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Is JUDAISM the Religion of Moses? 43

lective interpretation from an authoritative body, like the Sopherim were. In most cases the Scrip-
ture became interpreted according to the prevailing custom of viewing everything in the light of
Hellenistic "enlightenment."

We find that during the period of religious anarchy there arose a number of individuals en-
deavoring to teach the Scriptures. These men were almost wholly laymen -- the priests, on the
whole, thought it not necessary to bother themselves with teaching or studying the Scriptures of
their forefathers. At the end of the anarchy, we find these individual laymen establishing them-
selves, with a few of the faithful priests, into a body of religious authority among the Jews. How-
ever, when these men came together they brought with them many varying opinions of the
Scriptures they had learned in independent study. Some of the laymen and priests had accepted
much of the Hellenistic ways of teaching as well as many Hellenistic customs and practices. There
were some teachers, however, who were less inclined towards Hellenism. Yet all these teachers in
one way or another were influenced with Hellenism. There is no doubt of this (Herford, Talmud
and Apocrypha, p. 77).

The differences of opinion among these various teachers finally evolved into the real begin-
ning of the sects of Judaism. All of the sects can be shown to have had their origins within or imme-
diately after the period of religious anarchy. And it is also important to indicate that ALL the sects
which came out of that anarchy had some form of Hellenism attached to their beliefs. In fact, the
various sects of Judaism can be categorized according to the amount of apparent Hellenization that
each sect absorbed. There were some sects which embodied much of the Hellenistic spirit; others a
moderate amount; but hardly one which absorbed little.

It will be profitable to briefly survey the sects of Judaism which existed in the days of Christ.
It will be obvious that none of them were keeping the true and unblemished Law of Moses.

The Truth About the Essenes

The first sect to be dealt with will be the Essenes. This group is placed first because they
represent the sect which consumed the greatest amount of foreign doctrine.

"Greek culture must have had a POWERFUL INFLUENCE upon Palestine since the time
of Alexander the Great -- it was not repressed until the Maccabean rising -- it is only natural, if we
find ACTUAL PROOF OF THIS INFLUENCE OF HELLENISM IN THE CIRCLE OF THE
ESSENES" (Schurer, The Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, sec. ii, vol. ii, p. 218).

There were certain religious customs and beliefs of the Jewish sect of the Essenes which
were totally Hellenistic in origin. For one, Josephus tells us they accepted the doctrine of the im-
mortality of the soul (Antiquities of the Jews, xviii, 1, 5). He mentions this foreign belief of the
Essenes in several places. Notice:

"For their doctrine is this: That bodies are corruptible, and that the matter they are made of is
not permanent; but THAT THE SOULS ARE IMMORTAL, AND CONTINUE FOR
EVER ... And IS LIKE THE OPINIONS OF THE GREEKS, that good souls have their
souls beyond the oceans, etc." (Wars of the Jews, II, p. 11).

The Berean Voice March-April 2003