Max Beer

“ The close connection of Palestine with the Jews of the dispersion, the differentiation of the economic activities of the Palestinians themselves, and the gradual entrance of Palestine into the Hellenic sphere of civilisation, contributed greatly to the development of trade and commerce in Palestine. The third century must have been an age of material prosperity and general well-being, which filled the Jewish mind with an optimistic view of life. ”

“ In the age of this pessimistic reaction were produced such literary monuments as Job and Ecclesiastes, in which the great question of the discrepancy between virtue and happiness and the despair of any intelligent management of the world, find partly sublime, partly cynical expression. ”

“ Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already, neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. ”