Moses Salome Alexandra: This is the chain that supported the authority of the Pharisees

“The authority of the pharisee was not born in a throne, but in the voice transmitted from master to disciple.”

1. Context: who were the pharisees and what kind of “authority” is in the game

At the time of the Second Temple (especially s. II–I a. e. c. and the s. I. e. c.), the pharisees were:

• A religious movement-legal within judaism.
• Focused on:
  • Interpret the Torah (Law) in an accurate way.
  • To defend the existence of a Oral Torah next to the writing.
  • Apply that interpretation in everyday life (purity, tithing, Sabbath, etc).

The “authority” farisea can be decomposed into four planes:

1. Theological: authority to say what he wanted to say God in the Torah.
2. Halachic-legal: authority to set the practice mandatory (halachah).
3. Social: prestige front of the village of the plain, and the recognition as the “experts”.
4. Political-institutional: presence and weight in the Sanhedrin, and, for a period, direct support of royal power (Salome Alexandra).

Your question touches on the four planes, but especially:

• the foundation traditional/theological (Oral torah, the prophets, even “before Moses”), and
• the time political in a jewish queen consolidates his power.

2. The argument pharisee of the Oral Torah- where they say that it derives its authority

2.1. Basic Idea: two Torot, a written and an oral

According to the self-understanding farisea (and later rabbinic):

• At Sinai, God gave Moses:
  • Written torahthe text of the Pentateuch.
  • Oral torah: explanations, details, methods of interpretation and practical applications that no they were written but were transmitted mouth to mouth.

This oral Torah include:

• How to put into practice each and every commandment.
• Rules for resolving conflicts of interpretation.
• Traditions of the “fathers” (paradosis tōn paterōn, in the language of Josephus and the NT).

The authority farisea is presented, then, as:

“We're not inventing; we are storing and transmitting to you the interpretation is of Moses, and of the sages of each generation.”

2.2. The chain of transmission (Pirkei Avot 1:1)

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot, 1:1, formulates the classical scheme:

1. Moses receives the Torah at Sinai.
2. Transmits it to Joshua.
3. Joshua to the Elders.
4. The Elders to the Prophets.
5. The Prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly.

After that Great Assembly (post-exílica the beginning of the period of the Second Temple), the chain continues with the wise men, which, in retrospect, the rabbinic tradition identifies as the background of the pharisees and, finally, of the rabbis.

This text works as act of legitimation: the teaching of the wise/pharisees is not added arbitrary, but the last link in a continuous line from the Sinai.

2.3. “Do you even before Moses”? How are we to understand that the tradition

Here there are separate levels:

1. Historical-critical:
   • We do not have historical evidence of an “oral Torah organized” before of Moses.
   • The idea of a legal body fully formed pre-sinaitic is, for the modern historiography, a theological construct, not a fact verifiable.
2. Level midráshico/jewish theological: two classic lines: a) The Torah as a pre-existing reality
   Various rabbinic texts and wisdom jewish presented the Torah as:
   • Created before the world.
   • A counselor in the creation.
   • A kind of “master plan” divine previous to Moses.
   In this sense, one can say that the Torah —and, by extension, its dimension oral— “before” Moses: not because there is a code human before, but because it is part of the eternal plan of God. (b) The patriarchs who already “saved” commandments
   The biblical text states that Abraham “you saved my statutes and my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Genesis 26,5, according to the reading rabbinic). The midrash concludes that:
   • The patriarchs knew and practiced mitzvot before Sinai.
   • This implies a tradition of mandates and practices previous the delivery written in the Sinai.
   Reading pharisaic-rabbinic extends this: the “tradition of the fathers” that they invoke relies on there was already disclosures and practices before the written Torah and the oral Torah includes and systematizes all that.

To conclude this point:
When it is said that the authority farisea comes from a tradition “even before Moses”, is spoken in the key theological and midráshica (Torah eternal, patriarchs that meet commandments), not in a sense documentary modern.

“The domain more strong is not the one that imposes the sword, but the modeling consciousness.”

3. The prophets and the Great Assembly: the link between the Bible and the pharisees

3.1. The prophets as transmitters of Torah and not only as a visionary

In the self-understanding rabbinic:

• The prophets not only advertise moral messages, but:
  • Guard the Torah.
  • Ensure your application in the historical life of Israel.
  • Transmitted teachings that are not always written.

This reinforces the idea that between Moses and the sages of the Second Temple there is a “void”:

• There is a string prophetic who sustains the continuity of the tradition.

3.2. “Men of the Great Assembly”

Rabbinic tradition posits an institution collegiate (the Men of the Great Assembly) in the time post-exílicos (Ezra, Nehemiah):

• To them is attributed to them:
  • The fixing of certain parts of the liturgy.
  • The consolidation of the biblical canon.
  • Practical rules that then the tradition farisea inherits.

Historically it is difficult to separate myth and institutional reality. But, for the self-righteousness and the rabinismo:

• This Great Assembly acts as bridge between prophets and sages.
• Reinforces the claim of an continuity and not a rupture.

4. The contrast that gives meaning to your claim: Sadduceos and other groups

4.1. The sadducees: only the written Torah

Sources (Josephus, rabbinic literature, christian testimonies) agree that the sadducees:

• They accepted only the written Torah.
• They rejected the oral traditions of the “parents”.
• In the words of Josephus, not considered mandatory practices that were derived only “the tradition of the ancestors”.

The pharisees are defined, precisely, on the contrary:

• Claim that yes are obligatory observances derived from oral tradition.
• Present themselves as guardians of the tradition.

4.2. Other groups such as the essenes, qumranitas, etc

• The essenes and the group at Qumran also valued traditions and additional revelations to the written Torah.
• But they reject the authority farisea and their interpretation (the attack as “seekers of interpretations soft”, etc).

This shows that, at the time, the problem was not “writing vs orality” in the abstract, but what a tradition and what interpreters have authority.

“The legacy of the pharisees survived to the Temple because it was grounded on the teaching, not on the stone.”

5. Testimonials of time on the authority farisea

5.1. Flavius Josephus

Josephus (s. I. e. c.), a pharisee himself, describes the pharisees as:

• A group that has a paradosis (tradition) added to the Law of Moses.
• Very influential among the common people: the “crowd” is inclined to his teachings, while the sadducees attract more good to the elite wealthy.

This implies that:

• Your authority is not only doctrinal, but also social: are seen as performers legitimate by the majority.

5.2. The Gospels and the “tradition of the elders”

The Gospels speak of:

• The “tradition of the elders” (paradosis tōn presbyterōn).
• The discussion of Jesus with the pharisees about purity, washes hands, Shabbat, etc

Beyond the controversial theological, these texts confirm:

• The pharisees claimed tradition parallel to the biblical text with regulatory authorities.
• That his teaching was seen as “chair of Moses” (Mt 23,2), that is to say, as successors in the task of teaching the Law.

6. Sociological Base of your authority: to be rooted in the people and in the synagogues

Modern studies underline that:

• The pharisees are linked mainly with sectors media and with the people, unlike the priestly aristocracy saducea.
• Its natural area of influence is:
  • The synagogue (reading, explanation of the Torah).
  • Daily life (food, purity, tithing).

Result:

• Your authority is not reduced to the Temple in Jerusalem.
• It spread all over the country through teachers, schools and networks of disciples.

This popular support is the key to understanding what is going to happen with the queen Salome Alexandra: when the political power to support them, you will find as a social foundation that legitimizes a favor.

7. The authority that granted them explicitly queen Salome Alexandra

7.1. Historical context: Alexander Jannaeus and the crisis farisea

• Alejandro Janneo (Alexander Jannai)king asmoneo (103-76 to. e. c.), favors the sadducees.
• Facing internal rebellions where pharisees and popular sectors oppose it.
• You have persecutions against the pharisees, crucifixions massive, exiles.

At this point, the pharisees have:

• Moral authority and popular significant.
• But they are politically marginalized and persecuted.

7.2. The twist: death of Jannaeus and rise of Salome Alexandra

When Alexander Jannaeus died (c. 76. e. c.):

• According to the sources, on his death-bed he recommended to his wife Salome Alexandra (Shelamzion) that:
  • Make peace with the pharisees.
  • Lean on them to hold the kingdom.

Salome Alexandra:

• Take the power as queen (c. 76-67 to. e. c.).
• It enjoys great prestige among the people.
• And you decide reverse the policy, anti-farisea of her husband.

7.3. How to concrete this authority: Sanhedrin, halacha official and real power

The jewish sources and modern describe it as the great protector and promoter of the pharisees:

1. Rehabilitates and exalts the pharisees
   • Reset to the pharisees who had been exiled or persecuted.
   • Given positions of political power and judicial.
2. Control of the Sanhedrin
   • Names Shimon ben Shetaj (his brother, according to the tradition), and Yehuda ben Tabbai as heads of the Sanhedrin, or Great Assembly.
   • That is to say, the supreme court and legislative body-religious judaism happens to be in the hands of leaders pharisees.
3. Incorporation of the oral Torah as the law of the kingdom
   • It allows you to, again, that the the oral law advocated by the pharisees governing the trials and public life.
   • The halachah farisea ceases to be just a practice of a party to become a official standard of the State.
4. Distribution of de facto power
   • Philo and Josephus, read by modern historiography, suggest a formula: The queen bee was the title, but the pharisees had the power.

In a few words:

The authority farisea, which until then was on all doctrinal and social, it happens to be institutionalized and supported by the State apparatus asmoneo.

7.4. Long-term consequences

During the ~9 years of his reign:

• Consolidates a model of religious leadership in which:
  • The high priesthood (root saducea) lost political clout.
  • The wise pharisees (proto-rabbinical) gain centrality in legislation, courts and education.
• When the monarchy asmonea enters a crisis after his death and they both Herod, and, then, of Rome, this structure is already installed:
  • The village is considering these wise as legitimate authorities.
  • The interpretation farisea of the Torah remains strongly rooted.

After the destruction of the Temple in 70 e. c.:

• It is precisely this model pharisee, already settled, which gives rise to the rabbinical judaism later.

8. Synthesis: two pillars of the authority farisea

8.1. Pilar theological-traditional

• Internal discourse:
  • “Our authority comes from the oral Torah received by Moses at Sinai, transmitted by prophets, Men of the Great Assembly and wise up to us.”
  • This tradition begins, in a certain sense, “before Moses” to the extent that the Torah is eternal, and the patriarchs already lived in accordance with it.
• Function of the argument:
  • To legitimize their performances are nothing new, but the correct way, faithful to live the divine revelation.

8.2. Pillar socio-political-institutional

• Popular support:
  • Josephus and modern historiography agree that the majority of the people inclined toward the pharisees, while the sadducees dominated among the elites.
• Decisive intervention of the queen Salome Alexandra:
  • Gives them the control of the Sanhedrin.
  • Resets the oral Torah farisea as official law.
  • Transforms your influence in power institutional cash.

“The strength of a pharisee was this: transforming tradition into the norm, and the norm in a way of life.”

9. Conclusion: the “tradition of the fathers” to the backbone of judaism

Summarizing it all:

1. The source claimed the authority
   • The pharisees are presented as the heirs of a chain of oral tradition:
     • Part of a Torah is eternal.
     • It reveals and concrete in Moses.
     • Passes for the elderly, the prophets and the Great Assembly.
     • Get to the sages of the era of the Second Temple.
2. Validation of social and historical
   • Earn the trust of large sections of the people by its emphasis on piety daily, the purity, the social justice and hope in the resurrection.
   • Become the referent religious practical for daily life.
3. Consecration policy
   • Under the queen Salome Alexandra, the spiritual authority and social becomes power legal and state:
     • Control the Sanhedrin.
     • Secure the halachah official.
     • Acting as a “shadow government” under a monarchy formally asmonea.
4. Rear projection
   • After the destruction of the Temple, when the cult's sacrificial disappears:
     • What survives as the core of judaism policy is precisely the tradition farisea —encoded later in the Mishnah and the Talmud—.
   • That's why it can be said that the authority farisea, born of an oral tradition and consolidated by a jewish queen, becomes in the long run in the spine of rabbinic judaism.