The Jewish Historical Narrative
The Jewish Historical Narrative
From Abraham to Aelia Capitolina4 kingdom pic
Palestine Under Persian Rule
538–332 BC
Cyrus the Great - conquered Babylon allowed Israel to return to land
Isa 45:1 - the Anointed One
• Temple–515 BC
• Law
• Wall–444 BC
• Beginnings of....
• Oral law
• Aramaic
• Synagogues
Palestine Under Greek
Rule332–167 BC
•Philip of Macedon
•Alexander the Great -
conquered land from Greece to India
•culture
•philosophy
•education
•buildings
•language
•religion
•Philip of Macedon
•Alexander the Great -
conquered land from Greece to India
•culture
•philosophy
•education
•buildings
•language
•religion
Palestine under Greek Rule
• Seleucids (198–167 BC)
• Antiochus III
• Antiochus IV Epiphanies
• High Priesthood
• Jason
• Menelaus
• Problems
• Jason
• Rumor of Death
• Abomination (167)
Palestine Under Maccabean Rule
167–63 BC
•Mattathias•Hasidim - pious
•Judas Maccabeus•Temple 164•Alliance with Rome 161
• Jonathan (160–143 BC)• no taxes• control of High Priesthood
• Simon (143–134 BC)• complete autonomy• general, king, High Priest
• John Hyrcanus (135-104 BC)• expansion
• Alexander Janneaus (103–76 BC)• trouble with Pharisees
• Salome (76–67 BC)• Aristobulus vs. Hyrcanus II • Pompey chooses Hyrcanus II (63 BC)
These coins followed the iconoclastic laws of Judaism by avoidingrepresentations of people, animals, or deities. Instead, they featured symbolslike palm trees, pomegranates, stars, cornucopias, and representations of thetemple. This coin from the reign of the Hasmonean King AlexanderJannaeus features an anchor and an eight pointed star, both common motifsfor Judean coins.
Alexander Jannaeus coin, ca. 103-76 BC
Antipater - Idumean•Supports Hyrcanus II•Supports Julius Ceasar•made Chief Tax Magistrate of Judea•appoints sons as governors: Phasel over Jerusalem, Herod over Galilee
Parthian Invasion
Herod the Great
Archelaus, Philip, Antipas
The Herods -
Palestine under Roman Rule(63 BC–135 AD)
Palestine under Roman Rule(63 BC–135 AD)
Sons of Herod the Great
•Archelaus - King from 4 BC to 6
AD (green)
•Philip - Tetrarch in the
Northeast (orange)
•Antipas - Tetrarch of Galilee
and Perea (purple)
Left: Coin of Herod Archelaus, ca. 4 BC- 6 AD.This coin depicts a cluster of grapes and amilitary helmet. The Greek text reads “Herodthe Ethnarch.” Grapes are a common Jewishsymbol depicting the fertility of the land, but thehelmet is a Hellenistic symbol.
Left: Coin of Herod Archelaus, ca. 4 BC- 6 AD.This coin depicts a cluster of grapes and amilitary helmet. The Greek text reads “Herodthe Ethnarch.” Grapes are a common Jewishsymbol depicting the fertility of the land, but thehelmet is a Hellenistic symbol.
Right: Coin of Pontius Pilate, ca. 29-32 AD. Thiscoin depicts the lituus, a wooden staff used byRoman priests to invoke the gods. The otherside depicts a laurel wreath, which is a sign ofvictory and power. The iconography of thiscoin demonstrates a shift from Jewishiconography to Roman symbols
Right: Coin of Pontius Pilate, ca. 29-32 AD. Thiscoin depicts the lituus, a wooden staff used byRoman priests to invoke the gods. The otherside depicts a laurel wreath, which is a sign ofvictory and power. The iconography of thiscoin demonstrates a shift from Jewishiconography to Roman symbols
First Jewish Revolt:Pathway to War
Stop sacrifice for the Emperor
Gain control of Temple complex and Antonia fortress
Defeat Cestius, General in Syria
Nero chooses Vespasian as General
Conquers the North by 67
Becomes Emperor in 69
Rebels vs. Aristocrats
Factions: John of Gishgala, Simon Bar Giora, and Eleazar
Titus takes his father’s place
Tisha B’Av in 70 AD the Temple falls
Masada captured in 74 AD
Under Emperor Hadrian
• Simon bar Kosiba/ Simon bar
Kochba defeated by Romans
• Aelia Capitolina
• Jews outlawed from
Jerusalem
Second Jewish Revolt132 –135 AD
BibliographyVanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2001.
Smallwood, Mary. The Jews Under Roman Rule: From Pompey to Diocletian: A Study in Political Relations. Boston: Brill, 2001.
Cohen, Shayne J. D. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987.