The Jewish Annotated New Testament (178 page)

Pax Romana
(Lat “Roman peace”) the period from the early first century CE to the end of the second century in the Roman Empire, characterized by absence of major international conflicts and relatively calm internal politics.

peirasmos
Gk “trial,” “test,” “temptation.”

Pentateuch
(Gk “five scrolls”) the first five books of the Bible—Genesis through Deuteronomy—regarded as a unit; the
Torah
.

Pentecost
(Gk “fiftieth [day]”) Greek name for the Jewish festival of Weeks (
Shavuot
), which occurs fifty days after Passover. On the Pentecost after Jesus’ crucifixion, according to Acts 2, the Holy Spirit descended on his followers.

pericope
(Gk
perikopē
, “[what is] cut out”) a short passage from a longer text that can be read as a complete unit.

Persian era
period of Persian dominion over the Near East, beginning ca. 539 BCE when Cyrus the Great defeated
Babylon
, and lasting until ca. 333 BCE, the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

Pesach
(probably “protection”; others “pass over”) festival commemorating the exodus from Egypt.

peshat
(Heb “simple”) the “plain sense” or “contextual sense” of a text, often contrasted with
derash
, the homiletical meaning.

pesher
(pl.
pesharim
)
(Heb “interpretation”) a type of commentary in the Dead Sea Scrolls in which the biblical text is understood to be actualized or fulfilled in the interpreter’s time.

Peshitta
Syriac (a dialect of
Aramaic
) word for “simple.” It is the name of the Syriac translation of the Bible.

Pesikta Rabbati
(Aram
pesikta
’, “section”) a collection of midrash that deals with selected biblical passages, dating from the ninth to thirteenth centuries.

Pesikta de Rav Kahana
(Aram
pesikta
’, “section”) a collection of midrash that deals with selected biblical passages, dating from the fifth to seventh centuries.

Pharisees
a movement among Jews that followed
Oral Torah
and extended Jewish practice into all areas of life.

Philo
Hellenistic Jewish philosopher and interpreter of Scripture, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, well known for his allegorical interpretations of the
Septuagint
(ca. 20 BCE–50 CE).

phylacteries
(Gk
phylakterion
, “amulet,” from
phylax
, “guard”) see
tefillin
.

Pirkei Avot
(“sayings” or “chapters of the Fathers”) a tractate of the Mishnah (called
Avot
) that begins by tracing the transmission of the oral law from Moses to the Rabbis; emphasizes the strong link between Torah study and ethical behavior; and contains nonlegal, moralistic sayings of various Rabbis.
Avot
is included in the traditional prayer book and is made part of the liturgical recitation in many communities.

piska
a particular note or section in a commentary.

pistis
Gk “faith.”

Platonism
philosophy derived from Plato’s teaching that the world of sense experience is essentially an illusion, deriving what reality it has from a correspondence with a true, ultimately real world of Forms.

pleonasm
unnecessary word(s), deliberate repetitiveness. “May you be made strong with all strength” (Col 1.11).

pogrom
an officially encouraged, organized massacre.

Polycarp, Letter of
an early Christian letter of instruction, written by Polycarp (ca. 69–ca. 155), bishop of Smyrna, to the church of Philippi (
To the Philippians
).

poneros
Gk “toilsome,” “painful,” “evil”;
ho poneros
in the Lord’s Prayer is lit. “the evil one” (Mt 6.13).

pneumatology
study of the role of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer of Nabonidus
a Dead Sea Scroll fragment (4Q242), paralleling Dan 4.33–37, but attributing the prayer not to Nebuchadnezzar (as in Daniel) but to Nabonidus and naming the disease as an ulcer, not loss of reason.

prefect
Roman administrator, sometimes a civil authority and sometimes (or additionally) a commander of a praetorian guard unit.

presbyter
(Gk
presbyteros
, “elder”) an office in the early church.

procurator
governor of a Roman province who was appointed by the emperor (for larger provinces the appointment was by the Roman Senate). The title could also be used for officials assisting governors of the larger provinces.

prophet
(Gk
prophetēs
, “speak out” or “speak forth”) the
LXX
translation of
navi
(“one who is called”), the standard Heb term for prophet.

Prophets, the
see
Nevi’im
.

Psalms of Solomon
eighteen Jewish poems from ca. 63 BCE (Pompey’s invasion of Jerusalem) concerned with efforts to live an upright life, and anticipating a messiah who brings justice.

pseudepigrapha
(Gk “writings with false attributions of authorship”) a diverse group of Jewish or Christian writings, such as
Jubilees
, that are not included in the
Tanakh
, the
Septuagint
, or the NT. They are typically attributed to ancient figures.

pseudonymous
written or published under a false name (e.g.,
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
).

Pseudo-Phocylides
author of Jewish apocryphal work,
Sentences
(first century BCE to first century ce), written in Greek and containing a series of poetic
aphorisms
.

Purim
festival commemorating the delivery of the Jews in Persia from destruction, as recounted in the book of Esther.

Q

Q
(abbreviation of German “Quelle,” “Source”) the posited source of passages, especially Jesus’ sayings, common to Matthew and Luke. See
synoptic problem
.

qal vahomer
(Heb “light and heavy”) a rabbinic exegetical argument that moves from a lesser instance to a greater. It is similar to the philosophical argument
a fortiori
(see e.g., Mt 6.26–30).

Qumran Community
settlement near Wadi Qumran at the Dead Sea, most likely composed of Essenes. The library of this group is known as the
Dead Sea Scrolls
.

R

Rabbah
comments on scripture, teachings

rabbi
(Aram “my great one,” “teacher”) a Jewish teacher; eventually, one who studied Torah and its commentaries, and offered his own teaching based on that study.

Radak
acronym for Rabbi David Kimchi (1160–1235), a prolific biblical commentator and grammarian.

Rambam
acronym for
Maimonides
.

Ramban
acronym for Rabbi Nachmanides (1194–1270), known for his writings on the
Torah
.

Rapture
belief of some Christian groups that, before the trials preceding the
eschaton
, the saved will be taken up into heaven; the belief is based on an interpretation of 1 Thess 5.13–17.

Rashi
acronymic name of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040–1105), a medieval French rabbi who compiled important commentaries on the
Talmud
and the
Tanakh
.

Rav
a third century Babylonian
amora
whose real name was ’Abba ben ’Aivu. “Rav” means “great” and is a tribute to the regard in which he was held by his students at the academy in Sura, which he founded. Rav and Mar Samuel are seen as the main teachers in the tradition that became the Babylonian Talmud. Rav’s specialty was issues relating to religious law and interpretation.

realized eschatology
the view, primarily associated with the Gospel of John, that salvation and damnation are not future events but are realized in one’s response to Jesus.

resident alien
a foreigner with legal rights living in Israel.

revelation
(Lat “remove the veil,” translating Gk
apokalypsis
) insight granted to a human being by a heavenly being.

rhetoric
(Gk
rhetor
, “speaker,” “orator”) the art or study of persuasive speech or writing.

Roman Period
the period from 63 BCE onwards, marking the beginning of Roman rule of Judea.

Rosh Chodesh
(Heb “new moon”) a festival celebrating the beginning of the month.

Rosh Ha-Shanah
(Heb “head [i.e., beginning] of the year”) the fall New Year in the Jewish calendar, 1(–2) Tishri.

ruaḥ
Heb “spirit,” “breath,” “wind” (Gk
pneuma
; see
pneumatology
).

S

Sabbath
see
Shabbat
.

Sadducees
Jewish movement that opposed the
Pharisees
in rejecting the
Oral Law
and belief in resurrection; they were based primarily in Jerusalem and in relation to the Temple.

Samaritan Pentateuch
text of the Torah used by the
Samaritans
. This text disagrees with the
Masoretic text
at several points.

Samaritans
descendants of the population of Samaria after the exile and then repopulation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The Samaritans worshiped at the Temple on Mount Gerizim; their
canon
consists of the
Pentateuch
only.

Sanhedrin
(Gk
synedria
, from
syn-
and
hedra
, “with seat,” i.e., “council”) court holding authority in Judea under the Roman empire. “Sanhedrin” is also the title of a tractate of the
Mishnah
dealing with law courts.

Satan
(Heb “accuser,” “opponent,” “adversary”) title of a heavenly functionary whose task was to test humans (Job 1.6ff.). In later writings, a proper name for a supernatural being opposed to God (e.g., Mk 3.23).

scribe
one who could write and interpret documents.

Second Baruch
apocalyptic writing (late first or early second century CE) reacting to the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
2 Baruch
is included in the canon of the Syriac Orthodox Church, but not in any other Christian or Jewish canon.

Second Temple
the Temple constructed ca. 520–516 BCE by the returning exiles; it continued and expanded until its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE.