Constitutional Law
Part 2: “What Were They Thinking?”
Digression: “A History of Government in 6 Revolutions: From the Paleolithic to Philadelphia”
129. Complications Continue
TITLE: Part W: Complications Continue
Panel 1: A thriving Mediterranean port city, with grand monumental architecture and a sophisticated harbor.
NARRATION:
After Alexander died in 323 B.C., the Greek empires of the Ptolemies (Egypt) and the Seleucids (Mesopotamia, Syria, Persia…) ruled Judea in turns until Rome took over in 63 B.C.
Urban life in these empires had a lot to offer, and Jews happily migrated from Judea to all the big cities.
VOICE FROM TRADING SHIP:
We gotta be where the action is!
-=-
Panel 2: A Mediterranean hillside town, with whitewashed buildings, terracotta roofs, and blue doors and shingles. A group of women in Hellenic attire are walking down a stone-paved path towards an old man seated on a stone bench, and a young man with a walking stick.
NARRATION:
In each province, the Greeks set up a local council of elders (a “synhedrion”) to enforce local laws. So in Judea, you got “Sanhedrin” enforcing Yahweh’s laws. No surprises there.
But when Jews moved away to different provinces, they continued to obey Judea’s—Yahweh’s—laws!
OLD MAN:
That’s a surprise?
WOMAN:
God commanded his chosen people, not his chosen land.
We should stop obeying because we moved?
YOUNG MAN:
God rules the universe, but his law stops at the border?
-=-
Panel 3: A city street in Ptolemaic Egypt. People are walking off in a common direction. A man in the foreground turns to say something to people offscreen, as the woman he is walking with smiles at him.
NARRATION:
Unfortunately, obeying Jewish law meant disobeying the fundamental rule of every other civilization.
MAN:
You guys coming? We’re off to the feast to sacrifice to our civic gods!
JEWISH VOICES:
Hell, no. We won’t go!
-=-
Panel 4: A festival is taking place at the immense monumental temple atop the acropolis of Pergamon during the Seleucid Empire. A bull is being led up the stairs as people parade in procession, dance, play music, etc. Two men in the foreground are speaking with disgust.
NARRATION:
As you know, shared sacrifice is what enabled large urban societies—it formed bonds of common identity, guaranteed cooperation, blah blah blah. But Yahweh’s laws prohibited making offerings to any other go.
As a matter of faith, law, and duty, good Jews had to refuse.
You can see where this is going. When people think someone isn’t sharing the load, they can’t help but feel indignation, outrage… even loathing.
DISGUSTED MAN 1:
You know they won’t so much as offer a pinch of incense?
DISGUSTED MAN 2:
I’m incensed!
GREEK VOICES:
How vile.
How evil!
JEWISH VOICES:
“Evil?”
We’re trying to be good!
-=-
Panel 5: A Jewish family clusters together tightly, amid a red sea of hostile people. The father holds a toddler in one arm as his wife holds the toddler’s leg with one hand, and pulls another small child close to her side. A teen girl defiantly faces the mob, holding a younger brother between her and her father.
NARRATION:
There’s no nice way to put this. Wherever Jews settled, the locals resented them. Hated them.
VARIOUS ANGRY VOICES:
Freeloaders!
Leeches!
They must hate the gods.
You gladly share the benefits of our society, but not the responsibilities!
How dare they refuse to pull their own weight?
They even refuse to eat or drink with their fellow man. They hate us!
How impious!
How hateful!
I bet they don’t even venerate their ancestors.
How evil!
JEWISH FATHER:
But… but… we believe that-
VARIOUS ANGRY VOICES:
Nobody cares what you believe! It’s what you do that matters!
And it does matter. Very much.
So which is it? Are you a team player?
Or an enemy of the state?