Overview of Second Temple Period

1. Overview of Second Temple Period Geography

2. Major cities, regions and empires • Persia • Babylon / Mesopotamia • Syria (Antioch) • Palestine • Galilee • Samaria • Judea (Jerusalem) • Egypt (Alexandria) • Rome

4. Alexander the Great, 333-323

7. Damascus • Galilee • Samaria • Mt. Gerizim • Shechem • Judea (Jerusalem)

8. Romans • Seleucids • Hasmoneans • Ptolemies

9. Roman Empire

10. Overview of Second Temple Period Major periods of political history

11. Major periods within the Second Temple Period by control of Jerusalem • 538-333, Persian Period • 333, Alexander the Great, begins Hellenistic Period • 305-198, Ptolemaic Period (Greek kings in Egypt rule over Jerusalem) • 198-164, Seleucid Period (Greek kings in Syria rule over Jerusalem) • 152-63 Hasmonean Period • 164-152 could be categorized as the dawning of the Hasmonean period, or simply as anarchic • 63 BCE until fourth or seventh century CE, Roman Period

12. 538-333 Persian Period • 538 Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon • 516 Jerusalem Temple rebuilt • 458-432 Ezra and Nehemiah • Persia rulers gave Judeans considerable autonomy, especially in religion. • If there was a culture clash between Persia and Judea, it is not evident in the sources.

13. 333, Alexander the Great, begins Hellenistic Period • Alexander conquered from Macedonia to Egypt and then East to India, then died young with no adult heir • Alexander’s empire was divided between his generals (violently), with Jerusalem in the disputed region between the Ptolemies (based in Alexandria, Egypt) and the Seleucids (based in Antioch and Damascus) • In general, compared to the Persians, the Greeks were more interested in spreading Greek culture and less interested in tolerating local diversity.

14. 305-198, Ptolemaic Period (Greek kings in Egypt rule over Jerusalem) • Translation of the Torah (five books of Moses) into Greek (called the Septuagint, abbreviated LXX) • Jewish community in Alexandria seems to have had more ups than downs. • Relatively few conflicts with Jerusalem recorded in the available sources.

15. 198-164, Seleucid Period (Greek kings in Syria rule over Jerusalem) • The Ptolemies continued to rule in Egypt, but the border between Seleucids and Ptolemies moved south, such that Jerusalem was now under the Seleucids. • 190, first major victory of the Romans in the region • 175, Antiochus IV Epiphanes begins bidding war for high priesthood of Jerusalem Temple • 175-172 Jason • 172-162 Menelaus • 162-159 Alcimus • 167, non-Kosher altar brought into Temple, Maccabean revolt begins • 164, Judah Maccabee redicates the Temple, forges alliance with Rome

16. 152-63 Hasmonean Period • 164-152 could be categorized as the dawning of the Hasmonean period, or simply as anarchic • 152, Judah Maccabee’s brother claims high-priesthood with Seleucid consent • Judah Maccabee’s family is the Hasmonean family • The Hasmoneans rule Palestine with relative independence while navigating between the Romans and Seleucids, and power struggles among the Seleucids • 67-63, two Hasmonean brothers fight each other, and both appeal to the Romans for support. • 63, the Roman general Pompey resolves the matter by taking over, beginning centuries of direct or indirect Roman rule.

17. 63 BCE until fourth or seventh century CE, Roman Period • 63 BCE, Roman general Pompey enters Jerusalem • 37-4 BCE, Herod the Great, most famous vassal king under Romans • 6-66 CE, direct rule of Roman procurators (except for Agrippa 1, 41-44) • 66-74, Jewish revolt in Palestine against Rome • 70, Temple destroyed • 115-117, revolt of Jews in Egypt • 132-135, Bar Kokhba revolt fails, ends Jewish life in Jerusalem • 200-220, the editing of the Mishnah (first major Rabbinic document) • In the fourth century “Roman” rule of Palestine moves from Rome proper to Constantinople (Byzantium) • In the seventh century the Islamic conquest incorporates Jerusalem and the site of the Temple becomes holy in Islam