The first-century historian Josephus, in his work Against Apion, offers a fascinating perspective on this very question when describing the Jewish people. He highlights a remarkable harmony, a “wonderful agreement of minds” that sets them apart. But where does this concord come from?
Josephus argues that it stems from a shared understanding of God and a unified way of life. Think about it: how powerful is it when everyone is on the same page, guided by the same principles? This, he suggests, is precisely what makes the Jewish community so strong. "This entire agreement of ours in all our notions concerning God, and our having no difference in our course of life and manners, procures among us the most excellent concord of these our manners that is any where among mankind."
He contrasts this unity with the diverse and often contradictory views found among other nations, even among their philosophers. Imagine a society where even the most learned scholars can't agree on the fundamental nature of the divine! Josephus implies this creates division and uncertainty. He says that "no other people but the Jews have avoided all discourses about God that any way contradict one another, which yet are frequent among other nations; and this is true not only among ordinary persons, according as every one is affected, but some of the philosophers have been insolent enough to indulge such contradictions, while some of them have undertaken to use such words as entirely take away the nature of God, as others of them have taken away his providence over mankind."
Moreover, Josephus emphasizes that this unity extends beyond theological debates. It permeates every aspect of life. There are no stark divisions in how people conduct themselves. "Nor can any one perceive amongst us any difference in the conduct of our lives, but all our works are common to us all."
He points out that Jewish law dictates a consistent message about God – a God who sees all. And this message isn't confined to religious leaders or scholars. Even the most humble members of society – "our women, and servants themselves" – understand that piety should be the ultimate goal in life. "We have one sort of discourse concerning God, which is conformable to our law, and affirms that he sees all things; as also we have but one way of speaking concerning the conduct of our lives, that all other things ought to have piety for their end; and this any body may hear from our women, and servants themselves."
So, what can we take away from Josephus's observations? Is it about strict conformity? Perhaps. But maybe it's about something deeper: the power of a shared narrative, a common purpose, and a collective commitment to living a life guided by ethical principles. Maybe it's about the strength that comes from knowing, deep down, that you're part of something bigger than yourself, a community united by faith and a shared vision of the good.
And in a world that often feels fragmented and divided, isn't that something worth striving for?