Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yon_saf AT bezeqint.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Moshe Shulman" <mshulman AT ix.netcom.com>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 7:28 PM
Subject: Re: The Messianic Idea (Was:Re: virgin: _BETHULAH_ and/or
_(ALMAH_ )
> I wouldn't mind discussing this if we could first agree as to what we mean
> bu 'messiah' and which one we are talkign about.
>
>
I  mean the classical Jewish belief in the Davidic Messiah, which had become
so important by the first century CE that within the space of a hundred
years three claimants to this title appeared, of whom the death of one led
to a new religion, and the last of which led to an even worse devastation of
Judaea than had been caused by the First Revolt (and, as you should know,
there were later claimants to this title as well, such as Shabbetai Zevi,
Solomon Molcho, and, most lately, the Lubavitcher Rebbe). I mean the belief
which had originated in the term used for every king of Israel and Judah, "
the anointed one", which combined with the prophetic ideal of the ideal king
as expressed in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, continued by the early
post-exilix prophets, and, when their prophecies and hopes did not come
true, turned from real to eschatological.
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Safren
Chairman
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Israel