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Beliefs of the Pharisees on the Resurrection of the Dead

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  • Beliefs of the Pharisees on the Resurrection of the Dead

    Strangely, besides the Bible there does not seem to be much at all on the beliefs of the Pharisees, but here is Josephus:

    14. ... They say that all souls are incorruptible, but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies, - but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment.
    - Jewish War 2.8.14 (http://sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/war-2.htm)
    My understanding is that the Jews (Pharisees specifically) were waiting for the Kingdom of God to come to earth, and at that time, the dead would be resurrected. Each would stand before God to receive judgement, and the good would be given new bodies ("the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies"), whilst the bad go to eternal punishment. Until the resurrection, the dead seem to just "exist" as shades, not unlike the Greek view.

    Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.


    See also 2 Maccabees 7 and 12.

    That said, some seem to interpret Josephus as saying they believed in reincarnation. It certainly does read that way, but that seems unlikely to me (and see here). Modern Judaism has its roots in Pharisaic Judaism, and has no place for reincarnation.

    The idea of an incorruptible soul appears to be common to the Essenes too, but for them the release of the soul from the body was the goal, they had no belief in a subsequent resurrection (whilst the Sadducees rejected it all, of course).

    I am curious how well this aligned with early Christian ideas on the resurrection (obviously Christians and Pharisees clashed on other issues!). Paul, an ex-Pharisee, seems to also be awaiting the resurrection, and he too describes how those resurrected will get new bodies, in 1 Corinthians 15. According to Paul, even those alive at that point will get new bodies:

    1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised [r]imperishable, and we will be changed.
    My Blog: http://oncreationism.blogspot.co.uk/

  • #2
    Old information that may or may not be accurate: First century Jews believed in a limited reincarnation - restricted to prophets. This has some ... tenuous ... support from NT writings.
    1 Cor 15:51 - That will take some investigation.
    As to the rest, I can't see any conflict with Biblical teachings (on a first reading).
    1Cor 15:34 Come to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for I say to your shame, there are some who know not God.
    .
    ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛
    Scripture before Tradition:
    but that won't prevent others from
    taking it upon themselves to deprive you
    of the right to call yourself Christian.

    ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by tabibito View Post
      Old information that may or may not be accurate: First century Jews believed in a limited reincarnation - restricted to prophets. This has some ... tenuous ... support from NT writings.
      Are you thinking about Elijah? That would seem to be a very specific case, and not reincarnation as it is usually thought of.
      My Blog: http://oncreationism.blogspot.co.uk/

      Comment


      • #4
        Nope - Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist reincarnated (which would indicate that Jesus wasn't widely known prior to John's execution). Although, now that you mention it - Jesus was thought to be possibly the reincarnation of a number of prophets, including Elijah. It points (only points though) to a possible confirmation of the claim that first century Jews believed that prophets could be reincarnated.
        1Cor 15:34 Come to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for I say to your shame, there are some who know not God.
        .
        ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛
        Scripture before Tradition:
        but that won't prevent others from
        taking it upon themselves to deprive you
        of the right to call yourself Christian.

        ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛

        Comment


        • #5
          I think the Pharisees and Christian ideas of resurrection and judgment are pretty similar from what I have read.

          I don't particularly know what the Pharisee's specific beliefs are, but the Old Testament talks about resurrection in many places. and a physical one, not just a spiritual one.

          Job, one of the oldest books, even mentions it:

          Job 19:26 - And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

          Daniel 12 talks about it extensively

          1 “‘At that time, Michael will arise, the great prince who will stand up on behalf of your people, and a time of trouble will come like there has never been since nations began until that time. Also at that time, your people will be delivered—everyone who will have been written in the book. 2 Many of those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken—some to life everlasting, and some to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who manifest wisdom will shine like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine[b] like the stars for ever and ever.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Sparko View Post
            I think the Pharisees and Christian ideas of resurrection and judgment are pretty similar from what I have read.

            I don't particularly know what the Pharisee's specific beliefs are, but the Old Testament talks about resurrection in many places. and a physical one, not just a spiritual one.

            Job, one of the oldest books, even mentions it:

            Job 19:26 - And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

            Daniel 12 talks about it extensively

            1 “‘At that time, Michael will arise, the great prince who will stand up on behalf of your people, and a time of trouble will come like there has never been since nations began until that time. Also at that time, your people will be delivered—everyone who will have been written in the book. 2 Many of those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken—some to life everlasting, and some to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who manifest wisdom will shine like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine[b] like the stars for ever and ever.
            Typical: I needed those citations a month ago.
            1Cor 15:34 Come to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for I say to your shame, there are some who know not God.
            .
            ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛
            Scripture before Tradition:
            but that won't prevent others from
            taking it upon themselves to deprive you
            of the right to call yourself Christian.

            ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Sparko View Post
              I don't particularly know what the Pharisee's specific beliefs are, but the Old Testament talks about resurrection in many places. and a physical one, not just a spiritual one.

              Job, one of the oldest books, even mentions it:

              Job 19:26 - And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
              That is quite a surprise. And reading the surrounding verses, it has the whole thing, with God's kingdom coming to earth and judgement for all.
              My Blog: http://oncreationism.blogspot.co.uk/

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by The Pixie View Post
                That is quite a surprise. And reading the surrounding verses, it has the whole thing, with God's kingdom coming to earth and judgement for all.
                Yes: I knew they existed but I couldn't find them in Daniel. Now I know why - ah well, there's always the coming semester ... maybe I'll be able to use them after all.


                ETA

                Job being considered the first book of the Bible committed to writing ... this piece of information makes a mess of certain claims.
                Last edited by tabibito; 06-09-2017, 09:38 AM.
                1Cor 15:34 Come to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for I say to your shame, there are some who know not God.
                .
                ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛
                Scripture before Tradition:
                but that won't prevent others from
                taking it upon themselves to deprive you
                of the right to call yourself Christian.

                ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛

                Comment


                • #9
                  Job is probably exilic or post-exilic. The language is odd, but that seems to be a function of the writer, rather than its great antiquity.

                  More or less, it seems to me that the Pharisaic belief in resurrection and the early Christian belief were closely related. Paul thinks that Jesus is the firstfruits of the general resurrection. This does make some sense: Jesus certainly aligns more with the Pharisees than the Sadducees (or the Essenes, from what little we know of them).

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by psstein View Post
                    Job is probably exilic or post-exilic. The language is odd, but that seems to be a function of the writer, rather than its great antiquity.
                    Interesting - research until now only mentioned that the story is believed to pre-date everything else. The professor confirmed it when I brought it up in class - so, contrary opinions I haven't seen. Are any citations available?

                    More or less, it seems to me that the Pharisaic belief in resurrection and the early Christian belief were closely related. Paul thinks that Jesus is the firstfruits of the general resurrection. This does make some sense: Jesus certainly aligns more with the Pharisees than the Sadducees (or the Essenes, from what little we know of them).
                    Seems that way. Though, Paul I think explicitly states that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection, 1 Cor 15:20,23.
                    1Cor 15:34 Come to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for I say to your shame, there are some who know not God.
                    .
                    ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛
                    Scripture before Tradition:
                    but that won't prevent others from
                    taking it upon themselves to deprive you
                    of the right to call yourself Christian.

                    ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by The Pixie View Post
                      That is quite a surprise. And reading the surrounding verses, it has the whole thing, with God's kingdom coming to earth and judgement for all.
                      Where do you think Christians get their doctrine on the afterlife from? Our bible contains the OT and the NT. A lot of the stuff about resurrection, the afterlife, heaven and so on mentioned in the NT is repeating or expounding on OT texts. Even the book of Revelation refers heavily to the book of Daniel. In fact you can't really understand the imagery in Revelation without knowing the book of Daniel. Like all the various creatures, the lampstands, scrolls, etc.

                      So that the Pharisees, who had the OT, would believe much the same thing shouldn't be that big of a surprise.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                        Where do you think Christians get their doctrine on the afterlife from? Our bible contains the OT and the NT. A lot of the stuff about resurrection, the afterlife, heaven and so on mentioned in the NT is repeating or expounding on OT texts. Even the book of Revelation refers heavily to the book of Daniel. In fact you can't really understand the imagery in Revelation without knowing the book of Daniel. Like all the various creatures, the lampstands, scrolls, etc.
                        I had not realised it was as early as Job. I knew about Daniel (and Maccabees).
                        So that the Pharisees, who had the OT, would believe much the same thing shouldn't be that big of a surprise.
                        I think what is interesting is that Paul's beliefs did not change that much. His conversion is presented as world shasttering, but in fact Christiasnity and Judaism were pretty close at that time, and his idea of the messiah, the coming Kingdom of God and the resurrection did not change, apart from the timing of those events.
                        My Blog: http://oncreationism.blogspot.co.uk/

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by The Pixie View Post
                          I had not realised it was as early as Job. I knew about Daniel (and Maccabees).

                          I think what is interesting is that Paul's beliefs did not change that much. His conversion is presented as world shasttering, but in fact Christiasnity and Judaism were pretty close at that time, and his idea of the messiah, the coming Kingdom of God and the resurrection did not change, apart from the timing of those events.
                          yep. basically Christians believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the OT prophesies of the coming Messiah, so not much would change other than him showing up and his teachings that following the letter of the law is impossible but once he sacrificed himself then he would fulfill the law for us and we could be forgiven by him paying the price instead of us. The afterlife part didn't change much at all, except it is more detailed in the NT. Hell itself isn't mentioned too much in the OT for example, but the judgement is and the division of those going to glory and those who will be condemned.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by tabibito View Post
                            Interesting - research until now only mentioned that the story is believed to pre-date everything else. The professor confirmed it when I brought it up in class - so, contrary opinions I haven't seen. Are any citations available?
                            If you have access to it, the Anchor Bible Commentary on Job. Alternatively, C.L. Seow's commentary on Job, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary.

                            Originally posted by tabibito View Post
                            Seems that way. Though, Paul I think explicitly states that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection, 1 Cor 15:20,23.
                            Thanks, I was too lazy to look up the Biblical passage itself.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Resurrection beliefs in Second Temple Judaism were very diverse. A resurrection had no necessary connection to a person's tomb being empty. Some of the commonly appealed to "resurrection texts" such as Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12 are used by apologists as "proof" that the resurrection was "physical" however, there are indications that this may not have been the intent of the original authors.

                              "The third-century B.C. Book of Isaiah offers a message that many have seen as connected with the resurrection: “Your dead shall live, my body shall rise. Oh dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy.” Several modern scholars nevertheless doubt that this enigmatic text refers to the resurrection at all. Cavallin, for example, is deeply skeptical, arguing against how “many scholars hold that the original Hebrew meaning of this verse involves resurrection of the dead, in spite of all of the problems of understanding both the Hebrew text and the context.” Cavallin’s conclusion is more simply that “this cannot be proven.” Biblical scholar M.E. Dahl finds this verse ambiguous, too, arguing that “we cannot be absolutely certain that Isaiah 26.19 is either an explicit prophecy of resurrection or the earliest example of such a thing.” On the other hand, one cannot exclude the possibility of Isaiah referring to a belief in some form of resurrection. Thus, this verse would be instrumental in shaping later Jewish belief on the resurrection. As pointed out by Segal, later writers would take “the ambiguous prophecy of Isaiah in a literal sense, saying that ‘the sleepers in the dust’ will literally rise.” - Dag Øistein Endsjø, Greek Resurrection Beliefs and the Success of Christianity, p. 123-124 https://books.google.com/books?id=PX...page&q&f=false

                              "The Hebrew Bible includes passages that have been interpreted as speaking about the resurrection of the dead but that, according to the majority of scholarly opinion, did not originally contain the idea. Footnote: Scholars disagree whether Isa. 26:19 is about literal resurrection or the metaphorical restoration of Israel as in Ezekiel 37." - Outi Lehtipuu, Debates Over the Resurrection of the Dead: Constructing Early Christian Identity, p. 32

                              "According to the passage, at least some ("many") of the dead will be awakened to life, some to be rewarded, others to be punished, but the more precise meaning of this awakening remains ambiguous. Several commentators take the reference to the "dust of the earth" to indicate bodily resurrection - bodies that have turned to dust are brought back to life again. However, the Hebrew expression 'admit `āpār can also be rendered as the "land of dust," which is "surely Sheol," as George Nickelsburg has argued (dust is used as a synonym for Sheol in Job 17:16). But Sheol, according to Hebrew thinking, was the underworld abode of the bodiless shades of the dead; those who sleep in it are spirits without bodies. Understood this way, the Danielic passage says nothing about the resurrection of buried bodies: it is the spirits of the dead that are awakened and brought out of Sheol." Outi Lehtipuu, Debates Over the Resurrection of the Dead, pg. 33

                              "...Neither does he (Daniel) say that the resurrection will involve a body of flesh and blood. Daniel 12:2, which is usually taken to refer to "the dust of the earth," can actually be translated as "the land of dust," or Sheol. The idea then is that the wise, at least, are lifted up from Sheol to heaven." - John J. Collins, A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, pg. 347

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