Hellenism

1
Hellenism
2
Alexander the Great

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vMQfBinQwPGsfeature
  email

3
Alexander the Macedonian
4
Unifying the Empire

• Alexander encouraged intermarriages, setting an
  example by marrying a Persian princess himself.
  He placed soldiers from all the provinces in his
  army. He introduced a uniform currency system
  throughout the empire and promoted trade and
  commerce. He encouraged the spread of Greek
  ideas, customs, and laws into Asia. When he heard
  that some of his provincial officials ruled
  unjustly, he replaced them. To receive
  recognition as the supreme ruler, he required the
  provinces to worship him as a god.

5
Arrian of Nicomedia on Weddings at Susa

• Then he also celebrated weddings at Susa, both
  his own and those of his Companions. He himself
  married Barsine, the eldest of Darius' daughters,
  and, according to Aristobulus, another girl as
  well, Parysatis, the youngest of the daughters of
  Ochus. He had already married previously Roxane,
  the daughter of Oxyartes of Bactria.
• He gave Drypetis to Hephaestion, she too a
  daughter of Darius and a sister of his own wife
  his intention was that the children of
  Hephaestion should be cousins to his own
  children. To Craterus he gave Amastris daughter
  of Oxyathres, brother of Darius, and to Perdiccas
  the daughter of Atropates, satrap of Media. To
  Ptolemy the bodyguard and to Eumenes the royal
  secretary he gave the daughters of Artabazus,
  Artacama to one and Artonis to the other. To
  Nearchus he gave the daughter of Barsine and
  Mentor, and to Seleucus the daughter of
  Spitamenes of Bactria. Similarly he gave to the
  other Companions the noblest daughters of the
  Persians and Medes, some eighty in all.
• The marriages were celebrated according to
  Persian custom. Chairs were placed for the
  bridegrooms in order, and after the drinks the
  brides came in and sat down, each by the side of
  her groom. They took them by the hand and kissed
  them the king began the ceremony, for all the
  weddings took place together. More than any
  action of Alexander this seemed to show a popular
  and comradely spirit. The bridegrooms after
  receiving their brides led them away, each to his
  own home, and to all Alexander gave a dowry. And
  as for all the Macedonians who had already
  married Asian women, Alexander ordered a list of
  their names to be drawn up they numbered over
  10,000, and Alexander offered them all gifts
  their wedding. 

6
Hellenistic Period

• 332BCE Alexander the Great conquers Palestine
• 323BCE Alexander dies
• Diadochi, Ptolemy in Egypt, Seleucus in Syria
• 301-201BCE Ptolemaic Rule
• Allowed to continue as semiautonomous
• 201BCE Seleucid conquest of Palestine
• 175-171 Jason High Priest
• bribes Antiochus IV for high priesthood
• builds gymnasium in Jerusalem which becomes a
  polis Antioch
• 171-167 Menelaus High Priest
• Converts temple into pagan shrine, YHVHZeusBaal
  Shamin
• 168-164 Maccabean Revolt
• 167-166 Antiochus IV decrees persecution
• 164 Judah conquers Jerusalem and rededicates the
  Temple

7
Hannukah

• The Maccabean Revolt

8
Why did Antiochus Persecute the Jews?

• He was crazy, nervous, eccentric.
• May have hastened the persecution but not caused
  it.
• He was a Great Hellenizer and unifier
• But only for political ends by making poleis, not
  cultural.
• The Jewish Hellenizers asked for the decrees.
• Decrees result from a civil war.

9
Why is Hanukah 8 Days?
10
Winter Solstice Holiday

• ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?? ? ???? ?
• ??'. ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ????? - ?' ???? ???
  ?????, ??????? - ?' ???? ???? ?????, ??????
  (????? ???) ???? ???? ????? ???'.
• ?"? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????, ???
  ??? ??, ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?????
  ????? ?????, ??? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ?????,
  ??? ???? ?' ???? ?????? ??????, ???? ????
  ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????, ??? ????? ??
  ???? ???, ??? ???? ????? ???? ?????, ???? ?????
  ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????, ??? ???? ??? ????,
  ??? ????? ??? ????? ??????. ????? ??"? ?????
  ???? ?????, ???? ???? ???, ???? ????? ???? ??
  ??? ??? ??"? ????? ???? ?????, ?? ??? ??? ????
  ???? ????? ?????! ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???.
• ?"? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????, ???? ????? ????
  ???, ??? ??? ??, ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ????
  ?????? ???? ????? ?????, ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???
  ?? ?????, ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ????
  ???? ?????, ???? ???? ???? ????, ??? ????? ??
  ???? ???.

11
Winter Solstice

• Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zara 8a
• Our Rabbis taught When Adam saw the day getting
  gradually shorter, he said, Woe is me, perhaps
  because I have sinned, the world around me is
  being darkened and returning to its state of
  chaos and confusion this then is the kind of
  death to which I have been sentenced from
  Heaven! So he began keeping an eight days fast.
  But as he observed the winter equinox and noted
  the day getting increasingly longer, he said,
  This is the world's course, and he set forth to
  keep an eight days festivity. In the following
  year he appointed both as festivals. Now, he
  fixed them for the sake of Heaven, but the
  heathens appointed them for the sake of
  idolatry.

12
Like Sukkoth

• II Maccabees 10
• Now Maccabeus and his followers, the Lord leading
  them on, recovered the temple and the city 2.
  they tore down the altars that had been built in
  the public square by the foreigners, and also
  destroyed the sacred precincts. 3. They purified
  the sanctuary, and made another altar of
  sacrifice then, striking fire out of flint, they
  offered sacrifices, after a lapse of two years,
  and they offered incense and lighted lamps and
  set out the bread of the Presence. 
• 4. When they had done this, they fell prostrate
  and implored the Lord that they might never again
  fall into such misfortunes, but that, if they
  should ever sin, they might be disciplined by him
  with forbearance and not be handed over to
  blasphemous and barbarous nations. 5. It happened
  that on the same day on which the sanctuary had
  been profaned by the foreigners, the purification
  of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the
  twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was
  Chislev. 
• 6. They celebrated it for eight days with
  rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of
  booths, remembering how not long before, during
  the festival of booths, they had been wandering
  in the mountains and caves like wild animals. 7.
  Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and
  beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they
  offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had
  given success to the purifying of his own holy
  place. 8. They decreed by public edict, ratified
  by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should
  observe these days every year.  9. Such then was
  the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.

13
Lit for Eight Days

• ????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?
• ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??"? ?????? ???? ??????
  ????? ?????, ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ????.
  ???????? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ??????,
  ??????? ????? ??? ??????? ??????, ???? ??? ????
  ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????,
  ??? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ???, ???? ?? ?? ???????
  ???? ????? ????. ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????
  ????? ???? ??????.

14
Eight Metal Spits

• ?????? ???? (??? ????) ???? ? ?"? ?????? ????? ??
• ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??
  ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ????
  ???? ?? ???? ??? (????? ?' ?"?) ????? ???? ?????
  ???? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???????
  ????? ????,

15
Josephus is in the Dark

• Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 127
• Now Judas celebrated the festival of the
  restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for
  eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures
  thereon but he feasted them upon very rich and
  splendid sacrifices and he honored God, and
  delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they
  were so very glad at the revival of their
  customs, when, after a long time of intermission,
  they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of
  their worship, that they made it a law for their
  posterity, that they should keep a festival, on
  account of the restoration of their temple
  worship, for eight days. And from that time to
  this we celebrate this festival, and call it
  Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this
  liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us and that
  thence was the name given to that festival. Judas
  also rebuilt the walls round about the city, and
  reared towers of great height against the
  incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He
  also fortified the city Bethsura, that it might
  serve as a citadel against any distresses that
  might come from our enemies.

16
Dreidl
17

• The long nights of Hanukkah were ideal for games
  and play which, prohibited during the year (the
  main reason waste of time which should be
  devoted to the study of the Torah), were allowed
  on this occasion. The most popular game,
  especially with children, was trendl (dreidl a
  top in modern Hebrew sevivon) whose four sides
  were inscribed with the Hebrew letters
  S, h, g, n, standing for the words MS
  hyh lvdg sn (nes gadol hayah sham, a great
  miracle occurred there), in Israel the S is
  replaced by p, the initial of hp (poh, here).
  The dreidl is an example of how foreign material
  was ingeniously Judaized the original medieval
  dice used in Germany by gamblers was inscribed
  with the four letters N, G, H, and S, which are
  the initials nichts (nothing), ganz (all),
  halb (half), and stellein (put in). The four
  Hebrew parallel letters of the dice which became
  sanctified have the same numerical value as that
  of the word Messiah (ShgnHyQm358) and
  appropriate conclusions were consequently
  reached. Cards were also Judaized and special
  Jewish card sets, inscribed with Hebrew letters
  and illustrated with Jewish pictures, were
  used. Encyclopedia Judaica Folklore

18
From the Hasmoneans to Roman Revolt
19
  1. Mattathiasben Johanan ? - 165 BCE     Hasmonean Dynasty  
____ _ _______________ _ __________________ _ ________________ _ ______
       
JohananGaddi   4. SimonThassiruled 142-134 BCE   2. JudahMaccabee ? - 160 BCE   EleazarAvaron   3. JonathanApphusruled 160-142 BCE
____ _ ______________ _ __________        
           
Mattathias ?-134 BCE   Judah ?- 134 BCE   5. JohananHyrcanusruled 134-104 BCE        
    ________ _ __________________ _ ________    
           
    6. Aristobulus I(Judah)ruled 104-103 BCE   Antigonus(Matthew) ? - 104 BCE   7. Alexander Jannai(Jonathan)ruled 103-76 BCE 8. SalomeAlexandraruled 76-67 BCE
        __________ _ ________    
             
        10. Hyrcanus II(Jonathan)ruled 63-40 (d. 30) BCE   9. Aristobulus II(Judah)ruled 67-63 (d. 49) BCE    
          _______ ____
        Alexandra ? - 28 BCE Alexander ? - 49 BCE   11. Antigonus(Matthew)ruled 40-37 BCE
        __________    
        Aristobulus III ? - 35 BCE   Mariamne ? - 29 BCE 12. Herod(the Great)ruled 38-4 BCE
            ________ _____
             
            Aristobulus IV ca 31 - 7 BCE   Alexander ca 30 - 7 BCE
Elephant fell on him
20
Judah the Maccabee

• 167-160 BCE
• Led the revolt against the Seleucids
• Purified the Temple in 164 BCE

21
Jonathan

• Ruler 161-143 BCE
• Brother of Judah
• first Hasmonean to be High Priest in 153 BCE

22
Simon

• Ethnarch and High Priest
• 142-135 BCE
• Is granted tax exemption from Demetrius II
• Removes Seleucid garrison in Jerusalem
• Gains total political independence
• Murdered by his son-in-law together with two
  older sons

23
John Hyrcanus

• Ethnarch and High Priest
• Son of Simon
• 134-104 BCE
• Forced the Idumeans to convert (including
  Antipaters father, grandfather of Herod)
• Destroys Samaritan Temple in 128BCE

24
Aristobulus I

• King and High Priest
• 104-103BCE
• Son of John Hyrcanus
• First to call himself king
• Imprisons mother and three brothers. Kills
  another brother.
• Married to Salome Alexandra

25
Alexander Yannai

• King and High Priest
• 103-76 BCE
• Son of Johan Hyrcanus
• Married Salome Alexandra, his brothers widow
• Practiced Sadduecean law and was pelted by
  Etrogim. Kills 6,000 Jews in retaliations.
• Killed 50,000 in civil war.
• Crucified 800 Pharisees
• Advises his wife before dying to yield to the
  Pharisees!

26
Salome Alexandra Sons

• Salome is queen of Judea 76-67 BCE
• Her two sons Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II fight
  over the crown. Both appeal for help from the
  Romans.
• Pompey imprisons Aristobulus II and makes
  Hyrcanus II high priest in 63BCE.
• Hyrcanus serves 63-40BCE
• Antignos serves 40-37BCE
• Herod marries Mariamne, granddaughter of Hyrcanus
  and Aristobulus.

27
Hasmonean Conquests
28
  1. Mattathiasben Johanan ? - 165 BCE        Hasmonean Dynasy
____ _ _______________ _ __________________ _ ________________ _ ______
       
JohananGaddi   4. SimonThassiruled 142-134 BCE   2. JudahMaccabee ? - 160 BCE   EleazarAvaron   3. JonathanApphusruled 160-142 BCE
____ _ ______________ _ __________        
           
Mattathias ?-134 BCE   Judah ?- 134 BCE   5. JohananHyrcanusruled 134-104 BCE        
    ________ _ __________________ _ ________    
           
    6. Aristobulus I(Judah)ruled 104-103 BCE   Antigonus(Matthew) ? - 104 BCE   7. Alexander Jannai(Jonathan)ruled 103-76 BCE 8. SalomeAlexandraruled 76-67 BCE
        __________ _ ________    
             
        10. Hyrcanus II(Jonathan)ruled 63-40 (d. 30) BCE   9. Aristobulus II(Judah)ruled 67-63 (d. 49) BCE    
          _______ ____
        Alexandra ? - 28 BCE Alexander ? - 49 BCE   11. Antigonus(Matthew)ruled 40-37 BCE
        __________    
        Aristobulus III ? - 35 BCE   Mariamne ? - 29 BCE 12. Herod(the Great)ruled 38-4 BCE
            ________ _____
             
            Aristobulus IV ca 31 - 7 BCE   Alexander ca 30 - 7 BCE
29
Pompey
30
Josephus on Pompey

• No small enormities were committed about the
  temple itself, which, in former ages, had been
  inaccessible, and seen by none for Pompey went
  into it, and not a few of those that were with
  him also, and saw all that which it was unlawful
  for any other men to see but only for the high
  priests.
• There were in that temple the golden table, the
  holy candlestick, and the pouring vessels, and a
  great quantity of spices and besides these there
  were among the treasures two thousand talents of
  sacred money yet did Pompey touch nothing of all
  this, on account of his regard to religion and
  in this point also he acted in a manner that was
  worthy of his virtue.
• The next day he gave order to those that had the
  charge of the temple to cleanse it, and to bring
  what offerings the law required to God and
  restored the high priesthood to Hyrcanus, both
  because he had been useful to him in other
  respects, and because he hindered the Jews in the
  country from giving Aristobulus any assistance in
  his war against him
• Antiquities 14.4

31
Pompey Enters the Holy of Holies

• The first Roman to subdue the Jews and set foot
  into their Temple by right of conquest was Gnaeus
  Pompey thereafter it was a matter of common
  knowledge that there were no representations of
  the gods within, but that the place was empty and
  the secret shrine contained nothing.
• Tacitus Histories 5.11-12