The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10
visions Of the Jews in the time Of Jesus and at
two or three other chronological and historical
features Of the narrative.

visions OF the Jews In the time OF Jesus ana At
| two or three other chronological and historical
features OF the narrative.
1--we would understand the ethics and NOR
ais Of the Jewish contemporaries Of Christ we
must have clear conception OF the three
principal sects or parties among which they
| were divided. succinct yet adequate ac-
| count OF the Pharisees. Sadducees, apd Es-
senes will be found In the Able Fouard's first
chapter. together with an outline Of the func-
| tions Of the Sanhedrin at the beginning OF our
era. The authority Of this national council
| which for four hundred years after the return
from babylon had remained virtually absolute.
| was sapped by Herod the Great and materially
circumscribed by Rome. The assembly. how
ever. continued to sit and asserted a right to
settle all questions OF doctrine. to direct in
secret the movements OF the Jewish peo-
pie. and to administer justice. except that
the infection OF capital punishment was
reserved to the Roman Government. Thus
! the Sanhedrin was at one and the same time
the Parliament the High Court OF Justice and
tho supreme fountain of instruction In Judea
Its seventy -one or seventy. two members u ew.
ish writer's differ as to the number) represented
the three classes OF tho nation. to wit: ~ the
priests. that is to say the chiefs Of the twenty
four sacerdotal categories. with whom were as,
ISOLATED under Herod and the Romans the Pom
tits. who. under the Maccabean regime. had
exercised much temporal authority; t2) the
Scribes who were the doctors and interpreters
OF the law. and t3) the Ancionts. chosen among
the elders OF each tribe and family.
However little the Able Fouard may SEQ to
admire in the Pharisees In the time Of Jesus
he recognizes that tho origin OF the sect was
noble Its root was undoubtedly the national
sense OF self-prescrvation. It's source is to be
| sought in the Isolation which the law OF
Jehovah imposed upon the Jews. To shun
contact with idolatrous peoples in order to
preserve the worship Of God In Its purity was
one Of the prccepts constantly reiterated by
Moses and tho prophets. On tho return from
Babylon. Ezras and Nehemiah insisted upon
this point with tho more carnestness because
the political defences which they could erect
about the Holy Land were so feeble and 80 fre-
quently infringed upon. Exclusiveness became
a duty still more rigorous when the Syrian
Kings made apostacy obligatory and whom
the high priests. Menelaus and Alcimus. be-
trayed the faith by becoming the allies
OF their prosecutors. All the generous
hearts that Israel could count upon hence
forth intrenchcd themselves in their de-
spair. forming band OF picked souls
whose zeal procured them the name OF the
Petists the Assideans In these men moth
ing was wanting OF all that goes to make true
heroism-austerity. indomitnblo courage. q
splendid scorn of death. living faith in tho
God who was their protector. and In til angels.
who wero His ministers and theirs. But. peace
once reestabli.hod. thcir impetuous virtue
knew not how 10 restrain itself: zeal developed
into fanaticism: the love Of fatherland gradu-
ally narrowed into an indiscriminate hatred
OF strangers. and to fly from impure contact
with foreigners became a law which tho ASST
deans desired to impose upon all Israel From
this, in fact. came the Aramaic name OF Pa
rousch-Pharisee that is to say. separatist)
which was given to thom by those Jews who
opposed their teachings. According to the
Rabbinical expression. the Pharisees erected
hedge after hedge around the law and would
have had their prescriptions as strictly obllg-
atory as were the precepts OF the Lord. 10
lend some show Of reason to their pretensions.
they asserted that there was no commandment
Of which Moses had not given an oral in
depreciation. To collect these traditions and
from them to construct an elaborate compile
nent to the Mosaicnl ordinance became their
aim. :, The author Of this book deems 1t use-
less to enumerate the 1870 rules which, ac-
cording to tho Pharfsees. jew must have
always before his Dyes II he would not violate
the "quiescence OF sanctity." the directions
aid down for public guests Mt banquets. the
innumerable combinations to which all were
declared to be exposed. In the opinion Of the
Abb6 Fouard. the Talmudic writer's have torn
tho mask from the true features OF tho Pharl-
seeism OF their times. and nothing, he thinks
could be imagined more Misunderstanding in
its effects than the rules observed by the
Zealots in order to regulate their department
and to overawo tho masses. Thus we see
them In order to add gravity to their
carriage. shortening their steps SO that their
feet might always meet In their mincing gait
Again that they might never look upon a
woman some kept their eyes SO obstinatey
fixed upon the ground as often to bring them
selves In sudden collision with the walls OF
houses. while others. maintaining a moro pune
tilious modesty envcloped their heads In
sacks and walked the streets like blind men.
The author. indeed. does not deny that among
the Pharsces OF the time Of Jesus there were
some noble exceptions. some Scribes who
were worthy descendants OF the Assideans.
The Gospels speak tho praises OF more than
one. the Talmud namos still others. and
among the first stands IIillel. His poverty
borne with dignincd serenity. his unswerving
constancy. his zenl. and his charity rendered
him Justly celebrated 1t was he. indeed. who
instructed tho contemporaries OF Jesus in
maxims almost Christian in spirit. such as
"love and strive after peace" Whatsoever
thou wouldst not desire for thyself. do 1t not
unto thy neighbor." and HE who magnncs
his own worth debnses it," His teaching, how
ever. was esotcric md relatively sterile. Evon
Hillcl shared in tho disdain Of the Scribes for
the poor and humble: from him came tho
naughty saying: mo man without education
can escapc evil doing: no nun OF the common
people has ever attained humble piety."
Neither the Maccabees nor the priests who
surrounded them accepted the narrow and
fanatical views OF the Pharisees. Obliged to
maintain political relations with other cum
tries. yielding, moreover. to the attractions OF
rover and wealth. the new native princes Of
Judea rejected tho maxims prescribed by the
Zeulots. They confined their observanccs to
the letter Of the law. to the sedncha righteous
ness or justice). so highly praised In the holy
books. 1t was from this trnit TINT they got
the name Of tho Sndducees or the Just
Such even in the days Of the Mac
fabces wore the diverse tendencies Of
ha snl nd nr;r