The Intertestamental Period: From Babylon To The Birth Of Christ

Seleucid 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

• 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

Last week’s lesson• Reviewed last week’s 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

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

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

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

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 Paul’s missionary travels – Acts

11:19-26, first called “Christians”

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 11:11, 3 Macc 1:9-11, 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

Antiochus III Coin

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

Compensation to Rome• Rome demands large payments, equal to

tons of Silver

• Rome takes Antiochus III’s 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 III’s death

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

Antiochus IV Epiphanies Coin

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

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

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

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

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 11:30-31, 1 Macc 1:54)

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”

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

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

Review• Reviewed last week’s 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