Overview of Second Temple Period Geography

Major cities, regions and empires  Persia  Babylon / Mesopotamia  Syria (Antioch)  Palestine  Galilee  Samaria  Judea (Jerusalem)  Egypt (Alexandria)  Rome

Alexander the Great,

 Damascus  Galilee  Samaria  Mt. Gerizim  Shechem  Judea (Jerusalem)

 Romans  Seleucids  Hasmoneans  Ptolemies

Roman Empire

Overview of Second Temple Period Major periods of political history

Major periods within the Second Temple Period by control of Jerusalem  , Persian Period  333, Alexander the Great, begins Hellenistic Period  , Ptolemaic Period (Greek kings in Egypt rule over Jerusalem)  , Seleucid Period (Greek kings in Syria rule over Jerusalem)  Hasmonean Period  could be categorized as the dawning of the Hasmonean period, or simply as anarchic  63 BCE until fourth or seventh century CE, Roman Period

Persian Period  538 Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon  516 Jerusalem Temple rebuilt  Ezra and Nehemiah  Persia rulers gave Judeans considerable autonomy, especially in religion.  If there was a culture clash between Persia and Judea, it is not evident in the sources.

333, Alexander the Great, begins Hellenistic Period  Alexander conquered from Macedonia to Egypt and then East to India, then died young with no adult heir  Alexander’s empire was divided between his generals (violently), with Jerusalem in the disputed region between the Ptolemies (based in Alexandria, Egypt) and the Seleucids (based in Antioch and Damascus)  In general, compared to the Persians, the Greeks were more interested in spreading Greek culture and less interested in tolerating local diversity.

, Ptolemaic Period (Greek kings in Egypt rule over Jerusalem)  Translation of the Torah (five books of Moses) into Greek (called the Septuagint, abbreviated LXX)  Jewish community in Alexandria seems to have had more ups than downs.  Relatively few conflicts with Jerusalem recorded in the available sources.

, Seleucid Period (Greek kings in Syria rule over Jerusalem)  The Ptolemies continued to rule in Egypt, but the border between Seleucids and Ptolemies moved south, such that Jerusalem was now under the Seleucids.  190, first major victory of the Romans in the region  175, Antiochus IV Epiphanes begins bidding war for high priesthood of Jerusalem Temple  Jason  Menelaus  Alcimus  167, non-Kosher altar brought into Temple, Maccabean revolt begins  164, Judah Maccabee redicates the Temple, forges alliance with Rome

Hasmonean Period  could be categorized as the dawning of the Hasmonean period, or simply as anarchic  152, Judah Maccabee’s brother claims high-priesthood with Seleucid consent  Judah Maccabee’s family is the Hasmonean family  The Hasmoneans rule Palestine with relative independence while navigating between the Romans and Seleucids, and power struggles among the Seleucids  67-63, two Hasmonean brothers fight each other, and both appeal to the Romans for support.  63, the Roman general Pompey resolves the matter by taking over, beginning centuries of direct or indirect Roman rule.

 63 BCE, Roman general Pompey enters Jerusalem  37-4 BCE, Herod the Great, most famous vassal king under Romans  6-66 CE, direct rule of Roman procurators (except for Agrippa 1, 41-44)  66-74, Jewish revolt in Palestine against Rome  70, Temple destroyed  , revolt of Jews in Egypt  , Bar Kokhba revolt fails, ends Jewish life in Jerusalem  , the editing of the Mishnah (first major Rabbinic document)  In the fourth century “Roman” rule of Palestine moves from Rome proper to Constantinople (Byzantium)  In the seventh century the Islamic conquest incorporates Jerusalem and the site of the Temple becomes holy in Islam 63 BCE until fourth or seventh century CE, Roman Period