Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§15.2 Who Did They Think Jesus Was?
them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel' (Ps. 2.9).
'He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his
mouth shall slay the wicked' (Isa. 11.4). Pss. Sol. 17 has already been cited. 28
'With your sceptre may you lay waste the earth. With the breath of your lips may
you kill the wicked' (lQSb [lQ28b] 5.24-25). The Prince of the whole congregation
will lead in battle (1QM 5.1); 'when he rises he will destroy all the sons of
Seth' (CD 20-21). Collins notes that the main features of this picture persist in
the apocalypses of 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch, which are independent of the Dead Sea
sect. 29 Josephus reports that the military revolt in 62 was incited by 'an ambiguous
oracle' in the sacred Scriptures to the effect that one of their own countrymen
'would become ruler of the world' (War 6.312). And it is worth recalling that the
military leader bar Kochba was hailed as Messiah in the second Jewish revolt
(132-35 CE).
So the twofold conclusion looks to be well founded that in various strands
of Judaism before and after Jesus there was a lively hope for the restoration of
the Davidic line and that the Davidic Messiah was widely thought of as a warrior
king who would destroy the enemies of Israel. 30 To this we should add the evidence
marshalled by Horsley that there were several aspirants to kingship at the
death of Herod (the Great) and in the first Jewish revolt (66-74). 31 The term
'Messiah' does not appear, but the episodes indicate that the idea of kingship
continued to have a strong appeal among the Jewish populace, and a close correlation
with the more specific idea of Davidic kingship/messiahship can probably
be assumed — as again Bar Kochba confirms. So we can extend Collins's conclusion
with some confidence that the hope of a royal Messiah was widespread
28. Charlesworth argues that the picture here is 'nonmilitary': he conquers with 'the
word of his mouth' ('Messianology to Christology' 20-21; similarly Sanders, Historical Figure
240-41). But the emphasis is on the destruction wrought by the Messiah; the distinction between
military or nonmilitary is rather fine and somewhat pointless (cf. Isa. 11.4 and lQSb
[lQ28b] 5.24-25 [cited here]; Matt. 3.12/Luke 3.17 [§11.4]; 2 Thess. 2.8; Rev. 1.16; 19.15, 21).
See further Schreiber, Gesalbter und König 171-72, 541-42.
29. Collins, Scepter and Star 67-68.
30. To the same effect, Collins, Scepter and Star 68, 95; Schreiber, Gesalbter und König
245, 541-42.
31. Initially and most fully expressed in Horsley and Hanson, Bandits ch. 3; also Horsley,
Jesus 52-54. At the death of Herod the references are to Judas the Galilean (Josephus, War
2.56; Ant. \1.211-12), Simon {War 2.57-59; Ant. 17.271-76), and Athronges (War 2.60-65; Ant.
17.278-85); Horsley and Hanson note that Josephus summarizes these various movements under
the heading of 'kingship' [War 2.55) and desire to be 'king' (Ant. 17.285). In the first revolt
the clearest reference is to Menahem, son of Judas the Galilean (War 2.434), and Horsley and
Hanson argue that the key leader, Simon bar Giora, acted and was treated as king (citing War
7.29-31, 36, 153-54). See also C. A. Evans, 'Messianic Claimants of the First and Second Centuries',
Jesus and his Contemporaries 53-81.
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