The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-20


while he demonstrates this, Prof. Schur,
would no, assert that during tho interveniu
period the Jewish people remained atogetht
unaffected by Hole nism. For the latter was
civiizng power hat cxten, led itself to ever
department OF lifc: 1t fashi oncd In peculit
manner tho oraanisat Non Of Tho Stnie. legisli
I ION. tho admints tratio.1 Of Justice. public al
RI, ,gements. art and .ience. trade. tndustr!
and tho customs of dat W life d own to fashio
and ornaments. and thus impressed upo
every department OF life the aamp OF th
Crock n ind. r; Is true that Hclleni.tic was nc
Identical with hellenic culture: the hnportanc
Of the 70 -mer lny in the fact that by Its recer
tion OF tho available elem onts OF a
foreign cultures within its reach,
became world culture. Bus this Yer
world culture became in lite turn
peculiar whole in which the prs 'onderan
Greek element was tho ruling kevn, 'te. Int
the stream OF this Hellcnistc civilizA ton thu
jewish people wore drawn. slowly inch ed IN,
with reluctance. but yet irresistilA'y; 70
though religious yea! was able to l'anisl
heather worship IN d all conuectel thor, will
from Israel. 1t coul,( not for any length o
time restrain the tide OF Helenistic culture IN
othor departments OF life. Ono must bear II
mind that tho small Jewish country was Oh
closed On almost every sidc by Hellenis.ie
regions with which 1t was compelled. even Tor
the sake OF trade. to hold continual intercourse
Quo must also remember tn ut evon the rising
OF the Maccabeans was in tho main directed.
not against Hellenism in RSnera. but only
against the heathen religion; that tho later
ISM oneans bore In every respect a
Hsllehistic STAMP. employed foreign MERGE
naries. minted foreign coins. took Greek
names and that some OF theme. g.. Aristobu-
lus I.--were ayowei favorcrs OF Helenism In
view OF suoh considerations the author OF this
work believes that Helenism hid. notwith-
stondinE tho uprising Of the Maccabeans.
rai aod access IN no small measure to Pnles-
tine ,>ven before the beginning OF tho Roman
period. For the first half OF the seconS century
after Oh vist the Mishna affords copi,'ns ma
terial pla oily showing the influence OF .Yellen-
ism upon every sphere Of life. A multitude OF
Greek and nj 80 OF Latin words In the He,orew
OF the Mishna demonstrates that Hcllenistic
culture had CO. ued an asccndnncy in Pal,>s-
tine. To substan. late this Avermsnt in detaN
Prof Schurer addu>Nes q great number OF cN-
amples. 1t was chiefly. OF course. in tho
department OF civil government and OF mill
tary matters. that tos,dher With foreign ar
ranEements. foreign torn rs became current In
matters of jurisprudence Jewish traditions
were in general strictly adh.No1 TO. But even
here some Greek words ars met with; for
specifically jewish legal ins titu ton introduced
In the time OF Hillel. viz. the d, clatation te-
fore a cour!-iustice that the right 10 call in u
given loan at any time was reserve! no'with-
standing the SABBATH. year. tho Greek express
sion was used The public baths and public
inns also showed the influence Of IIeliNnism.
The name for the director OF the bath points
to n Creek origin. Az for the public tavNrns,
their Greek name proved then 10 be
n product OF tho Heiienistc period. HN-
lenic Architecture Invaded Jerusalem itseH.
and although plastic art was barred out
by cuson OF the jewish reputation OF images
OF men and beasts. there Is no doubt that Gye-
clan music was represented Mt tho feasts given !
in Judaea. Three musical instruments Of the |
Greeks are mentioned in the book OF Daniel |
as we'll as in tho Mishna. or games Of amuse. ,
ment dice were, rs the Hebrew name given to |
them shows. introduced into Palestine by the |
Greeks. In the matter OF writing. The inau-
ence OF Greek and Roman civilization was re-
yealed in tho words for pen and writer. Pecul-
iarly noticeable was the effect OF Hell
lenism on trade. industry. and the neces-
saries OF daily lie. The technical desig- |
nations OF the commercial class were
in a considerable measure Greek. The !
whole coinage system Of Palestine was partly |
the Phpnician Helenisitc. partly the entirely |
Greek or Roman. Even in the time OF Tho |
Maccabees reckonings were male in Palestine
by drachmas and talents. 1t Is true that the |
first Asmonean princes nut Hebrew inserip-
tions on their coins. but the later rulers Of |
their dynasty added Greok inscriptions or
the Hsrodians only coins OF Roman values with |
Greek inscriptions are known. In the period |
OF Roman supremacy the Roman system OF !
coins was carried out although at FIRST
the names OF tho CAESARS were in
scribsd In Greek characters II Christ's
inquiry. Whose image and superscrip-
ton is thisp' was put for tho sake OF
obtai ing information. the inference would |
be that the Greek characters were unknown 10
him. Tho current silver coin in Palestine at
the beginning OF our era was the denarus.
which Is OF all coins the most frequently
named In the New Testament But. as tho
denarius was deemed equal to an Attic |
calculations were still made BY
drachmas. What Is true OF money the
medium OF commerce. is trio also OF its OBJ
jects. Here. too. We come everywhere upon
tho track Of Greek and Roman names and
things. Whether commodities were produced
in Palestine. or introduced from abroad. they
equally bore In large proportion tho impress
OF tho prevalent lIellenistic culture. Prof
schurer si,es ssries Of instances from tho
thros departments OF provisions. clothing. and
furniture and domestic utensils The stock OF
VI oOA ouu lIdtlH NoEUo III tE0 NlloHuS 10 lar
from being exhausted by the specimens quoted.
These suffice. however. to give a vivid impress.
sion OF the full adoption OF Gentle manners
and customs even in Palestine in the second
century after Cbrlst-tbe epoch whom tho Tai
mudic code was reduced to writing. Tho in
fluenes OF the Greek language reached still
further. Even In case' where the introduction
Of Western products and notions Is not treat
cd Of. ono meets with Greek words In the
A1ishna The employment a.so OF Greek and
Latin proper nancs Is pretty frequent even
among the lower classes OF tho Pharisaic
scribes. Not only were he aristocratic high
priests, who ws.e on friendly terms with tho
Greeks called Jason and AleXan Ter. not only
did tire A. m mean and Herodlan princes boar
such nGm as Arlstobllus. Ant genus and
Pallip. but among men Of the common people
also. Ike tho apostles Of Christ such names as
Andrew aud Philip appear.
Docs all that has been said provo that the
Greek language was familiar to tho common
people OF Paiestine2 Prof. Schursr il inclined
to answer this question ia the negative How.
Dvsrlar2s the mum Der OF Greek words which had
penetrated Into the current Aramaic and even