Socio Political Flashcards
The ___________ was the context of the birth of Jesus. It consisted of the vast
empire of __________ the young conqueror from Macedonia. In 333, ________
opened up the way to the Middle East by his victory at _____, north of Antioch. In 332, he
reached _____ and founded his capital city in ________ . Alexander dreamt of establishing one
great empire, wielding the east and the west by spreading the ___________ and
_________ throughout his empire. He did not live long, however, to see his dream come
true. Alexander died at the young age of ___ in Babylon, and his kingdom was divided among his
quarreling generals: The Antigonids in Greece, the Ptolemies in Egypt, and The Seleucids in
Syria.
Graeco-Roman world
Alexander, the Great,
Egypt
Issos
Alexandria
Greek culture (Hellenism)
language (koine)
33
A. The Hellenization of Palestine (Israel) – 333 to 165 B.C.
For more than a century, _________ was placed under the control of the Greek rulers from
Egypt, the _______. They named and renamed cities throughout the countries, introduced
Hellenism and Greek language. The Greek culture and language influenced the Jews and had
great impact on their religion. __________ was translated into Greek (Greek
Septuagint) as a result of Hellenization. The ________ somehow allowed the Jews to live in
peace so the Jews enjoyed considerable degree of autonomy but remained passive subjects
Palestine
Ptolemies
The Hebrew Scripture
Ptolemies
In 198 B.C. things changed with the coming of the Seleucids led by_________. The
_________ wanted to impose the Greek culture and religion on the Jews. In 167 B.C. the
situation worsened. _________ came into power and strictly enforced Hellenism upon the
Jews. He claimed he was the visible manifestation of Zeus (chief god of the Greeks) and called
himself _________ (Revealer of Zeus), thus, demanded that the Jews worship him. He
abolished three important Jewish religious practices: (1) circumcision; (2) reading of the Torah;
and (3) the Sabbath. As a result, people became angry and crisis arose. Some priests
supported the Hellenization, while others condemned it.
Antiochus III.
Seleucids
Antiochus IV
Epiphanes
B. __________-165 to 63 B.C.
In response to the religious oppression by the Seleucids, the _____ revolted. _________,
the priest of Modein, led the first revolt. When he died his son, Judas, succeeded him. _______
was called “Maccabee” which means “_________”. He wanted to restore religious freedom and
independence. In 165 B.C._____ successfully marched into Jerusalem and on December of
that year, he rededicated the temple and restored temple worship. This event was celebrated
thereafter in the festival of _________, the Feast of Dedication or the Feast of Lights. When
Judas died, his brothers succeeded him. They established the __________ ruled by
priest-kings. The Jews enjoyed relative independence and autonomy, but soon the descendants
of the dynasty quarreled over the throne. Civil wars broke out
The Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Dynasty
Jews
Mattathias
Judas
Hammerer
Judas
Hanukkah
Hasmonean Dynasty
In 63 B.C. the Jews who were divided into rival groups supporting two different kings
appealed to Rome for ________. The__________, supporting one side, captured
_______ after a three-month siege. This marked the beginning of the Roman rule which was
to last until the seventh century A.D., the time of Arab invasions.
arbitration
Roman General Pompey
Jerusalem
In 40 B.C. the Roman Senate named _____ as King of the Jews. It was not until 37 B.C.
that Herod finally ascended the throne. When ______ was born, Herod was the ruling king of
Palestine. His greatest project in Jerusalem was the construction of the temple. He was called
the “Great” because he was a powerful ruler who built several structures such as theaters,
amphitheaters, and gymnasiums around Palestine.
Herod
Jesus
Despite all these projects, the _____still despised Herod. He forcefully imposed
_______ upon them. He collected heavy taxes from the people. Worst, _____ was ruthless and
suspicious of people, even his family. He wanted no rival to the throne so he had spies all over
the place to watch out for any sign of disloyalty. He killed some of his family members on
suspicion that they were plotting against him. ______ was also responsible for the killing of male
babies in Jerusalem when Jesus was born
Jews
Hellenism
Herod
Herod
The ________ was the immediate backdrop of Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death and
resurrection. It extended until the conception of _______ and the beginning of the early
church. Many followers of Jesus and early Christians were martyred during the rule of the
Romans in Palestine, a relatively small region in the whole Roman Empire.
Roman period
Christianity
The Contributions of the Greeks and the Romans
Just like any colonizer, the _____ and the ______ left indelible influences in the nation
of Israel. The most remarkable influence of the Greeks to the Jews was their culture, _______,
brought by _________. Hellenism consisted of arts and literature, sculpture and
architecture, philosophy and religious thought. It is the blending of the best material cultures
from the civilizations of Asia Minor, Egypt, and ancient Greece. Hellenism is characterized by
(a) syncretism; (b) universalism; (c) individualism; and (d) democratization of learning (Elwood &
Magdamo, 38). The Greek culture was so attractive to the people that it penetrated their thought
and practice.
Greeks, Romans
Hellenism, Alexander, the Great
