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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Matthew 23:15 – “It will be horrible for you, O teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You travel all over the worldf to make just one convert. And when you convert him, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are! 
  • One shekel was worth about four of today’s dollars.  The Jews used shekels when dealing with the Jewish religious/political government.  Otherwise they used coins minted by Rome and local procurators and governors such as drachmi.
  • Luke 3:1-2 – While John, Zechariah’s son, was in the desert, the Word of God came to him. This occurred during the 15th year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were ruling for Caesar: Pontius Pilate ruled Judea; Herod Antipas ruled Galilee; Philip, Herod’s brother,a ruled Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias ruled Abilene. Hannas and Caiaphas were high priestsb at that time. 
  • John 2:13-22 – 13The time for the Jewish Passover Festivala was near. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14He found some men in the temple courtyard. They were selling cattle, sheep, and pigeons. The money-exchangers were also sitting there.b 15Jesus made a whip from some ropes. He forced all of them to leave the courtyard—even the cattle and the sheep. He turned the money-exchangers’ tables over and scattered their coins. 16He said to the men who were selling pigeons, “Get those things out of here! Don’t turn my Father’s House into a place of business!” 17His followers remembered that this verse was in the Scriptures: “The fire which I feel for Your Housec burns within me!” (Psalms 69:9) 18The Jewish leaders asked Jesus this question: “What proof do you give to show us that you have the authority to do these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple sanctuary and I will raise it in three days!” 20Then the Jewish leaders said, “It took 46 years to build this temple sanctuary—and you would build it again in three days!?” 21(Jesus was talking about the temple sanctuary of his body.d 22After Jesus was raised from death, his followers remembered that he always used to say this. They believed the Scripture and what Jesus had said.)
  • Matthew 21:5, 9-13, 18, 23 – “Tell this to the city of Zion:a ‘Listen! Your King is coming to you. He is gentle; he is riding on a donkey, even upon a young donkey,born of a work animal.’ ” (Zechariah 9:9)…9The crowds were shouting. Some people were in front of Jesus and some were behind him. They said, “Hosannab to the son of David! Give praise to this one who is coming with the authority of the Lord God. Hosanna to God!”c 10When Jesus came into Jerusalem, the whole city was excited, asking, “Who is this man!?” 11The crowds continued to say, “He is Jesus, the Prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.” 12Jesus went into the temple courtyard. He threw out all the people who were selling and buying things there. He turned the money-exchangers’ tables upside down. He also turned over the chairs of the people who were selling pigeons. 13Jesus said to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a place for praying.’ (Isaiah 56:7) but you have changed it into a hiding place for thieves!”d …18Early the next morning, when Jesus was going back into Jerusalem, he was hungry…23Jesus went into the temple courtyard. He was teaching the people. The most important priests and some of the Jewish elders came to him. They asked, “What sort of authority do you have to do these things!? Who gave you this authority!?”
  • Luke 21:1-4 – As Jesus looked up, he saw some rich people putting their gifts for God into the temple money-box.a 2Then Jesus saw a widow who was very poor. She put two small coins into the box. 3Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth: This poor widow has given more than all those rich people. 4The rich people have plenty; they only gave what they didn’t need, but this woman gave everything she had. She needed that money to live on.”
  • John 14:13 – I will do whatever you ask for in my name. The Father will receive glory in the Son. 
  • Matthew 6:1-2, 19-21 – “Be careful not to do your good deeds in front of people, so that they will notice you. If you do that, then you will not receive a reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2“When you help poor people, don’t sound a trumpeta before you. The hypocritesb act like that in the synagogues and on the streets, so that people will praise them. I am telling you the truth: They have received their reward...9“This is the way you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, may Your Name always be kept holy. 10May Your kingdom come.May what You want done be done. May it always be here on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us the food we need each day. 12Forgive us of the sins we have committed, as we also forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. 13Keep us away from temptation. Rescue us from the evil one.’ 14“If you forgive people of the things they have done wrong to you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15However, if you do not forgive people, then your Father will not forgive the wrong things which you have done.” 16“And when you fast,c do not wear a sad face as the hypocrites do. They make their faces look very serious, so that people will realize that they are fasting. I am telling you the truth: They have received their reward. 17Instead, when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face, 18so that people will not realize that you are fasting. Your heavenly Father sees this in secret; He will repay you.” 19“Do not store your treasures on the earth, where moths and rust destroy and where robbers dig through and steal. 20Instead, store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where robbers cannot dig through or steal. 21The place where your treasure is will also be the place where your heart is.”
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Psalm 104:17 – The little birds make their nests there. The home of the stork is in the fir trees.
  • Deuteronomy 14:28-29 –  “At the end of every third year, you must bring 10 percent of that year’s crop. Store it in your towns. 29This will go to the Levites, so that they may eat and be satisfied. (They have no land of their own among you.) It is also for foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. All of them should eat and be satisfied, too. Then the Always-Present One, your God, will bless you and all the labor of your hands that you do.”
  • This figure is based on a census taken by Moses confirming 601,730 men (wage earners, and therefore tax payers), not counting priests and Levites who were supported by the people.
  • I Kings 6:21 – Solomon covered the inside of the temple seamlessly with pure gold. And, he put gold chains across the front of the inner room.y It was plated with gold. 
  • Psalm 11:1 – To the director of music. A psalm of David. I’ve trusted in Yahweh for protection. How dare you people say this to me: “Escape like a bird to your mountain.
  • Exodus 12:3-4, 13 – Speak to the whole community of Israel. Say this: ‘On the 10th day of this month, every person must get a lambc for himself and his family—one lamb per home. 4If one lamb is too much meat for that home, then he and his next-door neighbor should share a lamb, taking into account how many people there are. You should calculate how many people can be fed with the lamb’s meat…! 13The blood on the houses where you are will be a sign for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. There will be no disaster among you to destroy you when I strike down the land of Egypt. 
  • Exodus 30:12-13 – “When you add up the total number of the sons of Israel, of all those who are counted, each one must pay Me the pricef for his life at the time that he is counted.g This will prevent a disaster from happening when you count them.h 13Each one who crosses over to those who have already been counted must give a half-shekeli (according to the shekel of the Sanctuary; the shekel is 20 gerahs), a half-shekel as a raised-offering to Me.
  • Numbers 18:15-16 – The first one born to any Jewish family will be offered to Me. This is true for both human beings and animals. And, that will be yours. But you must make a payment for every firstborn son and every firstborn animal that is ‘unclean.’ 16When they are one month old, you must make a payment for them. The cost will be 2 ouncesf of silver as set by the standard—20 gerahsg —of the Sanctuary.
  • Leviticus 2:1,4, 14, 10 – “ ‘When a person offers a food-offeringa to the Always-Present One, that offering must be made from flour. That person must pour olive oil on it and put incense on it… 4“ ‘If you offer a food-offering that was baked in an oven,b it must be made from flour. It may be loaves made without yeast and mixed with olive oil. Or, it may be wafers made without yeast. They are to have olive oil poured over them…14“ ‘If you offer a food-offering from the first harvest to the Always-Present One, then offer only crushed heads of new grain. And, they must be roasted in the fire as a food-offering from the first harvest…10The rest of the food-offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Always-Present One by fire.
  • Leviticus 7:12, 17 – He may bring the peace-offering to show that he is thankful to God. If he does, then he should also bring loaves of bread. They must be made without yeast. They must have olive oil mixed with them. He should also bring unleavened crackers brushed with olive oil. And he should bring some bread made with the best flour and olive oil… 17If any meat from this sacrifice is left over on the third day, then it must be burned up! 
  • Leviticus 8:31 – Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “I gave you a command. I said: ‘Aaron and his sons will eat these things.’n So, take the meat and the basket of bread from the offering for anointing priests and boil the meat at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Eat it there, along with the bread. 
  • Leviticus 27:2-4 – Tell the people of Israel: ‘Someone might make an extraordinary vow. He might promise to dedicate himself or something else to Me.a The priest must set a specified amount for that individual.b 3The specified pricec for a man who is 20 to 60 years old is 1¼ pounds of silver [$200]. (You must use the standardd as set by the Sanctuary.) 4The specified price for a woman who is 20 to 60 years old is 12 ouncese of silver  [$120].
  • Zechariah 7:11-13 – “But they refused to pay attention. They became stubborn.n They would not listen.o 12They made their hearts as hard as a rock.p They would not heed the teachings.q And, they would not listen to the words which Yahweh of the armies of heaven had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets.r Therefore, great punishment came from Yahweh of the armies of heaven. 13“Yahweh of the armies of heaven says: ‘When I called to them, they would not listen! So, when they called to Me, I would not listen.s 

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS:
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BOOK. 18, 2:2 – Tiberius [Caesar]…sent Valerius Gratus…procurator of Judea….deprived Ananus of the high priesthood, and appointed Ismael…to be high priest.  He also deprived him in a little time, and ordained Eleazar, the son of Ananus who had been high priest before, to be high priest; which office when he had held for a year, Gratus deprived him of it, and gave the high priesthood to Simon…and when he had possessed that dignity no longer than a year Joseph Caiaphas was made his successor.  When Gratus had done those things, he went back to Rome…when Pontius Pilate came as his successor.
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BOOK 14, 7:2 –  (No wonder there was so much wealth in our temple, since all the Jews throughout the habitable earth…even those of Asia and Europe, sent their contributions to it, and this from very ancient times.)

SPECIAL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OTHER EPISODES

Season 3, Folk Hero, “Cosmic Chaos”

Season 1, Dream Maker, “Firelight”

Season 1, Dream Maker,  “Unorthodox Orthodox”

Season 6: Shadow of Death, “Sleeping Giant”