Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

FROM THE GOSPELS TO JESUS §9.2
I should probably stress right away that the sketch which follows makes no
pretensions to provide a complete overview of Second Temple Judaism; that
would distract too much from the primary task, even if space permitted. My concern
is rather threefold. First, to indicate something of the comprehensiveness of
Judaism, not simply as a religion but also as what might be called a national ideology,
or better, as a religion which encompassed the whole of life, education and
family life, the law of the land and social relationships, not to mention economics
and politics. Second, to give an impression both of the diversity of Second Temple
Judaism and of what held it together as 'Judaism'. The hope, obviously, is,
thirdly, that thereby readers may be the better able to situate Jesus within Second
Temple Judaism, within its comprehensiveness and its diversity, and to identify
more readily the points of distinctiveness and tension within his mission.
a. 'Judaism'
9.2. Defining 'Judaism'
What then is 'Judaism'? When did 'Judaism' begin? If the answers were to depend
solely on word occurrence in our literary sources, the answers would be
clear. For the Greek term Ioudaismos first appears in literature in 2 Maccabees,
in three passages — 2.21; 8.1; and 14.38. 2.21 describes the Maccabean rebels as
'those who fought bravely for Judaism' (hyper tou Ioudaismou); 8.1 their supporters
as 'those who had continued in Judaism' (tons memenekotas en tö
Ioudaismö); and 14.38 the martyr Razis as one who had formerly been accused
of Judaism and who had eagerly risked body and life hyper tou Ioudaismou. Reflecting
the same traditions, 4 Mace. 4.26 describes the attempt of the Syrian
overlord Antiochus Epiphanes 'to compel each member of the nation to eat defiling
foods and to renounce Judaism'.
The only other literary evidence from our period (before the end of the first
century CE) is Gal. 1.13-14, where Paul speaks of his former conduct 'in Judaism'
(en tö Ioudaismö), and recalls how he had at that time persecuted 'the
church of God' and had progressed en to Ioudaismo beyond many of his contemporaries
among his people (en tö genei mou). In addition however we should note
fers to speak of Jesus as a 'marginal Jew' rather than of 'Judaisms' (468). One might ask
whether the description 'marginal Jew' situates Jesus the Jew firmly enough within Second
Temple Judaism; but Meier does take the Jewishness of Jesus seriously (466-69,483-86). From
his socioeconomic perspective Crossan defends Meier's usage, though he prefers to speak of
Jesus as 'a marginalized peasant' (Birth 350-52). But see also G. Theissen, 'Jesus im Judentum.
Drei Versuche einer Ortsbestimmung', Kirche und Israel 14 (1999) 93-109. And note
Moxnes's closing observations ('Jesus the Jew' 101-103).
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