Lesson 4 Flashcards
Describe a brief biography of Herod the Great
- 63 BCE: Palestine subject to Rome
- Pompey’s three month siege of Jerusalem; leading to the end of the Hasmonean line
- Antipater emerged as the most significant figure in Palestine
- 40 BCE: Herod, son of Antipater named king of the Jews by Rome; not until 37 BCE that he gained control
- “Herod the Great” -> title earned due to his competence
- loyally carried out the wishes of Rome, kept peace, reduced petty crime
- notable for his buildings, namely his aqueducts, amphitheaters, citadels, city of Caesarea & most notably the new temple in Jerusalem
- struggled to gain approval of the Jews, seen as an “alien” (outsider)
- three of his sons & wife murdered
- died unmourned in 4 BCE
How did the Romans treat the Jews?
- Roman policy to allow a large measure of local freedom to the peoples of the empire
- however the Jews were restive under the pagan rule of Rome; yearned for independence
- native Jews labelled “publicani” (tax-collectors)
Narrate the events of the Jewish War of 66-70
1) 66 CE: Jewish revolt broke out
2) however put down by the overwhelming force of the Roman legions in 70 CE
3) Jerusalem levelled & Temple destroyed
4) major dislocations set out for the Jewish religion, which from then on was made to function without the Temple & its ceremonies, which were significant to ancient Jewish practice
5) desperate revolt held by the Jews in 132-35 CE; however cruelly suppressed
6) Roman colony established on the ruins of Jerusalem, a temple to Jupiter was erected, & Jews were forbidden to enter the city
How did the destruction of the temple in 70 AD change Judaism?
- “disastrous” war of 66-70 brought an end to the Sadducees; their Temple (which was the foundation of their influence) was destroyed, never to be rebuilt
- Zealots lost all credibility in their program of armed resistance against Rome
- covenanting community of Qumran disappeared in 68
- Pharisees were left as the major group to survive the war & to give their stamp to historic Judaism, down to the present day, but especially to what today is called Orthodox Judaism
- the canon of the Jewish Bible was finally determined, at the gathering of rabbis in 90 CE
- the “sad” separation between Jewish Christians as the Jewish synagogue appears to have been made final by the requirement that these Christians renounce their belief in Jesus
What is Hellenism?
spreading of Greek culture & language around the known world by establishing cities across Alexander the Great’s empire which attempted to emulate Athens
How did Hellenism affect the Jews?
- Hellenism spread Greek culture everywhere
- being a member of the empire provided security & power
- if you wanted power & influence as a Jew you had to understand & pretend to appreciate the culture of the ruling powers
- however, if you were in the lower classes, these new influences were despised & hated
- Jews wanted to define their own culture rather than do what the pagans did
- they therefore hated the “gentiles”
Define synagogue
the building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship & instruction
Define Herodian
(in NT) a member of a Jewish sect associated with the Pharisees in opposition to Jesus, & assumed to be supporters of Herod the Great’s dynasty
Define scribe
- a Jewish recordkeeper
- more recently; a professional theologian & jurist
Define Sanhedrin
the supreme council & tribunal of the Jews during post-exilic times headed by a High Priest & having religious, civil & criminal jurisdiction
Define post-exilic
relating to the period of Jewish history between the end of the exile in Babylon in 538 BC & 1 AD
Define jurisdiction
the official power to make legal decisions & judgements
Define exile
the state of being barred from one’s native country for political or corrective reasons
Who is Caiaphas?
the high priest at the beginning of John the Baptists’s preaching & during the trial of Jesus
Define rabbi
a Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law
