Mormon Studies Commons^™

Alexander The Great Comes To Jerusalem: The Jewish Response To Hellenism, Cecilia M. Peek

BYU Studies

When Alexander the Great defeated the forces of Darius III near Gaugamela in 331 B.C., he became heir to the Persian empire. Palestine was among those territories acquired after his victory over the last Achaemenid ruler. For the first twenty years after Alexander's death, this region was hotly contested. The territory was assigned to Laomedon in the initial division of responsibilities in 323 B.C.; he held it until Ptolemy Soter acquired it in 320. In 315, Antigonos One-Eye seized all of Palestine; Ptolemy retrieved it from Antigonos's son Demetrius in 312. Antigonos recaptured the area in 311, but he was …

A Historical Sketch Of Galilee, Andrew C. Skinner

BYU Studies

By the first century A.D., much of Palestine, the area known to the Israelites as the "land of promise," was divided under the Romans into five areas of provincial or semiprovincial status: Galilee, Idumea, Judea, Perea, and Samaria. Only Judea was overwhelmingly Jewish, while the other provinces, although mostly Jewish, also supported mixed populations of Jews, Greeks, and Syrians. This ethnic background and many historical factors become significant when one seeks to understand the elements that contributed to Jewish rebellion and to Galilee as a seedbed of revolt, including the Jewish War against Rome.

Revolutionaries In The First Century, Kent P. Jackson

BYU Studies

Zealots, terrorists, freedom-fighters, bandits, revolutionaries—who were those people whose zeal for religion, for power, or for freedom motivated them to take on the Roman Empire, the greatest force in the ancient world, and believe that they could win? Because the books of Flavius Josephus are the only source for most of our understanding of the participants in the First Jewish Revolt, we are necessarily dependent on Josephus for the answers to this question. His writings will be our guide as we examine the groups and individuals involved in the Jewish rebellion.

Legal And Social Perspectives On Robbers In First-Century Judea, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

Robbers, bandits, zealots, Sicarii, and other groups operating outside of normal legal channels were prominent features on the political landscape in and around the Roman province of Judea in the first century. To an extent, the Jewish insurgents who died at Masada can be viewed as robbers or bandits within the ancient meaning of those terms. Knowing something about the prevailing laws concerning robbery and the typical characteristics of social banditry helps modern people to understand these "outlaws" and to imagine how typical Roman rulers or average Jewish citizens in that day probably viewed both the group of dissidents who …

The Virgins' Lamps: Shine Beautiful! , Marti Lu Allen

BYU Studies

The light of Christ shines beautiful for all of us.

[Anonymous quote inscribed on a Palestinian lamp of the fourth-fifth century A.D.]

Coins In The New Testament, Nanci Debloois

BYU Studies

The coins found at Masada—Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Herodian, Roman, Jewish, Tyrian, Nabatean, etc.—testify not only of the changing fortunes of Judea, but also of the variety of coins circulating in that and neighboring countries during this time. Such diversity generates some difficulty in identifying the coins mentioned in the New Testament.

The Priestly Tithe In The First Century A.D., John A. Tvedtnes

BYU Studies

Among the artifacts uncovered during the archaeological excavation at Masada was a terra-cotta pot with these words written on it: ma^caser kôhēn, "priestly tithe." It is reminiscent of a Herodian-period stone vessel fragment unearthed near the temple mount in Jerusalem, inscribed with the word qorban, "sacrifice." The Herodian vessel fragment also depicts two birds, perhaps indicating that it was used to present doves or pigeons in sacrifice at the temple as specified in Leviticus 12:8. Mishnah Ma^caser Sheni 4.10-11 mentions vessels inscribed with qorban or its abbreviation, q, and notes that among the …

The Masada Fragments, The Qumran Scrolls, And The New Testament, David Rolph Seely

BYU Studies

During the last fifty years, the Judean Desert on the western shore of the Dead Sea has yielded a wealth of textual material from many locations, evidence that has illuminated our understanding of the history of Israel and Judaism in the two centuries preceding and the two centuries following Christ. All of these manuscripts are properly referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Roman Army In The First Century, William J. Hamblin

BYU Studies

At the time of Jesus, the Roman army was at the height of its power and prestige. In the preceding four centuries, Roman legions had raised Rome from a small regional city-state to master of the entire Mediterranean world. Barring a few notable defeats—such as during the war against Hannibal or the battle of the Teutoberg Forest—Roman arms had proved victorious against Gauls, Germans, Iberians, Britons, Mauritanians, Numidians, Cartheginians, Libyans, Egyptians, Illyrians, Macedonians, Greeks, Thracians, Capadocians, Armenians, Persians, Syrians, Arabs, and Judeans, creating one of the greatest military empires of world history. The overwhelming military power of Rome was the …

Casting Stones: Ballista, Stones As Weapons, And Death By Stoning, James V. Garrison

BYU Studies

Josephus reports that once the Romans had completed their great siege ramp on the west side of Masada, they brought up an enormous tower in wheels, over one hundred feet high (based on a twenty-inch cubit) and entirely encased in iron. From this tower, Roman artillery opened fire on those defending the walls, sending showers of stones and other missiles down on them and forcing them to retreat into the fortress. With this objective accomplished, a great battering ram began the assault on the walls, and the fall of Masada became imminent.

The Reliability Of Josephus: Can He Be Trusted?, Eric D. Huntsman

BYU Studies

The author Joseph ben Matthias ha-Cohen, like most members of the Judean upper class, lived in several worlds at once. Born in A.D. 37 to an aristocratic family of priestly lineage, Josephus was ostensibly connected with the Hasmonean family that had ruled Judea between 165 B.C. and 38 B.C. His native language was Aramaic, although the was well versed in Hebrew, which by his time was largely a liturgical language. He was an observant Jew whose religious interests led him to affiliate with the three major schools of Judaism—the Sadducees, Essenes, and the Pharisees.

History And Fable, Heroism And Fanaticism: Nachman Ben-Yehuda's The Masada Myth, Arnold H. Green

BYU Studies

Nachman Ben-Yehuda, The Masada Myth: Collective Memory and Mythmaking in Israel. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1995. xxi; 401 pp. Illustrations, tables, appendix, bibliography, index. $22.95.

King Herod, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

BYU Studies

Herod visited Masada, a Hasmonean mountain stronghold situated near the Dead Sea, on at least two occasions before he began his remarkable career as king of the Jews. Popularly known today as Herod the Great, Herod eventually became connected with this site when he indelibly placed his architectural mark on its isolated rocky plateau. Standing at an elevation of about thirteen hundred feet above the level of the Dead Sea, the fortress, now called Horvot Mezada (Ruins of Masada), is extremely difficult to access because of its steep and sometimes vertical sides.

The Fruit Of The Vine: Wine At Masada And In The New Testament, Jo Ann H. Seely

BYU Studies

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe

who created sweet wine, good must from grapevines,

that is pleasing to a person and good for man,

that gladdens the heart and makes the face shine.

It is consolation to mourners, and those of bitter spirit forget their misery.

It is medicine to all who drink it. (to him who drinks it sensibly).

It is heart's joy, gladness, and great delight to its drinkers.

He, our God, created it of old for pleasure,

among the works established from the beginning,

so that all who drink it shall bless …

Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, And Latin: Languages Of New Testament Judea, Roger T. Macfarlane

BYU Studies

A trilingual inscription placed by Pontius Pilate upon the cross proclaimed "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." This titulus was able to be read by many of the Jews, John says, not only because of Golgatha's proximity to the city, but also because the text was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Pilate's declaration addressed the multilingual population of Jerusalem, both its residents and also its visitors, who were filling the city during the Passover. Weeks later, on the day of Pentecost, Peter and some Apostles addressed Jews, residents of Jerusalem who had gathered from every nation, and …

And They Cast Lots: Divination, Democracy, And Josephus, Eric D. Huntsman

BYU Studies

After the men had chosen by lot ten of their number who would be their butchers, and when they had laid down beside and thrown their arms around their wives and children who lay waiting, they offered themselves up for the slaughter. —Josephus, Jewish War 7.395 (author's translation)

Suicide At Masada And In The World Of The New Testament, Daniel K. Judd

BYU Studies

One of the most problematic issues surrounding the story of Masada is the reported mass suicide of 960 men, women, and children. Assuming that the suicides actually occurred, were they expressions of courage, selfish acts of cowardice, or blind obedience to authoritarian rule? Were the inhabitants of Masada faithful and devout Jews defending their homeland and families, or were they terrorists using political and religious justifications for their selfish deeds? Because the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus are the only primary sources of information concerning the events at Masada, definite answers to these questions are impossible to ascertain. Thus, …

Introduction, John W. Welch, John E. Hall

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Miquaot: Ritual Immersion Baths In Second Temple (Intertestamental) Jewish History, Stephen D. Ricks

BYU Studies

One of the most intriguing developments in the archaeology of the Second Temple (intertestamental) period of Judaism occurred during excavations supervised by Yigael Yadin and other archaeologists at Masada, the residence built for King Herod the Great. While excavating the south casemate wall at Masada, these archaeologists came upon three structures that looked like a Jewish ritual bath complex—a small pool, a medium-sized pool, and a large pool. During a routine press conference, it was announced that a possible Jewish ritual bath—a miqveh—had been uncovered. News of this discovery spread quickly throughout Israel, particularly in the very orthodox Hasidic …

Gammadia On Early Jewish And Christian Garments, John W. Welch, Claire Foley

BYU Studies

Among the textile fragments excavated at Masada were the remains of pieces of fabric with L-shaped cloth markings affixed to them. Dating to before A.D. 73, these are among the very earliest known examples of such marked garments. Scholars refer to these markings as gammadia, some of them being shaped like the Greek letter gamma (Γ). Though similar patterns have been found in several locations, the significance of these markings remains unknown to archaeologists and art historians. Because these markings seem to appear artistically in conjunction with some hope for life or glory after death, their presence on the …

End Matter, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Confession In Lds Doctrine And Practice, Edward L. Kimball

BYU Studies

While the form of confession in the LDS Church has changed from public admission of sin to confession to a bishop, the doctrine and necessary functions of confession remain unchanged.

At The Gate Of Heaven, Lisa Bolin Hawkins

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Beverly Custard, Casualene R. Meyers

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Black Saints In A White Church: Contemporary African American Mormons By Jessie L. Embry, Marcus Helvecio T. A. Martins

BYU Studies

Jessie L. Embry. Black Saints in a White Church: Contemporary African American Mormons. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1994. xv; 270 pp. Appendix, selected readings, index. $18.95.

In Their Own Words: Women And The Story Of Nauvoo By Carol Cornwall Madsen, Michelle Stott

BYU Studies

Carol Cornwall Madsen. In Their Own Words: Women and the Story of Nauvoo. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994. xii; 266 pp. Illustrations, notes, index. $14.95.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Salt Lake Temple Infrastructure: Studying It Out In Their Minds, Paul C. Richards

BYU Studies

To offer their best to the Lord in constructing even the temple's infrastructure, the Saints researched and incorporated such available technologies as elevators and electricity.

Introductory Pages, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Noncanonical Sayings Of Jesus, Stephen E. Robinson

BYU Studies

Of the hundreds of sayings attributed to the mortal Jesus but not found in the New Testament, relatively few that may be genuine offer fresh insight. None are authenticated with certainty.