Review Questions
With what history is that of the Jews interwoven during this period? What was the political condition of the Jews at this time? What are the four periods of this history? Who were the rulers of the Jews during the first period? What building was erected after the return from captivity? What great deliverance was effected by a woman? What great reforms were effected by a scribe? What title has been given to him? What were the events connected with the separation of the Sa-mar´i-tans? Who were the prophets of the restoration? By whom was the Old Testament canon arranged? What brought on the Greek period? What events of Jew´ish history were connected with Al-ex-an´der the Great? Under what people did the Jews fall afterward? What were the events of the E-gyp´tian rule? What is the Septuagint? How was its translation regarded by the Jews of Pal´es-tine? In what kingdom, after E´gypt, did Ju-de´a fall? How was it governed by its new masters? Who instituted a great persecution?
Part Two
3. The Mac-ca-be´an period, B. C. 166-40. But the darkest hour precedes the day; the cruelties of the Syr´i-ans caused a new and splendid epoch to rise upon Is´ra-el.
1.) The revolt of Mat-ta-thi´as. In the year B. C. 170 an aged priest, Mat-ta-thi´as, unfurled the banner of independence from the Syr´i-an yoke. He did not at first aim for political freedom, but religious liberty; but after winning a few victories over the Syr´i-an armies he began to dream of a free Jew´ish state. He died in the beginning of the war, but was succeeded by his greater son, Ju´das Mac-ca-be´us.
2.) Ju´das Mac-ca-be´us gained a greater success than had been dreamed at the beginning of the revolt. Within four years the Jews recaptured Je-ru´sa-lem and reconsecrated the temple. The anniversary of this event was ever after celebrated in the Feast of Dedication (John 10. 22). Ju´das ranks in history as one of the noblest of the Jew´ish heroes, and deserves a place beside Josh´u-a, Gid´e-on, and Sam´u-el as a liberator and reformer.
3.) The Mac-ca-be´an dynasty. Ju´das refused the title of king, but his family established a line of rulers who by degrees assumed a royal state, and finally the royal title. In the year B. C. 143 Jew´ish liberty was formally recognized, and the Mac-ca-be´an princes ruled for a time over an independent state. Between B. C. 130 and 110 E´dom, Sa-ma´ri-a, and Gal´i-lee were added to Ju-de´a. The latter province had been known as "Gal´i-lee of the Gen´tiles" (Isa. 9. 1); but by degrees the foreigners withdrew, and the province was occupied by Jews who were as devoted and loyal as those of Je-ru´sa-lem.
4.) The rise of the sects. About B. C. 100 the two sects, or schools of thought, the Phar´i-sees and Sad´du-cees, began to appear, though their principles had long been working. The Phar´i-sees ("separatists") sought for absolute separation from the Gen´tile world and a strict construction of the law of Mo´ses, while the Sad´du-cees "moralists") were liberal in their theories and in their lives.
4. The Ro´man period, B. C. 40 to A. D. 70. It is not easy to name a date for the beginning of the Ro´man supremacy in Pal´es-tine. It began in B. C. 63, when Pom´pey the Great (afterward the antagonist of Ju´li-us Cæ´sar) was asked to intervene between two claimants for the Jew´ish throne, Hyr-ca´nus and Ar-is-to-bu´lus. Pom´pey decided for Hyr-ca´nus, and aided him by a Ro´man army. In his interest he besieged and took Je-ru´sa-lem, and then placed Hyr-ca´nus in power, but without the title of king. From this time the Ro´mans were practically, though not nominally, in control of affairs.
1.) Her´od the Great. We assign as the date of the Ro´man rule B. C. 40, when Her´od (son of An-tip´a-ter, an E´dom-ite, who had been the general of Hyr-ca´nus) received the title of king from the Ro´man Senate. From this time Pal´es-tine was regarded as a part of the Ro´man empire. Her´od was the ablest man of his age and one of the most unscrupulous. He ruled over all Pal´es-tine, I-du-me´a (ancient E´dom), and the lands south of Da-mas´cus.