Middle Groups in Jewish Roman Galilee and Jesus and his Disciples’ Social Location: New InsightsI noted the publication of the book a couple of days ago.
Like many revolutionaries, Jesus saw the attachment of the upper-middle class to money as responsible for their passiveness in spiritual commitment. Jesus’ philosophy developed from the perspective of the middle class, not from that of the poor. He was able to attract followers because he came from a solid background. “The poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard” (Eccl. 9:16, ASV). Had Jesus come from a poor background, it would have been difficult for him to become a leader.
See Also: Social Stratification of the Jewish Population of Roman Palestine in the Period of the Mishnah, 70-250 CE (Brill, 2020).
By Ben-Zion Rosenfeld
Department of Jewish History
Bar-Ilan University
By Haim Perlmutter
Jewish Studies
Bar Ilan University
June 2020
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