Was Jesus "Whacked" by the Mob?

The background of The Parable of the Tenants in Luke 20 has a sinister history which is very often unknown by the majority of those of us who read the Bible.

Often this parable is taught with the understanding that the "tenants/farmers" are the Jews, the "servants" are the prophets, and “others” refers to the Gentiles, non-Jews, or Christians. However, a closer look at the history of the Temple reveals that this parable is more likely a direct reference to the corruption among the Temple authorities and God's ability to remove and re-staff His Temple with new Levites and priests, such as the case after the destruction of the first Temple.

According to very important and reliable writings of antiquity, the background of the parable has to do with some Levite families. One particular family is that of the high priest, Ananias, who was a wealthy landowner. By the time of the Second Temple period, in Jesus day, it is well documented that many Levites were wealthy landowners, though they were not supposed to own land. This caused many Jews who were taught to give tithes (10% of crops and animals, not money) in order to feed the Levites and priests, to stop tithing, realizing that many wealthy Levites and priests no longer required being fed by the rest of Jerusalem’s farms.

Levites who were wealthy landowners were given great honor by the Jews because of their wealth and prestige. Unfortunately, this wealth led to oppression by some of these Levite families. When the priests (servants) came to receive from the tithes (fruit) provided at the Temple (vineyard), the Levites (tenant/farmers) would not give them their food and the priests would even be physically beaten and or killed by the slaves who were owned by the Levite and his family. Many of these priests simply starved to death.

The high priest, Ananias (tenant), would not give to the priests (servants) who came for food, which he was required to provide to the servants of the temple when they came to the owner's vineyard (God's Temple) for their fruit (food to feed their families).

Ananias is spoken of by the first century historian, Josephus, as “a supplier of money.” "Supplier" is another name for "robber," which is the title that robbers would call themselves. Josephus also says of the Levite family of Ananias: “Such was the shamelessness and effrontery which possessed the high priests that they were so brazen as to send servants to the threshing floors to receive the tithes that were due to the priests, with the result that the poorer priests starved to death” (Ant. 20.181).–Jesus’ Last Week, 69

Ananias and his family are characterized as a “mafia” who bullied the priests of the temple in Jesus day and began making a lucrative living off of the tithes of the people.

Worth noting, is the fact that purchasing sacrificial animals from the temple would not have been a reason for Jesus’ aggressive behavior since Deuteronomy 14:25-26 makes provision for purchasing offerings.

The issue of Jesus behavior is much, much bigger than stopping people from selling or buying offerings. Anyone in earshot of Jesus telling The Parable of the Talents knows exactly to whom he's referring. After all, all of Jerusalem is frustrated and disgusted by corruption of the Temple authorities.

Imagine everyone's surprise when Jesus takes on the Mob. This could lend an explanation to the illegal trial and the fact that no one tried to stop him in the Temple.

Forever learning,
Johnny