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    Published: 2016-09-20
    Vol. 53 No. 2 (2015)

    Impact of Hellenism on Judaism

    PIOTR LISZKA
    Studia Theologica Varsaviensia
    Section: Varia
    https://doi.org/10.21697/stv.2015.53.2.09

    Abstract

    Hellenization of Judaism occurred at the inception of Hellenism. Hellenism has been described as a result of the influence of many cultures, in particular Asiatic cultures, on Greek, Hellenic culture. Greece had come into contact with other cultures even earlier. Likewise, Israel had come into contact with other cultures earlier. That influence reached its pinnacle during the Babylonian Captivity. In the case of Greece it were the conquests by Alexander the Great that initiated a new stage in the development. Prior to this, the contact of the nation of Israel with Greek philosophy and mythology was negligent. Since the 4th BC the influence of Greek culture on Judaism has encompassed all spheres of life. An initial slight stream burst its banks and turned into a flood. At the same time the intensity and the quality of the said influence underwent changes. Both stemmed from the same cause. The beginning of Israeli national independence of Greece coincided with the beginning of the change of Hellenic culture into Hellenism.The impact of Hellenism on Judaism was manifold; it has not changed anything of great import in the faith, though. The translation of the Bible into Greek, the writing of the biblical books in Greek, use of Greek as a language of communication did not change the biblical way of thinking and did not warp the revealed message.Judaism did not have much impact on Greek culture. Hebrew culture was only accommodated by Greeks with the adoption of Christianity.

    HellenizationofJudaismoccurredattheinceptionofHellenism.Hellenismhasbeendescribedasaresultoftheinfluenceofmany cultures, in particularAsiaticcultures,onGreek,Hellenicculture.Greecehadcomeintocontactwithotherculturesevenearlier.Likewise,Israelhadcomeintocontactwithotherculturesearlier.ThatinfluencereacheditspinnacleduringtheBabylonianCaptivity.InthecaseofGreeceitweretheconquestsbyAlexandertheGreatthatinitiatedanewstageinthedevelopment.Priortothis,thecontactofthenationofIsraelwithGreekphilosophyandmythologywasnegligent.Sincethe4thBCtheinfluenceof Greek culture on Judaism has encompassed all spheres oflife.An initial slightstream burst itsbanksand turned intoa flood.Atthe same time the intensity andthequalityofthesaidinfluenceunderwentchanges.Bothstemmedfromthesamecause.ThebeginningofIsraelinationalindependenceofGreececoincidedwiththe beginning of the change of Hellenic culture into Hellenism.

    TheimpactofHellenismonJudaismwasmanifold;ithasnotchangedanythingofgreatimportinthefaith,though.ThetranslationoftheBibleintoGreek,thewritingofthebiblicalbooksinGreek,useofGreekasalanguageofcommunicationdidnotchangethebiblicalwayofthinkinganddidnotwarptherevealedmessage.

    JudaismdidnothavemuchimpactonGreekculture.Hebrewculturewasonlyaccommodated by Greeks with the adoption of Christianity.

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    Citation rules

    LISZKA, P. (2016). Impact of Hellenism on Judaism. Studia Theologica Varsaviensia, 53(2), 161–178. https://doi.org/10.21697/stv.2015.53.2.09

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