The Judges are the Jewish leaders who arise during this time, unify the people, get them to repent, deal with the spiritual problems of the nation, and also deal with the physical threat. They are sometimes military leaders who know how to mobilize the nation for war against an enemy, but their real power lies in their Torah knowledge and ability to adjudicate Jewish law.
The transmission from Moses until today is an unbroken chain of transmission of 120 generations. The following list of Rabbinic leaders, from Moses until the completion of the Talmud in 500 CE appears in the introduction to Maimonides’ “Mishneh Torah.” Following this list is an explanation from Maimonides on the precise method of transmission, beginning with Moses.
Mount Sinai (1312 BCE) 1. Moses 2. Joshua
The Elders (l260-860 BCE) 3. Pinchas and the 70 Elders 4. Eli the Kohen 5. Samuel the Prophet 6. King David
The Prophets (860-360 BCE) 7. Achiyah 8. Elijah the Prophet 9. Elisha 10. Yehoyada the Priest 11. Zechariah ben Yehoyada 12. Hosea 13. Amos 14. Isaiah 15. Micah 16. Joel 17. Nachum 18. Habakuk 19. Zephaniah 20. Jeremiah 21. Baruch ben Neriah
The Great Assembly (360-260 BCE) 22. The Great Assembly consisted of 120 Elders, including Ezra, Zechariah, Daniel and Mordechai 23. Shimon the Tzaddik
TANA’IM – Mishnaic Era (260 BCE – 200 CE) 24. Antigonos of Socho 25. Yose ben Yoezer, Yose ben Yochanan 26. Yehoshua ben Perachiah, Nittai of Arbel 27. Yehuda ben Tabbai, Shimon ben Shatach 28. Shemayah and Avtalyon 29. Hillel and Shamai 30. R’ Shimon ben Hillel, R’ Yochanan ben Zakkai 31. Rabban Gamliel the Elder, R’ Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, R’ Yehoshua ben Chananiah, R’ Shimon ben Netanel, R’ Elazar ben Arakh 32. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel I, Rebbe Akiva, Rebbe Tarfon, R’ Shimon ben Elazar, R’ Yochanan ben Nuri 33. Rabban Gamliel II, Rebbe Meir, Rebbe Yishmael, Rebbe Yehudah, Rebbe Yose, R’ Shimon bar Yochai 34. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel II 35. Rabbi Yehudah the Prince (codifier of the Mishnah in 190 C.E.)
AMORA’IM – Talmudic Era (200-500 CE) 36. Rav, Shmuel, Rabbi Yochanan (compiler of the Jerusalem Talmud) 37. Rav Huna, Rav Yehudah, Rav Nachman, Rav Kahana, Rabba bar bar Channa, Rav Ami, Rav Asi 38. Rabbah, Rav Yosef, Rav Chisda, Rabba bar Rav Huna. 39. Abaya, Rava 40. Rav Ashi, Ravina (compilers of the Babylonian Talmud in 500 C.E.)
Maimonides, citing sources from the Talmud and Midrash, recounts in graphic detail the transmission process from Moses to the people of Israel. Moses personally wrote 13 copies of the Torah and distributed them – one to every tribe – before his death.
Maimonides’ “Introduction to the Mishnah:”
Know that every mitzvah which G-d gave to Moses was given with its clarification. First He told him the mitzvah and then He expounded on its explanation and content, including all that which is included in the Torah.
The manner of transmittal to Israel occurred as stated in the Talmud (Eruvin 54b): [How was the system of teaching? Moses first learned the law from the mouth of the Almighty.]
Moses then went into the Tent, and Aaron went in with him. Moses then stated to him a single time the mitzvah he had received, and taught him its explanation, (following which) Aaron retreated to the right of Moses.
Then, Elazar and Itamar, Aaron’s sons, entered – and Moses told them what he had told Aaron, and then they stepped back. One sat to the left of Moses, and the other on the right of Aharon.
Then the seventy Elders arrived, and Moses taught Aaron and his sons. Following this came the masses of people and every one seeking God, and he (Moses) placed before them the mitzvah, until all had heard it from his mouth.
The result is that Aaron heard that precept from the mouth of Moses four times, his sons three times, the Elders twice, and the remainder of the people once.
Moses then left, and Aaron repeated the explanation of that mitzvah which he had learned, having heard it from the mouth of Moses four times (as we have mentioned), to all those present.
Aaron then left, after his sons had heard the precept four times (three times from Moses, and once from Aharon). After Aaron had departed, Elazar and Itamar repeated and taught that mitzvah to all the people present, and then ceased their teaching.
Thus we find that the seventy Elders heard the precept four times: twice from Moses, once from Aharon, and once from Elazar and Itamar. The Elders themselves then repeated and expounded the mitzvah to the people one time. As a result, we find that the entire congregation heard the precept in question four times: once from Moses, once from Aharon, a third time from his sons, and the fourth time from the Elders.
After this, all the people went to teach one another what they had heard from Moses and to write that mitzvah on scrolls. The leaders would roam through the Israelites to (insure that the people) learned and applied themselves until they would know the traditional version of that mitzvah and were fluent in reading it. They would then teach the explanations of that G-d-given precept. That explanation would include all aspects, and they would write the precept and learn by heart the Oral Tradition.
Thus, our Sages said in the Midrash: “And G-d spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai” (Leviticus 25:1). Why does the Torah state specifically at Mount Sinai? Was not the entire Torah given at Sinai? This is to tell us that just as the law of the Sabbatical year was stated with its generalities, specifics and fine details at Sinai, so too all the mitzvahs were stated with their generalities, specifics and fine details at Sinai.
What has been the procedure throughout recent generations with regard to ordination? It has been done not by the laying of hands upon the elder, but by designating him by the title “Rabbi,” and saying to him: “You are ordained and authorized to adjudicate (matters of Torah law).”
In the Book of Exodus, the elders of the Israelites eventually became the judges. In the Book of Judges the term judges (shôphitîm) is applied to the leaders of Israel. The position of Shamgar in the list below varies between versions of the ancient text; most modern translations list them in the following order:
Of these, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon/Jerubbaal, Jephtah, and Samson are given extensive narratives. Textual criticism views the other judges as being added to the list simply to make the total number equal 12, a number of religious significance to the Israelites
The judges of the Books of Samuel
The First Book of Samuel describes two further individuals as being judges:
The Judges are the Jewish leaders who arise during this time, unify the people, get them to repent, deal with the spiritual problems of the nation, and also deal with the physical threat.
They are sometimes military leaders who know how to mobilize the nation for war against an enemy, but their real power lies in their Torah knowledge and ability to adjudicate Jewish law.
The narrative for this entire period appears in the Book of Judges, authored by the last great personality in the period of the Judges-Samuel the Prophet. The period of the Judges spans a period of 365 years from the first judge, Otniel ben Kenaz, and with the last judge, the Prophet Samuel.
During this period there were seventeen different judges. Some led the Jewish people for decades while others only for a few years. The Book of Judges goes into great detail for some of the Judges (Ehud, Deborah and Samuel) while others get only the briefest mention (Ibzan, Elon, Avdon). While all were great leaders, some where greater than others. Tradition tells us that the level of the judge depended on the collective level of the Jewish people. Every generation got the leadership it deserved. During this entire We will highlight a few of the 16 Judges described in the Bible:
- One of the first of the Judges is a woman — Deborah. (Judges, Chapters 4-5.) She is famous for sitting under a palm tree where anyone could seek her advice, and from where she issued battle orders.
Barak, Israel’s top warrior during that time, refuses to go into battle without her. Together they lead the troops against the much larger Canaanite force backed up by 900 iron chariots, of which Israel had none.
The Book of Judges describes a key battle with the Canaanites led by Sisera.
On the eve of the battle, Barak is doubtful that Israel’s warriors could ever beat such a strong opponent but Deborah stands firm. An unexpected storm is unleashed in the heavens, and the resulting downpour turns the ground to mud; the iron chariots get stuck and the Canaanites panic.
Deborah’s prophecy that “This is the day on which the Lord will deliver [the Canaanite general] Sisera into your hands…” is thus fulfilled.
Samson is the Judge famous for his superhero strength, and for leading the struggle against Israel’s arch-enemy, the Philistines. (Judges, Chapters 13-16.)
The Philistines were a seafaring people. They probably migrated from the area of the Aegean near Greece about 3,200 years ago. They settled along the eastern Mediterranean Coast from the southern coast of Israel to Lebanon. In the southern coastal area of Israel they established a confederation of five city-states (Gaza, Ahskelon, Ashdod, Gath and Ekron). During the period of the Judges they are constantly at war with the tribes of Israel pushing them away from much of the coast and into the hilly, inland regions of the country.
Excavations show that the Philistines — despite what the word “Philistine” has come down to mean in the English language — were very sophisticated culturally. They had perfected iron tools and iron weapons, gaining an important technological advantage over their neighbors.
Samson, who judged Israel for 20 years, was one of the people who takes on the Philistines. Samson is a Nazir. (Nazir is a form of penitence in which a person temporarily refrains from cutting his hair and abstains from wine) Samson’s Nazir status is unusual in that he is a Nazir from birth and remains one his entire life. In addition, his long hair gives him super-human strength.
To undermine the Philistines he pretends to join them by deliberately taking a Philistine woman as his wife. She is killed by her own people; he then consorts with another Philistine woman — Delilah. This turns out to be a mistake as Sampson becomes very attached to her.
Delilah catches on that Samson is a major threat to her people. After many failed attempts and much pleading she finally succeeds in getting Samson to reveal the secret of his superhuman strength and cuts off his hair while he is asleep. As a result the Philistines are able to capture him. They then blind him and throw him in prison.
But they forget that hair grows. As his hair grew back, his superhuman strength returns.
The Philistines decides to execute Samson in a public display at the Temple of Dagan, one of their gods.
As the masses gather to watch the execution, blind Samson asks a slave boy to position him next to one of the columns supporting the temple.
At the climax of the narrative Samson prays:
“My Lord, God! Remember me and strengthen me just this one time, O God, and I will extract vengeance from the Philistines for one of my two eyes.” Samson grasped the two central pillars upon which the building rested, and he leaned on them; one with his right hand and one with his left hand. Samson said, “Let my soul die with the Philistines!” (Judges 16:28-30)
With his renewed superhuman strength he overturns the column and collapses the building killing all inside.
He dies giving his life for the Jewish people and the Bible says he killed more Philistine enemies in that moment than he vanquished the whole rest of his life.
The last great personality of the period of the Judges is the Prophet Samuel, who is one of the most important prophets in Jewish history, and who is also famous for anointing the first two kings of Israel — Saul and David. (1 Samuel, chapters 1-16.) He authored the Book of Judges and, together with the prophets Gad and Nathan, the book of Samuel.
By the time Samuel appears on the scene, the Jewish people have gone through close to 400 years of no strong central leadership. They had to live up to a very high level of individual responsibility or else God would let them know they were off course via the Canaanites or the Philistines or the Midianites. This was a very difficult way to live. In the final analysis, the nation couldn’t maintain this level of scrutiny without stronger guidance.
When Samuel was younger, he would travel the land adjudicating Jewish law and giving people advice, but now that he has grown old, he can’t do it anymore. Meanwhile, his two sons, who have taken over for him, prove unpopular with the people.
So a delegation is dispatched to ask Samuel to anoint a king instead: And they the people said [to Samuel] “Behold, you have grown old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now set up for us a king to judge us like all the nations. And the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel …” (1 Samuel, 8:5-7)
Samuel doesn’t want to do it, but God tells him to go ahead and find a king for the people.
And this is how the Time of Judges comes to a close. Samuel functions as a leader for 13 years and the last of two years he actually co-leads the Jewish people with the first Jewish king whose name is Saul.
Haggai was one of the twelve minor prophets and the author of the Book of Haggai. His name means “my feast”. He was the first of three prophets with Zechariah his contemporary, and Malachi who lived about one hundred years later).His ministry belonged to the period of Jewish history which began after the return from captivity in Babylon. He began his ministry about sixteen years after the return of the Jews to Judah 520 BCE. The work of rebuilding the Temple having been suspended for eighteen years, the work was resumed through the efforts of Haggai and Zechariah. They exhorted the people, which roused them from their lethargy, and induced them to take advantage of a change in the policy of the Persian government under Darius the Great, son of Queen Esther.
Malachi, “My Messenger”, was the last of the minor prophets of David and the writer of the Book of Malachi and is the last book of the Neviim (prophets) section in the Jewish Tanakh. No allusion is made to him by Ezra, however, and he does not directly mention the restoration of the temple. The editors of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia inferred that he prophesied after Haggai and Zechariah [Malachi 1:10; 3:1; 3:10] and speculated that he delivered his prophecies about 420 BCE, after the second return of Nehemiah from Persia [Book of Nehemiah 13:6] or possibly before his return, comparing Malachi 2:8 with Nehemiah 13:15 and Malachi 2:10-16 with Nehemaih 13:23.
The tombs of the three aformentioned prophets are located on the Mount of Olives.
Literally billion or trillions of monetary wealth not inclusive of priceless spiritual value. Many people in the world today are unaware of the splendour and wealth of ancient Israel. Since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE foreign nations have raided the Holy Land invading every corner, every sacred tomb looking for the lost treasures of Israel. Since 1948 this ancient people Israel has been re-established as a modest nation occupying her ancestral lands. Renewed and expanded archaeological studies in the holy land are calling attention to the dramatic history of these children of Israel, Abraham’s descendants through his son’s Isaac and Jacob. The wealth of ancient Israel associated with the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple built in Jerusalem is beyond measure. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem contains many subterranean chambers where temple treasures may have been hidden beneath the rock prior to the times of invasion and destruction of Jerusalem by foreign invaders.
The Jewish exodus from Egypt documented in the books of Exodus and Numbers indicate that approximately 600,000 descendants of Israel (Jacob) made the 40-year journey from the Nile Delta, to the East side of the Jordan River, to the promised land that their patriarchs had lived on before. During their wilderness journey the people of Israel received the Torah delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai. Moses was instructed to build a portable tabernacle as detailed in Exodus 25-30. The materials assembled for the tabernacle are described in detail in Exodus 35-38 and summarized in Exodus 38:21-30. The total quantity of gold collected was approximately one ton; of silver, 3-3/4 tons; and of bronze, 2-1/2 tons. Exodus 12:35 states that the Jews were given gold, silver and ornaments at the time of their departure from Egypt in lieu of wages for slave labour. The golden lampstand in the tabernacle would be worth a million dollars in gold today.
The Torah gives some details about the movement of the tabernacle, Ark, and holy vessels. The Ark of Covenant was located at Shiloh for many years (Judges 18:31, I Samuel 1:39, 3:3; Judges 21:19). At some later period the Ark was moved to Bethel on the Benjamite border during the war with Gibeah (Judges 20:26-27). The Ark was then held by the Philistines for seven months after they captured it. The Israelites recaptured it and it was located for 20 years at Kiriath-jearim. King Saul generally neglected the Ark (I Chronicles 13:3) but David brought it to Jerusalem about 1003 BC (II Samuel 6; I Chronicles 13:15). The Ark was given temporary shelter in Jerusalem before being installed in the first temple built by King David’s son, Solomon.
Further description (I Kings 8:4) of the holy vessels of gold and silver from the tabernacle were with the Ark when it was brought from the city of David to the first temple of Solomon. David amassed the materials (I Chronicles 28:1-19; II Chronicles 2-4; I Kings 6-7). These materials included 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, (I Chron. 29). From his own private fortune David also contributed 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of high grade silver. In addition to all the gold and silver, great quantities of bronze, cedar, iron, and precious stones were contributed. Solomon’s temple Holy of Holies was built with cedar from Lebanon and covered with 600 talents of gold. Even the doors of the temple were gold plated. During this period of Israel’s history, Solomon’s income was 666 talents of gold per annum or about 600,000 troy ounces. During the reign of Solomon “silver was as common as stone” in Jerusalem, (I Kings 10:27). Solomon made 200 massive shields each 300 shekels in weight to hang on the walls of his palace. His ivory throne was overlaid with gold. “So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom” (II Kings 10:23). The splendour of Solomon’s kingdom brought him recognition and fame that attracted much foreign attention. During her visit to Solomon the Queen of Sheba brought Solomon 120 talents of gold, “and a very great store of spices and precious stones,” (I Kings 10; II Chronicles 9). The temple of Solomon took 7-1/2 years to complete with the efforts of over 180,000 labourers, (I Kings 7:13, 5:6, 13, 14; II Chronicles 2:17-18). Great quantities of local stone and imported cedar wood were used not counting the metals from Solomon’s mines. We can assume that through the rumour mill of the trade caravans every nation of the known world had heard about Jerusalem and the nation of Israel.
The wealth of the first temple was plundered after the death of Solomon. During the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, Shishak King of Egypt, raided Jerusalem and took away treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house as a ransom. He also took away Solomon’s shields of gold (500 in number) (II Chronicles 12:1-12). Second Chronicles 12, records Shishak’s army numbered 60,000 horsemen and 1200 chariots. The people that were with him were “without number,” the “Lubim, the Sukkim, and the Ethiopians.” However we have to be reminded that Jeremiah hid the greatest sum in value of Temple treasure. Despite a temporary removal by king Manasseh, (II Chronicles 33:7; 35:3), the Ark remained in the holy of holies of the First Temple until the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B. C. by Nebuchadnezzar.
After Solomon’s death the kingdom of Israel collapsed and many lived in exile during the time of the Babylonian captivity in 586 BC. During the revivals of Joash, (II Chronicles 24), and Josiah, (II Kings 22), generous contributions were made for repairs and refurbishing of the temple. Much of the wealth of the temple appears to have been used to pay national expenses and tributes to threatening foreign powers [extortion]. Asa paid for protection (I Kings 15:18, 19) against Baasha, king of Israel with temple treasures by sending what was left of the silver and gold to Ben-hadad, king of Syria. Further plundering took place during the reign of Ahaziah when Jehoash, king of Israel carried off to Samaria the gold and silver in the temple and the palace, (II Kings 14:14). Ahaz removed the brazen altar from its time-honoured site, the bases and ornaments of the lavers, and the oxen from under the bronze sea (II Kings 16:10-17). Were these possible duplicates and not the originals?
Hezekiah paid tribute to Sennacherib, king of Assyria, 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold, and Hezekiah gave him the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house. At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple and from the doorposts and gave it to the king of Assyria,” (II Kings 18:13-16). Later Hezekiah foolishly received the emissaries of the king of Babylon and showed them his remaining state treasures: “Hezekiah…showed them all the house of the precious things, the silver and the gold and the spices, and the precious ointment and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his domain that Hezekiah did not show them,” (II Kings 20:12-13). The wealth of the temple at the time of Hezekiah was evidently more than enough to incite the covetousness of the king of Babylon so that he hastened to capture Jerusalem after his emissaries brought him the news of the great wealth there.
The fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC was accompanied by destruction and loss of life. “And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his friends, all these (Nebuchadnezzar) brought to Babylon. And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire (II Chronicles 36:18,19). A parallel account in II Kings 25 describes the seized vessels of the house of the Lord as including pots, snuffers, dishes for incense, firepans, bowls, etc. The scripture suggests that everything of value was carried off to Babylon. During the captivity some of the stolen sacred gold and silver vessels from Jerusalem’s temple were used by Balthazar on the night of his infamous feast when handwriting appeared on the wall of his palace indicating that judgment from God had fallen upon him, (Daniel 5). At the end of the 70-year captivity in Babylon the returning Jews were allowed to carry back Temple objects to Jerusalem, (Ezra 1:5-10). The list of returned items included 1000 basins of gold, 1000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 30 bowls of gold, 2410 bowls of silver, and other vessels of gold and silver totalling 5,469 in number.
The total number of Jews returning from this captivity was 42,360, plus 7,337 servants and 200 singers. There were 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6720 asses in their convoy, (Ezra 2:64-67). The returning exiles set about rebuilding the temple and the walls. The second temple was modest compared to that of Solomon and was completed in 515 BC Details are given in the Books of Nehemiah and Ezra. The second temple also contained significant quantities of gold and silver which appears to have generally increased during the life of the temple but there was NO Arc in the second temple.
The book of II Maccabees (2:1-8) says that the prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark and the golden altar of incense and Temple treasure in a cave on Mt. Nebo before the Babylonian exile. Others speculate that the Ark would be hidden under the Temple Mount or elsewhere in Jerusalem than on Mt. Nebo, which is about 40 miles East of Jerusalem. Jeremiah went to Egypt with a group of Jews after the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 42:1-43:7) but it does not verify he died there.
Further records from the 1 Maccabees gives an account of the plundering of the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanies in 170 BC and also by Josephus. At that time the second temple contained at least an altar of incense made of gold, the table of showbread, the lampstands, many cups, bowls, and incense holders, crowns and gold plating at the wall where the cherubim had been in days of old. The total wealth of the Second Temple was lesser than the First Temple however the Roman ruler Herod completely rebuilt and enlarged the Second Temple beginning in his 18th year of reign (20 BC).
Herod employed 10,000 workmen and 1,000 wagons. The size of the temple area was increased from 17 to 34 acres by excavations in the north and by the building of great retaining walls rising 450 ft from the Kidron Valley in the southeast. Within this area, now measuring 351 yards on the north side, 512 on the east, 536 on the west, and 309 on the south, with Corinthian columns of bronze, courts, gates and gleaming, spacious cloisters.
The temple treasury benefited from an influx of gold and silver from all lands contributed by worshippers. Cicero wrote of great influxes of gold to Jerusalem during his lifetime. Gifts other than gold or silver coins were sold and their value given to the treasury. Early Christians allege another source of revenue was profit made from the sale of the meat offerings which were prepared by the Levites and sold every day to the worshippers. Further revenue was derived from the half-shekel of temple tribute which was required of every male Israelite of age, including proselytes and slaves. The total sum of gold and silver contributed annually has been estimated to have been of the order of $1, 500,000 per year which paid for temple service, (515 B. C. to 70 A. D.). There were numerous temple expenses but the evidence suggests that the revenue was accumulated.
The Roman plunder was worth tens of millions of dollars. The pillaging of the temple, its total destruction and the burning of Jerusalem with loss of life occurred in 70 AD under the Roman General Titus (Josephus, Wars of the Jews). Tradition has it that the intense flames of the temple fire melted the gold and silver of the temple so that it ran between the cracks of the rocks. Roman soldiers then totally dismantled the temple stone by stone to extract the gold. No mention has been made where the hidden arc or temple treasure were discovered during the siege of Titus.
The overall impression from all the biblical accounts and from tradition is that the various plundering of Jerusalem’s temples were always thorough and total. While no gold or silver may be buried underneath the temple mount, objects of priceless archaeological, historical, and religious significance may lie there. Jeremiah the prophet may have suggested that the Ark, however, has been permanently lost, (Jeremiah 3:16), or at least that it will cease to be of great significance when the Messiah comes.
The Torah promises a future restoration of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem when the Messiah comes and a still greater future glory for Israel than that attained during the times of David and Solomon, (Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8; Zephaniah 3:14-20). Or if we take into account the previous First Temple; the restoration by Ezra being the second, then Herod’s temple could be construed as the third.
