The Intertestamental Period: From Babylon To The Birth Of Christ

Greek Period

Announcements

Intertestamental PeriodWeek Date Topic

1 05 Mar 14 Overview

2 12 Mar 14 Babylonian Period (605-539 BC)

3 19 Mar 14 Persian Period (539-332 BC)

4 26 Mar 14 Greek Period (332-323 BC)

5 02 Apr 14 Ptolemaic (323-198 BC)

6 09 Apr 14 Syrian (198-168 BC)

7 16 Apr 14 Maccabean Part 1 (168-153 BC)

8 23 Apr 14 Maccabean Part 2 (153-139 BC)

9 30 Apr 14 Independence (139-63 BC)

10 07 May 14 Rome Intervenes (63 – 37 BC)

11 14 May 14 Herod (37 BC – 4 BC)

12 21 May 14 The IT Period and Christianity (4 BC – 70 AD)

13 28 May 14 Review

Today’s Objectives• Review last week’s lesson

• Review the transition of power between Persians and the Greeks

• Review key Biblical scriptures

• Learn about the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious issues during the Greek rule over Israel

• Learn about Alexander's impact on the Mediterranean and Asian regions

• Learn about the transition of the Greek empire

Last week’s lesson• Reviewed last week’s lesson• Reviewed the transition of power between

Babylon and the Persians• Reviewed key Biblical scriptures • Learned about the political, social,

economic, cultural, and religious issues during the Persian rule over Israel

• Learned where and why all the Israelites did not return to Judah

• Learned about the fall of the Persian empire

Reference Material

• KJV (w/ Apocrypha)– 1st and 2nd Maccabbees

• Josephus – The Complete Works

• Herodotus – The History

• Intertestamental History – Mark Moore

• Ancient Rome – Simon Baker

• Harding University – BNEW 112 Course Notes – Dr. Thompson

Persian Empire

Greek Rule 1 of 3• Alexander was the son of Philip of

Macedon• Alexander claimed paternal descent from

Heracles and maternal descent from Achilles

• Philip was a very capable General and administrator

• Forced the independent and warring city-states of Macedonia and Greece proper into a national identity

Greek Rule 2 of 3• Philip obtained the best teachers for his

young son Alexander; foremost among them was Aristotle, reading Homer

• Philip was murdered in 336 B.C.• Alexander was forced, for his own survival,

to assume aggressive military leadership of the nation which his father had forged together

• Alexander excelled leading his army• Solidified his hold on Greece

Greek Rule 3 of 3• Captured and burned the city of Thebes and

sold its inhabitants into slavery

• Captured the ancient city of Troy

• Alexander refined the phalanx system of attack and defense

• Made superior use of his cavalry

• Unrestrained immorality led to his demise

• His kingdom was divided up among his generals

• Successful in spreading the Greek culture, or “Hellenization”

1 Maccabees Chapter 1:1-101 And it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who

came out of the land of Chettiim, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece,

2 And made many wars, and won many strong holds, and slew the kings of the earth,

3 And went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations, insomuch that the earth was quiet before him; whereupon he was exalted and his heart was lifted up.

4 And he gathered a mighty strong host and ruled over countries, and nations, and kings, who became tributaries unto him.

5 And after these things he fell sick, and perceived that he should die.6 Wherefore he called his servants, such as were honourable, and had been

brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive.

7 So Alexander reigned twelve years, and then died.8 And his servants bare rule every one in his place.9 And after his death they all put crowns upon themselves; so did their sons

after them many years: and evils were multiplied in the earth.10 And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes,

son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

Phalanx

256 Men

18 foot pike

Thracian Maedi (339 B.C.)• Alexander was 16 years old

• Philip departed to wage war against Byzantium

• Alexander was left in charge as regent of the kingdom

• The Thracian Maedi revolted

• Alexander responded quickly and crushed the Maedi insurgence driving them from their territory, colonized it with Greeks and founded a city called Alexandropolis

Battle of Issus (333 B.C.)• Darius III of Persia did not take Alexander’s

campaign seriously

• Alexander intended to “liberate” all of Asia Minor from Persian control

• Darius with a large army met Alexander at Issus, near the Cilician Gates

• Routed the Persians and captured the royal household

• Darius barely escaped with his life

• Battle marks the end of Persia’s dominance over the Near East

Occupation of Jerusalem (332 B.C.)• In order to protect his southern flank,

Alexander marched south to take Palestine and Egypt

• Most cities surrendered to him, except Tyre and Gaza

• Alexander then spent the winter in Egypt and returned north in the spring of 331

• Ordered the building of Alexandria

• Jews gained favor under Alexander’s rule

• Samaritans tried to share in this favor, but angered Alexander who destroyed Samaria

The “New” Alexander• Alexander declared himself basileus (“king”)

and the “son of Ammon” (an Egyptian sun god)

• He adopted the clothing and behavior of an Oriental royal leader

• Strained the relation between him and his army

• He became increasingly cruel

• Merciless sack of Persepolis

Alexander’s Death• Alexander continued to push his troops

eastward

• Unrestrained expansion of the empire

• On the way to the Ganges Valley in India his army refused to go further

• Forced finally to start making his way back to Greece

• Alexander died in Babylon in 323 B.C. at the age of 32

• Died of a “sickness” possibly poison

Division of the Greek Empire• Diadochoi; it is the title given to the Greek

generals who carved up Alexander’s empire among themselves after his death

• One of them, Cassander, murdered Alexander’s widow and his infant son

• After seven years of fighting, four men emerged as the most powerful:– Antigonus (Mediterranean Sea to Asia)– Ptolemy Lagi (Egypt and south Syria)– Cassander (Macedonia)– Lysimachus (Thrace)

Further Division• In 312 B.C. the other three Diadochoi

contained the overambitious Antigonus

• In 311 B.C. Ptolemy’s General Seleucus split off on his own and established himself as ruler of Babylon and Syria

• Four rulers still remained (Dan 7:6; 8:8; 11:4)

• Of special importance to Jewish history:– Ptolemies in Egypt– Seleucids in Syria– Palestine became a political football between

these competing powers

Route of Alexander’s March

Alexander’s Influence on Jews• Ruled over a further degeneration of the

relationship between Jews and Samaritans

• Does not destroy the Temple as requested by the Samaritans

• Jewish history states that Alexander gives Jews freedom to worship God

• Jews continue to flourish as a separate and distinct entity for 165 years

• Jews - with the exception of a small minority - reject Hellenism, Greeks grow intolerable and the Greek culture infects Judaism

Review• Reviewed last week’s lesson

• Reviewed the transition of power between Persians and the Greeks

• Reviewed key Biblical scriptures

• Learn about the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious issues during the Greek rule over Israel

• Learn about Alexander's impact on the Mediterranean and Asian regions

• Learn about the transition of the Greek empire

• Next week – Ptolemaic Empire