ANSWERS
TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS
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Question: Does the Bible teach that the Israelites kept the Sabbath
while they were in Babylonian exile?
Answer: The Bible does not address this question explicitly. In the
Hebrew Scriptures, the two books that say the most about the lives of
Israelites in exile are Daniel and Esther, and neither one discusses Sabbath
observance.
The
Scriptures do teach, though, that neglect of the Sabbath was a major factor
leading to the Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah (17:19-27) and Ezekiel (chapter
20), prophets of the generation that went into exile, both state this. Since
Daniel was familiar with and responsive to Jeremiah's message (Dan 9), it is
reasonable to infer that Daniel observed the Sabbath.
Daniel
was not the only one who heeded the prophets. For example, Nehemiah, the leader
of an Israelite community in Jerusalem that had returned from exile, emphasized
faithful Sabbath observance (Neh 13:15-22). He
understood the significant role that Sabbath-breaking had played in the
spiritual problems culminating in the exile (verse 18).
In
general, the Sabbath would have helped exiles maintain their Israelite identity
in the midst of a pagan culture. Groups of Israelites that neglected the
Sabbath probably lost their connection with God and became completely
assimilated into the surrounding culture within a few generations. On the other
hand, some strong, lasting Israelite communities formed in Babylon and Media,
so the Sabbath was undoubtedly an integral part of the lives of those
communities.1
The
values and aspirations of faithful Israelites in exile are reflected in the
Book of Tobit, a popular story written before 200
B.C. Tobit, the title character, was part of the earlier
Assyrian captivity. Celebration of the Feast of Pentecost was part of Tobit's obedient lifestyle in exile (chapter 2). We can
imagine that Sabbath observance was held in high regard by many Israelites,
both in Palestine and in the Diaspora, who admired and identified with Tobit.2
According
to a popular Jewish saying, "More than Israel kept the Sabbath, the
Sabbath kept Israel."3 The fact
that Israel maintained its identity despite captivity and exile may constitute
the strongest evidence that the Sabbath was kept by many Israelites in exile.
1For some discussion of
these exile communities, see the article "Anna the Prophetess and
the Hope of All Israel’’ in Issue 23 of Grace & Knowledge.
2For more on the book
of Tobit,
see our article on
the subject in Issue 13 of Grace & Knowledge.
3See,
for example, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by
Marvin R. Wilson (Eerdmans, 1989), pp. 223-224.
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On 21 May 2011, 20:41.
