Section 2

Intertestamental Period

The Silent years

400 years between the end of the
Old Testament and the beginning of
the New Testament

Chronology of the
Intertestamental Period
1. Assyrian and Babylonian exile
2. Alexander the Great takes over the Middle East
3. Greek becomes the common language of the
region
4. 323 B.C. Alexander the great dies and his
empire splits into 4 dynasties (Only 2 have any
bearing on the New Testament since Palestine
is sandwiched between the two)
1. The Ptolemaic Dynasty (Cleopatra was the last
leader and died in 30 B.C.)
2. The Seleucid Empire (ends in 64 B.C.)

Intertestamental Period Cont.

5. Hellenized Jews- These were Jews who had
modified their lifestyle to fit with this new
empire under and after Alexander the Great.
a. Jewish boys began to train at the gymnasium
b. Priests attended track races (which were opened
with invocations to pagan deities)
c. Attended Greek theater productions
d. Changed their style of dress
e. Had surgery to remove the marks of circumcision
f. Changed their names from Jewish to Greek
sounding

Hasidim Jews

Hellenized Jews

Intertestamental Period Cont.

6. Hasidim Jews- These were Jews who stood firm and
upheld the old way.
7. 170 BC Romans sent soldiers and slaughtered many in
Jerusalem to put their own man Menelaus back into
the Jewish High Priesthood.
8. 168 BC Rome sent an army of 22,000 soldiers to
collect taxes, to make Judaism illegal and to force the
people to change to paganism. In this, most of the
men were killed, the women and the children were
sold into slavery.
9. The remaining people were persecuted and were
forced to serve pagan gods.
10. The ancient scrolls were burned and destroyed and
the temple was used for unacceptable sacrifices to
pagan gods and to sacred prostitution.

Intertestamental Period Cont.

11. 167 BC the Jews Revolted in what is called the
Maccabean Revolt.
a. The family that led the revolt are called the
Hasmoneans after the patriarch of the family.
b. This revolt was successful because it employed a
guerilla type warfare.
1.

This type of warfare usually involves ambushes and raids.

It can also include sabotage and they are usually quick.

12.Eventually this Revolt succeeded in removing

the Syrians from the temple and regaining their
religious freedom.
13.The Hasmonean Dynasty lasted until 37 BC But
Pompey of Rome really took over Palestine in

63 BC.

Intertestamental Period Cont.

Rome
1.

2.

Rome became an empire in 753 BC. This is a separate subject in itself

but it does spend the next several hundred years fighting and
conquering.
In 31 BC Augustus becomes Emperor of Rome and he brought with him
the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. This is vital to Christianity and its
spread throughout the Roman world and beyond.

70 AD.

3.

This peace ended for the Jews with the fall of Jerusalem in

4.

Augustus created the provincial style of government that allowed for

King Herod as well as Pontius Pilate.
Caesar Augustus was emperor when Jesus was born but since he died
in 14 AD when Jesus was just a child (likely age 10) the following
Emperor named Tiberius would have been the emperor at the time of
Jesus death and resurrection.

5.

Summary of the
Intertestamental Period
???
What do you think?
???
Check your Study guide
What arent you prepared to answer?

References
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/history
/what-is-guerrilla-warfare
http://www.softschools.com/timelines/roman
_empire/timeline_9/
http://www.bibleresearcher.com/barker1.html