INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD (between the Testaments)

INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD (between the Testaments)

1.                  Introduction:  Intertestamental means ‘’between the Testaments’’ and the Intertestamental period covers the two centuries between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. These were the last two centuries BC stretching from approximately the date when Hebrew Bible was completed with the book of Daniel (166BC) to the birth of Christ and beginning of the New Testament period.

2.                  Palestine under the Hellenistic colonial rule:

1)          The Background of the Hellenism: When the Alexander the great was becomes the Empire after the death of his father Philip II. During his period he won Persian Empire, Greece, India Armenia, Arabia and Egypt. So, his empire consist variety of peoples, races, ethnic groups and cultures. Therefore, he was under the need of a powerful force to rule over these people he developed a new force with the support of his Greek ideas which is called it ‘’Hellenism’’ means spreading or bring all under the Greek culture through the project of ‘’ Hellenization’’ Since he was educated in the Greek way of life from his child wood he was forced the people to follow this culture.

2)          Process of Hellenization: there are several features about this process like

·              All the cities were introduced and instructed the Greek language and encouraged to speak Greek instead of their native language.

·              The cities were governed by the elected senate

·              Every city had gymnasium or sports center for athletics and horse racing

·              A youth center were created for recreation

·              Educational centers were developed in which the Greek literatures, poetry, drama, music and philosophy were taught.

3)          Result of the Hellenism: Many of the Jews in Jerusalem, as well as the Jews of the Diaspora, were influenced by the culture of the Greeks. Even the priestly people also joined the naked gymnasium which was against their Jews rule. There was a rivalry between the two Priestley families Onias and Tobias in which the High priest used to choose.  First Onias I was given a chance but When Onias son Onias II refused to pay tax to the king so the power was take out from Onias hand and given to Tobias. When the power struggle was happened between ptolemies and Seleucids and Onias supported Seleucids and Tobias supported. Many Jews also supported Seleucids because of this he become a King of Antiochus III which is the Jews nation. So he gave some freedom to the Jews. As a result many Jews followed the Greek culture like participating sports in naked way, dressing style. Many orthodox Jews were gone against the king. During the Antiochus Epiphanes he made strong rule against the Jews like

• a)           Jews must not live according to their ancient laws
• b)          Sacrifice must not be offered
• c)           Festival must not be celebrated
• d)          Children must not be circumcised
• e)           The Sabbath must not be observed

  Moreover, he also ordered altars to the Greek gods to be set up throughout Philistine. Jews were forced to offer sacrifice on these altars. Those were refused to do so they were killed. Many Jews were also forced to sacrifice and eat pigs. Finally he introduced the Greek god Zeus in the Jerusalem temple.  

3.                   Jewish Responses to Hellenistic:

1.    Maccabeans:   Militant protest against the Greek cultural imperialism

• ·              Jason become the High priest in 174 BC
• ·              Jason’s policy and actions on Hellenization
• ·              Three High priests: Menelaus, Onias III and Jayson.
• ·              Menelaus appointment and the reactions of the Jews
• ·              Antiochus Epiphanes’s new orders
• ·              Jews reactions against the orders

• 2)          The Maccabean Revolt: this is called ‘’armed struggle’’  of the Jews against the Greek cultural imperialism
• ·              Mattathias and his band
• ·              Judas or Maccabi leadership
• ·              Feast of Dedication
• ·              Judas supports to Lysias
• ·              Judas asking support to Roman
• ·              Jonathan leadership

• 3)          Political independence:
• ·              Simon and Political freedom 
• ·              Capture of Acra
• ·              Power handed over to Romans
• ·              Hasmoneans –descendants of Simon

4.                  The Hasmoneans and the advent of Roman Colonialism: they are the descendants of Simon. They also contributed for the loss of independence of the Jews in the following way

·  John Hyrcanus: ( 134-104BC) He tried to rule without consulting the other Jews

·  Alexander Janneus: (103-76 BC) during his time the civil war started and it was extended six years, many Jews were killed. According to Josephus there were eight hundred Jews.

·  Aristobulus: He was a king as well as the High priest after defeating his brother Hyrcanus.

·  Hyrcanus: Again he was fought with his brother with the support of Jews for the leadership of Jews nation

·  Division of the Nation: because of these two brothers fight with each other now the Jews land was divided into two and they asked Romans to help to each other’s. In this way they handover the power to Romans.  

5.                  Heterodox Judaism: Sectarianism in Judaism: 

a)       Pharisees:

·           Hebrew word’’ perush’’ which means ‘’separatist’’.

• ·           They belongs to group called ‘’Hasidim’’ means ‘the godly or holy people’.
• ·           Main work was to explain the Jewish law
• ·           They are the followers of Persian ideas
• ·           They believe the Resurrection of the dead
• ·            They believe the rewards and punishment of God
• ·           They are not privileged class of rich
• ·           Their duty and power is in Synagogues

b)       Sadducees:

·           The name had linked with ‘Zadok’ the priest during David and Solomon

·           Also connect with the Greek word ‘’Syndikoi’’ means ‘’member of the council’’

·           Also the Hebrew word’ saddiq’ means ‘’righteousness’’

• ·           They are the supporters of the Hasmoneans king
• ·           They are belong to ruling class in Jews nation
• ·           They are the party of rich
• ·           They are conservative thinkers
• ·           They put their influence in theological and religious outlook
• ·           They were not believing the Resurrection
• ·           They control the temples
• ·           They controlled the Jewish council  

c)        Zealots: They were a nationalist party people who rose soon after the Pompey’s destruction of Jerusalem in 63 BC.  They believed that Jewish nation should not be ruled and controlled by a foreign power.  They represented the passionate longing of the Jewish nation to be free of all gentile control. They also revolt against power of Rome. They are the very violent of the religious groups in the Intertestamental period. Finally their activities eventually brought about the destruction of the Jewish nation. When the Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed in AD 70 a group of  around 400 Zealots committed mass suicide at Masada in the year of AD 73.

d)       Qumran Community: they are the religious group which produced them withdrew from the normal life of the Jewish community and set of their own community on the banks of the Dead Sea. They are waited for the return of the Messiah. According to the Dead Sea scrolls, they survived for two hundred years. They are the unity and organized group and also they lived life of prayer and discipline. According to sources some says this people had link to Sadducees and Pharisees but most of them believe they belong to the family of Essence for the following reasons.

Ø  There was an Essence community in the same are near the Dead Sea where this Qumran community also resided.

Ø  Some similarities like their testing period, disciplined life, ceremonial washing, keeping the Sabbath, and held the property common and finally the rank of authority.

6.                  Roman occupation of Jerusalem under Pompey: 

In 65BC Roman had conquered Syria, to the north of the Palestine. They were concerned about the quarrel between the brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus for the control of the Jewish nation. But the Roman did not attempt to solve the problem but the first move came from Jewish leaders and they came to meet the Roman general Pompey. There were three groups went in three different leadership.

                      i.            One group was led by Aristobulus

                    ii.            The second group went on the leadership of Hyrcanus

                 iii.            The third group went lead by Pharisees and their request was to hand over the leadership to the priestly families.

So, Pompey successfully exploited the situation and he refused to give the immediate answer to the group and he asked for some time to think. But Aristobulus did not have enough patients to wait of the decision and he prepare for the war. By doing this he gave the chance to Pompey to capture the Jerusalem and near about 12000 Jewish were killed and the Pompey entered the Holy of Holies place in the temple. Now the authority shifted to Romans and the Jewish independence come to an end.

7.                   Fall of Jerusalem:

The Roman and Jewish war: when the Romans captured the Jewish nation though the King Herod and his sons allowed the Jews freedom to practice their religious practices but that was not enough for them. So, they started to revolt against the Romans. During this time there some of the following freedom fighters came and lead the Jewish people toward the Romans.

a.      The Zealots: they refused to pay the tax to the Romans. And the second one was they encouraged armed struggle against the Romans.

b.     Uprisings: there some uprisings before the Zealots came in the screen. There was a revolt in Galilee. In 43 BC there was another Uprising in Galilee by Antigonus. In the year of 40 BC he captured the Jerusalem with the help of some of the Jews leaders and the Roman king Herod was flee after his ears were cut. Now the Antigonus become the king as well as the High priest of the Jewish nation once again. But again the Romans were captured the Jerusalem again and this time they killed Antigonus. Then the third Uprising started again in Galilee against the Roman Empire. Another uprising broke out in Jericho by Simon and finally rebellion broke out by shepherd name called Anthronges.

Finally when the Roman procurator Florus took the money from the temple treasury  a bitter struggle started between Jewish people and Romans as a result,  in 70AD Jerusalem was captured by the Roman general Titus and the temple was burnt to the ground and many Jews were Massacred.