Philo's preference for the word fj-TjXut prevents us from supposing that the word irpoff^Xi/ros was current in his circle, though it hardly warrants the opinion that lTri)Xvt was the current technical name of the Greek converts to Judaism of whom he 8i)eak8. It was probably simply the more natural word by which to convey the sense of the LXX to his readers. In Philo, {lien, the religious interprets and practically displaces the local u.se of the word, but a common technical u.se of it, such as the NT seems to presuppose, he does not reveal.
Josephus often refers to actual proselytes,^ but ^vithout using the name ; and he not inirequently alludes to OT passages in wliicli the gir is com- mended to charity, t but cites them only as pro- viding for the poor, or for the foreigner (i^yot, i.X\i<pvXos, dXXoTpiixwpos). Are we to infer that Philo knew, as Josephus did not, a class of Greek converts to Judaism to whom the humane in- junctions of the law applied, who had lost their natural friends and helpers for the sake of re- ligion, and were especially needy and deserving of friendly consideration on the part of Jews ?
ii. ]Vords and p/irases desrri/iline of prosi'hjtes. — Instead of a fixed technical word for foreign con- verts to the Jewish religion, the Old Testament and Jewish literature give various descriptive phrases, some of which may well be gathered together here, since they contain in themselves an interpretation of Jewish proselytism. The proselyte is a grr who is circumcised (Ex 12*'), or who joins himself to the house of Jacob (Is 14') ; he is one who enters into the assembly of Jahweh (Ot 23» 'in the third generation,' cf. v.'); ho is
• See Bertholet, l.a. pp. 2S5-2S9.
t <■ 1/ Hell iia, Izates, and Monobania (AiU. xx. II. -lv.) ; Fulvln AnI.'xvui. iii. 6); cf. c. Ap. ii. 11, 29, 37, Ant. xni. Ix. 1, xi. 8: !J II. XX. 2, VM. iii. 3, etc.
t e.g. Ant. in. xii. 3 (Lv 251), iv. viii. 21 (Dt U^, Vf 1«» >»)k I viU. 22 (Dt 14» » 20'»), vill. SS (Dt 2<'«- >»).
^j
134
PROSELYTE
PROSELYTE
a foreigner [-o:rr]2, 6 aWoyev-fji] wlio has 'joined himself to J"* to minister to him, and to hive the name of J', to he his servant — every one who so keeps the Sabbath as not to profiine it, and who lays hold on niy covenant' (Is 5(i^-*); he is a nokhri {^(nos) who 'comes to take refuge under the wings of J"' (Ru 2"-", cf. '" ; see also Apoc. Bar 41^). Only in Est 8" are converts spoken of as those who ' become Jews ' [c'-r:ipp, LXX jrepic- riixvovTo /coi lonSai^oti]. Achior (Jth 14'") believed in God, was circumcised, and added to the house of Israel {irpareridTi irp6s, as Is 14'). See also the forms of expression in such passages as Is 2-'*, Jer 3" 4^* 12'8 (cf. Is 45=^ 6r>'«),t Zeph 3», Is 44», 1 K 8"-« Eu l'«. Zee S-""-^ 9' H'"-'", Is lO'^-^*, To 14'^-'. A convert could be described as one Mho turned to J", swore by the name of J", prayed to Him, sought and kept His law, especially the Sabbath and the prohibition of eating blood. Circumcision could not be omitted by one who would join liimself to Israel. Almost without exception (but see Zeph 2", Is 19"*'^) the supposi- tion is tliat converts will live in Israel's land.J: They are circumcised gerim.
Piiilo regards proselytes as those who leave polytheism and adopt the worship of one God. He describes them as changing to the better order, as migrating to piety, journeying to a good colony, deserting to God or to the truth, wandering to truth and to the honouring of the One who is worthy of honour, as fugitives to God, and sup- pliants, as those who change to the constitution (iroNiTci'a) of the Jews. Tlie mind of a proselyte (Ex 23") is alienation (dXXoTp/uo-is) from polytlieism and familiarity (oiVeiuo-ts) with the worship of the One and Father of all.§ Having come to the worship of the true God they come to possess all rirtues, wisdom, temperance, modesty, etc. (de Pcenii. 2), they will have a secure place in heaven, and meanwliile are to be especially cared for, since they have cut themselves off from their natural relationships, and since the God-pleasing conduct (8co<pi\i! ijfios) should be a greater giound of friendship than anything else [de Cant. 12 ; de Pcenit. 1).
Josephus describes the proselyte as one who clianges his life to the customs (le-n) of the Jews [Ant. XX. ii. 1) ; who is carried over to their laws (vA/xous), or is tauglit to worship God as the Jews do [rdv dibv a4^€t,v ws 'louSafots irdrptov rjv^ XX. ii. 3) ; who has come to the Jewish laws (vo/tf/iois xpocr- €X7^Xi;(?uj5 TOL^ 'lofSaiVois, XVIII. iii. 5), or simply becomes a Jew (eZi/ai 'IodSoios, XX. ii. 4) ; one whom the Jews have brought over to their re- ligious observances, and made in a sense part of themselves (BJ VII. iii. 3). All but a few of the women of Damascus had been brought under tlie Jewish religious worship {9pr]<rKeta) — BJ II. xx. 2. The Iduma'ans and Iturtcans were circumcised, and lived according to the laws of the Jews (XIII. ix. 1, xi. 2; cf. XIII. XV. 4, XV. vii. 9; c. Ap. ii. 11, 29). Keligion is with Joseplius, not indeed simply a matter of race, but essentially one of ancestral custom and fixed habit of life, and a change of religion is a change of custom.