`Who Crucified

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Editor's Note: "Who Crucified Jesus?" asks Prof. Solomon Zeitlin,
head of the rabbinical department at Dropsie College, Philadelphia, Editor-in-
Chief of The Jewish Apocryphal Literature, co-editor of The Jewish Quarterly
Review and noted authority on the Second Jewish Commonwealth. His book
by that title was published in 1942, with a revised edition in 1947, by Harper
and Bros., and aroused much interest amon., Christians and Jews, scholars,
clergymen and laymen.
So that Prof. Zeitlin's studies and conclusions may reach a wider audience
and, perhaps, help dispel many of the half-truths and misunderstandings which

Jewish History Traced
Through Crucial Eras

By PROF. SOLOMON ZEITL1N

cloud this period in world history, his book will be published, in condensed
form, in this and four forth-coming installments. Publication is through
courtesy of the author and Harper and Bros. Condensation is by Ruth L. Cassel.

The opening chapters of Prof. Zeitlin's book are devoted to a resume of
the history of the Jewish state from the return from the Babylonian exile to
the time of Jesus. What were the political, theological, military and economic
factors which shaped the course of Jewish history and made possible the emer-
gence—and wide acceptance—of the man, Jesus of Nazareth, and the religion
which developed after his death?

•WISH NEWS

We e kly Review

of Jewish Events

INSTALLMENT ONE

From Theocracy to Commonwealth

• VOL. 18—No. 15

T

HE trend of Jewish history from the days of Ezra to the
times of Jesus can best be seen in. the struggle to recast
the nature of the Jewish state from that of a theocracy in
which the high priest ruled to that of a commonwealth in
which secular leadership held the reins of government.
It is only in terms of this struggle that much that tran-
spired among the Jewish people during those crucial centuries
can be understood properly. It was the proclamation of Cyrus
of Persia, issued about 538 B.C., that launched the problem.
Of leaderShip, together with the restoration of the Jewish
state.
To manage the migration and execute the Restoration,
the Crown chose or appointed two men, representatives of the
two influential factions among the Jews—the royalty and the
high priesthood. Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jehoiachin,
formerly king of Judea, represented the royal family. Joshua,
the grandson of Jerziah, represented the high priesthood.
These two men shared together the responsibility of the
establishment of the new community and the rebuilding of the
Temple in Jerusalem. Soon, however, friction arose among
the Jews as to whom leadership and
the guidance of the new community
The Christian
should be entrusted.

* *

-

rrHOSE who desired to organize
1 the new community under the
leadership of a secular authority as a
political state wanted Zerubbabel to
be sole leader, as he was a scion of the
royal family, a descendant of King
David. Those, on the other hand, who
were of the opinion that the recon-
structed community should be organ-
ized. on a religious basis maintained
that Joshua, who came of a priestly
family, should assume sole leadership.
The 'supporters of Joshua triumphed.

The Author

Ve
t Y the canonization of the five books of Moses, the

Oral Law which was in vogue among the Jews for
many generations and the beliefs which the Jews cher-
ished were to be to be abandoned. It was from these oral

7 December 22, 1950

W A Launches 1951 Drive

Warburg Is Named
General Chairman

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Recorder Says

The Christian Recorder, the official organ of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in an
editorial printed on Feb. 18, 1943, said:
"He suffered uider Pontius Pilate and was
crucified. Thus reads the Apostles' Creed of
about 180 A. D. This church has been reciting it
for nearly 2,000 years, but for the first time a
famous, well-known scholar gives full histori-
cal evidence showing where the blame for the
crucifixion is to be placed. Through the cen-
turies, and particularly in the Middle Ages the
Jews were held responsible for the lynching, but
Solomon Zeitlin marshals an imposing array of
historical evidence to show that Jesus was dis-
posed of by the Roman Empire.
"The reader will be well rewarded by graphic
description of the Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots
and the various religious and political groups
which constituted parts of the social environ-.
ment in which Jesus lived. Judas and Barabbas
appear, not as "robbers," but as nationalists who
would drive out the "Gentile dogs." . . . Jesus
was crucified because He was "King of the
Jews." .. .
"The book is timely in the light of present
historical events . . . The Jews have been per-
secuted as never before . ."
" 'Who Crucified Jesus' is a book which one
will read, mark, digest and place in one's library.
The Christian Recorder hails it with supreme
delight."

Disquieted by reports of unsatis-
factory conditions in the new Judea,
the Babylonian Jews besought King
Ataxerxes' permission to send a mission
_there. The king granted this permis-
sion to Ezra and enabled him to as-
-Isume authority over the Jewish corn-
--munity in Judea. Ezra was a priest,
-descendant of Zaddok, the first high
priest of the Temple built by Solomon. In Ezra, the
king vested the power to appoint judges who were to
instruct the people in the laws of God and the laws of
. the state, , Thus, the new Jewish settlement was established
as a theocracy in which jurisdiction over the people was
.wholly vested in the high priests.
The canonization of the Pentateuch is associated
with the establishment of the theocratic state. Ezra prd-
cceded to have 85 representatives of the Jewish commun-
ity sign a declaration accepting the five books of Moses
as divine revelation, binding them forever. But more
,,was involved here than appeared on the surface. What
was implied in this step was the rejection of leadership
by a scion of the family of David. Although the Jewish
State took the form of a theocracy, the idea that a scion
of David should rule over the Jews was not entirely oblit-
erated from the minds of the people. Especially among
the lower classes was this hope cherished.

Continued on Page 16

708 David Stott Bldg., Detroit

ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.,—Recognizing the
"continuing urgency" of Israel's position and re-
affirming the imperative need of increasing
American Jewish support to ease the economic
pressure upon the Jewish state, several hundred
leaders representing Jewish communities
throughout the land last week-end resolved to
make an all-out effort during 1951 to meet the
major budgetary requirements for relief and re-
habilitation, through the United Jewish Appeal.
The annual UJA confer- ,'
ence, held Saturday night
and Sunday at the Tray-
more Hotel here, revealed
the readiness of American
Jews to mobilize all avail-
able forces not merely for
the UJA but also in behalf
of the history-making plans
to launch a $500,000,000
drive for the sale of Israel
government bonds.
Both responsibilities be-
came interlinked at this con-
ference which marked the
retirement from office, after
12 years as the directing E. M. - M. Warburg
genius of UJA drives, of Henry Montor, who be-
comes the director of the Israel bond drive.
At the same time, Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz
steps into Mr. Montor's post and retires as direct-
or general of one of the UJA agencies—the pint
Distribution committee.
Henry Morgenthau, Jr., who retired as UJA
general chairman, is expected to play a leading
role in the bond and UJA drives.
Edward M. M. Warburg, the able chair-
man of the JDC, succeeds Mr. Morgenthau as
general chairman of UJA.
Another important change in personnel is in
the publicity department. Meyer Steinglass, who
for 12 years directed public relations for UJA
will be succeeded by Raphael Levy, dynamic JDC
(Continued on Page 3)

•

—Photo via American Jewish Press

Israel Symphony Coming Here:

Standing before one of

the armored cars in which they traveled during hectic war years in Israel, the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra, which will appear on tour in 40 American communities to fur-
ther goodwill between Israel and the United States, poses for a picture. The group is
under the management of S. Hurok and the musical direction of Serge Koussevitzky and
Leonard. Bernstein. They will appear at Masonic Temple in Detroit for one performance
on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 4,