The Intertestamental Period: From Babylon To The Birth Of Christ

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The Intertestamental Period From Babylon To The
Birth Of Christ

• Seleucid Period

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Announcements
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Intertestamental Period
Week 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
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Todays Objectives

• Review last weeks lesson
• Learn about Antiochus III and Antiochus IV
  Epiphanies ruled over Palestine
• Learn about Roman influence over the Seleucid
  empire
• Review the degeneration of Jewish religious
  freedom under Antiochus IV Epiphanies
• Discover the seeds of a Jewish revolt in the
  actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanies
• Review the key events occurring during the
  Seleucid rule of Jerusalem

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Last weeks lesson

• Reviewed last weeks lesson
• Reviewed the transition of power between
  Alexander and the Diadochoi
• Reviewed key Biblical scriptures
• Learned about the political, social, economic,
  cultural, and religious issues during the
  Ptolemaic rule over Israel
• Learned about what effect the Ptolemaic rule had
  on the Jews
• Learned about the growing influence of the Roman
  empire

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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

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War with the Ptolemies

• Fighting initially started in 311 BC as Seleucus
  I split from Ptolemy I
• Predicted in Daniel 11
• King of the North represents Seleucids
• King of the South represents Ptolemies
• Seleucids finally garnered enough power to pull
  the Palestinian region from the Ptolemies
• Created a new capital of the Seleucid empire,
  called Antioch

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Seleucid Rule

• 198-164 BC
• Series of rulers become increasingly harsh
  towards Jews
• Building of Antioch
• High priest becomes politicized
• Roman influence grows across the region
• Rise of the Jewish dissidents

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Antioch

• Established by Seleucus I as the capital of the
  Seleucid Empire
• Honored his father Antiochus
• Sometimes called called Antioch-Syria as opposed
  to Antioch-Pisidia
• Located 15 miles from the Orontes River
• Main trade route
• Great city of the Roman Empire
• Center of Pauls missionary travels Acts
  1119-26, first called Christians

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Antiochus III, the Great

• 223-187 BC
• Added the territory of Palestine to his rule
• General of Ptolemy IV defected to Antiochus III,
  battle ensued
• Dan 1111, 3 Macc 19-11, 24
• Ptolemy IV dies, succeeded by his young son and
  Antiochus III takes advantage
• Antiochus III defeats Ptolemy V in 198 BC
• Begins Seleucid/Syrian rule over Palestine

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Antiochus III Coin
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Hannibal and Antiochus

• Romans defeat Carthaginians in Second Punic War
  (202 BC)
• Hannibal too refuge under Antiochus III
• Hannibal convinces Antiochus III to attack Greece
• Rome declares war against Antiochus III
• Rome defeats and captures Antiochus III in 190 BC
• Rome strips Antiochus III of Asia Minor and force
  him to surrender his Navy

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Compensation to Rome

• Rome demands large payments, equal to tons of
  Silver
• Rome takes Antiochus IIIs son Antiochus IV
  hostage as insurance
• Antiochus III was forced to levy heavy taxes and
  plunder temples in order to meet payments
• Eventually led to Antiochus IIIs death

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Antiochus IV, Ephiphanes

• 175-164 BC
• Remembered as a very cruel persecutor of faithful
  Jews in Jerusalem
• He is what Nero is to the Christians
• Lived 12 years in Rome
• Seleucus IV succeeded him as
• Seleucus IV tries to confiscate items from the
  temple in Jerusalem, Onias III defended
• Seleucus IV is eventualy assissinated and
  Antiochus IV becomes king

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Antiochus IV Epiphanies Coin
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Jason

• Bribes Seleucus IV and is declared the high
  priest
• He institutes a policy of pro-Hellenism
• Practices pagan Greek games in Jerusalem
• Many priests corrupted by his leadership
• Many Jews began to openly ridicule Jewish customs
  and ordinances
• Wanted to make the new Antioch
• Remained high priest for three years

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Hasidim

• Soon many priests and Jews broke away from Jason
  stayed loyal to the law
• Supported Onias III
• This religious party was called the Hasidim from
  the Hebrew word chesedh or pious
• Modern Hasidic Jews use the same name

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Menelaus

• Replaced Jason as high priest
• Even more wicked than Jason
• Not of the Levi tribe, but a Benjamite
• Has Onias III murdered
• Jason returns in 169 BC and retakes rule when
  Antiochus IV departs for war in Egypt
• Kills many Jews in the process
• Antiochus IV returns and restores Menelaus
• Syrian soldiers dominated Jerusalem for 25 more
  years

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Great Persecution

• Antiochus IV attempts to take Egypt but efforts
  are thwarted by Rome
• Rome did not want Syria to get too strong
• Antiochus IV is forced to return empty-handed and
  humiliated
• Two years of Jewish persecution ensues
• He attacks Jerusalem on the Sabbath
• Kills thousands of Jews, destroys the walls,
  strips the temple, carries away 10,000 Jewish
  slaves

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Removal of Jewish Religion

• Antiochus IV forces Jews to unit their religion
  with pagan Greek worship
• Introduces pagan Greek worship to the temple
• Drunken orgies to Bacchus in the temple
• Erected a statue of Zeus in the temple
• Known as Baal Shamem
• Offers a pig on the altar
• Menelaus and his priest actively participate
• Jews call these events the abomination of
  desolation (see Dan 1130-31, 1 Macc 154)

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Further Degeneration

• Antiochus IV forbids the practice of the Jewish
  religion
• Destroys all copies of Scriptures (Ant 12.5.4)
• Forbids observance of Jewish festivals
• Forbids circumcision
• Requires Jews to sacrifice on pagan alters and
  eat pig flesh (2 Macc 7)
• Samaritans, meanwhile, assure Antiochus of their
  allegiance to him
• Not Jews but Sidonians

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Seleucid Empire Collapse

• Maccabean Uprising (next week)
• 100 BC Empire encompassed little more than
  Antioch and some Syrian cities
• Existed solely because no other nation wished to
  absorb them
• Saw as a useful buffer between their other
  adjacent nations
• King of Armenia invades in 83 BC and established
  himself as ruler of Syria, virtual end to the
  Seleucid Empire
• Roman general 69 BC restores the kingdom
• Eventually Roman distrust led to the fall of the
  Seleucid empire and it became a Roman province in
  63 BC

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Rome Influence Continues

• 198-168 BC Macedonian Wars
• 195 BC Hannibal incites Antiochus III to war
  with Rome in Macedonia
• 186 BC - Bacchanalia cult prohibited through
  Italy
• 168 BC Rome wins the third Macedonian War and
  gains control of Macedonia, Egypt, and Syria

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Review

• Reviewed last weeks lesson
• Learned about Antiochus III and Antiochus IV
  Epiphanies ruled over Palestine
• Learned about Roman influence over the Seleucid
  empire
• Reviewed the degeneration of Jewish religious
  freedom under Antiochus IV Epiphanies
• Discovered the seeds of a Jewish revolt in the
  actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanies
• Reviewed the key events occurring during the
  Seleucid rule of Jerusalem