1. World of the New Testament

2. Maccabean Revolt
Greek king Antiochus IV forced the Jews to worship Greek gods and adopt Greek culture
Threatened the Jews with torture and death if they did not comply
Re-dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem to Zeus
164 BC – A rebellion led by Judas Maccabeas defeated the Greeks and won back Jerusalem
Purified the Temple and re-dedicated it to God
Hanukkah – A celebration of the purification of the Temple

3. Hasmonean Dynasty
Maccabean army eventually re-conquered nearly all of David’s old kingdom
A new dynasty was established under the rule of John Hyrcanus, the high priest & ruler from bc
Made treaties with the Greeks, and Romans for independence
Established the Hasmonean Kingdom as an independent Israel for nearly a century until 63 BC when the Romans took over

4. Promise of Everlasting Kingdom Fulfilled?
It may have seemed so to many
Israel was restored
There was a High Priest
There was a King
So what was the problem?
The promises and prophesies were about a king from the tribe of Judah, a Son of David – the Hasmoneans were not in the line of David!

5. Two Powerful Groups in Jewish Society
Pharisees – In order for Israel to remain faithful to God, the people must remain pure and hold to strictly to the Law
Exaggerated Laws and customs to the point they became burdens
Refused to associate with Gentiles (non-Jews)
Reject belief that Jerusalem would be an everlasting kingdom and the center of worship for ALL the nations
Believed in the afterlife and resurrection of the body – as did Jesus!

6. Two Powerful Groups in Jewish Society
Sadducees – Wealthy land owners and priests who believed the only way for Judaism to survive was to cooperate with the Gentiles
Only the Pentateuch (first five books of Scripture) was canonical
Rejected traditional interpretations and later additions to the Law and covenants contained in later Scripture
Did not believe in the afterlife, resurrection of the body, angels, or spirits

7. Herod the Great King of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth
Called “Great” because of the prosperous economy and the buildings he had built, not holiness.
He cleverly cooperated with the Romans who allowed him to rule Judea as long he sent payment to Rome
Not a Jew but deceived the Jews into thinking he was a descendant of David – called himself “Christ, King of the Jews”
After his death the kingdom split among his three sons (Tetrarchy)

8. The Fullness of Time Why did Jesus come at this time?
Roman Peace -The political state of the world was stable
Travel was the easiest it had ever been. Using the Roman roads one could safely travel from one end of the empire to the other
Same currency
Same laws
Roman religion had become irrelevant to the people, so the Jewish faith was spreading more.

9. Galilee
Jesus lived in the town of Nazareth in Galilee, the northern region of Judea
People from Galilee had the reputation of being poor, uneducated and uncultured
Fertile soil and because of its closeness to the Sea of Galilee, there were many fishermen

10. Samaritans
An ethnically mixed population in Israel who were considered outcasts by the rest of Jewish society
Worshipped the one, true God, but differently than the Jews
Jews were forbidden by law from associating with Samaritans