Beautiful Egypt 140 – «A Scary Time» – January 24, 2016

   In this article, we shall resume tackling the Jews’ political condition. Previously, we dealt with their submission to the kings of Syria, then periods of independence as in the Maccabean era. In 63 B.C., Judea succumbed to the Romans. This lasted until the Romans got fed up with the Jews’ trouble. So, they sent Vespasian on top of a great army which besieged Jerusalem. Yet, we shall tackle this later.

   After Great Herod’s death, his sons Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Phillip took over. We spoke of Archelaus’ despotic rule of Judea, Samaria, and Edom. Caesar deposed him. Jewish historian Josephus maintains that Archelaus married his brother’s wife. When she went to his house, she dreamt of her husband Alexander. He looked sad and furious because of her. When she tried to approach him, he prevented her, saying, “Was it not enough that you remarried after my death? Also, after that man’s death you married my brother and scandalized me.” He told her he would not forgive her and would take revenge from her and Archelaus.

   The woman woke up in panic, and told her page about the dream. Two days later, she died. Likewise, Archelaus had a dream in which he saw that he was carrying a branch containing seven beautiful wheat spikes. Then a big ox came and devoured them.

   He recounted his dream to some sages who told him that Caesar would depose him after a seven-year tenure. Josephus writes, “A few days later, Caesar Augustus arrived in Jerusalem, arrested Archelaus, and carried him to Rome where he died. He had already been proconsul for seven years…” His brother succeeded him.

Herod Antipas

   Herod Antipas was as a corrupt as his father. He is the one who fell in love with Herodias, his brother’s wife. He divorced his wife to marry her, which made John the Baptist tell him, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” By that marriage, Herod violated the Law. Thus, he put John the Baptist in jail and beheaded him after Herodias’ daughter Salome had asked him for John’s head, having vowed to her to give her whatever she wanted up to half of his kingdom! This took place after he had admired her dancing in his birthday.

   Josephus asserts, “Herod was more wicked than his brother Archelaus. He was more profane. He was extravagant in lust and disobedience. He married his brother’s wife when the latter was alive. She begot him two sons. She was called Herodias. He killed John, the son of the archpriest Zechariah when he rebuked him for his deeds.”

   Herod Antipas took part in Christ’s trial. He scorned Christ. During his tenure, Caesar Augustus died and was succeeded by Tiberius who was cruel and corrupt. He asked the people to worship his statue. He sent his commander Pilate, carrying that statue that the people might worship it. But, the people rejected this. Thus, he killed many of them. Herod Antipas reigned for about twenty one years. Then Tiberius sent one of his sentries who carried Herod to Spain where he died. He was succeeded by his brother Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus who was killed by his father Herod the Great.

   According to Josephus, Agrippa was a good and reputable proconsul. He was honored by Caesar, and led a respectable life. He was succeeded by his son who was called after him. During the reign of Agrippa II, Jerusalem was ruined and the Jewish Diaspora started. Agrippa II reigned for twenty years. His was a tumultuous tenure: full of riots and conflicts between the Jews and Romans until the destruction of Jerusalem.

   Historians maintain that the Jews did not give up to the Roman colonialism. Sometimes, they threatened the proconsuls. At other times, they expelled Roman sentries from Jerusalem. At a third time, they would show satisfaction with Roman emperors. The Zealots were a resisting movement that emerged before Christ’s birth.

The Zealots

   The despotic Roman tenure gave rise to resistance movements, such as the Zealots. Zealot derives from the Hebrew “kana’im” which means zealous. It is said to have been a Jewish group which some people counted an extremist wing of the Pharisees, a military and political party. It was founded by a Judas of Galilee. This group was first mentioned in 6 B.C. Josephus asserts that Herod executed a Hezekiah, the father of Judas of Galilee. The Zealots resisted the Roman colonialists, refusing the dependency to the Roman Empire and rejecting Caesar’s reign over them: for they considered this treason to God, the King of Israel.

   Thus, they started calling for independence from the Romans. That group became quite active during the first century A.D. Extremists advocated using weapons, which gave rise to the Sicarii (dagger men) which derives from Latin. The Sicarii organized assassinations and stabbed Romans with daggers.

   They won the Jews’ sympathy, as they were suffering from Roman despotism. The Zealots era came to an end after the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple.

   Due to the despotism and persecution the Jews suffered from, they yearned to the fulfillment of the prophecies about Christ Who, they thought, would retrieve the glory of David’s kingdom and succumb peoples to Him. Hence, to them, Christ was an earthly king, just like David. They thought He would be a political leader who would rid them from the Romans’ cruelty.

Jewish Sects

The Pharisees

   Pharisees means “separatists”. In fact, they considered themselves separated from others by their holiness! Abbas Mahmud al-Akkad comments on this, saying, “The Hebrew term ‘Pharisee’ is quite close to the Arabic counterpart ‘discrete’ which means distinct.” Yet, this meaning has different denotations and connotations between them and their opponents. Their opponents thought they were secluded, whereas they meant that they were preferred. Likewise, the word derives from the Hebrew “Perushim” which means “comrades”.

   Khouri (Priest) Boulus al-Fughali asserts that, “Pharisees date back to the era of Azariah and Nehemiah when the Temple and the fences of Jerusalem were rebuilt. It seems they were officially established during the Maccabean era, in the second century B.C.” Their main aim was preserving the Law as well the tradition they were handed over by word of mouth. As we mentioned beforehand, the Maccabean era witnessed a rebellion due to the Syrian kings’ importing idolatry into Judea and imposing it on the Jews, as well as desecrating the holies. 
The Pharisees are numerous. Their opinions and principles are highly revered by the laity and elites who would not mingle with the gentiles or foreigners, which is why they were haughty and arrogant. This is made clear by Christ in the parable of the tax-collector and the Pharisee, “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” The Pharisees’ story is … Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.

General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center