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Greece and Persia, and sought to reform the traditions of Judaism. One of these teachers was the son of Sirach, surnamed Jesus (a common name in this era). He spoke of God's omniscience and of the importance of a virtuous life of moral integrity. Ben (Hebrew for ‘son of') Sirach taught that a life of virtue is characterized by compassion and is expressed through good deeds. Another contemporary Jewish reformer was the sage Hillel. He reminded the people of one of the central tenets of their ancient tradition, because they seemed to have forgotten it:
Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.
He also objected to the empty rituals of the priests. One of the greatest Jewish scholars of this period was Philo." He lived in Alexandria, a center of Jewish life in Egypt. He studied Indian and Greek philosophy and wrote many volumes in which he interpreted these ideas in the context of Jewish thought. One of his most significant contributions is his treatise “On the contemplative life” in which he explicitly makes the case for moral integrity and its importance in leading a spiritual life.
Although there were so many reformers speaking out during these centuries of turmoil in Judaism, they were unable to significantly influence the common people or gain much support.
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