It is my theory that the Lukan Prenatal and expanded Nativity/Early Childhood Jesus Narratives (Luke 1-2) each contain carefully calculated references to the aftermath of the Bar Kochba Wars. There appear to be contrasting comparisons between the state of Israel at the time of the writing itself, and the vision for better times which the author maintains in the light of messianic hopes attached to the birth of Jesus.
The subtext seems to be that the downtrodden people of the diaspora should take solace in the thought that Jesus would succeed where Bar Kochba had failed. Now, among the survivors of the Bar Kochba War were those who had at one time pinned their hopes on the success of the militarized Jewish Independence Movement; only to be deported from their homeland after the Roman Army crushed the rebellion. The notion then that a baby born to a people in such desperate circumstances would somehow resolve their destitute situation must have initially seemed somewhat far fetched and fanciful.
Yet the Lukan author carefully contrasted an underlying theme of despair and hopelessness; which included direct references to hunger, homelessness, and a diaspora, to a "with God nothing shall be impossible" theme (1.37), which in turn was demonstrated by the pregnancies and successful deliveries of an elderly barren woman (1.7,24-25,36,57); and a virgin (1.34-35; 2.5).
The very idea that God could bring forth life in such seemingly impossible circumstances would likely have been a message well received by the people of the post 135 CE Jewish diaspora; who were themselves without a homeland, helpless, and seemingly beyond hope. In the midst of such misery and despair, the promise of a messiah who would succeed where Bar Kochba had failed is a message which would surely been marketable to the downtrodden and defeated refugees of the diaspora.
In this regard, Gabriel's speech to Mary (Luke 1.32-33) may in fact have been a contrasting comparison between the defeated and deceased Bar Kochba and the soon to be born messiah Jesus:
-Jesus would be great; Bar Kochba was thought to be great until he was defeated
-Jesus; was the Son of the Highest; whereas Bar Kochba was called the Son of the Star
- Jesus would reign over the kingdom forever; whereas the reign of Bar Kochba was only 3 years
Again, Mary seems a metaphor for post diaspora Israel (1.48-54); whose praise for God's mercy seems a mirrored mirage of the reality of their state of being after the Bar Kochba war:
- God's strength is demonstrated; Bar Kochba's weakness was revealed
- God scatters the proud; the poor Jews were scattered after 135 CE
- God puts down the mighty from their seats; the mighty put down Bar Kochba and reassumed the seat of authority in Jerusalem
- God exalts them of low degree; whereas the displaced Jews of the post Bar Kochba War diaspora, are at their lowest point since the Jewish Independence Wars had commenced in the 60's.
- God fills the hungry; many starved to death in the aftermath of the Bar Kochba War.
- The rich he hath sent away empty; those were sent away empty in 135 CE were the ones who became poor and destitute.
- God has mercifully helped Israel; the homeless and nationless post 135 CE Israel was badly in need of merciful help wherever they could secure such.
And again, the sentiment of nationalism in a state of exile seems to have been expressed in Zechariah's speech after his son John's birth (1.67-79):
- He praises God for visiting and redeeming his people.
- He references their enemies and all people that hate them.
- He refers to their state of being as sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Zechariah's statement that God would redeem his people could be the author's efforts to encourage the disenfranchised Jewish diaspora, whose desperate circumstances as exiled refugees is described as sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. As strangers in foreign lands, they would surely have been regarded as enemies and hated by many.
Viewed as a collective then, these three speeches of the Lukan Prenatal Narrative seem to make calculated references to the destitute circumstances of the surviving diaspora of the Bar Kochba War. The underlying message being that of a reason to rejoice in spite of their seemingly dire straits by hinging their hopes upon a messiah whose nature and whose destiny would differ significantly from that of the dead and departed failed messiah Simon Bar Kochba.
No comments:
Post a Comment