Overview of Second Temple Period

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Overview of Second Temple Period

• Geography

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Major cities, regions and empires

• Persia
• Babylon / Mesopotamia
• Syria (Antioch)
• Palestine
• Galilee
• Samaria
• Judea (Jerusalem)
• Egypt (Alexandria)
• Rome

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Alexander the Great, 333-323
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• Damascus
• Galilee
• Samaria
• Mt. Gerizim
• Shechem
• Judea (Jerusalem)

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• Romans
• Seleucids
• Hasmoneans
• Ptolemies

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Roman Empire
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Overview of Second Temple Period

• Major periods of political history

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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

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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.

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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
• Alexanders 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.

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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.

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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

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152-63 Hasmonean Period

• 164-152 could be categorized as the dawning of
  the Hasmonean period, or simply as anarchic
• 152, Judah Maccabees brother claims
  high-priesthood with Seleucid consent
• Judah Maccabees 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.

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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