of the invasion of Palestine] have no share in the future world, and the generation of the wilderness also shall not stand in the judgment, and the assembly of Korah shall not come forth again. Further, the men of a destroyed city [destroyed on account of having been led into idolatry, in conformity with Deut. xiii. 13-18] have no part in the age to come. So also in the Gemaras certain exceptions are made. In the Jerusalem Gemara 3 we are told that Rabbi Acha asked, in connection with Ecclesiastes ix. 4, 'to him that is joined to all the living there is hope,' whether those who laid hands upon the temple could have hope if they repented? The answer is that they cannot be received, because they stretched out their hand against the temple of the Lord; and they cannot be rejected, because they repented. Therefore the saying shall be fulfilled in them, they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake.' The Rabbis of Cæsarea, it is added, cited this passage to prove that the little ones of the Gentiles and the armies of Nebuchadnezzar [who had not taken a part in the siege of Jerusalem] should come no more to life, and consequently should not be judged. In the Babylonian Gemara we read that Rab El'azar said that the unlearned people [i.e. those who have kept themselves away from the Law], should not live again, founding his decision on Isaiah xxvi.14, They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise.' The reason is that the light of the Law revives everyone who devotes himself to it, but has the 4 6 1 Mish. 3, where different opinions are given, on which we need not pause. 2 Mish. 4. 3 Berakhoth ix. 1 [2 in the old editions]. 4 Jer. li. 57. 5 Kethuboth 1116. Referred to by Gfrörer, J. d. H. ii. S. 277, where the reference is wrongly given as 101b. contrary effect on everyone who does not so devote himself. As to the agent by whom the resurrection is to be effected, opinion is divided. In the passage quoted above from the Targum of Isaiah xxvi. 19, God alone is spoken of as bringing it about; and in the Babylonian Gemara it is said that there are three keys which God reserves to himself: the key of a woman on the point of giving birth, of rain, and of the resurrection.1 On the other hand we have already seen that Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair expected the resurrection to come by the hand of Elijah ;2 and some of the late writers believed that it would be accomplished by the Messiah. In regard to the manner in which the resurrection should take place some curious questions were asked, and decided with the usual conclusiveness. 'Queen Cleopatra asked Rabbi Meir, and said: I know that the dead live again, for it is said, "They shall flourish out of the city [Jerusalem] like the grass of the earth;" but when they rise up, will they rise naked or clothed? He answered, I will show thee this by a conclusion drawn from the less to the greater, from the grain of wheat. For, behold! the grain of wheat, which is buried naked, springs forth out of the earth with many clothes; how much more the righteous, who were buried with their clothes.' Again, Resh Lakish puts these two passages against one another. In one place it is written, "Behold, I will gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child together," and in another place it is written, "Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." How is this possible? Answer: They shall rise with their defect, but then be healed.'2 In later times the germ of the resurrection body was supposed to be a bone in the back, named lûz (5), and this on the ground that it resisted alike the attacks of fire and water, of hammer and mill.s There is a picturesque description of the judgment in 'Abodah Zarah, which by its resemblances and contrasts cannot fail to remind us of that in Matthew xxv. The passage is rather long, but we may quote a part of it. 'In the future age the blessed God will take the Book of the Law into his bosom, and say, "Whoever has engaged in this Law, let him come here and receive his reward." Immediately all nations will stream up, confusedly mixed together. But God commands them to come singly and in order. First, the Roman empire steps forward. The Lord asks them, "What have ye done in the world?" They answer, "Lord of the world, we have fitted up many market-places, erected baths, collected gold and silver, and all this we have done to favour the children of Israel, so that they could busy themselves with the Law undisturbed." But the Lord answers them, "O ye fools of the world, what ye have done for yourhave done ye selves. Ye have fitted up market-places to keep dissolute women in them. Ye have erected baths for the sake of your own voluptuousness. As regards gold and silver, these belong to me, as it is written,5 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. Is there 1 Isai. xxxv. 6. 2 Synhed. 91b. 3 See the passages referred to in Gfrörer, J. d. H. ii. S. 282–3. 42a, b. Referred to by Gfrörer, J. d. H. ii. S. 287-8. 5 Hag. ii. 8. one among you who can say something concerning this [the Law]?" Immediately the Romans go forth with affrighted souls. After them comes the Persian empire. God says again, "What have ye done in the world?" They answer, "Lord of the world, we have built many bridges, subjected many cities, carried on many wars, and all this we have done for the sake of the children of Israel, so that they could busy themselves with the Law undisturbed." But the Lord replies, But the Lord replies, "What ye have done ye have done for yourselves. Ye have built bridges to levy toll. Ye have subjected cities to impose socage on them. The wars I have carried on myself, as it is written,1 The Lord is a man of war. Is there one among you who can say anything about this?" Immediately the Persians also shall go forth with affrighted souls. But why did the Persians come before the throne of God, seeing that the Romans got nothing by it? They thought, "They have destroyed the temple of God; by us, on the contrary, it was built." The other nations likewise present themselves, and receive a similar condemnation. The judgment is to take place in Jerusalem,' and the wicked to be sent into the eternal fire of Gehenna.3 A second death, to be inflicted on the bodies of the wicked, is mentioned in a few passages. This apparently refers to the destruction of the resurrection-body. We need not dwell on the rewards of the righteous, as no special features are added to the descriptions already given. Their faces shall shine as the sun; they shall have crowns. on their heads, and enjoy the light of the Shekhina.5 1 Ex. xv. 3. 2 Targ. Isai. xxxiii. 14. 3 Ibid. and Targ. Isai. xxvi. 19; lxv. 5. Targ. Onk. Deut. xxxiii. 6; Jon. Isai. lxv. 5, 15. CHAPTER XXIV. GENERAL VIEW OF THE MESSIANIC IDEA BEFORE THE TIME OF CHRIST. WE have now concluded our detailed survey of the Messianic Idea. It only remains for us to present in a brief summary the features of that idea which are exhibited in the pre-Christian literature.1 6 Time was divided into two great periods, answering to this age' and the future' or 'coming age' of the New Testament. These were separated from one another by the occurrence of the judgment, which was to take place in the last time' or in the end of days.' With a view to ascertaining its ulterior limit the former period was variously subdivided by artificial methods. But this was not sufficient. Mankind should be warned of the approaching consummation by fearful portents. The temple should be desecrated, and unparalleled calamities fall upon the people. Swords should Swords should appear in the midnight sky, and blood trickle from the rocks. The whole course of nature should be deranged, and an appalling outbreak of idolatry and wickedness bring to remembrance the days before the flood. From the eschatology of several pre-Christian books the Messiah is excluded. In the writings in which he 1 In this I include works which are too early to be in any way influenced by Christian teaching, though they may actually fall within the Christian era. |