Lesson 10 Notes Download

Recent History

Persians: Cyrus the Great

Greeks: Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes

Hellenization (2 Maccabees 4.7, 10-15; 1 Maccabees 1.41-53)

Maccabean Revolution: Mattathias, Judah the Maccabee, Jonathan Apphus, Simon Thassi, John Hyrcanus, Aristobulus I, Alexander Jannaeus, Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II

Romans: Pompey the Great annexed Judea in 63bc

Herodian Dynasty: Herod the Great and his descendants

Geographical and Political Setting

Roman Empire: Augustus (27bc-ad14), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68)

Provinces: every region outside of Italy

Galilee: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Antipas (4bc-ad39), Herod Agrippa I (37-44)

Judea: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Archelaus (4bc-ad6), Coponius (6-9), Marcus Ambivulus (9-12), Annius Rufus (12-15), Valerius Gratus (15-26), Pontius Pilate (26-36), Marcellus (36-37), Marullus (37-41), Herod Agrippa I (41-44)

Samaria: under Judean jurisdiction; Samaritans and Jews conflicted with each other

Jewish Groups

Sadducees

controlled the temple

partners with Roman governors

wealthy aristocrats

chief priests were the leaders

only accepted the Torah as scripture

didn’t believe in resurrection or angels

Pharisees

focused on obedience to Torah

accepted the law (Torah), prophets (Nevi’im), and writings (Kethuvim)

oral tradition & fence laws

not in power at the time of Jesus, except those in the Sanhedrin

Sanhedrin

Romans established 5 councils over 5 districts

most important council was in Jerusalem

had temple police at their disposal to arrest people

could meet out punishments except capital punishment, which was reserved for the Roman governor

Scribes

every group had scribes

even Paul used scribes to write his letters (Tertius in Rom 16.22)

writing was a skill

copy scripture to preserve it

called lawyers or experts in the law

Revolutionaries

wanted to overthrow Roman occupation

Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews23

“But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty; and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kind of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man Lord”

John’s Renewal Movement

called people to repent

baptized them in the Jordan River

possible connection with the Essenes

Important Issues

Temple

Taxes

Torah

Unrest

Review

When the Greeks conquered the world, they made cities adopt their customs, culture, language, and religion.

When Antiochus Epiphanes forcibly Hellenized Judah, it resulted in the Maccabean Revolution under Mattathias and his sons.

After they won their independence, the Hasmonean Dynasty ruled up until 63bc when Pompey annexed Judea into the Roman Empire.

Herod the Great and his descendants ruled over the region for many years, though in Judea the Romans directly ruled through governors.

During Jesus’ ministry Herod Antipas ruled in Galilee and Pontius Pilate governed Judea and Samaria.

Sadducees partnered with the Roman government and controlled the temple.

The Pharisees focused on obedience to Torah, according to the traditions of the elders.

The Sanhedrin was a council in Jerusalem made of Sadducees and Pharisees that controlled a police force and ruled on legal issues.

Scribes copied scripture and had expert knowledge of the Law of Moses.

Jesus lived in a time of fragile peace when Roman provocations threatened to light the match of Jewish revolution at any moment.

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