Chapter XIII: Book V: The Jew and the Talmud

INTRODUCTORY

The story of the Jew--his past--his condition now, is the
weightiest argument that can be adduced in support of the
truth of Christianity--What happened to the “sad remnant”
of the people after the exterminating wars of Titus
and Hadrian, A.D. 70 and 134-5, is little known; yet the
wonderful story of the Jew, especially in the second and
third centuries, is a piece of supreme importance--How
Rabbinic study and the putting out of the Talmud have
influenced the general estimate of the Old Testament among
Christian peoples 325

I

THE LAST THREE GREAT WARS OF THE JEWS

_The First War_, A.D. 66-70--Revolt of the Jews--The
dangerous revolt was eventually crushed by Vespasian, and
when he succeeded to the Empire his son Titus completed
the conquest--Fate of the city of Jerusalem, A.D. 70--Why
was the Temple burned?--The recital of Sulpicius Severus
gives the probable answer--The account in question was
apparently quoted from a lost book of Tacitus--The Roman
triumph of Titus--The memories of the conquered Jews on
the Arch of Titus in the Forum--The great change in
Judaism after A.D. 70, when the Temple and city were
destroyed--The change was completed after the war of
Hadrian in A.D. 134-5 (the third war)--Brief account of
the _second and third wars_--The bitter persecution after
the third war soon ceased, and the sad Jewish remnant was
left virtually to itself 329

II

RABBINISM (_a_)

The conservation of the remnant of the Jews was owing to
the development of Rabbinism--Rabbinism, however, existed
before A.D. 70--Traditional story of the rise of Rabbinism
contained in the “Mishnah” treatise Pirke Aboth--Effect
of the great catastrophe of A.D. 70--Mosaism was destroyed,
and was replaced by Rabbinism 338

III

RABBINISM (_b_)

Extraordinary group of eminent Rabbis who arose after the
catastrophe of A.D. 70--Their new conception of the future
of Israel--The Torah (Law of Moses) and other writings of
the Old Testament from the days of Ezra had been esteemed
ever more and more highly--The “Halachah” or (Rules
round the Torah) gradually multiplied--The elaboration
of these “Halachah” and “Haggadah” (traditions) formed
the “Mishnah”--this work roughly occupied the new Jewish
schools during the whole of the second century--Explanation
of term “Mishnah”--The next two or three centuries were
occupied by the Rabbis in their schools of Palestine and
Babylonia in a further commentary on the “Mishnah”--This
second work of the Rabbis was termed the “Gemara” 342

IV

THE TALMUD

Portions of the “Talmud” had existed before A.D.
70--probably some few of the “Halachah” and “Haggadah”
even dating from the days of Moses--some from the times of
the Judges, and others belonging to the schools of the
Prophets--In the times of Ezra arose the strange and unique
“Guild of Scribes,” devoted to the study and interpretation
of the sacred writings and the traditions which had gathered
round them in past ages--R. Hillel a little before the
Christian era began the task of arranging the results of the
labours of the scribes--R. Akiba after A.D. 70 continued the
work of arrangement, but was interrupted--His fame and
story--R. Meir further worked at the same task, which was
finally completed by R. Judah the Holy, who generally
arranged the Mishnah in the form in which it has come down
to us--This “Mishnah” served as the text for the great
academies of Palestine and Babylonia to work on in the third
and two following centuries--Their writings are known as the
“Gemara”--The Mishnah and Gemara together form the Talmud--A
picture of the great Rabbinic academies of Palestine and
Babylonia--Their methods of study 347

V

HOW THE TEXT OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS
PRESERVED

Description of the Massorah--The work of the Massorites in
the preservation of the text of the sacred books--Present
condition of the Massorah 361

VI

CONCLUDING MEMORANDA

Inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures, according to
the Talmud account 364

The story of the Talmud through the ages 365

The Talmud and the New Testament 366

Influence of the Talmud on Judaism 368

Influence of the Talmud on Christianity 370

VII

(_A_) AN APPENDIX ON THE “HAGGADAH”

“Haggadah” in the Talmud and in other ancient Rabbinical
writings--Signification of the “Haggadah”--Its great
importance--Its enduring popularity 371

Examples of “Haggadah” quoted from the Palestinian Targum
on Deuteronomy 373

VIII

(_B_) ON THE “HALACHAH” AND “HAGGADAH”

The general purport of the “Halachah”--Some
illustrations--Further details connected with the
“Haggadah”--It is not confined to the later Books of the
Old Testament--The “Haggadah” also belongs to the
Pentateuch--Examples of this quoted--Instances of the
influence of “Haggadah” in the New Testament Books 376

IX

WOMEN’S DISABILITIES 380

INDEX 381

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAINTING IN THE CATACOMBS, SECOND AND THIRD CENTURIES.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD IN THE CENTRE. ON THE LEFT,
DANIEL IN THE DEN OF LIONS. ON THE RIGHT, THE THREE
CHILDREN IN THE FURNACE _Frontispiece_

From Palmer’s _Early Christian Symbolism_. By permission
of KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO.

FACING PAGE

THE “COME AND DINE” OF THE LAST CHAPTER OF ST. JOHN’S
GOSPEL--THE MYSTIC REPAST OF THE SEVEN DISCIPLES
(CEMETERY OF CALLISTUS, SECOND CENTURY. A FAVOURITE
PICTURE IN THE CATACOMBS) 219

ENTRANCE TO THE CEMETERY OF S. DOMITILLA (CRYPT OF THE
FLAVIANS, FIRST CENTURY) 240

From _Roma Sotterranea Cristiana_. By permission of the
Author, ORAZIO MARUCCHI

PAINTINGS IN A CHAPEL OF CATACOMB OF S. CALLISTUS, SHOWING
A TOMB SUBSEQUENTLY EXCAVATED ABOVE THE ORIGINAL TOMB OF
THE SAINT 245

Photo, S. J. BECKETT

MOSAIC IN THE APSE OF THE CHURCH OF STA. PUDENZIANA, ROME 263

Photo, MOSCIONI

IN THE CATACOMB OF S. PRISCILLA (SECOND OR THIRD CENTURY) 267

Photo, S. J. BECKETT

CHAPEL OF THE TOMBS OF THE THIRD-CENTURY BISHOPS OF ROME,
PARTLY RESTORED--CATACOMB OF S. CALLISTUS 273

Photo, S. J. BECKETT

S. PETER’S, ROME--THE CONFESSION 281

Photo, S. J. BECKETT

A REPLICA OF MADERNO’S EFFIGY OF S. CECILIA--AS SHE WAS
FOUND--IS IN THE NICHE OF THE S. CALLISTUS CHAMBER, WHERE
THE BODY ORIGINALLY WAS DEPOSITED 293

Photo, S. J. BECKETT

SEPULCHRAL INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE ROMAN CATACOMBS 310

Photo, S. J. BECKETT

THE TEMPLE--JERUSALEM--THE HOLY PLACE 330

From the _Jewish Encyclopædia_. By permission of FUNK &
WAGNALLS CO.

THE “WAILING-PLACE” OF THE JEWS, BEFORE THE RUINED WALLS
OF THE TEMPLE 332

Photo, THE PHOTOCHROM CO.

THE TEMPLE, JERUSALEM, BEFORE ITS DESTRUCTION BY TITUS,
A.D. 70 340

From a drawing in the _Jewish Encyclopædia_. By permission.

“Assured the trial, fiery, fierce, but fleet,
Would, from his little heap of ashes, lend
Wings to that conflagration of the world
Which Christ awaits ere He makes all things new:
So should the frail become the perfect, rapt
From glory of pain to glory of joy.”
BROWNING, _The Ring and the Book_, x. 1797