The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-10
RABBI cALIscH's LECTURE.
The Influence of Greek Culture on
Judaism and Christtnnity.

Rabbi Z. n. Calisch. OF Richmond Va.
entertained the Young Peoples Temple So
ciety last night at the Eighth Street Syua-
gogue xith an entertaining lecture on
The Influence OF Greek Culture Upon Ju-
daism and Early Christianity"
The distinguished divine held his hearers
throughout the evening with his charming
and interesting discourse.
He gave a summary of Greek life and
culture and philosophy, and claimed that
the weakness of Greek life was the lack
of religious ideals, The Grecian gods, he
said. were but magnihed men and women.
with all the human weaknesses
With the dawn OF Greek philosophy be-
gan the decline of Greek mythology. and
then began the reign of unbeiief. whiu n
rapidly spread to all classes, until utter
decentralization took possession of the whole
fabric of Greek life and the many columned
structures of Greek mythology tottefed to
its ruin.
Greek culture became manifest in Judea
in the third century before Christ. IL wss
one OF the results of the invasion OF Alex
ander the Great. It grew until in the se--
ond century there was a Hellenistic party
in Jerusalem of considerable portions that
sought to dominate the religious autonomy
and mat had introduced Greek games, ii.
versions. customs and life into Palestine
and Jerusalem. counter party of the
faithful arose, and the climax came in the
Maccabean wars. when Syrian domini-n
and Greek culture were driven cut of TIE
land. and the temple at Jerusalem reded-
icated 10 the service of Jehovah with deep
er ardoT, more fervent zeal, and more pro
found loyalty.
One hundred and fifty years later Jesus
of Nazareth was born. and the movement
that began with his life found the condi
tons ready for its advent. in that mythol-
ory was practically dead. This new Jewish
sect gained a bearing because II contained
within itself elements familiar to pagan
thought Making concessions. rs 1t we're.
to the culture of the day IL won place in
human thought by making jewish ideals
and Jewish thought accessible to pagan
minds by wrapping them in the coreringa
OF pagan symbols and festivals.
II one would ask what might have taken
place if Greek culture had destroyed
Judean faith 100 b. c.. in the Maccabean
conflict. we might in answer ask what
would have happened IL Wellington had
been defeated at Waterloo and Napoleon
had been victorious? Only that the Latin
instead of the Angio-SaXon. race would
have dominated civilization. much TO civil
ization's detriment and the postpOnement
OF its best progress. Similarly. II Jewish
faith and spirituality had been destroyed
in the second century before Christ. cOndi-
lions would not have been ready for the ad-
vent of Christ lT0 years later.
The speaker closed by saying that the
condition of this country is somewhat
analogous to that at the time OF the birth
OF Jesus in that there is religious unrest
and doubt But he said the world progress
ed as a spiral often coming around to the
same point OF view, but on higher plane
The religious unrest of today means the
decay OF dogmatism, but we are on very
much higher plane. morally speaking. than
WIS The civilization OF 1 900 YnaTs ago.