Transcript Bridging the Testaments (Amos 8:11-12)

Alexander the Great
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Educated by Aristotle (personal tutor)
Very impulsive
A mystic
A scholar
Very handsome and strong
Became king at twenty years old
Followed Philip as the leader of the
Hellenic League
Jews under Ptolemy Rule
• Ptolemy didn’t force Greek culture and
religion
• Jews were worshiped as they wanted
• Many Jews moved and settle in Egypt
• They had become dispersed through the
Greek empire
• 280 BC - Septuagint (Greek translation of
Hebrew Scripture)
Jews under Antiochus (Syrian)
Rule
• 198 BC - Syrian Grecian Empire regained
control of Judea.
• Continued to be a pawn
• Politically it was peaceful for a while
• Learned and adopted the Greek language
• Learned and adopted the Greek culture
Rome comes on the Scene
• The Jews are still under the Greek Empire
• 264 - 146 Rome has three Punic wars with
Carthage
– Carthage is trying to hold Rome down
– Rome is trying to grow.
– Philip of Macedon helped Carthage and upset
Rome.
• Syrian Grecian Empire having trouble from
the East and West.
Life in Jerusalem
• High Priest serves as the leader for Judea
– Not spiritual leader but political leader
• Onias IV and Jason (brothers) compete over
the High Priest position.
– Jason bribes Antiochus and is appointed
• Then Menelaus, Jason servant, pays more
and Antiochus names him High Priest.
– This excites the Jews because Menelaus isn’t
qualified to be High Priest.
Life in Jerusalem (cont…)
• False word came of Antiochus’ death
• Jason lead a revolt against Menelaus
– The Jews backed the revolt
• Antiochus sent soldiers stop the revolt and
reinstate Menelaus
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Jews were sold as slaves
Part of the wall was destroyed
Took over the Temple
Antiochus tried to wipe out their Religion
Life in Jerusalem (cont.)
• Antiochus’ men tried to force Mattathias
Hasmoneas, an older priest, to worship Zeus
• Mattathias refused and started a revolt
• Syrian army attacked about 1,000 of the
Pious Ones on the Sabbath and they
wouldn’t fight
– Mattahias convinced them to fight if attacked.
– Before his death he appointed
• Judas Maccabaeus military leader.
• His oldest son, Simon, to be their advisor
Life in Jerusalem (cont.)
• Judas Maccabaeus lead guerrilla type warfare
• He hid in the villages by day and attacked Syrian
forces by night.
• Though outnumbered he defeated the Syrian forced.
• The Maccabean revolt was in full swing
• After Antiochus’ death, Judas and his men
regained control of Jerusalem and the
Temple.
• The Temple was cleansed of Zeus
• Hanukkah (festival of lights) was born
Hasidim
• Known as the Pious Ones
• Date of organization unknown
• Built traditions to ensure observance of the law.
– Feared disobedience would cause more punishment
– Though obedience would obligate God to bless
– The High Priesthood had become corrupt so they
viewed themselves as priest (Exodus 19:6)
– Ritual praying, fasting, washing of hands, etc…
• This became the traditions Jesus rebukes
• Built rules around the laws
• Their Oral traditions became as binding as the Law
Pharisees
• Grew from the Hasidim during the
Maccabean revolt (160 - 143 BC)
– ‘Separated ones’ because they separated
themselves when Judas continued the revolt after
restoring Jerusalem.
– They were at odds with the Maccabean family
(later known as Sadducees)
– Kept to the laws that could be measured
(circumcision, tithe, etc…)
– “Straightest of the sects” according to Paul in
Acts 26:5
Sadducees
• Opposed the Pharisees
• Politically minded rather than spiritually
• Believed in God
– Didn’t believe in the traditions of the Pharisees
– Didn’t look for a further reward for obedience
– They didn’t believe in the resurrection, angels or
life after death
Essenes
• Different from most of the other sects
– Withdrew from society and built communities.
Zealots
• Came into existence after Roman control
– Believed they should fight to establish God’s
predicted kingdom.
– Simon, one of Jesus’ apostles, was a Zealot
The Sanhedrin (High Court)
• Start Date Unknown
– Some date back to Moses
• Not mentioned in Scriptures
• Name is Greek
– We know it existed before Roman control
(maybe about 200 BC)
• By the New Testament it is the High Court
and had authority under Roman control.
Roman Empire
• Rome watched Syrian Empire weaken
• Rome gave political aid to the Maccabean
Revolt
• Parthia took most of the Syrian territory
from the East.
• In 75 BC Asia Minor was under Roman
control
• Rome wanted to control 50 miles from the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Life in Jerusalem
• After the assassination of Simon, John
Hyrcanus took his fathers place in 134 BC.
• He subdued the Idumaeans (Greek name for
Edom)
• He took out the Temple in Samaria
• After John’s death the Maccabean revolt died
• He was succeeded by his son Aristobulus
• He was succeeded by his half brother
Alexandar Jannaeus.
Life in Jerusalem
• The family was at odds with the Pharisees.
• Jannaeus was being ran off by the Pharisees
– He regained the support of the people
– He crucified 800 of the Pharisees who revolted and
killed their families before their dying eyes.
• Salome his wife followed him on the throne
and made peace with the Pharisees.
– She make her oldest son Hyrcanus II high priest
and Aristobulus head of the military.
Life in Jerusalem
• After Salome's death, war broke out between
her sons for control.
– Antipater lent his support and army to Hyrcanus to
revolt against Aristobulus.
– He did and won in the end.
• Hyrcanus also made friends with the Jews
• Antipater was a shrewd man who also made
friends with Pompey of Rome..
– He was given the position of Procurator of Judea
– Little did Pompey know that Jews hated
Idumaeans (Edomites)
Life in Jerusalem
• Antipater’s son Herod eventually became the
official king of Judea, under Roman control
– A gifted leader
• Convinced Rome to let the Jews worship according to Law of
Moses to keep down revolts
– The Jews didn’t like him because he was an Edomite
(not a native Jew)
• His lifestyle made a mockery of his “Jewish religion”
– Ruler when John and Jesus are born