apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

POLYCARP THE ELDER. 469
ration of interests and sympathies between the Christians and Jews was
keenly felt and bitterly resented by the We latter. are not surprised
therefore to find the Jewish colonists of Smyrna harassing and calumniating
their Christian fellow-citizens. Accordingly they are denounced
in the Apocalyptic message to this Church (Rev. ii. 9) as a 'synagogue
of Satan,' as 'self called Jews,' but having no real title to the name.
These events were nearly coincident, as we have seen (p. 438), with the
birth of Polycarp. A second hardly less signal crisis came, when he
had passed middle life and was now verging on old age. Hadrian
completed the work which Vespasian and Titus had begun. The
foundation of the heathen city ^Elia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem,
whether as cause or as consequence, was connected with a general uprising
of the Jews. The rebeUion under Barcochba broke out. The antagonism
between Jews and Christians was complete. The Christians in
Palestine stood aloof perforce from this movement. It was impossible
for them to acknowledge this false Messiah, the leader of the rebel
hosts. He wreaked a stern vengeance upon them for their neutrality or
their opposition, inflicting tortures and death upon them if they refused
to blaspheme Christ. The feud between the Jews and Christians became
the more embittered, because Hadrian treated the Christians with forbearance,
even with favour, allowing them to settle peacefully in his new
city, from which the Jews were excluded for ever. This fresh devastation
of Palestine would bring fresh Jewish immigrants to the cities of
Asia Minor with feelings exasperated a hundredfold against the Christians.
Twenty years had elapsed after the event before Polycarp's martyrdom ;
but twenty years were all too little to heal a feud, which in fact was
past healing. 'They (the Jews) treat us as open enemies at war {ixOpovs
Koi
TToAe/AtoDs),' writes Justin Mart}^ in his Apology addressed to
Antoninus Pius, 'putting us to death and torturing us just as you (heathens)
do (o/xot'cos vfjuv),
whenever they can'.' Moreover we cannot doubt that,
like his contemporary Justin, Polycarp would dwell upon
the lessons
of Barcochba's unsuccessful rebellion in a manner not conciliatory to
the Jews. The language, which he had learnt from his master S. John,
would be heard on his lips. The Jews of Smyrna would be denounced as a
'synagogue of Satan' at this second crisis, just as they had been denounced
at the first. Hence, when they got their opportunity, they would not be
backward in their retaliation. The condemnation of Polycarp (a. d. 155)
was such an occasion ;
and they worked eagerly, as we have seen, in the
preparations for the martyrdom. The apprehension of Pionius nearly a
^
Justin. Apol. i. 31 (p. 72 A); see also the other references in Otto's note,
I. p. 94.