A Hidden Revolution (1978 Rivkin), book

A Hidden Revolution: The Pharisees' Search for the Kingdom Within (1978) is a book by Ellis Rivkin.

Abstract

A continuation of the thesis begun in The Shaping of Jewish History: A Radical New Interpretation, Rivkin here more fully delves into when, why, and how the Pharisees brought about a radical transformation of Judaism. Extensively utilizing Josephus, the New Testament, and the Tannaitic literature as the primary evidence for this transformation, Rivkin sees a coherent picture of the Pharisees (=Hakhamim, Soferim and sometimes Perushim in the Mishnah) come to the fore – this was an innovative, authoritative scholar class who held to the ultimate authority of the twofold Law, Written and Oral. The revolution, though obscured (i.e. hidden) in the sources, came about at an opportune moment in history when the traditional High Priesthood leadership under the Zadokites collapsed during the reign of Antiochus IV. As the Pharisees established non-Zadokite leadership in the Temple, a group dedicated to the Zadokites emerged in opposition to them, the Sadducees. During this time of upheaval a change was desperately needed in the face of a growing incongruence between the experience of the individual and the stagnant structure of the Pentateuch, an ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. By combining major elements of Greco-Roman culture with traditional Judaism, the Pharisees were able to fulfill these growing needs of the people. An Oral Law revealed to Moses had the advantage of being able to adapt as the authorities of that Law saw fit. By “reclaiming” the authority the Aaronide establishment took from them (God gave leadership of the people not to Eleazer but to Joseph), the Pharisees assured that they were the school in control of the twofold Law and determined how the spiritual life of the people would evolve. Most fundamental in this transformation was the focus on the individual’s ability to achieve salvation without the mediation of the priesthood. By following the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law, the individual would gain immortal life for his soul and resurrection for his body. By shifting the focus from the cult to the individual, the Pharisaic, scholarly school was assured to be the only school to survive the destruction of the temple and the form of Judaism which would continue into the modern world. – Jason Zurawski, University of Michigan

Editions and translations

Published in Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1978.

Table of contents

• Introduction: Who Were the Pharisees?
  • Part One - The Sources
• 1. Josephus
• 2. The New Testament
• 3. The Tannaitic Literature
  • Part Two - Historical Reconstruction
• 4. From Definition to Historical Reconstruction
• 5. Ben Sira and Aaronide Hegemony
  • Part Three - Pharisaism: An Internal Revolution
• 6. The Hidden Revolution
• 7. On the Cathedra of Moses
• 8. "God So Loved the Individual..."

External links

• Google Books