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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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we underst<strong>and</strong>, why those Jewish zealots vn<br />

b<br />

who would fain have imposed on <strong>the</strong> new Church<br />

<strong>the</strong> yoke <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Law, ^ ^^^ ^ concentrated <strong>the</strong>ir first<br />

efforts on that Soria which was regarded as a '^<br />

kind <strong>of</strong> outer Palestine. '•Aot.rT.i<br />

But, even so, <strong>the</strong>re was a gradation <strong>of</strong> sanctity in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Holy L<strong>and</strong> itself, in accordance with ritual<br />

distinctions. Ten degrees are here enumerated,®<br />

beginning with <strong>the</strong> bare soil <strong>of</strong> Palestine, <strong>and</strong><br />

culmina- •kal t. Ml ting in <strong>the</strong> Most Holy Place in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Temple—each implying some ritual<br />

distinction, which did not attach to a lower degree.<br />

And yet, although <strong>the</strong> very dust <strong>of</strong> hea<strong>the</strong>n soil was<br />

supposed to carry defilement, like corruption or<br />

<strong>the</strong> grave, <strong>the</strong> spots most sacred were everywhere<br />

surrounded by hea<strong>the</strong>nism; nay, its traces were<br />

visible in Jerusalem itself. <strong>The</strong> reasons <strong>of</strong> this are<br />

to be sought in <strong>the</strong> political circumstances <strong>of</strong><br />

Palestine, <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> persistent endeavour <strong>of</strong> its

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