Religion 212, September 11, 2001

Chronology of Jewish History:

From the Babylonian Exile to the Destruction of the Second Temple

586 BCE – Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, destruction of the Temple, and beginning of Babylonian Exile

538 BCE – Cyrus the Persian conquers Babylon. The Persians allow Jews to return to their land and grant them funds to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple (beginning of “Second Temple period”). Israel under Persian rule.

333-323 BCE – Conquests of Alexander the Great

305 BCE – Israel comes under Ptolemaic (Greek-Egyptian) rule

c. 250 BCE – Torah first translated into Greek (= Septuagint [LXX])

200 BCE – Israel comes under Seleucidic (Greek-Syrian) rule

168-165 BCE – Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes

            164 BCE – Rededication of the Second Temple (now commemorated by Hanukhah)

140-63 BCE – The Hasmonean Dynasty, Israel under native (but non-Davidic) rule

63 BCE – The Roman general Pompey invades Jerusalem, Israel becomes Roman vassal state

40 BCE-39 BCE – The rule of King Herod and his sons

(6 CE – Birth of Jesus of Nazareth)

6-66 CE – Israel mostly under the direct rule of Roman procurators

66-70 CE – Jewish Revolt against Rome

70 CE – Jerusalem and the Second Temple destroyed by Romans (Titus, son of the emperor Vespasian)

KEY TERMS:

v Babylonian Exile

v Second Temple

v Hellenization

v Diaspora

v Septuagint (LXX)

v Apocrypha

v Pharisees

v Sadducees

v Essenes, Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran community

v Apocalyptic, eschatology, messiah, messianism