Antiquities of the Jews, fit the forty-first, commencing Book XX

XX.1.4 refers to a Jew with a very odd name:

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"Ḥanniba`al" means the Ba`al [the Master] is gracious, referring to the ancient pagan gods of the Phoenicians. One does not expect to see a Jew bearing that name, any more than today a name like Christopher. (As an aside, in papersky's books The King's Peace and The King's Name, the Phoenicians were at an early stage converted to Judaism (this is all well off-screen); at my suggestion she gave the name Elḥanan (G-d is gracious) to the Hannibal equivalent in that world.)

Ch. 2 tells the story, which I had previously come across in Ancient Jewish Novels and elsewhere, of the royal family of Adiabene, a kingdom in present-day Iraq, which (royal family) converted to Judaism, and bestowed a large amount of money towards the Temple in Jerusalem.

XX.2.20:

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How can Izates be his only begotten son when you've just told us about his elder brother Monobazus! The online commentary explains:

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XX.4.95:

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The pyramids of Jerusalem!? Apparently so: the online commentary says:

These pyramids or pillars, erected by Helena, queen of Adiabene, near Jerusalem, three in number, are mentioned by Eusebius, in his Eccles. Hist. B. II. ch. 12, for which Dr. Hudson refers us to Valesius's notes upon that place.—They are also mentioned by Pausanias, as hath been already noted, ch. 2. sect. 6. Reland guesses that that now called Absalom's Pillar may be one of them.

Jewish tradition says that in the last century of the Second Temple, the office of High Priest was corrupt, and was bought for money. These high priests were not spritually worthy of the office, the story goes, and when they went into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, G-d would strike them dead, and they would have to be pulled out by the rope attached to them.

According to Josephus, the office of High Priest was indeed, transferred to man to man during the Second Temple period, rather than bequeathed from father to son; and he is incensed at the cause of this (XIV.2-3):

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* This is Hyrcanus II, who had been High Priest, but had had his ears cut off by his nephew, Antigonus, rendering him ineligible to serve as High Priest.

However, though the high priesthood was often transferred from person to person afterwards, it was always for political reasons, not money; e.g. (XX.1):

Herod also, the brother of the deceased Agrippa, who was then possessed of the royal authority over Chalcis, petitioned Claudius Caesar for the authority over the temple, and the money of the sacred treasure, and the choice of the high priests, and obtained all that he petitioned for. So that after that time this authority continued among all his descendants till the end of the war Accordingly, Herod removed the last high priest, called Cimtheras, and bestowed that dignity on his successor Joseph, the son of Cantos.

XX.5.115 tells of an incident which is mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud (where the perpetrator is named Apustumus), is deemed to have happened on the seventeen of Tammuz and is still counted amongst the incidents mourned on that day (which falls this year this Saturday, though it will be commemorated on Sunday instead):

( A Sefer Torah was ripped up by a Roman soldier )

We have now entered into the three weeks leading up to the ninth of Av, on which date both the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Second Temple by the Romans. Conventionally it is explained the First Temple was destroyed as punishment for the Jews' idolatry, and the Second Temple through שנאת חינם, baseless hatred—which last didn't need G-d's intervention to lead to the Destruction of the Temple; as The Jewish War makes clear, the Romans could pretty much have stood back and let the Jews destroy themselves. Anyhow, here's why Josephus thought G-d brought the Destruction of the Temple upon the Jews (XX.8.165): (Jonathan was the High Priest.)

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The trigger for the revolt of the Judaeans against the Romans, which led eventually to the Destruction, was a clash between the Jewish and Greek ("Syrian") residents of Caesarea. The seeds of this clash were sown a little while in advance (XX.8.163):

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Josephus notes         Jewish learning notes index

Israel activism by email

This month, Israel has for the first time approved government funding of non-Orthodox rabbis. In response, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi has called upon his fellow Orthodox rabbis to prevent the implementation of the High Court's ruling. IRAC have called upon their mailing list to email him telling him that pluralism is the only way to have a state that is strong, prosperous, and democratic.

I chose to heavily modify IRAC's proforma email; here's what I wrote:

Dear Rabbi Amar,

I am writing to protest your recent letter in which you wrote “the hand given to the uprooters and destroyers of Judaism who have already wrought horrible destruction upon the People of Israel in the Diaspora by causing terrible assimilation and the uprooting of all of the Torah's precepts. And now they seek recognition in the Land of Israel as well, to be destroyers of the religion...”

This is a hateful statement that only serves to further divide the Jewish people both inside Israel and all around the world. It is certainly not the case that the aim of Masorti and Reform Judaism is to uproot all of the Torah's precepts—as a Masorti Jew, I, for example, am more observant now than I ever was before in the Orthodoxy in which I was raised.

And whilst I may disagree with the fundamental principles of Reform Judaism, I recognise that for some, it is the only denomination that will bring them close to any Jewish practice.

Is it not better, then, that such Jews in whose heart Orthodoxy can find no place can engage with the Masorti and Reform movements, and be brought into keeping some of the mitzvos, rather than being driven alway altogether and becoming completely secular?

Far from destroying Judaism, these alternatives have long been available in the Diaspora, but until now closed off in Israel—and here in the Diaspora it is Israel, not the Diaspora, that has the reputation of being mostly secular.

I therefore urge you to enter into a dialogue with the Masorti and Reform rabbis and lay leaders who you believe are trying to destroy the State of Israel. They are willing to work with you and other Orthodox leaders to create a Jewish state that represents the best of our shared heritage. Unfortunately, a dialogue only works if both sides are willing to engage. Are you?

L’shalom,
Michael Grant, friend of IRAC

(I also, rather belatedly, signed the petition to Shimon Peres and Binyamin Netanyahu denouncing the pogrom in Israel against African refugees last month.)