I wonder if we could change Jewish peasant to average to poor citizen, priesthood to Government (federal, provincial, yes even city), Herod to a party leader? The priesthood lived in luxury well beyond that of the average man. They supported their lavish lifestyles with a temple tax which every Jew was required to pay. Richard Horsley in his book “The Message and the Kingdom” describes what archeologists have discovered about the living conditions of the priesthood. “…impressive archeological remains of their Jerusalem residences show how elegant their life style had become. In spacious structures unhesitantly dubbed ‘mansions” by the archeologists who uncovered them in the 1970’s, we can get a glimpse of a lavish life in mosaic floored reception rooms and dining rooms with elaborate painted and carved stucco wall decorations and with a wealth of fine tableware, glassware, carved stone table tops, and other interior furnishings and elegant peristyles.” The priests lived lavish lifestyles while the average Jewish peasant struggled to survive. The temple taxes combined with taxes imposed by Herod and Rome were literally threatening the existence of the Jewish people. The people of the land were carrying a burden they could scarcely bear or tolerate. Palestine had become a powder keg waiting to ignite. The Jewish nation lived under a theocracy and we live in a democracy. The only difference generally speaking is that we get to elect them. And to top it off another countrys leader comes to ours to do business and the general populace are the ones who (pardon me) get screwed. Hmmm....
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 18:30:37 +0000
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