"The Wicked Priest" and Mark 13

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Charles Wilson
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Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:13 am

"The Wicked Priest" and Mark 13

Post by Charles Wilson »

Stephen Goranson, our Poster (whom I respect) and I have gone 'round and 'round recently over a few Issues, among them the nature of Jannaeus. SG believes that Jannaeus is a good Candidate for the "Wicked Priest". I quoted Eisenman and Wise (Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered) who state without equivocation that Jannaeus simply could not be the Wicked Priest.

Dueling Scholarship.

All of this, however, impinges on other Work I've looked at.
Mark 13, f'rinstance.

I have Mark 13 as a shallow rewrite of Jannaeus at his loss to Demetrius Eucerus and beyond at the Temple at Gerizim near Shechem, as recorded by Josephus. The Tribulation and what follows may be mapped onto the events that occurred in this Time Period (That is, The Tribulation has already occurred while Jannaeus nearly lost it all in the mountains for those 6 years.)

The Anchor Event is the Murder of the wives and children in front the Pharisees while these 800 are being crucified.

Mark 13: 17 (RSV):

[17] And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days!

[Quote Edit: Josephus, Ant..., 13, 14, 2:

"after which the Jews fought against Alexander, and being beaten, were slain in great numbers in the several battles which they had; and when he had shut up the most powerful of them in the city Bethome, he besieged them therein; and when he had taken the city, and gotten the men into his power, he brought them to Jerusalem, and did one of the most barbarous actions in the world to them; for as he was feasting with his concubines, in the sight of all the city, he ordered about eight hundred of them to be crucified; and while they were living, he ordered the throats of their children and wives to be cut before their eyes. This was indeed by way of revenge for the injuries they had done him...]

What would it mean for the comprehension of Mark 13 (Let the Reader understand...) if Jannaeus was in fact the Wicked Priest?
It renders Mark 13 and most of the NT in a different light.

I'm still of the opinion that the Mishmarot Priesthood carried the torch against the Herodians and Romans AND THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. Jannaeus and Salome were hated as no others, to the ends of creating Lies concerning the "Impure" Lines of the Hasmoneans, with Slurs of the females being "Comfort Girls" for the Greeks.

[Quote Edit: Josephus, Ant., 13, 10, 5:

"However, this prosperous state of affairs moved the Jews to envy Hyrcanus; but they that were the worst disposed to him were the Pharisees, who were one of the sects of the Jews, as we have informed you already. These have so great a power over the multitude, that when they say any thing against the king, or against the high priest, they are presently believed...]

This may all be subsumed under the Banner of a Jannaeus and Salome attempting a return to Righteousness in the Rulership and Priesthood, especially the Office of the High Priest.

The identification of Jannaeus as the Wicked Priest, however, changes a great deal, especially in authorship of the NT.

Comments Welcome,

CW
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