LBD: 2nd Temple Period reference to the crucifixion of 800 Pharisees

Rich DeRuiter

I'm looking at the Lexham Bible Dictionary (LBD) article on the "Second Temple Period," under "The Hasmonean Era" very near the end of the article.

Here's what I see (I'll identify the problem below): 

"The Pharisees (or Hasidim in days of the Maccabees) strongly disapproved of the cruelty and Greek orientation of the Hasmonean rulers (Josephus, Antiquities 3.270 [Whiston]). In an extreme response to their disapproval, Jannaeus crucified 800 Pharisees in Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities 3.266 [Whiston])."

Okay, here are the problems:
1) The references to Josephus don't point to the right places in Josephus. I'm pretty sure the second reference should be to Antiquities 13.380 (in Book 13, chapter 14, 2.). I'm not certain where the first reference should point to. Note: I've reported this with the "typo" tool.

2) The corrected reference in Josephus (if I have it right), doesn't seem to mention the Pharisees as the ones being crucified.

Can anyone shed any light on this particularly point #2 (that these 800 that were crucified were Pharisees)?

This is a bit of a rabbit trail, I know. But I'm curious and not well versed on the intertestamentary period.

Mark Barnes

Rich DeRuiter said:

2) The corrected reference in Josephus (if I have it right), doesn't seem to mention the Pharisees as the ones being crucified.

There is a parallel reference in War (Wars of the Jews 1.96–98), but that doesn't specify pharisees either. Nonetheless, my library has at least 72 resources that refer to these victims as pharisees. Some (e.g. Schurer), are more circumspect, though.

I guess the assumption is that because the Hasmoneans and the Pharisees took different sides in the civil war (you can read about that in articles on Janneus, e.g. in AYBD), then it's likely that these victims were Pharisees. "Pharisees" describes people who follow a particularly philosophy and view of the law, not people appointed to an office. Here's the relevant text from AYBD:

The orthodox Jews and the Pharisees resisted Janneus because they felt that his reprobate behavior and willful neglect of his spiritual duties disqualified him from the office of high priest. The controversy was heightened by Janneus’ sympathetic support of Sadducaean families. The Pharisaic opposition was led by Simeon ben Shetah, who may have actually been the queen’s brother. Rabbinical legends depict him as a fearless, hot-tempered opponent of the king’s.

Janneus and the Pharisees were on a collision course. Unrest gave place to rebellion as Janneus was officiating one day as high priest at the altar during the Feast of Tabernacles. According to the Talmud, the riot was caused by Janneus’ insolence when he deliberately poured a libation over his own feet rather than on the altar, as dictated by Pharisaic tradition. The crowds hurled citrons at him and declared that he was unfit to hold the office. According to Josephus, Janneus retaliated and 6,000 people were massacred by his foreign mercenaries. The Jews, incited by the Pharisees, rebelled in 94 B.C.E. A civil war broke out which lasted 6 years, during which time Janneus killed over 50,000 Jews with his mercenaries (Ant 13.13.5).

The Pharisees called for the assistance of the Seleucid, Demetrius III (Eukairos), who defeated Janneus at Shechem. This incident may be referred to in the commentary on Nahum found at Qumran which relates that “Demetrius sought to enter Jerusalem on the counsel of those who seek smooth things.” If this passage is indeed referring to the Pharisees and to Demetrius the Seleucid, it may shed light on the turn of events which took place afterwards. While in hiding, Janneus was joined by 6,000 Jews who thought life under Janneus was preferable to Seleucid domination. With their aid, Janneus drove Demetrius out, reestablished his authority, and poured vengeance on the Pharisees. While Janneus banqueted and caroused with his concubines, he had 800 of his enemies crucified while their wives and children were slain before their eyes (Ant 13.14.1–2; JW 1.4.5–6).

Rich DeRuiter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/872624#Comment_872624

Thanks Mark.

Where is the AYBD article? What's the heading? I'm not seeing it under Second Temple, nor Interestamentary.

Are you suggesting is that the reference in the LBD is to those who sided with the Pharisees, or were sympathetic to them, or are you suggesting that the Pharisees were a rather larger group, defined by their opposition to Alexander Janneus' assumption to the position of High Priest, or something else?

Also, how did you find these 72 references to this incident referring to Pharisees? (Another rabbit trail, perhaps.)

Mark Barnes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/872629#Comment_872629

Rich DeRuiter said:

Where is the AYBD article? What's the heading? I'm not seeing it under Second Temple, nor Interestamentary.

It's the article on Janneus.

Rich DeRuiter said:

Are you suggesting is that the reference in the LBD is to those who sided with the Pharisees, or were sympathetic to them, or are you suggesting that the Pharisees were a rather larger group, defined by their opposition to Alexander Janneus' assumption to the position of High Priest, or something else?

I'm saying that the rebellion against Janneus was led by the Pharisees, and therefore it's likely that most (perhaps all) of the 800 crucified were either Pharisees or closely identified with the Pharisees. However, there's a short discussion in the AYBD article above as to the extent of opposition to Janneus from other sects such as the Essenes.

Rich DeRuiter said:

Also, how did you find these 72 references to this incident referring to Pharisees? (Another rabbit trail, perhaps.)

I searched for "800 pharisees", "eight hundred pharisees".

Incidentally, the LDB article on Jannaeus says, "Jannaeus ordered 800 of his opponents (most likely all Pharisees) to be crucified" (emphasis mine), which is a more nuanced reflection of the information we have.

The DLNTD (article on temple), says similarly, "Alexander Jannaeus is reported to have executed by crucifixion eight hundred opponents, either Pharisees or those with whom the Pharisees sympathized, and to have slaughtered their families".

Rich DeRuiter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/872630#Comment_872630

Thanks Mark. 

I hadn't thought to look under Janneaus in AYBD.

Regarding the search, sometimes the simplest is best, isn't it. I was thinking of how to search for an event that was not likely tagged as such. [slaps forehead] On the other hand, none of those would suggest anything other than the fact that they were Pharisees. I also, apparently, I have a smaller, or differently constructed library, as I get only 41 results (in 40 articles in 33 resources).

Now, to try to understand how the references in LBD to Josephus could be off so terribly. I've since found other references to Josephus in that article that are also wildly off the mark.

Doug Mangum (Lexham)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/872638#Comment_872638

Rich DeRuiter said:

Now, to try to understand how the references in LBD to Josephus could be off so terribly. I've since found other references to Josephus in that article that are also wildly off the mark.

Rich, I've added this article to my "to-do" list of things to follow up on in LBD. Can you point out any other references to Josephus that are off? You can email them to me directly if you'd like: doug.mangum AT faithlife DOT com.

Rich DeRuiter

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/879276#Comment_879276

Doug Mangum said:

Can you point out any other references to Josephus that are off?

I'm not aware of other references that are off like this. If I stumble across them, I'll be sure to pass them on. Thanks!