WikiMatrix. They similarly rejected the inspiration of the prophetic books of the Bible, as well as the Pharisaic beliefs in angels, rewards and punishments in the world to come, providential governance of human events, and resurrection of the dead. Greek influence reached its peak under King Herod I of Judaea (reigned 37–4 bce), who built a Greek theatre, amphitheatre, and hippodrome in or near Jerusalem. Humankind was created from the physical and from the spiritual (And the L-rd G-d formed the human being of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The Hellenistic period begins formally with the arrival of Alex­ander the Great in the Near East in 334BCE, but this date is not the beginning of Greek influence in the region. On the other hand, supposed differences between Alexandrian and Palestinian Judaism are not as great as had been formerly thought. Definition of hellenization in the Definitions.net dictionary. It was a notable trait of ancient Greek civilization, an approach to other cultures that was not merely invasive or dominant but transformative. Traditionally, “Hellenistic Judaism” was a designation for Judaism in the Greek-speaking world, including those Jews who spoke Greek and adopted (to some extent) a Greek way of life. As Hellenism pene­trated each new region, an amalgamation of the Hellenistic with the native took place, and this phenomenon resulted in the many different manifestations of Hellenistic culture observable in the Near East over many centuries. Egypt was the last important survivor of the political system which had developed as a consequence both of the victories of Alexander and of his premature death. On the one hand, the picture of normative Judaism is broader than at first believed, and it is clear that there were many differences of emphasis within the Pharisaic party. For the working preacher, this book gives an excellent review of the topic and how it may inform exegesis of the N.T. ‘Alexander had paved the way, and so had the Hellenization of most Early Judaism.’ ‘A few examples will have to suffice to explain how the Hellenization of the known world affected Early Judaism.’ Again, the parallels between Hellenistic rhetoric and rabbinic hermeneutics are in the realm of terminology rather than of substance, and those between Roman and Talmudic law are inconclusive. The following article is reprinted with permission from From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism (Ktav). In 107 BC the Samaritans are attacked again. The conquests of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BC spread Greek culture and colonization over non-Greek lands, including the Levant, and gave rise to the Hellenistic age, which sought to create a common or universal culture (see also Melting pot) in the Alexandrian empire based on that of 5th and 4th century BC Athens (see also Age of Pericles), along with a fusion of Near Eastern cultures. He was a philosopher and scriptural interpreter who lived in Alexandria from around 30 B.C. More specifically, the Jewish people viewed their culture from the perspective of the Old Testament covenant, and rightly heeded the advice of the prophets who warned that pagan influence risked national destruction (Scott, 118-119). Copyright © 2002-2020 My Jewish Learning. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This Hellenization might have gone much further had not Antiochus Epiphanes attempted to substitute pagan worship for Jewish. The process and the product of the canonization of the Bible became the basis for a varied tradition of interpretation. See Hellenism and Hellenization and Maccabean Revolt and Hasmonean Rule. Hellenization of members of the Jewish elite included names, clothes but other customs were adapted by the rabbis and elements that violated the halakha and midrash were prohibited. Opposition to the priests’ oppressive rule arose among an urban middle-class group known as scribes (soferim), who based their interpretation of and instruction in the Torah on an oral tradition probably going back to the time of the return from the Babylonian Exile (538 bce and after). … They believed in the providential guidance of the universe, in angels, in reward and punishment in the world to come, and in resurrection of the dead, all of which were opposed by the Sadducees. At the other extreme was a stubborn adherence to the rules imposed by Ezra. es v. intr. The Sadducees and their subsidiary group, the Boethusians (Boethosaeans), who were identified with the great landowners and priestly families, were more deeply influenced by Hellenization. Myths Origin of story: Raised by wolves Romulus kills Remus. Alexander the Great and Hellenization by Larry R Thornton, ThD Professor, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary Historians have differed in their presentations and evaluations of Alex­ ander the Great and his relation to Hellenism. Hellenization was the spread of Greek culture and the assimilation into Greek culture of non-Greek peoples. Definition of hellenization in the Definitions.net dictionary. Hi there! By the beginning of the 2nd century, the influence of the Hellenistic Age in Judaea was quite strong; indeed, it has been argued that, if the Seleucids had not forcibly intervened in Jewish affairs, Judaean Judaism would have become even more syncretistic than Alexandrian Judaism. Proselytes (converts) to Judaism, though not constituting a class, became increasingly numerous in Palestine and especially in the Diaspora (the Jews living beyond Palestine). His ouster by an even more extreme Hellenizing faction, which established Menelaus (died 162 bce) as high priest, occasioned a civil war in which Menelaus was supported by the wealthy aristocrats and Jason by the masses. Hellenization Definitions. As trade connections increased, this influence became much more extensive. Tarquinius. His son and especially his grandsons became ardent Hellenists. What does hellenization mean? Tobiad definition is - a member of a Jewish party of the Maccabean period favoring the Hellenization of the Jews. 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