to Jewish life and thought, while the Hellenistic influences embodied in the works of Philo and Josephus receded in prominence.
This historical evolution reflects the complexities of cultural identity, religious practices, and theological development during a tumultuous period in history. The results were
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans was a pivotal event that significantly impacted Jewish culture and religious practices. The obliteration of the Second Temple marked the end of the central place of worship and sacrifice for the Jewish people, leading to a transformation in how Judaism was practiced.
After the destruction, there was a shift towards rabbinic Judaism, which focused on studying the Torah and observing the law in the absence of the Temple. Many aspects of Hellenistic Judaism, incorporating Greek culture and philosophy, were set aside in favor of a more traditional and Torah-centered approach.
On the other hand, many early Christians were Hellenistic Jews themselves, familiar with Greek language and culture. Besides the LXX OT, the NT was written in Greek. Apostle Paul and others targeted the Greek-speaking Gentiles. They picked up the Hellenistic Jewish elements from Philo and Josephus and adapted and transformed them within the context of the developing Christian faith.
Was Hellenistic Jewish culture considered so worthless by the Jews of the period that it wasn't even worth preserving and even translating?
It's not that it was worthless, but the significance of Hellenistic Jewish culture declined. The rabbis fought for Judaism's identity and focused on Moses' Torah.
Why don't we have Hebrew translations of Jewish philosophers like Philo or Jewish historians like Josephus?
They wanted to focus on Jewish identity and core traditions. The Mishnah and Talmud became central to Jewish life and thought, while the Hellenistic influences embodied in the works of Philo and Josephus receded in prominence.
This historical evolution reflects the complexities of cultural identity, religious practices, and theological development during a tumultuous period in history. The results were
- the rabbis went back to their Torah root
- the early Christians integrated some of the Hellenistic ideas to further promote Christianity.
