Exploring Mt Meron's Complex History-Part 2

Out of the maelstrom of The Maccabean Revolt and the rise to power of the Jewish nationalist Hasmonean dynasty in the 2nd century BCE, there emerged an obscure religious movement called the hasidim, or the pious or devout ones. Perhaps they should be seen more accurately as a phenomena rather than at this point anything like an organised movement. They were what Geza Vermes has termed, the Jewish charismatics. Obscure they might be, yet to our story they are very important and also critically important to the whole development of Judaism for the centuries to come. They spawned a line of interesting characters known as the Holy Men. Unfortunately I cannot find any references to Holy Women; it was after-all a patriarchal society. Both Geza Vermes and Shmuel Safrai understand Jesus as being rooted within this tradition. Geza Vermes understands Jesus to be "the paramount example of the early hasidim or devout" (1). The Pharisees who were of critical importance to the whole development of rabbinical Judaism, can also trace their roots to the hasidim. One might well see the hasidim as the proverbial mustard seed which grows into a great tree in whose branches the birds of the air build their nest.

Roman historian, Tacitus, saw Galilee as a marginal region, a place of very little interest. It is a view that many have shared. Did anything interesting ever really happen in Galilee? Did Galilee have any importance? So Galilee has been seen by many as a spiritual/religious wasteland. We are indebted to Biblical scholars who come from a Jewish background, to Vermes who was himself a Jewish convert to Christianity and to Professor Safrai of the Hebrew University, for his detailed chronicling of the religious life of 1st century Galilee. From their work, it is possible to see quite a different picture of Galilee emerge.

It had been quite a common view at least among Christian Biblical scholars that Galilee was largely devoid of the practice of Torah observance. Because of such negative stereo typing of Galilee, the common view of much Christian Biblical scholarship, was that the hasidim and the Pharisees essentially belonged to Judea. In the case of the Scribes and Pharisees at least, that view was somewhat flimsily based on just two verses from Marks Gospel (Mk3:22, 7:1) recounting just two instances of visits of Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem to Galilee. From such a flimsy basis, the view was that these movements were essentially foreign to Galilee. From the work of Vermes and Safrai the counter claim has come that the hasidim and the Pharisees should be understood as indigenous to Galilee. The claim is that these movements have not sprung from a religious wasteland, but as Safrai says of the hasidim, "Their pietism is not to be viewed as springing from a world empty of Torah, despite the impression suggested at times by arguments of their opponents, but rather from within a creative Jewish culture, innovative of both thought and conduct."(2) He also shows the religious life of 1st century Galilee to be deeply influenced by the Pharisees. However it needs to be noted there was by no means a complete hegemony between Judea and Galilee. The Galilean religious had their own traditions and were often creative re-interpreters. Hence Josephus could write of them that they "observe the commandments according to their interpretation and formulation in the Oral Torah".(2) Such formed the bedrock of much lively debate, so characteristic of the 1st century rabbinical movement.

At the northern end of the Meron Pass on the eastern side of the mountain, lies the town of Meron. Archaeological evidence from the period reveal there to have been much devout Judaic religious practice. It is thought that this might well be consistent with there being a significant pharisaic influence within the town.

The name Meron or Meroth, Merom or Meirun appears to be of some antiquity. In the southern Semitic language of Amharic, meron means holy oil. Mt Meron was renowned for its olive oil. It is thought that Galilee provided oil for the Temple. Such supply would necessitate strict conformity to ritual cleanness, potentially making Meron an ideal source.

Our Old Testament concludes with the promise of salvation at the return of the prophet Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6) before the day of judgement. The New Testament bears witness that by the 1st century, Elijah had truly become an eschatological figure who was expected to return to bring to conclusion God's purpose of redemption to Israel. In what might well be described as a piece of creative re-interpretation of scripture, a tradition emerged which understood the herald of good tidings of salvation in Isaiah 52:7 as being Elijah at his return in the last days.(3) And the mountains according to this tradition was identified as being non other than the Meron Massif. Mount Meron at 3,962ft is Israel's highest mountain, dwarfing Mt Tabor's 1,929ft. In the popular imagination height matters and perhaps to any Galilean where-else would Elijah make his return but to their mountain. A protruding rock close by the graves of Rabbis Hillel and Shammai, which goes by the name of Kisei shel Eliahu Ha Navi or the Throne of Elijah the Prophet, was identified as being the place where Elijah would appear to announce the redemption of Israel.

It may be hardly surprising that Mt Meron became a desired burial place for a number of early rabbis. For the Pharisees with there belief in the resurrection, they could rest in hope of rising to great Elijah at his return on the great day of redemption for Israel. Nor is it surprising that Mt Meron has a long history of being a place of pilgrimage, a place where miracles were perceived and people apparently found healing. It was a place from which wellbeing flowed, as its springs of waters brought the possibility of life to the Gennesaret plain.

This blog will go on to explore how Jesus might have interacted with Mt Meron and its possible significance for our understanding of the historical Jesus.

1. Jesus the Jew by Geza Vermes 1973 p79

2. The Jewish Cultural Nature of Galilee in the First Century by Shmuel Safrai

3. torah.org/torah-portion/hamaayan-5777-emor/

Bibliography

Jesus the Jew by Geza Vermes 1973

The Vermes Quest; The Significance of Geza Vermes for Jesus Research by Hilde Brekke Moller

The Jewish Cultural Nature of Galilee in the First Century by shmuel Safrai