The Intertestamental
Period: From Babylon To The
Birth Of Christ
Review
Intertestamental Period
Week
Date
Topic
1
05 Mar 14 Overview
2
12 Mar 14 Babylonian Period (605-539 BC)
3
19 Mar 14 Persian Period (539-332 BC)
4
26 Mar 14 Greek Period (332-323 BC)
5
02 Apr 14 Ptolemaic (323-198 BC)
6
09 Apr 14 Syrian (198-168 BC)
7
16 Apr 14 Maccabean Part 1 (168-153 BC)
8
23 Apr 14 Maccabean Part 2 (153-139 BC)
9
30 Apr 14 Independence (139-63 BC)
10
07 May 14 Rome Intervenes (63 – 37 BC)
11
14 May 14 Herod (37 BC – 4 BC)
12
21 May 14 The IT Period and Christianity (4 BC – 70 AD)
13
28 May 14 Review
Today’s Objectives
 Review
overall study objectives
 Review the Intertestamental Timeline
 Review key nations that impact upon the
history of early Christianity
 Review key figures in the Intertestamental
Period and their impact upon early
Christianity
 Review Jewish religious and political
alliances and their impact upon early
Christianity
Reference Material

KJV (w/ Apocrypha)
– 1st and 2nd Maccabbees
Josephus – The Complete Works
 Herodotus – The History
 Intertestamental History – Mark Moore
 Ancient Rome – Simon Baker
 Harding University – BNEW 112 Course
Notes – Dr. Thompson
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We end where we started
Masada
Rulers of Judea
Babylonian
 Persian
 Greek
 Ptolemaic
 Syrian
 Maccabean
 Independence
 Rome
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Babylonian
612 BC – Babylon captures the Assyrian capital
of Nineveh
 605 BC – Nebuchadnezzar reigns over the
Babylonian empire and begins Jewish
deportation to Babylon
 604 BC – Nebuchadnezzar’s dream – Daniel 2
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– Inferior kingdom will replace Babylon
– A third kingdom will rise, of bronze
– A fourth kingdom will rise, of iron
Prophets are Habakkuk, Ezekiel, Daniel
 539 BC - Persia, under Cyrus, captures Babylon
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Persian
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538-537 BC – Cyrus decrees return of the Jews
from captivity (Ezra 1:1-4)
536 BC – 70 year captivity ends (Ezra 1:5-11),
temple construction begins
516 BC – 2nd temple completed in Jerusalem
Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Malachi,
Esther
480 BC - Greek victories over Persia (Dan 11:2)
331 BC – Alexander gains complete control of
the Persian empire
Greek
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331-324 BC – Extension of Greek territory
Extends into Asia including the land of israel
323 BC – Alexander dies
316 BC – Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties (Dan
11:4)
300 BC – Greek empire divided between four
Generals (Dan 8:5-8, 11:3-4)
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Ptolomy took Egypt
Cassander took Greece
Seleucus took Babylon/Persia
Antigonus took Asia Minor
 He was killed in battle in 301 BC and succeded by Lysimachus
Ptolemaic and Seleucid
280 BC (prophecy in Dan 11)
 Seleucids
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– Babylonia
– Asia Minor
– Northern Syria
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Ptolemaic
– Southern Syria
– Egypt
260 BC – Rome controls all of Italy
 250 BC – Greek translation of OT begins
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Maccabean/Independence
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198 BC – Ptolemies lose control of Palestine to
the Seleucids
175 BC - Antiochus IV Epiphanies seizes the
Seleucid throne
Antiochus IV punishes Jerusalem for their
rebellion
167-143 BC - Maccabean revolt
164 BC – Temple retaken and cleansed
150 BC – Rome destroys Carthage
142 BC – Judea gains political independence
130 BC – Dead Sea Scrolls
66 BC – Rome occupies Jerusalem
Historical Background
It was during the time of the Maccabees
that it is believed that the Pharisees,
Sadducees and Essenes developed their
ideology.
 The Pharisees were fighting against the
Hellenization of the Jews
 The Sadducees had accepted some of the
Greek influence. They had also been
closely connected to the Hasmonians
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Pharisees
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Chief rival sect was the Sadducees
Tended to be middle class and open to religious
innovation
Use of oral legal tradition to supplement the Torah
Their interpretations, once given, were scrupulously
adhered to
Emphasis on divine providence (like the Essene)
Eventually adopted a belief in existence of spirits
and angels, the resurrection, and the coming of a
Messiah
However, Pharisees appear as Jesus' most vocal
critics
Sadducees
Originated mainly from the conservative
and aristocratic priestly class
 Main rival to the Pharisee
 Acceptance only of the Law and rejection of
oral tradition
 Denial of bodily resurrection; immortality of
the soul; existence of a spirit world (Mark
12:18; Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8)
 They opposed the early church (Acts 4:1-4)
 Cease to exist after the temple is destroyed
in 70 AD
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Essenes
Strict discipline, isolation from others
 Bible never mentions the Essenes
 Credited with writing the Dead Sea Scrolls
 Characteristics
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Did not own any private property; shared possessions
They avoided any show of luxury, very simple meals
They wore simple clothes until they hung in shreds
Careful observance of the laws of Moses
Established membership rituals – lasted several years
Believed that the souls of men were immortal
 Avoided taking part in the services of the Temple
Similar to early Christians
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Zealots
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Fanatical Jewish sect militantly opposed the Roman
occupation
Most fervent Jewish nationalists called themselves
"Zealots"
Devoted supporters of the Lord and His laws and who
were ready to fight for them
Like the Pharisees, devoted to the Jewish law and religion
Unlike most Pharisees, they thought it was treason against
God to pay tribute to the Roman emperor, since God alone
was Israel's king
Zealots eventually degenerated into a group of assassins
known as Sicarii (Latin, daggermen)
Their increasing fanaticism was one factor that provoked
the Roman-Jewish war
The Zealots took control of Jerusalem in 66 AD, led to the
siege of Jerusalem and its fall in 70 AD. The last
stronghold of the Zealots, the fortress of Masada, fell to
the Romans in 73 AD
Maccabean Period
Mattathias was the patriarch of the
Maccabean period
 He had five sons
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– John
– Simon
– Judas
– Eleazar
– Jonathan
These are the Hasmonians, or Maccabees
 All five were killed in violent confrontations
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Maccabean Period
They waged a guerilla style war on Syria
 Mattathias died in 166 BC and Judas took
over
 Judas led the men to defeat several large
enemies of the Syrians and eventually
freed Jerusalem in 165 BC
 They rededicated the temple on December
25, 165 BC
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Maccabean Period
160 BC-Some of the Hellenized Jews
convince the Seleucids to attack Judas—
Judas and his 800 men were killed
 Jonathan then takes up the leadership
 Jonathan watched as a civil war erupted in
Syria, by aligning himself with the winner
he was appointed High Priest of Israel and
Governor of Judea
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Maccabean Period
143 BC-Jonathan is captured by the
Seleucids
 When the Seleucids were moving in to
attack Jerusalem, a storm made their
movement impossible
 They killed Jonathan and went back to
Syria
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Maccabean Period
142 BC-Simon takes over
 With another civil war in Syria, Simon
negotiates Jewish support for freedom
 When the war was over, Israel was
granted their freedom for the first time in
over 400 years
 135 BC-Simon’s son-in-law, governor over
Jericho, made a move to overthrow Simon
and have him killed
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Maccabean Period
The Jews made Simon both King and High
Priest and made it a hereditary position—
this became the Hasmonian Dynasty
 Hasidim gave Simon the title “Leader and
High Priest Forever”
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– “Until there should arise a faithful prophet”
They then asked Rome to mediate the
dispute
 He is murdered in 135 BC by a son-in-law
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John Hyrcanus
Simon and two of his sons are killed in 135
BC, his third son John Hyrcanus, escapes
 Hyrcanus rules from 135-104 BC
 Antiochus VII is the last strong king of the
Seleucid empire, dies in 129 BC
 Hyrcanus is free to expand Judah
 Takes territory in Perea, then Idumea and
Edom
 Conquers the Samaritans and defeats
several strong Greek cities in the region
 Opens up for future expansion into Galilee
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Developments under Hyrcanus
Seleucid/Syrian interference eroded
 Jewish Hellenizers
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– Lose support of Seleucid/Greek power
– Become supporters of the king
– Became known as Sadducees
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Hasidim
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Had been more popular, equate to the Roman plebes
Associated with the common people
Began opposing the Hasmonean power
Oppose those holding secular ruler and high priest
Called Pharisees
Hyrcanus finally allies with the Sadducees
Civil War
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Civil war between Sadducees and Pharisees
– Jannaeus pours water libation at his feet rather
than on the alter
– Enrages Pharisee, throw citrons at Jannaeus
– Many Pharisees killed in retaliation
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Pharisee appeal to Syria (ironically)
– Syrian troops intervene and then depart
Alexandra dies in 67 BC, war breaks out
again
 Hyrcanus seizes most of Judea
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Roman Intervention
Civil war continues
 News of fighting reaches the Roman general
Pompey, who is campaigning in the East
 Pompey had become a very popular field
commander
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– Very successful campaign against pirates in the
Mediterranean Sea in 67 BC
– Julius Caesar supports Pompey’s actions
Pompey moves south to “arbitrate” in Judah
 Starts the Roman control of Judah
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Roman
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63-40 BC – High Priest is under Roman Control
44 BC – Caesar assassinated
37-4 BC – Herod the Great is king over Judea
(Roman control)
19 BC – Construction of Herod’s temple
4 BC – Birth of Christ and death of Herod
6 AD – Judea becomes a Roman province
28 AD – Pontius Pilate appointed procurator of
Judea
30 AD – Christ is crucified, birth of the church
66-73 AD – Jewish revolt against Rome,
destruction of Jerusalem, end of Judaism
Antipater II, Phasael and Herod
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In gratitude, Caesar appointed Antipater II
as the administrator of Judea (47 BC)
– Under Cassius
Adds territories to Judea taken from Pompey
 Antipater II appoints his two sons to posts
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– Phasael is made governor of Jerusalem
– Herod is made governor of Galilee
After Caesar is murdered (44 BC), Cassius
seizes control of Judea
 Antipater II is murdered (43 BC)
 Phasael and Harod become joint rulers of
Judea (42 BC)
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Marc Antony and Octavian
Octavian was Caesar’s nephew
 Antony and Octavian defeat Cassius and
Brutus in the battle of Philippi (42 BC)
 Philippi becomes a Roman colony, making
them Roman citizens (Acts 16:12)
 Phasael and Herod switch allegiance to
Antony, who confirms their position
 Parthians invade Palestine
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– 40 BC
– Capture and imprison Hyrcanus II and Phasael
– Herod escapes, eventually to Rome
Octavian fights Antony
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Source of contention
– Antony’s neglect for his wives including
Octavian’s sister
– Antony gave Cleopatra rule of conquered land
– Octavian had taken power and territory of
Lepidus (part of the Triumvirate)
Herod the Great aligned with Antony
 Battle of Actium occurs
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– 31 BC
– Octavian defeat Antony (who later kills himself)
– Octavian awarded the title of Augustus
– Recognized as the transition of the Roman
Republic into the Roman Empire
Caesar Augustus (Octavian)
Herod promises his allegiance to Augustus
 Augustus adds to Herod’s domain
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– Nearly doubles in size
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Augustus reigns from 31 BC to 14 AD
– Grand nephew of Julius Caesar
– Dies at the age of 76
Outlives Herod the Great by 10 years
 Under Augustus’ rule
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– Orders a census of the Roman empire (Mic 5:2)
– Census caused the birth of Jesus Christ to be
recorded in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7)
– John the Baptist’s ministry
King Herod
The Sadducees were generally the wealthier, more
politically connected Jews while the Pharisees
were more in line with the common people
 Herod, in order to maintain his power, appointed a
Sadducee as High Priest, but lowered his
importance
 He then appointed a Pharisee as his deputy that
had control over all the temple’s functions
 The Pharisees also controlled the Synagogues,
which occurred after the return from Babylon
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Historical Background
All of this was leading up to the birth of
Jesus.
 The political maneuverings had created
the way for the Jews to have semiautonomous control while opening up the
whole world for communication
 The religious world was ripe for “change”
and reform, and His message would be
accepted by many who saw the need to
return to following God—the way God
wanted to be followed
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Procurators
Roman citizens of wealth who were not
magistrates or members of the senate
 Roscian Law set the minimum wealth at
400K Sesterces (about $380K today)
 Highest class were called prefectures
 There were 14 procurators in Judaea from 6
AD to 66 AD – the time of the Great Revolt
 Pontius Pilate is perhaps the most famous
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– Served from 26-35 AD
– Fifth Procurator of Judea
– The judge at Jesus' trial and the man who
authorized his crucifixion
Pontius Pilate
Referred to as the "Prefect of Judea“
 Described as inflexible, merciless, and
obstinate
 Responsible for imperial tax collections in
Judea
 John 18:28-40 describes the interaction
between Jesus and Pilate
 Rule was brought to an end through trouble
which arose in Samaria
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– Revolving around a sacred vessel thought to
belong to Moses and his attempts to secure
Rise of Christianity
Jesus taught that inner transformation was
most important, humility, charity, and love for
others
 Judeans turned Jesus over to the Romans
because they thought he might cause people to
revolt against Romans
 Pontius Pilate ordered his crucifixion
 Followers of Jesus believed that he overcame
death and was the Messiah
 Simon Peter and the disciples taught that Jesus
was the Savior and Son of God
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The Great Revolt
66-73 AD, time of Nero, then Vespasian
 First of three revolts by the Jews against
the Romans
 Initially started over religious tensions
between Jews and Greeks
 Grew with anti-taxation protests and
attacks upon Roman citizens
 Ended when Legions under Titus destroyed
rebel resistance in Jerusalem, and defeated
the remaining Jewish strongholds (Masada)
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Thanks for a Great Study!