Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

Running Head: Ezra, Herod, and Christianity

Ezra’s Reform, Herod’s Politics, and the Origin of Melchizedek’s Restoration;

(Or, The Christian Revolution)
C. Michael Stewart
Grand Canyon University
BIB 123
September 6, 2009

Ezra, Herod, and Christianity:

 Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

Throughout this essay we shall attempt to elucidate a little more upon the influence which

Ezra and Herod had upon the people, prepatory to the advent of Jesus Christ’s birth, ministry,

and death. We shall begin with the Post-Exilic Period and move into the reign of Herod around

the birth of Christ. Throughout this we will view how the Jewish faith was changed and re-

formatted over the inter-testamental years; this will include how the Jewish faith shifted from a

“temple based” faith to one of a “communal” belief. Through this lens we will attempt to

understand how it was that Herod was viewed by the Jews, and how he compares to his Christian

counterpart, Constantine.

Ezra was a scribe who lived in the land of Israel at the beginning of the Reformation of

the Jewish Kingdom (circa 538 BCE). This restoration of the Jews to their homeland was

through the benevolence of the king of Persia, Cyrus. Though Cyrus did not allow for the

restitution of the monarchy, he did allow for the autonomy of the religious cult; and it was

through this allowance that the Sanhedrin (headed by the increasingly politicized High Priest)

was able to govern the people according to their own laws and customs (Niswonger, 1992). Ezra,

though not the high priest of the temple cult, was a scribe and, thereby, authorized by tradition to

interpret the Law of Moses. The scribal tradition, at this point began to take on a greater level of

worth and import in the lives of the people due no longer having a prophetic influence to guide

them (Niswonger, 1992).

Because of this budding importance, upon the discovery of the Deuteronomy Scroll and

Ezra’s reading the Law aloud to the people, the second great reformation of the Jewish Law was

commenced – the first having been completed by Josiah and his priests/scribes approximately 71

years previous (Barker, 2004, 2005; Stewart, 2009). It was here that the full weight and

consequence of the Jews’ disobedience to the laws of God, as laid down before them by the

prophets of yore, began to descend upon them with greater force (Merrill, 2008; Stewart, 2009).
 Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

As Ezra began to read the scrolls to the people, he came across some important traditions

concerning the inter-marriage of the Israelites/Jews to “outsiders” – those who were not of the

tribe or house of Israel. Upon his interpreting the tradition to the people, there were many who

were subsequently divorced from their spouses and others who were cast out from among them

(Ezra 9-10; Neh. 10, 13). Indeed, it seems that this was the time when the Samaritans were

considered unclean – even to the point that their proffered help to re-build the temple was

rejected; leading to the Samaritan (along with other peoples’) persecution of the Jews who were

attempting to re-build the temple and its cult (Ezra 4-5; Neh. 4).

It was also at this time (and previous in the Babylonian Exile) that the Jews had begun to

develop synagogues – a miniature replication of the temple in form which allowed for the Jewry

of the Diaspora to worship God congregationally as well (Ezek. 11:16; Niswonger, 1992; Bard,

2008). Ezekiel, himself, had a scribe record a vision in which the chariot throne of God left the

temple of Jerusalem and, upon the wings of angels, soared through the clouds, coming to rest

amidst the captive Jews (Ezek. 43:2-3 – in fact, it would seem that this was where the “El

Shaddai” notion comes into play regarding the female aspect of Deity taking an interest in the

people – Patai, 1990; Dever, 2005; Keel and Uehlinger, 1998). It was also during this time period

that the Jewry (headed by Ezra and other scribes) completed what Josiah and the Deuteronomists

had begun – promoting the Exile/Exodus story and downplaying the Melchizedek figure (who

would figure more prominently among the Essenes and Alexandrian Jews than among the

“common” Jewish sects). This was the period in which the Sadducee’s and Pharisee’s philosophy

began to take root – having begun during the ministry of Jeremiah during Josiah’s reform

(Barker, 1991, 2003, 2005).

From here the enthronement rituals were slowly discarded in favor of a personal and

universal Deity who moved with His people and who shared in the suffering of their afflictions
 Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

(Barker; 1991, 2005). The writer of Hebrews appears to be speaking to the Jews who would

have, along with all the other Jews since Ezra, remembered the Solomonic Temple and its giant

candelabra – the Menorah; they would have remembered the Ark of the Covenant/Testament and

the items placed within it; and they would have remembered that these items were to be returned

at some later date to the temple (Ezekiel, John the Revelator, Daniel, and others reference this

tradition in their apocalyptic writings). For, at this time, the Holy of Holies was an empty room

with nothing in it – the throne having been removed and either hidden away by Josiah or taken

by some conquering army (Shyovitz, 2009). Thus, it would appear that the writer of Hebrews is,

along with the audience to which he/she speaks, stating that, with the advent of Christ, so had

they seen the return of the table of showbread – in the body of Christ (John 6); they had seen the

Ark – in the Atoning sacrifice of Christ (the “mercy seat” spoken of in the Christian hymns); and

they had seen the Menorah – in the birth of the Savior – the Light of the world (John 1). For

these Jews the First Temple Period had not been forgotten, but, rather was well-remembered. For

them the enthronement ritual was of greater importance then that of the Law – for, as Paul

taught, the Law was a school-master to bring us unto Christ (Gal. 3:24).

It was during Ezra’s administration that the Jews began more fully to strive for the

independent ideology of nationalism – both politically and ecumenically (a struggle which had

begun to coalesce even while in captivity); generating fervor, even unto bloodshed, which

continues to this day (Bard, 2008; Niswonger, 1992). And it was into this world – a world of

synagogues, national zeal and enthusiasm, as well as political unrest – that Herod was born.

Many people condemn Herod for his actions; accusing him of heinous and atrocious acts

of murder, mayhem, and political maneuvering without regard for the people’s vision of their

own future – politically and spiritually. Admittedly, Herod did commit a large amount of

atrocities (as viewed through the lens of time and “civilization”); however there is much good
 Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

that Herod did do as well. Herod provided major work on the building of the temple which

roughly 500 years earlier had been completed by Zerubbabel; he built aqueducts which ran

through the cities over which he was enthroned (with the blessing of Octavius/Caesar Augustus);

he had a gymnasium designed and built in the capital city of Jerusalem (though, admittedly, there

were many Jews who were incensed at the idea – feeling that the Greek influence was already

bad enough – gymnasium stemming from the Greek word meaning naked or nude); and many

more things did he create, perform, and contribute to (in fact, Niswonger (1992) states that there

is not enough room to really get into all the things that Herod did which were for the benefit of

his people). And, indeed, it is only understandable that Herod did some of those “cruel” acts

(including the slaughter of the innocents); it was to protect his kingdom. Now, though there are

many people who condemn him – “He tried to kill baby Jesus” – there seems to be a justification

here in his actions. Constantine, himself, was a man in whom much the same attitudinal belief

was located. Johnson (2005) reminds us that Constantine had

Reports of […] violent temper and […] cruelty in anger. He was much criticized for condemning

prisoners of war to mortal combat with wild beasts at Trier and Colmar and for wholesale

massacres in North Africa. He had no respect for human life, and as emperor he executed his

eldest son, his own second wife, and his favorite sister’s husband and ‘many others’ on doubtful

charges (pg. 68).

And, yet, there are many Christians living today who, even while knowing the stories of

Constantine’s brutality, still praise him for his actions in the unifying of the Christian church (as

well as his ‘Edict of Milan’). How, then, is it that there are many people who, while condemning

Herod for his actions, still praise an Emperor who was just as (if not more) cruel than Herod the

Great himself?

Why, then, do we not condemn Constantine? Because, instead of trying to squelch

Christian theology, he embraced it and perpetuated it – even, thereby, allowing it to thrive and
 Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

grow into the world-wide tradition that it is now. Therefore, even so, we should not condemn

Herod for his violent exploits – we do not know but that maybe he would have converted to the

faith had he known that Christ’s kingdom – at least at the time – was not of the earth. Indeed,

Johnson (2005) points out that many Disciples of Christ, Jews, and Roman leaders at the time did

not completely understand the message that Christ was professing. Johnson states:

He [Christ] radiated authority – it was, from the very start, the most conspicuous thing about him.

But of what kind? He was anxious to show that he was not a priest-general, performing a military role

against a foreign oppressor. He was not a Messiah in that sense. On the other hand, he was not just the

articulator of suffering and sacrifice: he had come to found a new kind of kingdom and to bring a message

of joy and hope. How to convey that his triumph had to be through his death? It was not an idea which

appealed to the ancient world; or any world (pg. 29).

This was the message which Christ came to deliver. And this was the message which

Caiaphas, Pilate, Herod Philip, and others heard upon His judgment. Is it possible that King

Herod would not have, had he but understood the “kingdom” in light of the “suffering servant,”

had the children of Judah slaughtered in the manner that he did? God only knows; but we can be

sure of one thing: it was during the period of the Maccabean revolt that the ideology of a

Messiah in the form of a “priest-general” was formatted more completely and cemented more

firmly in the minds of the people. Perhaps it was this belief that was ensconced in Herod’s mind

when he chose to commit the slayings he did when hearing of the birth of the Messiah. Perhaps it

was with Herod as it was with Constantine (born into a world of political unrest, religious

conflagration/debate, and a growing community of Christians who “were numerous enough to

overthrow the Empire” (Johnson, 2005) – Constantine had to make some shrewd political moves

in order to save his kingdom and empire; perhaps Herod did the same thing; being justified in his

own eyes and, even, in the eyes of Caesar, the man to whom he was beholden.
 Ezra, Herod, and Christianity 9

In conclusion, we can see that the overall traditional belief of the people, having

developed from one formation to another, can lead to the misunderstanding of an important

prophecy upon the prophecy’s fulfillment. As was the case with Herod, many people condemn

him – Bailey (2008) states that we will never see it at a Christmas pageant – yet, even so, we,

ourselves, can oftentimes mistake that which is truth for that which is falsehood. In fact, the

prophetic appeal by Isaiah concerning the darkness the people are walking through even while in

daylight (Isa. 59:9-11), can be applied to us – and, more especially, this current generation.

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