by
Randy Felton
shalom2@home.com
We get the gist that somehow the people Jesus is talking about are less than upright in their actions. The details elude us, for this is unfamiliar activity. Deuteronomy 6:8 tells us, You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. This scripture is referring to the phylacteries worn during morning prayers. Phylacteries is the Greek name, tefillin is the Hebrew, for leather boxes bound by a leather strap. The boxes contain four portions of the Torah: Exodus 13:1-10, Exodus 13:11-16, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21. These verses deal with the mitzvah (commandment) of tefillin. The hand (shel yad) tefillin has one compartment and contains all four portions of scripture on four pieces of parchment. The head (shel rosh) tefillin has four compartments, each containing one parchment with one of the passages of scripture on it. The parchments are hand lettered and may be executed only by an approved scribe. The shel yad is placed on the left inside arm so as to allow the box to rest against the heart when the arms are folded. The shel rosh is worn on the forehead, between the eyes to rest on the cerebrum. Our attention is directed to our head, heart and hand; we are taught to dedicate ourselves to serving God in all we think, feel or do. Tefillin are worn on week days only; on the Sabbath or festivals, the tefillin are not to be put on. When worn, they are for both morning and evening prayers.
The other aspect mentioned above is the tassels of the prayer shawl. The prayer shawl is called tallit in Hebrew. The tassels are tzitzit or fringes. The tallit is comprised of two parts - the tzitzit and the garment. The lengths and colors will vary with individual tastes and custom. Tallit are worn by married men in Orthodox congregations and by all males past the age of Bar Mitzvah in Conservative and Reform Synagogues. Originally, women were not forbidden to wear the tallit, but were exempt due to the duties of managing the household and raising the children. Over time, it became understood they would not wear the tallit. Numbers 15:37-41 gives the instruction on the tallit. It is to be worn well and consciously. It is reasonable to interpret the references in Matthew 6:6 and Acts 18:3 as euphemisms for tallit. Wrapping yourself in a prayer shawl creates a barrier to outside distractions much like a closet. This also creates a tent of meeting between the individual and God.
Another common piece of apparel, not found in scripture, is the skull cap. The term yarmulke is Yiddish, a combination of German and Hebrew. The Hebrew name is kippa. This is seen as a sign of modesty before God, and acknowledgement of the kingship of God over man. Drawings from the third century do not show hats or caps being worn during worship. We do not know the exact time this practice began, but it was common during the Middle Ages. Some contemporary scholars believe the kippa was in use during the first century and project that Jesus wore one. Some sources say the cap was devised as a sign that the pious Jew recognized God as their head. Others noted that the Christians wore nothing on their heads when in worship and donned the caps to distinguish them from their detractors.
The trumpet mentioned in Leviticus 25:9, 23:24 and Numbers 29:1 refer to the shofar or rams horn. The rams horn is used to remind us of the sacrifice provided Abraham in the place of Isaac. The shofar is blown on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year which also coincides with the Feast of Trumpets beginning the Days of Awe leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. There are other references as to other times when it is appropriate to blow the shofar. Some blow the shofar at weddings and some at funerals. According to some traditions, the shofar is blown to confuse Satan, believing he hates the sound because of all it represents.
When Messiah comes, the great shofar will be sounded heralding, among other things, Satan's ultimate defeat. The shofar is also seen as representative of man, a hollow instrument without meaning until breath enters it. Especially during Rosh Hashanah, man should see himself as a shofar - an empty vessel, worthless by itself, but potentially capable of divinity. Man is but an empty shell except for the "breath of God" which brings us alive to serve and worship Him.
THE RITUAL OF STONING
This is one ritual most Christians have heard of and heard
sermons about, but do not understand. It is not a Western
practice and is not a familiar act or process. Stoning is
mentioned at least 37 times in the Bible - 21 times in the Tanakh
and 16 times in the New Testament. They have been divided into
four groups for purposes of study:
Related as Law: Exodus 19:13, , 21:28-32, Leviticus
20:2, 20:27, 24:14-23, Deuteronomy 13:10, 17:5, 21:21, 22:21- 24
Feared or contemplated: Exodus 8;26, 17:4, I Samuel 30:6,
Luke 20:6, Acts 14:5, 5:36, John 8:5, 20:31, Hebrews 12:20,
Numbers 14:10
Prophecy, figure of speech or retelling:
Lamentations 3:53, Ezekiel 16:40, Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34, John
11:18, Matthew 21:35, John 8:5, II Corinthians 11:25, Hebrews
11:37, 12:20
Out of the actual stonings we have one for breaking he Sabbath, one for breaking the covenant with God (theft of first fruits,) one for adultery, one at the hands of false witnesses (to obtain Naboth's vineyard,) three for prophesying or witnessing (Zechariah, Stephen, Paul,) and one by mob (rebellion), Ezekiel's prophesy.
Paul is the only one to be stoned and tell of it himself afterwards.
According to Josephus, none could be put to death but by the Sanhedrin, the supreme council at Jerusalem known as the "Council of 71." This was established after the kingdom of Israel came into being and was not in effect at the time of Moses or in pre-Temple times.
The Talmud describes the process as becoming quite lengthy. The death penalty was not to be taken lightly considering its permanence. Stoning was considered the harshest form of execution meted out by the courts. Following stoning in descending order are, burning, strangulation and beheading. The actual process is quite deliberate and revealing.
Criminal cases may only be tried by priests, Levites and Israelites who can give their daughters in marriage into the priesthood. In other words, those of pure Israelitish descent. To help the cause of justice by acting as a witness was considered a sacred duty. The man who does not give evidence in connection with his fellow man when he may do so might be free from the judgement of man, but is liable to the judgement of heaven. Judges and witnesses alike may be found to be disqualified if it is discovered that they are: dice-players (gamblers), lenders of money on interest, flyer of doves (one who wages on the race, gambler,) and those who traffic in produce of the Sabbatical Year. Others were added to the list from time to time. Women and minors were also excluded from acting as witnesses. Two witnesses were required to establish a case bearing the death penalty. Numbers 35:30 states One witness shall not testify against any person that he die. This created the general rule that whenever the scripture uses the word "witness," it is understood to mean "two" unless the text specifies only one. A single witness who is uncorroborated is not believed. Circumstantial evidence, no matter how convincing, was not accepted in order to bring the death penalty. The witness must have actually seen the crime committed and done all possible to warn the perpetrator and stop him from his deed. Perjured witnesses often suffered the fate they sought for the individual on trial.
During a trial, the judges were under a strict injunction to treat both parties the same. Both litigants must stand during the trial; if, however, one must be seated, then both are to be seated. One cannot speak at length and the other be instructed to be brief. If one party is in tatters and the other in expensive robes in order to impress the judge, the latter is instructed to either dress like the other one or to dress him like you. A judge is forbidden to listen to one party before arrival of the other. The court required that someone testifies in favor of the accused. Every possible way was explored to avoid capital punishment. It became popular saying that "A Sanhedrin which executed a person once in seven years was called a 'killing court'."
After the accused was found guilty, he was taken to the place of stoning. This was outside the court. A man was stationed at the entrance of the court with a flag. Another man was mounted on a horse, also with a flag, at a distance from the court, but within sight. Should one of the judges remember something in favor of the prisoner or should another witness appear with something in his favor, the man at the entrance would begin to wave his flag.
The mounted rider, upon seeing this, would begin to wave his flag and ride to the side of stoning to stop the proceedings and bring the prisoner back to court to hear the new evidence.
The prisoner would be led to the place of stoning by a herald proclaiming, "Moshe Ben Zvi" is going forth to be stoned for committing a "murder," the witnesses against him were "David Ben Shmuel and Avi Ben Jacov," let whoever knows anything in his favor come and declare it for him." When a distance of about 10 cubits (15-20 feet) from the place of stoning was reached, the procession would stop. The condemned was told to confess, for it is the way of all who are condemned to confess. "Whoever confesses will have a part in the world to come." If he did not know how to confess, it was explained to him. He would be told to say, "May my death be an atonement for all my sins." At a distance of about 4 cubits, they would stop again and remove the garments of the condemned. Men are left a covering in front, women were left a covering in front and behind. The place of stoning was to have a height of at least two men. The first witness pushed the condemned by the loins off the "High Place." Should the condemned turn himself over on his face, the witness turned him over on his back. Should the condemned die from the fall, the sentence was considered to be carried out. If not, then the second witness would take a stone and hurl it upon his heart. The stone must be of such size and weight that it required two men to carry it. The stone was lifted overhead by the two witnesses, but one released it to the other so he could hurl it with greater force. If the condemned died from it, the law had been carried out; if not, then the Israelites in general must continue to repeat the act until death occurred. You may refer to Deuteronomy 17:7.
The lesson above may be applied to several stories in the Bible with some new insight. Jesus was confronted by a mob dragging a woman said to have been taken in adultery. The accusations brought were not legal by standards of the judicial system. Jesus rebuffed them by pointing out one legal flaw...the witnesses were not acceptable. He turned their trap back upon them, John 8:3-12. We can also see that the stoning of Paul in Lystra brings about a resurrection miracle, Acts 14:19- 20. Each time you read about stoning or false witnesses, you will have to sift your thoughts through the mesh of knowledge you now have about stoning and the judicial process. Mobs and quick tempered judges may have circumvented many of the niceties and safeguards, but the actual act would have followed custom.
One other custom that was followed was an act of mercy. Kind women from the city would often accompany the prisoner to the place of execution, providing a mixture of wine and myrrh. This had a numbing, narcotic effect and brought a stupor on the condemned, dulling the pain. In Matthew 27:34, Jesus is offered wine mingled with gall. The Greek for gall has an inference to "poppy" which would be narcotic in effect. It may be possible that the Romans around Jerusalem had adopted this custom not so much out of pity, but in an attempt to prolong the crucifixion. It may have been that the soldier who declared Him to be the Son of God in verse 54 was the one offering Him the drink out of kindness.
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