The Concept of the Messiah and how it relates to the Jewish Leaders in the Jewish Scripture and Today

Abstract

It has been argued that the Jewish peoples would not have been able to survive, as such, for so many centuries since they were a small community surrounded by those who did not share their faith. I am going to examine the Ancient Israelites concept of piety and their idea of the Messiah to ascertain whether these could have been contributing factors in making it possible for the monotheistic Israelites to survive although surrounded by pagan neighbors. The concept of the Messiah was that of a man who understood Jewish law and its commandments, was righteous, fought for Israel, and was a good judge, military leader, and an inspiring speaker. I will be examining examples of this concept in the Jewish Scripture as pious and impious leaders and how successful or unsuccessful they were. When possible, I will also contrast the understanding of the Messiah with values seen in the Pagan leaders.