Manaen = Menahem = Absolom...

This thread is an attempt to summarise a derail from my "Paul the Herodian..." thread: http://www.internationalskeptics.com...d.php?t=267096

It started when I read this passage in Acts:

Quote:

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

https://biblehub.com/bsb/acts/13.htm

Hullo, I thought. This would appear to be a clear connection between the Herodian royal family and Paul. Why was nobody talking about this "Manaen" character who was so tight with the bloke who killed John the Baptist?

Who's Who of The Bible just quotes the passage and says "origin unknown". In the introduction to "The New Testament Code" Eisenman says he thinks the name might be a pseudonym for Paul, but I don't like that explanation.

So I went looking for people with similar names who were "prophets and teachers" at that time. It didn't take long to come up with an answer that made sense to me, but I'm an amateur, what do I know? I thought it might be this guy: Menahem the Essene

Quote:

The Babylonian Talmud cites a dispute among the sages over where Menahem "went forth [out]" to. Abaye argues that "He went forth [out] into evil courses [culture]", while Rava argues "He went forth [out] to the King's [God's] service". The Talmud then quotes a baraita supporting Rava's opinion: "Thus it is also taught: Menahem went forth [out] to the King's [God's] service, and there went forth [out] with him eighty pairs of disciples dressed in silk [regally]".[3] The Jerusalem Talmud cites an additional opinion, that Menahem agreed to be appointed to a ministration position in order to revoke Governmental predestinations against Torah studying.[4] The "Menahem" recorded in the Mishnah is thought to be the same as the one recounted in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews[5] in which a story is told about a 'Menahem' of the Essenes' sect. According to Josephus, when Menahem saw young Herod the Great going to school he clapped him on the back and addressed him as king, announcing to him that he would reign successfully,[1] despite Herod not being in the line of the royal dynasty. When Herod became king, he asked Menahem how long his reign would be. Initially, Menahem didn't reply, and Herod urged him "Would my reign last ten years?". Menahem replied that Herod would reign at least 30 years, but did not specify the exact number. Herod was pleased with Menahem's answer and dismissed him with a clasp of the hand and thenceforth bestowed special honors upon the Essenes.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menahem_the_Essene
I think the bold is a mistake, because Josephus also tells us that Menahem was a "Son of Judas the Galilean" who didn't lead his tax revolt until after that Herod was dead. I don't think Judas' son could have seen Herod the Great as a school boy. Herod the Tetrarch maybe. That might also explain the "raised with" in Acts as a garbled version of "raised by" in the sense of being promoted, raised up.

So I looked further into Josephus to see if this character who "went out" in the King's service is mentioned again and he is:

Quote:

...Now the overthrow of the places of strength, and the death of the high priest Ananias, so puffed up Manahem, that he became barbarously cruel; and as he thought he had no antagonist to dispute the management of affairs with him, he was no better than an insupportable tyrant; but Eleazar and his party, when words had passed between them, how it was not proper when they revolted from the Romans, out of the desire of liberty, to betray that liberty to any of their own people, and to bear a lord, who, though he should be guilty of no violence, was yet meaner than themselves; as also, that in case they were obliged to set some one over their public affairs, it was fitter they should give that privilege to any one rather than to him; they made an assault upon him in the temple; for he went up thither to worship in a pompous manner, and adorned with royal garments, and had his followers with him in their armor. But Eleazar and his party fell violently upon him, as did also the rest of the people; and taking up stones to attack him withal, they threw them at the sophister, and thought, that if he were once ruined, the entire sedition would fall to the ground... ...As for Manahem himself, he ran away to the place called Ophla, and there lay skulking in private; but they took him alive, and drew him out before them all; they then tortured him with many sorts of torments, and after all slew him, as they did by those that were captains under him also, and particularly by the principal instrument of his tyranny, whose name was Apsalom.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/hist...hapter-17.html

Apsalom? That's not a name! Absolom, That's a name. I think it must be a reference to the OT bad boy son of King David who tried to usurp his father's throne. Why else mention that name in connection with this disgraced son of Judas the Galilean?

Remembering the point of the original thread about Paul and his depiction in the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) as "The Man Of Lies", "The Lying Spouter" etc, I also remembered seeing that name "Absolom" in there somewhere and here it is:

Quote:

"O traitors, why do you stare and stay silent when the wicked swallows 9/ Up one more righteous than he?" [[Hab 1.13b]]. {blank} Interpreted, this concerns the House of Absalom and 10/ the members of its council who were silent at the time of the chastisement of the Teacher of Righteousness 11/ and gave him no help against the Liar {blank} who flouted the 12/ Law in the midst of their whole [congregation].

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/oth...her%20Habakkuk

Looks like someone who took up with the DSS's Liar got called "Absolom", just like the guy who was a son of Judas the Galilean, who was raised up by Herod the Tetrarch and was hanging out with Paul and sending out disciples in fancy robes...

Or is it just me?

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