After King Herod dies, his kingdom is divided into 3 regions ruled by 3 different sons. The first son was Archelaus who became ethnarch of Judea. He got the lion's share of the kingdom including Jerusalem and Samaria. He was a very ineffective ruler, resulting in an only 10 year reign. The second son was Herod Antipas, who became the tetrarch of Perea and Galilee. He was also an ineffective ruler who ruled from 4 BCE until his exile in 39 CE. The third son was Herod Philip, who became tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee. He ruled from 4 BCE until his death in 34 CE. One thing Herod Philip did was put his face on coins, which was something you didn't do in Jewish culture. However, since Herod Philip's kingdom was so far away from Jerusalem and from the conservative Jews, they would never see these coins with Philips face on them. Herodian rulers were gradually replaced by Roman procurators (direct Roman rule).
Pontius Pilate became governor or Jerusalem and ruled from 26 to 37 CE. He is best known for allowing the crucifixion of Christ recorded in the New Testament. He was a horrible governor and was ineffective. He provoked the Jews, did not respect their traditions, and was eventually recalled to Rome in 37 CE. Roman governors in Jerusalem (6-66 CE) were inexperienced and inept. They persecuted Jews and were disrespectful to Jewish traditions, and this eventually led to another Jewish revolt known as the "1st Jewish Revolt".
Rome was angry that Jerusalem was revolting, so Vespasian was sent to conquer Galilee and the Transjordan. Vespasian was the emperor's right hand man and most trusted military leader. He put down the Jewish revolt with ease. In 68 CE, Roman Emperor Nero dies and Vespasian was proclaimed Emperor in 70 CE. Vespasian's son, Titus takes charge of the military campaign while Vespasian returned to Rome to be emperor. On the 9th of Ab, 70 CE, the Northern city falls and the temple in Jerusalem is destroyed by Titus. When this happened there was institutional and spiritual crisis that led to the creation of many different sects of Judaism. Jerusalem is rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina and the province is renamed Syria-Palestina. Jews were banned from Jerusalem except for 9th of Ab to mourn their defeat. The pharisees and Christians religion were able to survive because they weren't dependent on the temple. Their religion was more spiritually based rather than physically based. This also led to the rise of the synagogue.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
AN N EA 10w 2/15/11 Lecture
The end of the Hasmonean Period in Jerusalem would mark the last time Jews have control of their own government until modern day Israel. This also marked the beginning of Rome's rule of Jerusalem beginning in 63 BCE. Pompey assumes control to settle dispute between two Hasmonean kings: Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. Hyrcanus is installed as the "ethnarch" and Antipater is installed as the procurator, sons installed as local rulers. Pompey also entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple, which is forbidden in the Jewish culture. This is known as the "The Abomination of Desolation" because no one is to enter the Holy of Holies except the High Priest once a year.
In 43 BCE, Antipater was murdered and Herod exacts revenge. Herod helps Rome by expelling the Parthians and in turn receives favor from Rome. In 37 BCE, Herod takes control of Jerusalem. Herod was known as a client king because he wanted to appease both Jews and Rome. He was Judaized by the Hasmoneans so he was superficially "Jewish", giving him the support of other Jews. Knowledge of Jewish traditions also gave him support. Herod ruled from 37 to 4 BCE and he was a ruthless ruler who murdered everybody that opposed him. He was the perfect king for Rome because instead of the Jews hating Rome for taking over Jerusalem, they hated Herod.
He is also known for his massive building projects, including the expansion of the second temple and builds the huge retaining wall around the temple mount. The Herodian Temple Mount closely resembles other sacred areas with podium surrounded by porticles and a free standing temple in the center. It was the size of 15 football fields and had retaining walls that were 80 feet tall. Herod also built "hide-outs" or escape mansions where he can flee in case the Jews revolted against him. One was the Citadel of David which was built as a keep inside the city in case of invasion and also as a runaway place when Jews got really angry. He built the Caesarea Theatre to make Rome happy, one of the most beautiful architectures ever built.
There is speculation of whether or not Herod was a good king or bad king because although he was a dictator, he allowed the Jews to worship their own way and did not break Jewish traditions. He was respectful to Jewish religion and helped them expand the Temple and temple mount. He can be seen as both a bad or good king, depending on your own perspective.
In 43 BCE, Antipater was murdered and Herod exacts revenge. Herod helps Rome by expelling the Parthians and in turn receives favor from Rome. In 37 BCE, Herod takes control of Jerusalem. Herod was known as a client king because he wanted to appease both Jews and Rome. He was Judaized by the Hasmoneans so he was superficially "Jewish", giving him the support of other Jews. Knowledge of Jewish traditions also gave him support. Herod ruled from 37 to 4 BCE and he was a ruthless ruler who murdered everybody that opposed him. He was the perfect king for Rome because instead of the Jews hating Rome for taking over Jerusalem, they hated Herod.
He is also known for his massive building projects, including the expansion of the second temple and builds the huge retaining wall around the temple mount. The Herodian Temple Mount closely resembles other sacred areas with podium surrounded by porticles and a free standing temple in the center. It was the size of 15 football fields and had retaining walls that were 80 feet tall. Herod also built "hide-outs" or escape mansions where he can flee in case the Jews revolted against him. One was the Citadel of David which was built as a keep inside the city in case of invasion and also as a runaway place when Jews got really angry. He built the Caesarea Theatre to make Rome happy, one of the most beautiful architectures ever built.
There is speculation of whether or not Herod was a good king or bad king because although he was a dictator, he allowed the Jews to worship their own way and did not break Jewish traditions. He was respectful to Jewish religion and helped them expand the Temple and temple mount. He can be seen as both a bad or good king, depending on your own perspective.
AN N EA 10w 2/10/11 Lecture
Although the Persian Empire was massive and covered much land, a new force grew from Macedonia and a young king named Alexander the Great rose to prominence. He later conquered the "known world" including Palestine from 336-323 BCE. Alexander defeats Persia's King Darius at Battle of Issus in 333 BCE and begins the Hellenistic Period in Jerusalem. When King Alexander died in 323 BCE, his kingdom was divided and given to the Ptolemies (Egyptians) and Seleucids (Syrians). The first to rule in Jerusalem was Ptolemy 1 from 300-201 BCE. During this time, the Jews in Jerusalem were allowed to do whatever they wanted as long as they paid taxes and didn't revolt. They were allowed to keep their high priesthood and Jewish traditions. The Seleucids begin to rule Jerusalem after defeating Ptoloemy V in 198 BCE and advocated "Hellenism" by forcing Jews to speak Greek to have linguistic unity. The Hellenistic Period (201-164 BCE) would change every aspect of Jewish life.
The architecture of Jewish tombs and buildings began to have Greek style architecture and Greek became the most spoken language of most Jews. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek and even Jesus quotes the Greek version Bible because it became the most used during the Hellenistic Period. When Antiochus IV came to power in 175-164 BCE, he deposes High Priest Onias III and sells the high priesthood to his brother Jason in 175 BCE. In addition, he suppressed Jewish resistance by looting temple treasury, outlawed Jewish religious practices, sacrificed pig on temple altar, and changed the temple to a temple for Zeus. This obviously caused hatred for the conservative orthodox Jews, but some Jews welcomed these changes. This eventually leads to Jewish divisions and development of different sects/factions. The growing frustration of the conservative Jews would lead to revolt.
This revolt becomes the "Maccabean Revolt" lead by Judas Maccabaeus. He lead the conservative Jews against the other Jews and Greeks using guerilla tactics. The revolt was surprisingly successful and retook the temple and Jerusalem from the Seleucids. They established Hanukkah to commemorate the victory and established self-rule for the first time since exile to Babylon. This lead to the Hasmonean Dynasty and kings who were said to be descendants of "Hasnom". The Golden Age was restored and Jewish territory expanded. However, rulers became increasingly Hellenized, secular, and corrupt. The kings declared themselves king and high priest which is ironic because the purpose of the revolt was to dispose of the messing of the high priesthood. They also forcibly Judaized surrounding Gentile regions.
This time period did not last for long because there was a lot of instability with Pharisees and Saducees who had different views of Judaism. Different Hasmonean kings favored different sides and Jerusalem was falling apart from the inside out. In 63 BCE, Rome led by Pompey arrived and took over Jerusalem and took authority away from the High Priest.
The architecture of Jewish tombs and buildings began to have Greek style architecture and Greek became the most spoken language of most Jews. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek and even Jesus quotes the Greek version Bible because it became the most used during the Hellenistic Period. When Antiochus IV came to power in 175-164 BCE, he deposes High Priest Onias III and sells the high priesthood to his brother Jason in 175 BCE. In addition, he suppressed Jewish resistance by looting temple treasury, outlawed Jewish religious practices, sacrificed pig on temple altar, and changed the temple to a temple for Zeus. This obviously caused hatred for the conservative orthodox Jews, but some Jews welcomed these changes. This eventually leads to Jewish divisions and development of different sects/factions. The growing frustration of the conservative Jews would lead to revolt.
This revolt becomes the "Maccabean Revolt" lead by Judas Maccabaeus. He lead the conservative Jews against the other Jews and Greeks using guerilla tactics. The revolt was surprisingly successful and retook the temple and Jerusalem from the Seleucids. They established Hanukkah to commemorate the victory and established self-rule for the first time since exile to Babylon. This lead to the Hasmonean Dynasty and kings who were said to be descendants of "Hasnom". The Golden Age was restored and Jewish territory expanded. However, rulers became increasingly Hellenized, secular, and corrupt. The kings declared themselves king and high priest which is ironic because the purpose of the revolt was to dispose of the messing of the high priesthood. They also forcibly Judaized surrounding Gentile regions.
This time period did not last for long because there was a lot of instability with Pharisees and Saducees who had different views of Judaism. Different Hasmonean kings favored different sides and Jerusalem was falling apart from the inside out. In 63 BCE, Rome led by Pompey arrived and took over Jerusalem and took authority away from the High Priest.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
AN N EA 10w 2/8/11 Lecture
Although the Babylon Empire was massive and seemed unbeatable, all empires come to an end. The Persian Empire began to rise and eventually defeated the Babylonians. By defeating the Babylonians, they gained control of Jerusalem as well. This is known as the "Second Temple Period" of Jerusalem because the Jews eventually rebuild the temple that was once destroyed by the Babylonians. When the Persian Empire (539 BCE-333 BCE) entered Babylon, they didn't enjoy the presence of the Jews in the city. The king of Persia, Cyrus, sent the Jews back to Jerusalem. The Persians wanted to be seen as liberators rather than conquerors. During their time in Babylon, the Jews adopted the language Aramaic, so that became their main language when they returned to Jerusalem.
Remember that during this time, the Jews were still feeling cognitive dissonance. Their faith in God's promises dwindled because of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem itself. In response to this, the Jews attempted to interpret God's messages in different ways. The Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of God, was never heard of again. It seemed that God had abandoned His people. Ezekiel, a prophet of God, gives a prophesy of a New Jerusalem coming in the future. He has an apocalyptic vision of a mobile shrine of God, one that has wheels and wings so that it can move around. This vivid image of a mobile shrine of God was much different than the Ark of the Covenant which was a stationary shrine. The vision conveys that God is still here, and He is mobile, not just stationary. This prophesy is found in Ezekiel 1, and it gave hope to Jews that God was still around and watching over them.
When returning to Jerusalem, the main focus of the Jews was to reestablish the temple and high priesthood. The new High Priest was Joshua and the governor was Zerubbabel. The question was whether or not the Jews still needed a temple to worship God. Judaism had survived the exile to Babylon and God was envisioned to be a mobile God, no longer dwelling in the temple. In Haggai 1, we see God command His people to rebuild "His House". The second temple was built in the same way as the first, but was said to "pale the former glory" of the first temple. We also see the construction of other temples rather than one central temple in Jerusalem. For example, the Utopian Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 and the Samaritan Temple recorded by Josephus. Some of these temples were built to worship other gods.
Life in Jerusalem during Persian rule was hard. The city was in poverty and the Jews were heavily taxed by the Persians. There was also conflict between the Jews who were left behind during the exile and the other Jews who have returned from exile. It is said that people had to carry a sword while they worked because of the constant fighting between the two. This conflict would continue to grow as time went on.
Remember that during this time, the Jews were still feeling cognitive dissonance. Their faith in God's promises dwindled because of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem itself. In response to this, the Jews attempted to interpret God's messages in different ways. The Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of God, was never heard of again. It seemed that God had abandoned His people. Ezekiel, a prophet of God, gives a prophesy of a New Jerusalem coming in the future. He has an apocalyptic vision of a mobile shrine of God, one that has wheels and wings so that it can move around. This vivid image of a mobile shrine of God was much different than the Ark of the Covenant which was a stationary shrine. The vision conveys that God is still here, and He is mobile, not just stationary. This prophesy is found in Ezekiel 1, and it gave hope to Jews that God was still around and watching over them.
When returning to Jerusalem, the main focus of the Jews was to reestablish the temple and high priesthood. The new High Priest was Joshua and the governor was Zerubbabel. The question was whether or not the Jews still needed a temple to worship God. Judaism had survived the exile to Babylon and God was envisioned to be a mobile God, no longer dwelling in the temple. In Haggai 1, we see God command His people to rebuild "His House". The second temple was built in the same way as the first, but was said to "pale the former glory" of the first temple. We also see the construction of other temples rather than one central temple in Jerusalem. For example, the Utopian Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 and the Samaritan Temple recorded by Josephus. Some of these temples were built to worship other gods.
Life in Jerusalem during Persian rule was hard. The city was in poverty and the Jews were heavily taxed by the Persians. There was also conflict between the Jews who were left behind during the exile and the other Jews who have returned from exile. It is said that people had to carry a sword while they worked because of the constant fighting between the two. This conflict would continue to grow as time went on.
AN N EA 10w 2/1/11 Lecture
Starting off the lecture, we once again look at how writing was becoming popular and a social norm in Jerusalem during Hezekiah and Josiah's rule. One example is the Mezad Hashavyahu Ostracon which is a physical writing that began to parallel the laws of the Hebrew Bible. In Exodus 22:25-26 and Amos 2:8, we see instructions to not abuse the poor and the return the clothes of a worker once he finishes his work. In the Yavneh Yam letter, we see a complaint from a worker who didn't get his clothes back after he had finish his work. This idea of returning clothes to workers and how it was a law that mirrors what the Hebrew Bible instructed. This shows that there was a written Law back then that people followed. Another example is the Torah amulets which were found in ketef Hinnom. On the amulets, there are quotes of Numbers 6:24-26 and Deuteronomy 7:9, which is basically a prayer. These amulets which date back to 600 BCE show that perhaps the Hebrew Bible was in fact used back as law. These objects show that the importance of literacy was growing rapidly and how writing becomes authoritative while human discourse decreases.
Now we turn our attention to Jerusalem and how the city is about to be invaded by the Babylonians. The Babylonian Empire (612-539 BCE) was the new big power growing in the region. King of Jerusalem, Josiah, was killed by Pharaoh Necro at Megiddo in 609 BCE possibly because Josiah was aiding the Babylonians. The Egyptians and Assyrians were fighting Babylonia, so it would make sense that the Pharaoh would kill Josiah if Jerusalem was in fact aiding the Babylonian Empire. In 597 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon besieges Judah and sets Zedekiah on the throne. In 586 BCE, he destroys Jerusalem and the temple and exile most of the people to Babylon. Only the poorest were left in Jerusalem. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 24. Extra biblical proof of the exile was found when 290 tablets were excavated near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. On these tablets, there were mentions to royal Judah families. This proves that there was a massive Jewish population that was in Babylonia during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, most likely from the exile.
The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple had massive implications to the Jews. God had promised the safety of the holy city and that His temple would stand forever. With the temple destroyed, the Jews were confused and distraught. Everything they had learned and believed in came crashing down along with the temple. Did God break His promise? How can God be sovereign if His own dwelling place was destroyed? This feeling is known as cognitive dissonance, which is the idea where you have two contradictory beliefs that can not coexist. What happens when everything you believe in comes against reality? Can you hold on to two contradictory ideas? Some of the Jews fell out of the faith altogether whereas others tried interpreting God's covenant in a different way. Perhaps God meant something else when He made the promise to David and Hezekiah. Nonetheless, the Holy City was destroyed and there was nothing the Jews could do about it.
In certain parts of the Bible, such as Lamentations 1 and Psalm 137. We see sad and mournful passages where the authors are grieving of the tragedy. These passages have the same message, this is all part of God's plan and that its not God's fault, but the Jews fault because they angered God. Also, the Jews hope that God will come come and destroy Babylon, restoring Jerusalem back to its former glory. The Jews wanted revenge, but at the time being, there was nothing that could be done.
Now we turn our attention to Jerusalem and how the city is about to be invaded by the Babylonians. The Babylonian Empire (612-539 BCE) was the new big power growing in the region. King of Jerusalem, Josiah, was killed by Pharaoh Necro at Megiddo in 609 BCE possibly because Josiah was aiding the Babylonians. The Egyptians and Assyrians were fighting Babylonia, so it would make sense that the Pharaoh would kill Josiah if Jerusalem was in fact aiding the Babylonian Empire. In 597 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon besieges Judah and sets Zedekiah on the throne. In 586 BCE, he destroys Jerusalem and the temple and exile most of the people to Babylon. Only the poorest were left in Jerusalem. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 24. Extra biblical proof of the exile was found when 290 tablets were excavated near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. On these tablets, there were mentions to royal Judah families. This proves that there was a massive Jewish population that was in Babylonia during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, most likely from the exile.
The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple had massive implications to the Jews. God had promised the safety of the holy city and that His temple would stand forever. With the temple destroyed, the Jews were confused and distraught. Everything they had learned and believed in came crashing down along with the temple. Did God break His promise? How can God be sovereign if His own dwelling place was destroyed? This feeling is known as cognitive dissonance, which is the idea where you have two contradictory beliefs that can not coexist. What happens when everything you believe in comes against reality? Can you hold on to two contradictory ideas? Some of the Jews fell out of the faith altogether whereas others tried interpreting God's covenant in a different way. Perhaps God meant something else when He made the promise to David and Hezekiah. Nonetheless, the Holy City was destroyed and there was nothing the Jews could do about it.
In certain parts of the Bible, such as Lamentations 1 and Psalm 137. We see sad and mournful passages where the authors are grieving of the tragedy. These passages have the same message, this is all part of God's plan and that its not God's fault, but the Jews fault because they angered God. Also, the Jews hope that God will come come and destroy Babylon, restoring Jerusalem back to its former glory. The Jews wanted revenge, but at the time being, there was nothing that could be done.
AN N EA 10w 1/27/11 Lecture
During Hezekiah's rule in Jerusalem and the preparation of rebellion against the Assyrians, writing became an important part of society. Written rules became authoritative and at times more powerful than the king because the king had to submit under a written, unchangeable law. We still see this today with the Constitution and how our government rules based on what the Constitution says. In the same way, written laws became more prevalent and important. Writing literature also became popular during this time period and people were being trained to be literate. This was done to preserve the reputation and history of the kingdom instead of just orally passing things down. It is possible that the biblical book of Proverbs and Songs of Solomon were written down during this time.
Thinking back to the promise to David and how through his line a messiah would come, Jerusalem was in need of a savior while fighting the massive Assyrian army. There was little hope that Jerusalem would be able to fight off such a big empire, but God was on their side. Some believe that Hezekiah is the messiah that God promises because of the context of what was going on then. Hezekiah was the one who was to be the defender of the city and stop Assyria from invading Jerusalem. In the most dire time, Hezekiah goes to the temple to beg God to help them against the Assyrians. God promises that He will deliver Jerusalem from this attack and that the city will never fall or be destroyed. In light of this, the Bible says that God sends an angel to fight the Assyrian army. With the divine on Jerusalem's side, Assyria retreats and is never able to take Jerusalem. After Jerusalem survives the Assyrian attack, Jerusalem is seen as indestructible because God Himself is protecting it. This was the single greatest catalyst for the snowballing legend of an nonviable Jerusalem. Even in Sennacherib's prism where he records his conquest, he never mentions capturing Jerusalem. He says that he traps Hezekiah like a bird in a cage, but never says that he took the city. This started the development of Zion Theology, which is the idea that God will protect Jerusalem and fulfill his promise to David. Hezekiah then embarks on a religious reform that states that the only place to worship God is in the temple at Jerusalem. He makes one way to worship and perhaps it was a tactic to unite everyone under one belief.
After Hezekiah dies, his son, Meanasseh, undoes all the religious reforms and bad things start to happen. The urbanization causes political and religious unrest because there are so many people moving into Jerusalem and mix of political and religious beliefs. Without a charismatic leader like Hezekiah, there needed to be another way to show authority, which becomes a written set of laws. There is a discovery of a scroll known as "The Law", similar to the one Moses received from God. When Josiah comes into power, he starts a religious reform almost identical to Hezekiah's. It was based on reading and obeying the book and there is only worship to the Hebrew God. During this time period, society becomes literate and there are expectations that people should know how to read and write.
Thinking back to the promise to David and how through his line a messiah would come, Jerusalem was in need of a savior while fighting the massive Assyrian army. There was little hope that Jerusalem would be able to fight off such a big empire, but God was on their side. Some believe that Hezekiah is the messiah that God promises because of the context of what was going on then. Hezekiah was the one who was to be the defender of the city and stop Assyria from invading Jerusalem. In the most dire time, Hezekiah goes to the temple to beg God to help them against the Assyrians. God promises that He will deliver Jerusalem from this attack and that the city will never fall or be destroyed. In light of this, the Bible says that God sends an angel to fight the Assyrian army. With the divine on Jerusalem's side, Assyria retreats and is never able to take Jerusalem. After Jerusalem survives the Assyrian attack, Jerusalem is seen as indestructible because God Himself is protecting it. This was the single greatest catalyst for the snowballing legend of an nonviable Jerusalem. Even in Sennacherib's prism where he records his conquest, he never mentions capturing Jerusalem. He says that he traps Hezekiah like a bird in a cage, but never says that he took the city. This started the development of Zion Theology, which is the idea that God will protect Jerusalem and fulfill his promise to David. Hezekiah then embarks on a religious reform that states that the only place to worship God is in the temple at Jerusalem. He makes one way to worship and perhaps it was a tactic to unite everyone under one belief.
After Hezekiah dies, his son, Meanasseh, undoes all the religious reforms and bad things start to happen. The urbanization causes political and religious unrest because there are so many people moving into Jerusalem and mix of political and religious beliefs. Without a charismatic leader like Hezekiah, there needed to be another way to show authority, which becomes a written set of laws. There is a discovery of a scroll known as "The Law", similar to the one Moses received from God. When Josiah comes into power, he starts a religious reform almost identical to Hezekiah's. It was based on reading and obeying the book and there is only worship to the Hebrew God. During this time period, society becomes literate and there are expectations that people should know how to read and write.
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