The document discusses Judaism during the time of Paul, including the Hellenistic period and various Jewish sects. During the Hellenistic period, some Jews embraced Greek culture while others wanted to preserve a pure form of Judaism. This caused divisions between Hellenizers and Judaizers. There were also divisions between urban and rural Jews, as well as Jews living in Judea versus the diaspora. The major sects during Paul's time were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. The Essenes lived an ascetic lifestyle and copied scriptures.

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The Good Life and Hard Times of the Apostle Paul1
Lesson 6 – Judaism in From the End of the Captivity to Paul’s Day
Hellenistic Period.
As Stevenson pointed out supra.2
The Persian Vassal state period ended abruptly in 337 BC.
Thus began the Hellenistic period. In summary of this period it can be said that
Hellenistic Judaism was a form of Judaism in the ancient world that combined Jewish
religious tradition with elements of Greek culture. Until the fall of the Roman Empire
and the Muslim conquests of the Eastern Mediterranean, the main centers of Hellenistic
Judaism were Alexandria (Egypt) and Antioch (Northern Syria—now Turkey), the two
main Greek urban settlements of the Middle East and North Africa area, both founded
at the end of the 4th century BCE in the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great.
Hellenistic Judaism also existed in Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period, where
there was conflict between Hellenizers and traditionalists (sometimes called Judaizers).3
During this period, the Jews became factionalized in a number of way. There were the Judaizers
that wanted a pure Judaism unpolluted by Greek influence. They spoke He brew exclusively and
were opposed by the Hellenists who spoke Koine Greek or Aramaen and wanted to incorporate
what they believed to be the best of Hellenistic culture into Jewish culture.
Then there were the Jews living in Judah who were suspicious of anyone who wasn’t one of
them, i.e. the xenophobic. They tended to side with the Judaizers especially when they went
out from the territory into the Diaspora. Finally, there were the Jews of the Diaspora that
tended to be somewhat Hellenized due to their upbringing in the Hellenistic culture. It was, to
say the least, a time of turmoil and a grasping for control of Judaism.
As we have seen above, the period began much earlier. It began even before but certainly
strongly during the time of Alexander with the Greek colonization of the Ionian world that
made Greek culture the norm not only in Europe, but in Asian Minor and Africa as well.4
The major literary product of the contact of Judaism and Hellenistic culture is the Septuagint.5
It
can be argued variously that the Septuagint was a work composed to aid Koine‐speaking Jews
in reading their Bible or that it was an attempt by the Hellenizers to insert Greek thought
1
This study is prepared by John R. Wible from a variety of materials including “The Early Life of Paul the Apostle”
by Dr. Quency E. Wallace from which I have borrowed significantly, though I do not necessarily set off his work in
quotes or indentions. I refer to myself as the “Editor” and “Redactor” rather than the author because very little
material is original work.
2
Stevenson, John T. “Israel after Exile.” Angelfire, New Testament Theology, 14 Ezra. 2000, supra.
3
Roy M. MacLeod, The Library Of Alexandria: Centre Of Learning In The Ancient World
4
See Wible. “The Good Life and Hard Times of the Apostle Paul,” Lesson 3 Greeks (Revised).
Paul and His Grecian
Cultural Environment. Handout.
5
Karen H. Jobes and Moises Silva (2001). Invitation to the Septuagint. Paternoster Press.

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directly into the Holy Scriptures. As such, the Septuagint should be read carefully comparing it
with other translations.
This was also a time of the writing of so‐called apocrypha and pseudepigraphic apocalyptic
literature.6
To the Evangelical Christian, these books though not considered divinely inspired,
can be read as fairly reliable sources of history. As with the Septuagint, care should be taken
with their reading and comparisons made with Holy Writ.
Two Important sources of somewhat Hellenized history are Philo of Alexandria and Flavius
Josephus.7
Though some scholars, principally Jewish8
consider Paul to be a Hellenist as well,
even though he himself claimed to be a Pharisee,9
I have argued through this series that while
Paul drew from all his backgrounds, he was by no means a Hellenist. If anything, he leaned
toward the Pharisaical side though he had to minister in a totally Hellenized world.
Philo of Alexandria was an important apologist of Judaism, marrying Jewish tradition with its
monotheism with certain Hellenistic thoughts such as the logos. Philo originated some of the
metaphors that Paul perhaps would later adopt such as the "circumcision of the heart" in the
pursuit of virtue.10
Late in the Hellenistic period, history saw the acceleration of Hellenization in Israel itself, with
some Jewish high priests adopting Greek names such as Onius, Jason, Menelaus, and Alcimus.
Notice “us” endings of the names indicating Grecian origin.11
In in the Second Century BC, the Judaizers lost their purpose for existence due to the rise of the
Hasmoneans, strongly nationalist Jews who desired a free state unhindered by influence of
anyone. They reared their heads again in Paul’s time as the Judaizers had become Christian
Jews who wanted to insert Judaism into Christianity.12
Likewise, the Hellenizers declined in influence in the Second Century BC for a number of other
reasons including, but not limited to the rise of the Hasmoneans.
The Jewish Free State. The Hasmonean Period.
(INSERT)
6
Some of which are canonized in the Roman Catholic Bible but is not include in either the Protestant versions or
the final Hebrew version.
7
Both cited supra.
8
"Saul of Tarsus: Not a Hebrew Scholar; a Hellenist", Jewish Encyclopedia.
9
Acts 23:6.
10
See Leviticus 26:41, Ezekiel 44:7.
11
Flavius Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews 10:151‐153 contains a list of 17 high priests.
12
Galatians 2:14.

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Judaism, in Paul's day was considered to be influential, with many followers in Palestine and
throughout the Roman Empire. It was considered to be the "official" religion of the Jews, and as
such, was deemed legal by Rome. Although first and foremost considered to be a Jewish
religion, there were many non‐Jews (Gentiles) who had converted to Judaism's monotheistic
and ethical beliefs, which had wide appeal to those who had already embraced much of its
tenets found in philosophy, but were dissatisfied with the limitations found in Greek
philosophy. Judaism can best be described as a religion based upon the law given to Moses by
God. The keeping of the law was the most notable characteristic emphasis of Judaism. It was
the most important duty a Jew or believing Gentile could do to fulfill their obligation as a
member of the "covenant community" of believers.
In Paul's day rabbis [who did not become a “paid profession” until a little later in history] were
the teachers and exegetes of the sacred writings found in the Torah. Scribes were the
professional copiers of the law, and also assisted rabbis in the interpretation of the law.
Synagogues, scattered throughout much of the
Roman Empire, were places that were devoted to
the study, training, preaching, and teaching of the
law. The Synagogue was the place where most
Jews went to be educated by the rabbis, attend
synagogue social functions, and hear the message
from a rabbi or qualified layman on the Sabbath.
[At right, synagogue in Capernaum preserved.]
There were three different main sects within Judaism in Paul's day, Pharisees, Sadducees, and
the Essenes.13
[To these, I would add the Herodians and the Zealots.]
The Essenes.
Of these three, the Essenes were the strictest as a
religious order. [We will see a possible Pauline
connection to the Essenes in a later lesson.] They
generally shunned marriage, and were a male only order.
They lived very austere lives, much like the monks of
Christian religious orders in the Catholic Church many
centuries later. They generally lived in remote places in
the country and desert. There they studied and copied
their scriptures, and worshipped God together. Josephus
[himself a Pharisee, stated:]
13
Plus the Zealots who were not philosophers but radicals.

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And as for their piety toward God, it is very extraordinary; for before the sunrising they speak
not a word about profane matters, but put up certain prayers which they have received from
their forefathers, as if they made a supplication for its rising. After this every one of them are
sent away by their curators, (supervisors) to exercise some of the arts wherein they are skilled,
in which they labor with great diligence to the fifth hour.
The Essenes were pious and very industrious. They benefited themselves and society as a whole
by their labors. They fed the hungry, taught the illiterate, and preserved the Law of Moses and
other OT writings by their diligence in the copying of it. The recent discovery in the 20th
century of the Dead Sea Scrolls of scripture were made possible by the work of the Essenes.
The Sadducees.
The Sadducees were a small sect of Judaism, populated mostly by the rich and powerful in
Jewish society. The Sadducees did not believe in angels or in life after death. 14
According to
Robert Picirilli "Their real interests were concerned more with this life and the present than
with the life to come and the future." Most of the high offices in the Jewish religious courts,
most notably the Sanhedrin, were tightly controlled by the Sadducees.
The priesthood of the great temple of Jerusalem was
also controlled exclusively by the Sadducees. The
Sadducees were always trying to gain an economic or
political advantage whenever possible. Religion to the
majority of them was just a convenient way to gain
power, money, and influence. They were treacherous,
even to each other. Josephus [said the following.]
"The behavior of the Sadducees one towards another
is in some degrees wild; and their conversation with
those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if
they were strangers unto them." The Sadducees were only in Judaism for political or economic
gain. Their religion had deteriorated to a sham. There were only a few pious followers among
the Sadducees.
The Pharisees.
The Pharisees were the largest sect of Judaism. [Though many Jews were not “Orthodox,] the
majority of Orthodox Jews were Pharisees, as was Paul and his family. Their religion centered
on the Law of Moses and was legalistic in nature. Josephus had this to say concerning the
Pharisees, of whom he was a member: "The Pharisees are those who are esteemed most skillful
in the exact explication of their laws."
14
Perhaps, modern politicians would be classified as “Sadducees.”

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The Pharisees believed that following God meant
obeying the laws of Moses with exact detail. Laws
of ceremonial purity were also zealously kept by
the Pharisees, as well as rules for keeping of the
Sabbath day. The Pharisees, in their zeal for
keeping the Law of Moses, built a set of rabbinic
rules to build a hedge and "protect" the sacred
laws of Moses. In Paul's day it was known as the
"Oral Torah" or traditional sayings applicable to
daily living.
Eventually, in later centuries it evolved into the Talmud, which consisted of the Mishnah (oral
law) and the Gemara (rabbinical comments). The rabbinic [of or pertaining to the rabbis] rules
were incredibly detailed in Paul's day. If the Mosaic Law forbade one to work on the Sabbath,
the rabbinic rule to build a hedge and "protect" that part of the law took it a step further. The
rabbinic rule would not only inform the people that they could not work on the Sabbath, it
would tell them that they could not carry or touch any of their tools on the Sabbath. Because of
this tradition of rules, rabbis became very prominent in Jewish society.
The people were constantly going to the synagogues to consult with rabbis to make sure that
they were following their religion to the letter, and not offending God.
[The Herodians.15
The Herodians were mentioned in the New Testament
as having shown a strong favoritism for King Herod the
Great16
and his dynasty and conversely an equally
strong dislike for “rebels” like Jesus. (See Mark 3:6,
12:13; Matthew 22:16; cf. also Mark 8:15, Luke 13:31‐
32, Acts 4:27). The Herodian Dynasty took power
gradually in the 40s B.C. being somewhat associated
with the then ruling Hasmonean Dynasty begun by
Judas Maccabees. Formal reign of power was passed
to the Herodians Dynasty by the Romans in 40 B.C.
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
They were not a religious sect, but, as the name implies, a court or political party, supporters of
the dynasty of Herod. Nothing is known of them beyond what the Gospels state. Whatever
their political aims, they early perceived that Christ's pure and spiritual teaching on the
kingdom of God was irreconcilable with these, and that Christ's influence with the people was
15
The passages on the Herodians and the Zealots are inserts by the Editor.
16
Ruled Judea from circa. 37‐36 – 4 B.C.

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antagonistic to their interests. Hence, in Galilee, on the occasion of the healing of the man with
the withered hand, they readily joined with the more powerful party of the Pharisees in plots to
crush Jesus (Mark 3:6); and again, in Jerusalem, in the last week of Christ's life, they renewed
this alliance in the attempt to entrap Jesus on the question of the tribute money (Matthew
22:16).
The warning of Jesus to His disciples to "beware of the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15) may have
had reference to the insidious spirit of this party.
In the Mark 8:15 account, Jesus clearly sees that the alliance of Pharisees and the Herodians
was danger to him and His ministry. In Mark 12, the Pharisees and Herodians joined together to
send a delegation to investigate and challenge what Jesus was teaching about the most sacred
of their icons, the Temple in Jerusalem. At first they flattered Jesus for his honesty and
impartiality, then they questioned him politically in relation to his attitude to paying Roman
taxes. Jesus did appear to have impressed the Herodians with his reply: “. . . render unto Caesar
that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.” Mark tells us that “they marveled at
Him" and He shut them up for good.
Paul encountered the Herodians near the end of their dynasty. In circa. AD 59, among his other
trials, he was brought before the then King Herod Agrippa II (Marcus Julius Agrippa) who was
usually called merely “Agrippa.” Agrippa was the seventh and last king of the family of Herod
the Great, thus the Herodian “party” basically ended with him. He was the son of the first and
better‐known Herod Agrippa, the brother of Berenice, Mariamne, and Drusilla (second wife of
the Roman procurator Antonius Felix.) Note the family connection between the Roman
procurator, Felix and the Herodians. Truly the Herodians, rather than being loyal Jews were “in
bed with” the Romans.]
The Zealots.17
While clearly the Herodians’ ideals were totally
anathema to Paul, not so much for the Zealots
– at least in his pre‐Christian days. The Zealots
were a political movement in the First Century
during the Second Temple period of Judaism.
The term was probably coined by Josephus
who thought of them as a “Fourth Party” in
Jewish society. The movement was founded by
Judas the Galilean. Galilee had long been a
hotbed of opposition to the ruling powers of Jerusalem no matter who they were, but
especially to the Romans. Perhaps it is because of the revolt led by this Judas that the soon‐to‐
17
Id.

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be Apostle, Nathaniel asks, “Can any good thing come out of Galilee?”18
One of Jesus’ Disciples
was apparently a member of this party, Simon Zealotes, or Simon the Zealot.
The Zealots saw themselves as heirs in spirit to the Maccabees (Hebrew for “Hammer.) It was
their objective to stir up the people of Judea to rebel against the Romans and thus remove
them. They provoked the First Jewish–Roman War (A.D. 66‐70). As we know, this ended very
badly for the Jews as the Romans sacked Jerusalem, totally and completely destroyed the
Temple, and expelled the Jews from Jerusalem.
In the waning hours of the destruction, the
remnant of the Zealots escaped Jerusalem and
were led by Eleazar son of Jairus, a descendant of
Judas of Galilee to their hilltop fortress, Masada,
actually a palace built by Herod the Great, where
they made their famous last stand immortalized in
the book and movie, “Masada.”
A very interesting article explores Galatians 1:14
and Acts 22:3 wherein the author states:
Paul is said to be a “Zealot.” The term is a noun, meaning ‘Zealot,’ However, interpreters and
commentators have always interpreted the term as an adjective, meaning “zealous.” By
understanding Paul's statement as an adjective, interpreters and commentators have
dissociated Paul from the Zealot movement which was emerging during this period of time
within Judaism. However, Paul appears in these passages to claim that the Zealot movement
was a powerful influence upon his formative Jewish life and theology and was a motivating
factor in his persecution of the Christians.19
Whether Paul was a “card‐carrying” member of the Zealot Party or not, we will later look at the
reasons for Paul’s “zealous” persecutions of Jesus’ followers.]
Paul's Education. 20
For Paul, as an Orthodox Pharisee, his education would have started in the synagogue very
young at around the age of five. This is because of traditional Jewish belief that the instilling of
the law must start early in life. The Jewish philosopher Philo said the following concerning this:
For all men are eager to preserve their own customs and laws, and the Jewish nation above all
others; for looking upon their laws as oracles directly given to them by God Himself, and having
18
John 1:47.
19
Mark R. Fairchild, Huntington (Indiana) College. Paul’s Pre‐Christian Zealot Associations: A Re‐Examination of
Gal. 1.14 and Act 22.3.
20
Wallace continues.

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been instructed in this doctrine from their very earliest infancy they bear in their souls the
images of the commandments contained in these laws as sacred 19
In addition to this, the following statement is a direct quote from the Jewish Mishnah:
At five years old one is fit for the Scripture, at ten years for the Mishnah, at thirteen for the
fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen for the Talmud, at eighteen for the bride‐chamber, at
twenty for pursuing a calling, at thirty for authority, at forty for discernment, at fifty for
counsel, at sixty for special strength, at ninety for bowed back, and at a hundred a man is as
one that has already died and passed away and ceased from the world 20
From . . . Josephus we learn the following concerning the tradition of teaching young children
the precepts of the law:
Nay, indeed, the law does not permit us to make festivals at the births of our children, and
thereby afford occasion of drinking to excess; but it ordains that the very beginning of our
education should be immediately directed to sobriety. It also commands us to bring those
children up in learning, and to exercise them in the laws, and make them acquainted with the
acts of their predecessors, in order to their imitation of them, and that they may be nourished
up in the laws from their infancy, and might neither transgress them nor yet have any pretense
for their ignorance of them
Gleaning from these sources, we can assume that
Paul started his education at or around the age of
five, studying the Pentateuch. At the age of ten, he
would have advanced to the Mishnah, which dealt
with detailed tradition. At the age of thirteen he
would have completed his study of the Mishnah,
and would have been ready for formal rabbinical
school training. It was more than likely at this age
that Paul left Tarsus to live in Jerusalem, probably
with his married sister (Acts 23:16) to begin his formal training at the Hillel rabbinical school in
Jerusalem. Paul studied under the renowned rabbi Gamaliel I, [Hillel’s grandson] who was one
of the greatest rabbinical teachers of the first century (Acts 22:3).
Noted Christian education scholar Elmer Towns had the following to say concerning Paul's
rabbinical school education:
Rabbinic education focused on the Hebrew Bible and its traditional interpretations. But it also
exposed neophyte rabbis to the "wisdom of the Greeks." The Talmud reports that Rabbi Simeon
ben Gamaliel II, a second century teacher [from the line of Hillel,] implemented a dual
curriculum by having five hundred students study the traditions of the Hebrews and another
five hundred the writings of the Greeks, midpoint in their program reversing the relationship.
Despite its antagonism to all Hellenistic systems of thought, Judaism was not averse to

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borrowing ideas and forms from the Greek world if it could press them into service for the God
of Israel.
It would be reasonable to assume that Paul, studying under one of the greatest rabbinical
scholars of all time in the liberal Hillel school, would have received a wide range of exposure to
Greek philosophy along with his traditional Hebrew training, to keep him abreast with the most
recent philosophical knowledge of his day.
Concerning Paul's Hebrew education, Robert Picirilli said that Paul had studied "the Midrashim,
expositions of the Hebrew Scriptures; the Halacha, legal customs and practices added by the
rabbis to the Old Testament practices; the Haggadah, non‐legal narratives exegeting the
scriptures." In addition to his studies, Paul had to memorize the ancient Hebrew language
Targums, and be able to translate it into Aramaic. Paul, when he had finished rabbinical school,
had received the best education that his religion had to offer. The Hillel school could only be
attended by the best Jewish minds of Paul's day.
Analysis.
When analyzing the cultural and educational influences upon the remarkable life and
theological reasonings of the Apostle Paul, one can only step back and marvel at the
tremendous accomplishments made in his life, utilizing all of the broad exposure to the world
and learning that life afforded him. Paul was not averse to using any tool in his broad arsenal
for the cause of Christ, utilizing them to the fullest. Paul's early life in his hometown of Tarsus
exposed him to Hellenistic Judaism, which allowed for Grecian learning and influence, even
though his parents were devout Jews.
Without doubt in those early formative years in Tarsus, Paul became exposed to different
cultures and teaching as well as Orthodox Pharisaic Judaism, which allowed him to learn
"Classic Greek," Greek philosophy, Koine Greek (This form of Greek was spoken by everyone in
Tarsus, even Orthodox Pharisaic Jews) and other disciplines. By his family being wealthy
tentmakers and Roman citizens, he was no doubt exposed to ranking Roman officials, and
Roman practices, law, and customs.
Paul's rabbinic education was first class, as he learned his craft from one of the most noted
rabbis in history. Along with his rabbinic education, the Hillel school was noted for giving their
students a balanced education, giving Paul broad exposure to classical literature, philosophy,
and ethics. Paul, in his letters, borrowed heavily from his knowledge of Stoic philosophy, using
Stoic terms and metaphors to assist his new Gentile converts in their understanding of the
revealed word of God. Paul also relied heavily upon his training received concerning the law
and the prophets, utilizing this knowledge to convince his Jewish countrymen of the unity of
past OT prophecy and covenants with the fulfilling of these in Jesus Christ. Paul, as the

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evangelist, is without peer. God, in his divine wisdom and grace, exposed Paul to a wide
spectrum of experiences and education, giving the Apostle to the Gentiles the tools to
effectively spread the Gospel and establish the church solidly in all parts of the Roman Empire.