** See Bertholet, f.c. ; Lohr, Z)*»r Misgioru<<irdanke tin Alien Tesl. 1896; Siegfried, * Prophetische Missionsgedanken und liidische Missionsbestrebungen,' in Jahrb. Prot. Thfol, 1S90.
ft See Schurer, HJP u. iu. 248 B.
open to foreigners, and were the most effective agency in the propagation of Jud.-iism (cf. Ac 15^' fulfilling v."). Whether the temple at Loontopolia had a similar effect it is hard to say (cf. Is li)'"''- ?).
It is extremely diliicult to measure the results of such efforts. The number of those who were more or less influenced by Judaism was no doubt very great. The number of circumcised proselytes may have been relatively small, but, on the other hand, it may have helped to fill out the great multitude of .Jews who were to be found in Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy.
In Palestinian Judaism it is hard to find evi- dence in the time of Christ of that zeal of which Mt 23'* speaks. There is evidence of large acces- sions to the Jewish community during tlie latter part of the Persian and the beginning of the Greek periods,* a result perhaps of the impulses of which Is 40 ff., Ruth, Jonah, and such Psalms as 22. 47. 65-67. 83 are expressions, which the work of Ezra and Nehemiah only temporarily repressed. The use of Aramaic, the language of neighbouring peoples, is a fact worthy of consideration in this connexion. A reaction and a closing of doors came with the reign of Antiochus IV. and the rise of the Pharisaic party.
The Maccabaean princes revived the old method of proselytizing by force. So John Hyrcanus, having conquered Idumrea, permitted the inhabit- ants to remain in the land if they would be circumcised and adopt the laws and customs of the Jews.t The similar forcible conversion of the Ituraeans by Aristobulus J is regarded by Schiirer § as referring to Galilee. At the begin- ning of the Maccaba?an wars this had still been a heathen country, with a few scattered communi- ties of Jews in it, who could be transferred bodily to Judaea (1 Mac 5'""). The earliest references to these Jewish converts in Galilee are found in 2Ch SO'"-" (cf. 132, 2Ch 15'').|| 'It is hardly to be doubted that the proper Judaizing of Galilee is essentially the work of Aristobulus I.' (B.C. 105-104). The strong Jewish community in Rome is plausibly traced to Numenius and his embassy (1 Mac 14^15"iT-).1I
But of a proselytizing work by Pharisees their literature gives us little information. The story of Helena and Izates remains isolated. Saul may be cited as a Pharisee who was zealous for the extension of his religion, but his effort was not to make converts from heathenism, but to pre- vent Christians from converting Jews. St. Paul's Jewish - Christian adversaries were prosel3'tizer3 (Gal I'-'o 3' 5^-" etc.), and perhaps reveal tha quality in Pharisaism which M^t 23'° condemns.
The Pharisaic ideal remained one of separation. Such propaganda as they attempted seems to have aimed at the realization of the hope that no un- circumcised alien should render Israel and its laud and temple unclean.** It does not reflect the sur- urising generosity of Dt 23'- », Is 19"*-^, Zee 9' toward Israel's traditional foes.tt The expectation of a futurcniissionaryera(Enoch91'*?)is rare. Prosely- tism was a sort of conquest or subjugation, for the benefit of the conquerors, not of the conquered,»»
• See Wellhausen, /<r. und Hid. Geachichte, p. 160 (3rd ed. p. 199 If.).
t ^>i(. sm. ix. 1, cf. XT. vU. 9.
J Anl. xm. xi. 3, XV. 4
§ IIJP 1. i. 293 f.. Index, p. 91; OJV» it 6-7; followed by Wellhavisen, Bertholet, etc.
I The Book of Judith also indicates isolated Jewish town* amid heathen surroundings.
II Schiirer, UJP i. i. p. 2(i8fr. ; Bertholet, p. 227 ff.
•• See Ezk 44'J, Is 62' 358, Nah li», Zee 1421, Jl 317, Ps.-Sol 17»), cf. Rev 212' 2215.
tt It is very difficult to determine the historical conditions that produced these exceptional utterances.
;; The Jews were always ready to say to thofle whose help thev needed, *Come with" us, and we will do you good.' See Nu"l02«2(JE).
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137
End it is fair to sny that the Jewish proselyte did not form a link between the Jews and the Gentiles, but eiii|ihasizeJ and widened the dill'erence. Xor did the proselyte prei)are the way for Christianity. He may well have been the worst of St. Paul's enemies, while the aejjjfievo!, who did not count as a Jew at all, was the first of his converts. Josephus gives an interesting illustration of the truth tliat it was the narrow Jews who insisted on prosclylism, while his own more liberal temper was satislied that every one should worslii]> (iod according to his preference.* Only a few could recognize that the worship of one God and the prac- tice of righteousness (Ac 10") were more important than the observance of legal rites, beginning with circumcision, which were essentiallj' tribal in character. In the common Jewish judL;ment these Greeks were dogs who ate the crumus that fell from their masters' table, and only a propliet could see in them a greater faith than Israel's. But in reality the best influence of Judaism is to be found in that large class of heathen to whom it taught the worship of one God and the pursuit of virtue, and not in the class of actual converts.