You Go Down Smooth
You Go Down Smooth
The Chitsonim dubbed the Pharisees: "The Seekers Of Smooth Things" in fragments 3 and 4 of the Pesher Nahum (4Q169) of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The term was an insult of those who had appealed to Demetrius III Eucaerus in opposition to Alexander Jannaeus.
The Pesher Nahum describes The Seekers as an organized violent group responsible for numerous deaths. They are blamed for misleading kings, princes, priests, and the nation in opposition to the divine plan.
More on that tragic tradition... on another day.
Punishment suggested in the Temple Scroll for those who oppose god is to be "hanged on a tree" - crucified - until death.
The Chitsonim were allied with King Jannaeus, a particularly prominent opponent to the Pharisees, who after defeating Demetrius, crucified 800 Pharisaic dissidents and had their families killed while enjoying a feast.
Usury was forbidden throughout all of Ancient Israel.
"If thou lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor, neither shall ye lay upon him interest" (Ex. 22:24).
"...if thy brother be waxen poor and his means fail with thee… Take no interest of him or increase; but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals [provisions, living necessities] for increase" (Lev. 25:35–37).
"Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother: interest of money, interest of victuals [provisions, living necessities], interest of anything that is lent upon interest. Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto…" (Deut. 23:20–21).
"He that augmenteth his substance by interest and increase" is among "evil men" (Prov. 28:8).
"He that putteth not out his money on interest" is upright and righteous (Ps. 15:5).
In the prophecies of Ezekiel usury was mentioned in the context of larceny, adultery, homicide, and other "abominations" that are worthy of death (18:11–13).
The "Mark Of The Beast" was - or is said to be - "666".This "sign" is prophetically expected to be placed on the forehead and right hand of all people. The placement of these signs are directly counter to - and blasphemous of - phylactery use. The Teffilin - discipline symbolized as tiny scrolls representing the Torah within leather boxes attached to leather straps - are bound upon the forehead and the left hand of Jewish men.
The significance of the number "666" is the yearly personal credit of 666 gold talents demanded by King Solomon, who failed to observe the "Ten Commandments" (or the "Laws Of Moses", "Book Of Moses", "The Law", etc.) in his profound gluttony of all things.
In Revelations 6:6, John Of Patmos relates as post-humous testimony from Jesus/YHWH that "...I heard like a voice in midst of the four living creatures, saying 'A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenixes of barley for a denarius, and the oil and the wine not you should injure.'"
https://biblehub.com/text/revelation/6-6.htm
That is - the price and quality of basic goods necessary for worship must be maintained as both inexpensive and precious.
The Sanhedrin was the bi-cameral (two-chambered) governmental office of the Sadducees and the Pharisees under the authority of the High Priest. Among the many responsibilities and powers of the Sanhedrin was the imposition of tithes (religious taxes for the Temple of generally 10%), and expenditure of Temple finances. The Sanhedrin was not always equal parts Pharisee to Sadducee, and in the early First Century Sadducean influence had been rendered inconsequential.
The "Fifth Woe" of Jesus referred to laws of tithing in burdensome minuteness, created by the Pharisees as the Sanhedrin. The smallest plants that could be preserved had become associated with a responsibility to tithe 10% of them to the Temple. Not only the seeds, but, even the leaves and stalks of produce became expected to be tithed. These are, in large part, some of the burdens mentioned in Matthew 23:4 "They tie up burdens heavy and hard to bear and lay on the shoulders of men. Themselves however, with finger of them, not are they willing to move them."
The descriptive title is an insult - and is really quite witty.
Only people with smooth hands are able to feel smooth things, and only people who do not work have smooth hands. To the sardonic perspective of the Chitsonim, Sadducees, and other righteous Israelites, the Pharisees must primarily be "Seekers Of Smooth Things", because they appear to preserve smooth hands at all costs.
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There has been a third comment posted here, and it is presumably by an individual I have already blocked contact from, a "meanmon" or similar.
If anyone wanted to present an argument against my assertion that the Pharisees being referred to as The Seekers Of Smooth Things because they were slovenly, then they would be best to use their words in a comment about the subject matter, and cite some reasonable evidence for their objection.
Thus far, I would be forced to guess at any possible objections, such as:
…b…b…b…but… DRHOY! What about IQH XII, which puts "smooth things" in greater context?!?
IQH XII, only solidifies my assertion:
“Teachers of lies… …Thy people… …and… …have led them astray... They have banished me from my land like a bird from its nest... And they, teachers of lies and seers of falsehood, have schemed against me a devilish scheme, to exchange the Law engraved on my heart by Thee for the smooth things… …to Thy people. And they withhold from the thirsty the drink of Knowledge, and assuage their thirst with vinegar, that they may gaze on their straying, on their folly concerning their feast-days, on their fall into the snares.”
- IQH XII, 7-12
The Chitsonim were struggling to recompose the Ten Commandments (which are the “Law”).
The Sixth Commandment is “Six days thou shalt work".
These laws were the only explicit “engravings” by YHWH.
The blasphemous abomination that is the replacement of the actual Ten Commandments maintained Sabbath observance, but removed the compulsory aspect of working every day that is not the Sabbath. This is a dramatic shift toward usury and sloth.
The Sixth Commandment had been important in maintaining the productivity and fecundity of a group composed of freed slaves.
In a broader sense of “the law” (lower case), the mitzvot had not yet been compiled, but all of Israel had been aware for many centuries that only the Levites were set apart from land ownership, and with that, the tithing expected at the compulsory festivals or “feast-days”. Those mandatory taxes were for the maintenance of the Temple and it’s services, and the sustenance of the Levites.
It is my opinion that the Chitsonim were composed of the righteous succession of the High Priesthood and supporters thereof.
The author asserts that Israel is being disinformed. This accusation goes further than one of misinformation. The assertion is that the “Teachers Of Lies” are aware of their falsehood, straying, and folly, because they are scheming to commit them.
The inferrable accusations are that the Teachers Of Lies have “schemed against” the Hasmonean High Priest (who ought to be the ultimate Treasurer of tithes), have neglected to provide knowledge, have substituted truth for corruption (wine is symbolic of Judaism, and vinegar is rotten wine), and have the goal of “gazing on” their foolishness.
This is expressive of condemnation for desires of lazy inactivity.