Greek Period and Roman Period Flashcards
Based on test guide
who was Alexander the Great
He was from macedonia which is north of reece. His father conquered Greece and became the king of Greece Alexander his son united all the polisis and took them for war to conquer more land.
How do we know from the description of the synagogue that the Jews of Alexandria were rich?
- The Jews built a big synagogue
- They decorated their synagogue with gold
How do we know from this Talmudic source that the Jews of Alexandria were also Hellenized?
- They decorated their synagogue with greek poles (collonades)
- The sexton waved a scarf in order to tell the jews when to say “amen” because they were hellenized and did not know the Hebrew language.
Septuagint
The Septuagint was the translation of the Torah from Hebrew into the Greek language.
What was the “Septuagint”? Explain its name.
It was called the septuagint because legend has it that the text was created by 72 jewish elders (septuagint = 70)
Who asked to translate the Torah? From whom did he ask to help him with the Translation?
King Ptolemy asked the Septuagint (created by 72 Jewish elders)
The reasons for the outbreak of the Maccabean Revolt
1) Antiochus demanded the Jews become Hellenized.
2) Antiochus appointed priests and this caused damage to the Jewish autonomy
3) Menalaus entered the temple to steal gold
4) Antiochus built an altar to Zeus in the Temple and sacrificed pigs.
The immediate cause to the Maccabean revolt:
The Greeks arrived to Modein and ordered the jews to sacrifice to the statue. After Matitiahu killed the greek soldiers, he called the jews to rebel against the greeks.
The miracle of Hanukkah in the Talmud
That they found a flask of untouched oil and that it lasted 8 days
Kiddush HaShem – Chana and her Seven Sons + the Hassidim that refused to fight on
Shabbath.
Story of Hannah and her Seven sons = All her 7 sons committed Kiddush Hashem in front of her & then she committed suicide
Hasmonean dynstasty Jonathan
Years: 160 - 142 BCE
Brother of judah Ha- Mccabee
Developed good relationship with the royal family of syria
The Greek royal family in Syria appointed him as high priest in Judah
Assassinated by the king of Syria
Simon hasmoneaum dynasty
Years: 142 - 134 BCE
Brother of judah Ha Macabee
Started as a high priest
Gained independence from the Greeks
Elected as the president by the assembly of the 120 jews
John Hyrcan Hasmoneum
Years: 134 - 104 BCE
Son of simon (second generation of hasmoneoms)
Conquered many lands
Forced conversion of Idumeans
Opposed by the Pharisees for forced conversion and policy of conquest
Aristobulus
Son of john hyrcanus (third generation of the hasmoneans)
Was hellenized and changed his name from Judah to Aristobulus
Appointed himself as the first king of the hasmoneans
Opposed by the pharisees for being hellenized and for making himself king despite not belonging to the house of david
Alexander Yanai
Years: 103 - 76 BCE
Brother of aristobulus
Priest and a king
Conquered many lands
Opposed by the Pharisees for siding with the Sadducees
Supported by the sadducees
On sukkot the Pharisees stoned him with etrogim while he led the sukkot ceremony in the temple (pg 143)
Salome Alexandra
Years: 76 - 67 BCE
Wife of alexander Yanai
On his deathbed he advised her to make peace with the Pharisees
During her reign as queen she stopped the conquests and wars therefore, the pharisees changed her name to Shlomizion (peace on zion)
Salome alexander had two sons:
Hyrcanus 2nd - she appointed him as the high priest
Aritsubulus 2nd - Appointed him head of the army
Hyrcanus 2nd - she appointed him as the high priest
Aritsubulus 2nd - Appointed him head of the army
Salmone alexanders sons
Sadducees
The high class, rich Jews
Were High Priests (Belonged to the family of Zadok)
Believed only the written torah
Hellenized (good relationship with the rulers)
Opposed the revolt
Pharisees
Lower/Middle class
Farmers, teachers, and rabbis
Believed in the written AND oral torah
Against Hellenism
Successors of the hasidim
Opposed the revolt against the Romans because they thought that Rome was a strong empire and that the jews can’t win against them, they thought that as long as the jews had autonomy and could study Torah they should not rebel.
The criticism of the Pharisees toward the Hasmonean rulers
Opposed the revolt against the Romans because they thought that Rome was a strong empire and that the jews can’t win against them, they thought that as long as the jews had autonomy and could study Torah they should not rebel
Alexander the Great,
4th Century BCE - Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire. His legacy: The greatest conqueror ever
Hellenism
the national character or culture of Greece, especially ancient Greece.
Polis
Greek city
Maccabean Revolt year
165
Maccabean revolt enemy
greeks
Reasons for maccabean revolt
Tried to make jews hellenized and worship idols. Appointed high priests. Brought pigs to the temple forcing jews to idol worship
Immediate cause for Maccabean revolt
Modiin - antiochus brought the greek statue to modiin
Ptolemy
Ptolemy gained control of Egypt, economically the most productive of all alexander’s conquests. His descendants called themselves by his names, the Ptolemies. Both the first Seleucus claimed Palestine as part of their kingdoms. Ptolomy translated the septuagint
Seleucus
Selecuus won for himself almost all the lands which Alexander had conquered in Asia. His descendants
were called the Seleucids. Both the first Seleucus claimed Palestine as part of their kingdoms.
Alexandria
One of the famous Polises that Alexander built was the city of Alexandria in Egypt
Septuagint
Translation of the torah into greek by king ptolomy
Antiochus
In 168 BCE antiochus became the new king of syria (the seleucid dynasty)
He wanted to conquer Egypt, and to take it over from the ptolemy kings.
First he had to conquer Judah, which was bordering Egypt.
The Greek rules always wanted to spread the Hellenistic culture among the nations which they conquered
Antichous was a brutal king, and unlike the ptolemy kings, he tried to force the jews to become hellenized. (no autonomy)
Jason
Jason changed the name of Jerusalem to Antiochia and built a large gymnasium where people engaged in sports and other forms of hellenism (ex. Greek clothes, names, speaking in Greek…)
Onias was the high priest in judah. Antichous didn’t like him because he was against hellenism.
Menelaus
Antiochus saw the progress to hellinization was moving fast enough. Menelaus was a radical Hellenistic. Antiochus appointed him because he thought that Jason was not energetic enough.
Antiochia
Jason changed the name of Jerusalem to Antiochia and built a large gymnasium where people engaged in sports and other forms of hellenism (ex. Greek clothes, names, speaking in Greek…)
Antiochus Decrees,
Antiochus heard about the riots in Jerusalem, and he sent his army to help Menelaus.
Not to study torah
Not to keep shabbat
No circumcision
The Books of Maccabees
Matitahu killed the greek soldiers in Modern
The maccabees and hassidim fled to the mountains and fought against the greeks
The maccabees and the hassidim performed circumcision (against antiochus decrees)
Modein
Mattiahu decided to leave jerusalem because he did not want his sons to live in a hellenized city
They moved to live into the village of Modein
The Greeks arrived to Modein and ordered the jews to sacrifice to the statue. After Matitiahu killed the greek soldiers, he called the jews to rebel against the greeks.
Zeus
Antiochus built an altar to Zeus in the Temple and sacrificed pigs.
Mattityahu
Matitiahu belonged to a priestly family in Jerusalem
He had 5 sons:
John, SImon, Judah, Elezar and Jonathan
Mattiahu decided to leave jerusalem because he did not want his sons to live in a hellenized city
They moved to live into the village of Modein
Matitahu killed the greek soldiers in Modern
Hassidim
The Hassidim opposed the idea of a new war. They concluded that autonomy and freedom of religion is good enough for them. Judah went out to war without the Hassidim and fell in the battlefield.
Guerilla war,
The Maccabees fought a Guerilla warfare. The Greeks had a strong army, well equipped with horses and elephants. However, the Jews had some advantages over them:
The Jews were familiar with the geography of their country.
The Greeks used heavy amrous and elephants and couldnt make it up on the mountains.
The maccabees enjoyed the support of the local population who helped them with supply and information
The jews won beacyase they fought for their existence and the continuation of theif nation and their religion. This was the victory of the spirit over the might.
Judah the Maccabee,
Leader of the maccabees
Apocrypha
Apocrypha (eg. The book of maccabees)
in biblical literature, works outside an accepted canon of scripture
Chana and her Seven Sons
Chana and her seven sons: There is a famous Midrash about Chana and her 7 sons. The wicked antiochus came to her town and ordered the jews to bow down to the statue. Chanas sons refused
To do so, and Anichous killed them one after the other in front of their mother.
Antiochus tried to tempt the youngest to bow down by throwing his ring next to the statue and asking the boy to pick it for him. Chana warned him from afar not to do so, and Antiochus killed him as well. Chana jumped from a roof and died. Chana and her 7 sons died on Kiddush Hashem.
Kiddush HaShem
Kiddush Hashem = Dying in the name of God
Autonomy
Freedom of religion
Hyrcanus II,
(son of salome alexandria)
Hyrcanus 2nd - she appointed him as the high priest
Aristobulus II,
(son of salome alexandria)
Aritsubulus 2nd - Appointed him head of the army
Idumeans
Jhon Hycran forced the conversion
Etrogim (hint : alex)
On sukkot the Pharisees stoned alexander yanai with etrogim while he led the sukkot ceremony in the temple (pg 143)
The Roman Conquest of Judah (Pompey)
Pompey was a Roman general who conquered Judea in 63 BCE.
Herod the Great (movie)
Herod the Great was a Roman-appointed king of Judea, known for his large-scale construction projects, including expanding the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
He is also famous for his cruel rule and the biblical account of ordering the Massacre of the Innocents.
Herod’s Temple – Pg. 172
Herod’s Temple refers to the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which Herod the Great expanded and renovated.
The temple was an architectural marvel of its time, with its large courtyards and ornate decorations.
It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE during the Great Revolt, but the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) remains as a significant remnant.
The Procurators – Pontius Pilate, Florus
Pontius Pilate: Roman procurator (governor) of Judea from 26–36 CE, most famous for presiding over the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Florus: Roman procurator of Judea from 64–66 CE, known for his oppressive rule and the role he played in igniting the Great Revolt through his harsh actions against the Jewish people.
Essenes
A separatist group who withdrew from society, possibly living in communities like Qumran. They practiced strict religious observance and expected a messianic figure.
Zealots
A revolutionary group that sought to expel the Romans from Judea through force, advocating armed rebellion.
Pompey
Roman general, conquered Judah in 63 BCE.
The conquest marked the beginning of Roman control over Judea.
Jerusalem was taken without significant resistance after a siege, and the Hasmonean dynasty was replaced by Roman authority.
Pompey entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem, an act seen as sacrilegious by the Jews.
This event led to Judea becoming a Roman province under the governance of a Roman procurator.
Herod the Great
He is known for his massive construction projects, including Herod’s Temple (the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem).
Despite his power, Herod’s reign was marked by cruelty, including the execution of family members, most notably his wife Miriam and sons.
The Movie on Herod’s life showcases his complex character, his relationship with Rome, and his attempts to solidify his rule through manipulation and construction.
Herod’s Temple
Herod’s Temple, also known as the Second Temple, was expanded and renovated by Herod the Great.
It was the center of Jewish worship and played a significant role in Jewish culture.
The Temple stood until its destruction in 70 CE during the Great Revolt.
The Procurators – Pontius Pilate, Florus
procurator = in charge of finances
Pontius Pilate (26-36 CE) was a Roman procurator of Judea, most famously known for overseeing the trial of Jesus Christ and ordering his crucifixion.
Florus (circa 64-66 CE) was a particularly harsh procurator who instigated uprisings due to his oppressive rule and heavy taxation.
The procurators were responsible for Roman governance in Judea and played a key role in the events leading up to the Great Revolt.
Pharisees
Pharisees: (poor) A religious group focused on the strict observance of the Law and oral traditions. They were influential among the common people.
Sadducees
Wealthy and powerful elite who controlled the Temple and focused on the written Torah. They rejected oral traditions.
Essenes
A monastic and apocalyptic group who withdrew from society, living in communal settlements, most famously at Qumran.
Zealots
A militant group who sought to expel the Romans through force. They played a significant role in the Great Revolt.
The Rebellion Against the Romans – Reason
Roman oppression: Heavy taxation, disrespect for Jewish customs, and Roman interference in religious practices.
Economic hardship: High taxes and Roman exploitation.
Religious tensions: Disrespect of Jewish religion by Romans and the internal conflict between Jewish sects.
Desire for independence: Zealots and other groups wanted to rid Judea of Roman rule and restore Jewish sovereignty.
The Great Revolt
Conquest of Galilee: The Romans, under Vespasian, took control of Galilee, defeating Jewish rebels and villages in 67 CE.
Conquest of Qumran: The Roman forces also defeated the Jewish rebels at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were later discovered.
The Siege on Jerusalem: In 70 CE, Titus, son of Vespasian, laid siege to Jerusalem, eventually breaching its walls.
Destruction of the Second Temple: The Romans destroyed the Second Temple on the 9th of Av (70 CE), an event commemorated in Jewish tradition as a day of mourning.
Masada Falls: The last Jewish stronghold, Masada, fell to the Romans in 73 CE after a prolonged siege.
Josephus Flavius
Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian, documented the events of the Great Revolt in his works, especially in The Jewish War.
He initially fought against the Romans but later became a Roman ally and chronicler, providing a detailed account of the siege of Jerusalem and the fall of Masada.
Reasons for the Destruction
According to the Talmud: The destruction of the Temple was due to unjustified hatred between Jews (the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza), reflecting social strife and internal divisions.
According to Josephus Flavius: The destruction was due to the Jewish revolt against Roman oppression, which led to war and the eventual sacking of Jerusalem.
Herod the Great
King of Judea under Roman authority, known for his architectural achievements, including the expansion of the Second Temple.
Masada
A mountaintop fortress where the final Jewish resistance against Rome occurred.
Caesarea
A major port city and Roman administrative center in Judea.
