1. The Intertestamental Period: From Babylon To The Birth Of Christ
Seleucid – pronounced like cell-loo-sid
Seleucid Period

2. Intertestamental Period
Week
Date
Topic 1
01 Mar 17
Overview 2
08 Mar 17
Babylonian Period ( BC) 3
15 Mar 17
Persian Period ( BC) 4
22 Mar 17
Greek Period ( BC) 5
29 Mar 17
Ptolemaic ( BC) 6
05 Apr 17
Seleucid ( BC) 7
12 Apr 17
Maccabean Part 1 ( BC) 8
19 Apr 17
Maccabean Part 2 ( BC) 9
26 Apr 17
Independence ( BC) 10
03 May 17
Rome Intervenes (63 – 37 BC) 11
10 May 17
Herod (37 BC – 4 BC) 12
17 May 17
The IT Period and Christianity (4 BC – 70 AD) 13
24 May 17
Review
Week 1 - Overview Week 2 - Babylonian Period ( BC) Week 3 - Persian Period ( BC) Week 4 - Greek Period ( BC)              Alexander Week 5 - Ptolemaic ( BC)               Ptolemy and Egypt 320 – 198
Week 6 - Syrian ( )              Seleucid and Syria Week 7 - Maccabean Period Part 2 ( )               Mattathias
Judas the Maccabee              Jonathan Week 8 - Independence ( )
Simon              John Hyrcannaus 134 – 105
   Aristobulus              Alexander Jannaus              Alexander Salome              Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II Week 10 – Rome Intervenes (63 – 37 BC)
Week 11 – Herod (37-4 BC) Week 12 – Intertestamental period and Christianity (4 BC – 70 AD) Week 13 - Review

3. 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 3

4. 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

5. Reference Material KJV (w/ Apocrypha) Josephus – The Complete Works
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

8. 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
Notes.
Antioch became a major city in the Roman empire and was the place where Christianity made its first gains in the Gentile regions and where believers where first called Christians. Paul based his missionary journeys from Antioch.

9. Seleucid Rule 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

10. 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”
Antioch-Pisidia, a city Paul visited in the book of Acts.
Acts 11: Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

12. Antiochus III, the GreatBC
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
Ptolemy V’s army defeated at Panium, also called Caesarea Philippi.

13. Antiochus III Coin

14. 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

15. 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

16. Antiochus IV, EphiphanesBC
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

17. Antiochus IV Epiphanies Coin

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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)

23. Further Degeneration
Antiochus IV forbids the practice of the Jewish religion
Destroys all copies of Scriptures (Ant )
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”
2 Maccabees Chapter 7 1
It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. 2
One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." 3
At that the king, in a fury, gave orders to have pans and caldrons heated. 4
While they were being quickly heated, he commanded his executioners to cut out the tongue of the one who had spoken for the others, to scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of his brothers and his mother looked on. 5
When he was completely maimed but still breathing, the king ordered them to carry him to the fire and fry him. As a cloud of smoke spread from the pan, the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely, saying such words as these: 6
"The Lord God is looking on, and he truly has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his canticle, when he protested openly with the words, 'And he will have pity on his servants.'" 7
When the first brother had died in this manner, they brought the second to be made sport of. After tearing off the skin and hair of his head, they asked him, "Will you eat the pork rather than have your body tortured limb by limb?" 8
Answering in the language of his forefathers, he said, "Never!" So he too in turn suffered the same tortures as the first. 9
1 At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." 10
After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, 11
as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." 12
Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. 13
After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. 14
When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life." 15
They next brought forward the fifth brother and maltreated him. Looking at the king, 16
he said: "Since you have power among men, mortal though you are, do what you please. But do not think that our nation is forsaken by God. 17
Only wait, and you will see how his great power will torment you and your descendants." 18
After him they brought the sixth brother. When he was about to die, he said: "Have no vain illusions. We suffer these things on our own account, because we have sinned against our God; that is why such astonishing things have happened to us. 19
Do not think, then, that you will go unpunished for having dared to fight against God." 20
Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. 21
Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers with these words: 22
"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. 23
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law." Martyrdom of Mother and Sons 24
Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words, thought he was being ridiculed. As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him, not with mere words, but with promises on oath, to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs: he would make him his Friend and entrust him with high office. 25
When the youth paid no attention to him at all, the king appealed to the mother, urging her to advise her boy to save his life. 26
After he had urged her for a long time, she went through the motions of persuading her son. 27
In derision of the cruel tyrant, she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language: "Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months, nursed you for three years, brought you up, educated and supported you to your present age. 28
2 I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see all that is in them; then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things; and in the same way the human race came into existence. 29
Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them." 30
She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said: "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command. I obey the command of the law given to our forefathers through Moses. 31
But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews, will not escape the hands of God. 32
We, indeed, are suffering because of our sins. 33
Though our living Lord treats us harshly for a little while to correct us with chastisements, he will again be reconciled with his servants. 34
But you, wretch, vilest of all men! do not, in your insolence, concern yourself with unfounded hopes, as you raise your hand against the children of Heaven. 35
You have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty and all-seeing God. 36
My brothers, after enduring brief pain, have drunk of never-failing life, under God's covenant, but you, by the judgment of God, shall receive just punishments for your arrogance. 37
Like my brothers, I offer up my body and my life for our ancestral laws, imploring God to show mercy soon to our nation, and by afflictions and blows to make you confess that he alone is God. 38
Through me and my brothers, may there be an end to the wrath of the Almighty that has justly fallen on our whole nation." 39
At that, the king became enraged and treated him even worse than the others, since he bitterly resented the boy's contempt. 40
Thus he too died undefiled, putting all his trust in the Lord. 41
The mother was last to die, after her sons. 42
Enough has been said about the sacrificial meals and the excessive cruelties.

24. 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

25. Rome Influence Continues
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

26. 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 26