Ancient Palestine

From Alexander the Great to Herod the Great

• Main Geographical areas of Palestine– Galilee– Samaria– Judea

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• Main topographical areas of Israel-Palestine– Coastal plain– Central hill country – Shephelah– Jordan Valley– Transjordan Plateau– Negeb

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• Persians invaded Greek territories– Philip of Macedon rallied the Greek armies– His son, Alexander the Great, pushed the

Persians back and recaptured the Greek territory

– Alexander continued pursuing the Persians– Invaded

- Palestine - Egypt- Syria - Persia- Went as far as the Indus river – - Died on the trip home (323 B.C.)

• Territories were divided among Alexander’s 3 generals– Ptolemy– Seleucus– Antigonus– They fought over control of Palestine and

further East

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• Palestine was controlled by Seleucus

• Antiochus Epiphanes IV (175 B.C.)– Ruled Palestine & other areas

• Forced many to worship of Zeus – Outlawed worship of Jewish God– Forbade circumcision– Built altar to Zeus in Jewish Temple– Offered a pig in the Jewish Temple

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• The Hasmonean family (166 – 163 B.C.)– Rebelled – refused to sacrifice to Zeus– Mattathias (a priest) led his sons – he soon

died• Judas “the hammer” (Maccabeus) became the

leader – brothers helped: Simon, Jonathan

– Recaptured Temple 164 B.C. (Kislev 25)• Time of celebration, rededication of Temple – 8

days• “Festival of Dedication” – Hanukkah

– Continued rebellion until regained freedom

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• Jonathan then Simon later became the political rulers in Palestine

• Simon’s descendants ruled over the next century

• Much internal turmoil – religious and political. – Almost resulted in civil war

• Jewish leaders asked Rome for help– They sent Pompey to take control – 63 B.C.

• Pompey ruled through the Maccabees for a while, but they were not good rulers

• He appointed Antipater, an Idumean, as ethnarch of Palestine

• In time his son, Herod, became ruler – Rome gave him the title King

• Herod the Great– Harsh ruler

• Killed the remaining Maccabean descendants• Killed any he thought might try to take his power,

including his wife and son.• Had male infants killed in Bethlehem area when he

heard a new king had been born

– “the Great?”• Great builder – many projects, Caesarea,

Herodium, Masada• Kept the peace

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Harbor at Caesarea

Stadium at Caesarea

Herodium

Herod’s Palace at Herodium

Masada

Masada

www.Bibleplaces.com

Three levels at Masada

Buildings at Masada

Synagogue at Masada

Plastered walls (Frescos) at Masada

Roman camp viewed from Masada

Roman camp

• 3 of Herod’s sons wanted to rule Palestine

• Rome divided it among them– Archeleaus – Idumea, Judea, Samaria– Antipas – Galilee, Perea– Philip – Batanaea, Trachonitis, Auranitis

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