Who were the Hellenistic Jews in the Bible?
The Hellenistic Jews were Jews living in the Greek-influenced parts of the Mediterranean world during the last few centuries BC and the first century AD. The term “Hellenistic” comes from the Greek word “Hellas” which referred to Greece. After Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, Greek language and culture spread throughout the Near East. Many Jews adopted aspects of Greek culture while remaining devoted to their Jewish faith and traditions.
Here are some key things to know about the Hellenistic Jews:
Where Did They Live?
The main centers of Hellenistic Jewish life were Alexandria in Egypt, Antioch in Syria, and cities in Asia Minor like Ephesus and Tarsus. Large Jewish communities could also be found scattered throughout the Greek islands, Macedonia, Cyprus and Cyrene (in modern Libya). Following the Roman conquest of these areas, the influence of Hellenistic culture continued to shape Judaism in the early centuries AD.
Relationship to Jerusalem and the Temple
Despite living far from Jerusalem, Hellenistic Jews maintained strong links to the city and its Temple. They sent representatives to Jerusalem for the major Jewish festivals (Acts 2:10). The Jerusalem high priests and Sanhedrin tried to maintain some authority over diaspora Jewish communities. Wealthy Hellenistic Jews showed their devotion by donating money to support the Jerusalem Temple (Josephus, Antiquities 14.7.2).
Knowledge of Greek Language and Culture
The Hellenistic Jews mostly spoke Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic in everyday life. As a result, there was a need for Greek translations of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation of the Old Testament books, originated with Alexandrian Jews in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. Hellenistic Jews also read and were influenced by Greek literature, philosophy and religion.
open disdain for Jewish customs and attempted to outlaw practices like Sabbath observance, circumcision and Torah study (1 Maccabees 1:41-64).
Hellenistic Influence on Jewish Theology and Practice
Hellenistic culture impacted Jewish theology and worship. Greek philosophy led to new approaches in interpreting the Torah and defending Jewish beliefs. Synagogue buildings and decorations in places like Dura Europos incorporated Greek architectural and artistic features.
Yet most Hellenistic Jews remained dedicated to their ancestral traditions and Torah observance. The exception was a small liberal group of Hellenized Jews who fully embraced Greek customs and rejected aspects of the Mosaic Law.
Hellenistic Jews in the New Testament
The New Testament references Hellenistic Jewish communities living in cities like Antioch (Acts 11:20), Damascus (Acts 9:2), Berea (Acts 17:10) and Corinth (Acts 18:4). Paul and other early Christian missionaries focused their preaching on the Hellenized synagogues.
Many of the early church leaders were Hellenistic Jews, including Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60), Philip (Acts 8:4-40), Barnabas (Acts 11:22-30) and Apollos (Acts 18:24-28). Understanding the Hellenized cultural setting helps explain references in the New Testament letters of Paul, James, Peter and others.
In the Gospels, Jesus debates Jewish scholars trained in Hellenistic learning and engages with Greek-speaking Jews during his visits to Gentile regions like Tyre and Sidon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus likely spoke some Greek himself when interacting with non-Jewish populations in Galilee.
So in summary, the Hellenistic Jews formed a bridge between Jewish and Greek culture in the ancient Mediterranean world. They maintained loyalty to their ancestral faith while interacting with the language, ideas and life of the wider Greek society around them. This unique cultural setting is an important backdrop for understanding Judaism and early Christianity in the New Testament era.
Conflicts with Non-Hellenized Jews
The process of Hellenization created tensions between traditional and Hellenized Jews. Many Palestinian Jews viewed Greek culture as a threat to Jewish identity and resented the growing cultural gap between themselves and Hellenistic Jews.
These tensions could sometimes turn violent. The books of Maccabees record how the Seleucid king Antiochus IV imposed Hellenistic customs on the Jews of Judea in the 2nd century BC. He outlawed key parts of the Mosaic Law, desecrated the Jerusalem Temple, and forced Jews to participate in Greek religious practices (1 Maccabees 1:41-64). This brutal suppression sparked the Maccabean Revolt led by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers.
Even after independence was achieved under the Hasmonean dynasty, conflict continued between the Hellenizers and traditionalists. The Hellenized high priests like Jason and Menelaus built Greek-style gymnasiums and promoted greater assimilation into Greek culture. This provoked opposition from more conservative Jews who saw Greek influence as a corruption of Mosaic traditions (2 Maccabees 4:7-17).
These divisions between Reformed/Hellenized Jews and Traditionalist/Hasidic Jews continued in the 1st century AD. The books of Maccabees and writings of Josephus provide examples of the ongoing tensions and debates around Hellenization within Judaism. The Gospels and Acts also record disputes between Hellenistic Jews like Stephen and traditionalists from Jerusalem who accused them of blaspheming the Temple and Mosaic customs (Acts 6:9-15).
So while the process of Hellenization was overall a positive development for diaspora Jewish communities, it also created strains with Palestinian Jews who sought to limit foreign influence on the Jewish religion. Nevertheless, the preservation of Jewish identity and loyalty to the Torah remained a high priority for both traditional and Hellenized Jews in the Second Temple era.
Hellenistic Jewish Literature
Hellenistic Jews produced a wide range of literary works aimed at both Jewish and Gentile audiences. These writings provide valuable insight into how Jews of the diaspora interacted with Greek thought and defended their faith in a Hellenistic context.
Some of the most notable examples of Hellenistic Jewish literature include:
– The Septuagint (LXX) – The Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures opened up the Torah and prophets to a much wider audience. The LXX shows the influence of Hellenistic literary styles and ideas on how the Scriptures were rendered into Greek.
– Wisdom of Solomon – This work from the late 1st century BC draws on Greek philosophical concepts like Logos (Word) and blending them with Jewish wisdom traditions. The author seeks to present the Jewish faith as compatible with the best spiritual and ethical insights of Greek thinkers.
– Philo of Alexandria – Philo was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in the 1st century AD. In works like On the Creation and Allegorical Interpretation, Philo employs allegory to harmonize OT stories with Greek philosophy and make the Hebrew Scriptures resonate with Greek-educated audiences.
– Sibylline Oracles – These poetic oracles were composed by Hellenistic Jews and circulated within pagan Greek and Roman culture from the 2nd century BC onwards. They appropriate the motif of Sibylline prophecies to present Jewish ethical and theological beliefs to Gentile readers.
– Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs – This 2nd century BC Jewish work models itself on Greek ethical treatises. The author presents the last testaments of the 12 sons of Jacob, with each son reprising aspects of Greek virtue and morality as they apply biblical teachings to life.
– Joseph and Aseneth – This Hellenistic Jewish novella tells the story of Aseneth, the wife of Joseph in Egypt. It recasts the story to portray Aseneth’s conversion to Joseph’s worship of the Most High God in a way that would resonate with Greek concerns about religion and ethics.
So in their diverse literary activities, the Hellenistic Jews adopted Greek literary forms and philosophical concepts as vehicles for expounding the ethics and theology of biblical faith for Greek-speaking audiences.
Archaeological Evidence
Significant archaeological discoveries over the past century have shed light on the nature of Hellenistic Jewish communities:
– The Huqoq synagogue (Galilee, Israel) contains vibrant mosaic floors depicting biblical stories like the parting of the Red Sea, Noah’s Ark, and the trial of Jonah. The mosaics employ Hellenistic artistic styles blended with Jewish themes.
– At Dura Europos (Syria), archaeologists uncovered a 3rd century AD synagogue with frescoes representing biblical scenes like Moses receiving the Torah and the Temple in Jerusalem. The synagogue design incorporated Greek architectural features.
– The Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo (Egypt) was the place of worship and community gathering for Alexandrian Jews. It also housed thousands of papyrus manuscripts from the Jewish community, including Greek translations of the Torah.
– Tomb inscriptions found in Cyrene (Libya) and Sardis (Turkey) attest to thriving Jewish communities in those cities. The inscriptions blend Jewish, Greek and Roman artistic motifs and language.
– The House of Kyrios Leontis in Corinth (Greece) was identified as the home of a Hellenized Jewish family. It contained mosaic floors with traditional Greek patterns alongside menorahs and ritual Jewish objects.
So the archaeological evidence confirms that Hellenistic Jewish communities successfully synthesized their Jewish heritage with features of Greek art, architecture and language.
Key Figures
The diverse backgrounds and Jewish responses to Hellenism can be seen through various prominent Hellenistic Jews:
Jason – High priest in Jerusalem from 175-172 BC. He established a gymnasium and introduced Greek customs that compromised Jewish law, provoking a conservative backlash (2 Maccabees 4:7-17).
John Hyrcanus – Hasmonean leader and high priest. He maintained Jewish independence secured by his father but also adopted a largely Hellenized lifestyle. This earned him criticism from more conservative Jews like the Pharisees (Josephus, Antiquities 13.10.5-7).
Josephus – Jewish historian born in Jerusalem but lived much of his life in Rome after the Jewish revolt. He wrote valuable histories of the Jewish people aimed at educated Greek and Roman audiences.
Philo of Alexandria – Prominent Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who sought to synthesize Judaism with Greek thought. His allegorical interpretations eased tensions between biblical faith and Platonic philosophy.
Hillel the Elder – Leading rabbi in Jerusalem remembered for his efforts to make Jewish law applicable to contemporary situations. He exemplified how Jewish scholars could judiciously adapt Mosaic traditions for Hellenized settings.
Paul – Originally known as Saul from the Hellenistic city of Tarsus. His background in Greek philosophy and rhetoric comes through in his New Testament letters and preaching (e.g. Acts 17:16-34).
Priscilla and Aquila – A Jewish couple from Pontus who lived in the major Hellenistic trade city of Corinth. They blended traditional Jewish practices with immersion in their Greek urban setting (Acts 18:1-4).
So prominent Hellenistic Jews represented a spectrum in how they negotiated Jewish identity within a Greek cultural environment, whether through assimilation, synthesis, resistance or reform.
Conclusion
The Hellenistic Jews made up a major portion of the Jewish diaspora in the Greco-Roman world. They adapted linguistically and culturally to their Greek-speaking surroundings while remaining committed to the teachings of the Torah and Jewish practices. The Hellenistic Jewish communities bridged biblical faith and Greek thought in ways that profoundly shaped early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism in the early centuries AD. Grasping the diversity within Hellenistic Judaism provides important context for understanding the New Testament writings and the wider Jewish landscape of the Second Temple period.