> The New History of the Jews
I was going to check the Internet Archive for a copy, but apparently this is not an easy book to find.
Publication date
1968
Topics
Jews – History
Publisher
Staunton, Va., International Institute of Jewish Studies
Collection
internetarchivebooks; inlibrary; printdisabled
Contributor
Internet Archive
Language
English
Item Size
661.4M
151, [2] p. 21 cm
Bibliography: p. [153]
Access-restricted-item
true
NOTABLE
MacCormack told the truth to a dysfunctional bureaucracy and destroyed his career thereby. So the bureaucracy hates truth so much that it will destroy anyone who tries to tell it the truth.
Mark 5:5 is relevant, if one translates "blessed are the disciplined" or "blessed are the temperate."
The Greek word πραεῖς (praeis), typically translated as "meek" or "gentle," has significant theological and philosophical weight. Its most well-known occurrence is in Matthew 5:5:
> μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν.
> "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
This word and its cognates appear in both biblical and earlier classical Greek sources. Let’s explore its usage:
—
### 1. In the Gospels:
#### Matthew 5:5 – Beatitudes
πραεῖς here conveys a spiritual and ethical quality – not weakness, but humility, non-retaliation, and gentleness in strength.
It's rooted in Psalm 37:11 (LXX 36:11):
οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν
(“But the meek shall inherit the earth”)
So Jesus is quoting or alluding to the Septuagint.
#### Matthew 11:29
> μάθετε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ
> “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart”
Jesus describes himself as πραΰς, showing that this virtue is central to his character.
#### Matthew 21:5 (Zechariah 9:9 quotation)
> Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεται σοι πραΰς
> "Behold, your king is coming to you, gentle…"
Again, Jesus is depicted as a king who is gentle, riding on a donkey—showing humility and nonviolence.
—
### 2. Earlier Greek Usage (Classical & Hellenistic):
In Classical Greek, πραΰς (adjective, singular form) and πραΰτης (noun) had various meanings, often nuanced:
#### Plato
πραΰτης is a desirable trait in a philosopher or ruler. In The Republic (Book IV), Plato links it with σωφροσύνη (temperance).
Praotes is not weakness but controlled strength, the ability to be calm and moderate even in power.
#### Aristotle
In Nicomachean Ethics (Book IV.5), Aristotle defines πραΰτης as the mean between ὀργιλότης (irascibility) and ἀοργησία (lack of spirit). It’s gentleness or mildness in anger:
"He who is praus is angry on the right occasions, with the right people, for the right length of time, and in the right manner."
So Aristotle considers πραΰτης a virtue of emotional balance.
—
### 3. Hellenistic Jewish Use (Septuagint)
The LXX (Greek Old Testament) uses πραΰς and πραεῖς to translate the Hebrew עָנָו (ʿanav) or עָנִי (ʿani) — often meaning humble, poor, or lowly in spirit.
Psalm 37:11 (LXX 36:11):
οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν
Numbers 12:3:
Μωυσῆς ἦν πραΰς σφόδρα – “Moses was very meek”
This aligns the term with humility before God, not just social gentleness.
—
### Summary of Usage
| Context | Meaning of πραεῖς |
| --- | -----------– |
| Gospels | Spiritually humble, gentle in strength, receptive to God |
| LXX | Humble, lowly, patient, especially in suffering |
| Plato | Inner balance, peace of soul, harmonious |
| Aristotle | Controlled gentleness in response to anger; moral virtue |
| General | Not passive weakness, but active, deliberate self-restraint |
—
>Fast forward to present day, and this is the first time visiting the site all week, and no, I don’t even check the notables anymore.
>
>WHY?
Because FastJack left, probably.