The Origins of Judaism, Part 2: Graven images

 The Origins of Judaism: An Archaeological-Historical Reappraisal by Yonatan Adler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Simply a great book. Adler’s look at archaeological and related evidence for when various practices commanded in the Torah of the Pentateuch became widespread is simple, and has more and more data to be researched today. The rest of my overview can be found either in Part 1 of this expanded review or at the original review link below. Part 3, about "miscellaneous" items, is also now up.

First, the exact phrasing above? Adler uses “Pentateuch” for the five books “of Moses.” Torah is used for the “teaching,” which often was law or “nomos,” within them, to then ask where it was discussed literarily centuries later, ie, Christian New Testament, Qumran, Josephus, apocrypha, etc. That’s his terminus ad quem. 

Then, as noted, he also looks at archaeological digs and related for their evidence.

He looks at several areas of Torah.

The conclusion he has is that based on the “lived experience” of practitioners of what became Judaism, none of these were widespread before the start of the Hellenistic area, and in most cases, it wasn’t until Hasmonean times. In fact, that’s his summary — that the Torah as prescriptive not descriptive was pushed and promulgated as a Hasmonean unity document or constitution of sorts.

Notes below are my observations and stimulations, as well as what I learned. As noted in posting my review link to a couple of biblical criticism subreddits, I am going to do some more in-depth breakouts to some portions of Adler's book in a series of posts, while still providing a link to the whole review with each one.

The second big part I want to break out further?

Graven images. This won't get a long treatment like part 1, but will get a bit longer than the initial book review.

This includes mosaics and such like the famous synagogue at Dura-Europus, which is well outside the end date of Adler’s focus. Mainly, though, beyond figurines to Yahweh or other goes, the focus is on human or animal depictions on coinage. Pre-Hasmonean times, the circulation of coinage with images, even if not human ones, is attested in the land of Israel; Adler shows examples from Ptolemaic times. 

And, that's the issue that I want to note a little further. First, unlike with unclean catfish in Davidic times, we have an illustration of looser stances on graven images immediately before the Hasmonean Judean state. This ties directly with Adler's conclusion, with which I agree.

Even if the persecution of Antiochus IV was real, it may well have targeted just the temple cult, per Daniel. The Torah was elevated in Maccabean times as part a of Hasmonean unity program. John Collins and Reinhard Kratz propose this. Hyrcanus coercing Idumeans to support "the whole law" may support this. So may the rise of Jewish sectarianism upon independence. 

At the same time, we have a New Testament pronouncement story being exposed as a possible fake.

And, that is Jesus' famous "render unto Caesar," per the old King James, in Mark 12 and parallels. I quote the whole thing, from Mark. (I use Mark because, above all, I'm a two-source person. Also, in this case, it's one of those Markan nutteries of "the Pharisees and Herodians" allegedly working together.):

13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this and whose title?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

There you go. We either have the added, but unmentioned, hypocrisy of pious Pharisees handling allegedly verboten coinage, or we have a made-up pericope. Christopher Zeichmann has strongly argued that it is made-up, and that it specifically reflects the start of the fiscus Judaicus imposed by Vespasian to replace the temple tax. (This issue was not addressed by Adler.)

Update: Jon D. Levinson thinks Adler pushes some doors too hard, not just on individual instances, but especially on the claim that before Ptolemaic times, the Torah was seen as descriptive more than prescriptive. I would respond that some of his pushback idealized Deuteronomy, assumes a relatively early date for final or semi-final redaction of Leviticus (vis a vis Ezekiel) and other things. He does, interestingly, note that Adler studied pre-PhD at an Orthodox seminary in Israel, and with a clear "is"/"ought" distinction on the Torah, would appear to still be an Orthodox Jew at heart.

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