This will be one of the most important studies you could have in order to understand the Gospels and Epistles. There was a man named Hillel, and he was born in Babylon around 110 B.C. and he died in 10 A.D. He was called by several names, such as: Hillel the Great, Hillel the Elder and Hillel of Babylon. He lived at the time of King Herod and Augustus and became Nasi of the Sanhedrin from 30 B.C. to 10 A.D. Shammai was born in 50 B.C. and died in 30 A.D., the same year Yeshua did. Shammai was Av Beit Din of the Sanhedrin after Menachem the Essene left in 20 B.C. He became Nasi when Hillel died. More on both of these men later.
We are going to have several groups, or “parties”, who will be very important in our understanding. We will have the Essenes (a.k.a “Hasidim”), Beit Hillel Pharisees, Beit Shammai Pharisees and Zealots in two groups. One group was simply called Zealots (proper) and the other was called the Sicarii (“cut throats”). The Sadducees were in two groups, called the Sadducees and the Boethusians, who were also called the Herodians because Herod the Great married the daughter of Simeon Boethus. The Boethusians were the rival of the House of Annas. Herod elevated one from the family of Boethus to High Priest. As a result, they were called both Boethusians and Herodians.
Between the Sadducess and the Boethusians, there isn’t much of a difference socially and spiritually, but they do not get along. There was a power struggle between the families. These are the main players during the First Century and when the Gospels and Epistles were written. In 30 B.C. Hillel becomes the Nasi (President) of the Sanhedrin and the Av Beit Din (Vice President) was Menachem the Essene.
There are four groups listed by Josephus as being influential in the years leading up to and during the First Century. These groups are the Essenes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Zealots. We have the Zealots (proper) being formed around 6 A.D. The word “Zealot” in Hebrew is “Kannaim.” Yeshua had a talmid named “Simon the Cananaen” or “Zealot” (Mark 3.18). The Sicarii were formed in 4 B.C., ten years before the Zealots. The word Sicarii comes from the Latin “Sicae” meaning “dagger.”
From the time of Herod to the fall of Masada, this party went about with daggers (“sicae”) beneath their cloaks and stabbed anyone committing a sacrilegious act or provoking anti-Jewish feelings. Following Josephus, Wars, Book 2, 8.1 and Antiquities, Book 18, 1.1-6, it says that this party was founded by Judas the Galilean, mentioned in Acts 5.33-39. However, the father of Judas was Hezekiah Ben Gurion who had a band of robbers. They made war against the Idumean Herod the Great.
Organized assassinations by the Zealots were practiced during the reign of Herod. So, the Sicarii are in place before 6 A.D. What happened in 6 A.D.? Yeshua is about 10 years old and Herod has been dead about that long, too. Remember, he died within forty days of Yeshua’s birth. Herod rose to power through his father Antipater. So, let’s get some background first.
In the Maccabean War, there were four brothers who lead it. They are Judah, Yonaton, Yochanon and Shimon. Shimon survives the war, the others were killed. Shimon becomes the ruler and is succeeded by Yochanon Hyrcannus. Hyrcannus declares himself “king and high priest.” He is succeeded by his son Alexander the Hasmonean. The Hasmonean dynasty will consist of the descendants of the original Maccabean wars. It is believed that the Essenes are going to emerge during this time and were the oldest of the parties. Alexander’s time will see the emergence of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
He will be succeeded by his wife Alexandra. She realizes that when she dies, she will have a problem. She has been a good queen and so she wants the rulership to be in good hands, so she wants it to go to her son Hyrcannus. However, Hyrcannus is weak and he has a brother named Aristobulus, who is vicious. She hires a strong man to help tutor Hyrcannus from a land conquered during the reign of Yochanon Hyrcannus and Alexander the Hasmonean. This land is called Edom (Idumeans). The Idumeans were forced into Judaism by Yochanon and Alexander. The Jewish people had a problem accepting these “conversions” because many of these people were not sincere. These Idumeans would support whatever power was in position. The strong man that Alexandra hired was a man named Antipater. Antipater has a son named Herod, and Herod will eventually kill his father because Herod is going to try and get total power.
In 63 B.C. war breaks out between Hyrcannus and Aristobulus. This gets the attention of the Romans and Pompey the Great comes in, but Aristobulus flees and holds up in the Temple courts. Pompey breaches the walls of the Temple and goes into the Holy of Holies. The Hasidim are the ultra-orthodox and they are outraged. This was the highest form of offense, even for idolaters.
There was a strong antagonism with anyone who was involved with Rome. All the nations around Judea will be “puppets” of Rome, so people from there were not liked very much. As a result of this war, Herod will eventually emerge and Rome set him up as ruler. He is a ruler aligned with Rome, ruling for the Romans over Galilee. Later on he will have control over the south as well.
After his death in 4 B.C. his kingdom was divided for ten years between Herod’s sons, called “tetrarchs.” All that will change in 6 A.D. The Roman governor in Damascus is going to make these tetrarchs actual provinces of Rome. They will no longer be ruled by puppets for the Romans, but they will be under the direct administration of the Romans. That was the motivation for the founding of the Zealot Party. However, back in the civil war between Hyrcannus and Aristobulus, the Zealots were already working against Herod.
Who were these Zealots? These were the Sicarii, who date back to that period. That brings us back to Judas the Galilean, also called Judas of Gamla. It is a fact that Hezekiah, the father of Judas the Galilean, had organized a band of robbers who made war on Herod, including assassinations. Remember Hezekiah, the father of Judas, because his name will come up later. The Zealots were already in action with Hezekiah before they were formally organized by his son Judas in 6 A.D.
In 20 B.C. we have a very important event that will occur. We are not told this specifically in any text, but what we are told is Menachem the Essene is going to resign his post as Av Beit Din under Hillel. What we are also told is that he departs out of Jerusalem, and takes 80 of his own talmidim and 80 members of Beit Hillel with him. We are told this in the Talmud. They will go into the wilderness and what we do know is that Hillel, who remains behind as Nasi, is now isolated in Jerusalem against these other parties, especially Beit Shammai. We will come back to this.
In Wikipedia, the article on Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel says that there were over 316 disagreements between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel. Out of the 316 disagreements, 221 involve halakot (how to keep the commandments), 29 halakic interpretations and 66 “guard” laws (Hebrew “Gezerot” or “fences”). This equaled 316 disagreements. Out of all of these 316 issues, only 55 of these do we see Beit Shammai taking a more lenient stand than Beit Hillel. Beit Shammai is going to be seen as more “strict” than Beit Hillel. In addition, there is a basic difference between the two schools.
The most famous account of Hillel the Elder says that a non-Jew comes to Shammai and asks him to teach him the whole Torah while standing on one leg. Shammai rebukes him and sends him away. He goes to Hillel and asks the same thing. Hillel tells him to go and “love your neighbor as yourself, the rest is commentary. Now, go and study.” Basically, this is how he defined the Torah. Shammai was famous for not having any dealings with non-Jews. This was not the philosophy of Hillel or Beit Hillel, and this is a major issue and difference between the two schools. Even Yeshua will make reference to this issue in many of his aggadot (parables). Beit Shammai was very strict, or in other words, very “letter of the law.” Keep that in mind. Beit Hillel believed in obeying the Torah, but they looked for the “spirit” or essence of the command, the intent, as well.
Paul was from Beit Hillel and his teacher was the grandson of Hillel, a man named Gamaliel (Acts 22.3, 23.6; Phil 3.5). In 2 Cor 3.6 he illustrates the difference between the two schools where he says, “Who also made us adequate servants of a new (renewed) covenant, not of the letter (like Shammai, who through strict observance of the law can kill the intention of the law, the essence of what the teaching was about, like acts of mercy, kindness and justice) but of the spirit (the true intent, the essence of it) which gives life” (Mark 2.27; 1 Tim 1.8; 1 John 3.24; Psa 119.50; Psa 19.7-9). The “renewed” covenant is referred to in the covenant of Moab. Rather than the Torah written on stone, this covenant says it will be written on the heart, which is synonymous in Hebrew thought with the spirit. The only difference is where the Torah will be written. Only the place is changed (Deut 29.1 through 30.6).
In Part 2, we will pick up here and begin to talk about the students (talmidim) of Hillel and Shammai.
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