U2.Historical and Cultural background of the New Testament

Question 1

What two periods can one divide this part of historiography in?

Answer 1

1) General History 2) The temple period

Question 2

What is the General history about in our scope of interest.

Answer 2

Antiquity (Greece and Athens)
Hellenistic Times (Alexander the Great)
Roman time

Question 3

Antiquity is counted as the cradle of western civilisation, but when did it approximately have its peak?

Answer 3

About 400 B.C.

Question 4

When did the Hellenistic times occur, and with whom did it commence?

Answer 4

It commenced with Alexander the Great, from 333-31 B.C.

Question 5

What was the timespan for the Roman time?

Answer 5

31 B.C. - 312 A.D

Question 6

What is the three-phased chronology that dominates the secular history? And is there a better chronology that corresponds with the Jewish soul?

Answer 6

Athens-Hellenism-Rome. Yes, the Temple Chronology.

Question 7

Why is the temple chronology closer to the Jewish heart?

Answer 7

Because the temple held a central place in the Jewish community, and Jewish history describes itself in relation to it.

Question 8

How many temple periods are there?

Answer 8

two.

Question 9

When was the first temple period? Who built it, and who destroyed it?

Answer 9

The First temple period was between 960 B.C - 587 B.C. King Salomon built it and it was destroyed by the Babylonians.

Question 10

What replaced the temple as central for Jewish worship when the temple was destroyed and the Jews forced into exile?

Answer 10

The torah.

Question 11

When was the Second Temple built, and who destroyed it?

Under which ruler was the temple yet again rebuilt (or renovated)?

Answer 11

Second Temple period was 515 B.C. - A.D 70. It was rebuilt in 515 B.C (as described in the book of Ezra) under the invitation of Zerubbabel, who gave the liberty and even contributed from his own purse.

However, the temple was quite simplistically built. So, it was later rebuilt by Herod the Great in 19 B.C.

It was later destroyed by the Romans, under Titus, in A.D. 70.

Question 12

How come the Jews could return from Babylon to rebuild their temple?

Answer 12

The Babylonians was conquered in 539 B.C. by the Persian king Cyrus. Cyrus was more liberal and let the conquered people return to their homelands.

Question 13

Unde which emperor was the Second Temple destroyed in A.D. 70?

Answer 13

Emperor Vespasian.

Question 14

When was the Jews’ hopes for a rebuilding of the second temple utterly crushed?

Answer 14

After the Bar Kochba rebellion in A.D 135. It was crushed by emperor Hadrian, and even Jerusalem was destroyed.
A third Temple is still a dream for pious Jews.

Question 15

In what battle, and in what year, does Alexander the Great claim the victory that will mark the commence of Hellenism,

Answer 15

The battle of Issus (Today’s turkey, close to the Syran border) in 333 B.C. He defeats the Persian king Darius III.

He reigned from Macedonia to the borders of India.

Question 16

Who was Alexander the Great’s mentor?

Answer 16

Aristoteles.

Question 17

Was Alexander on a hellenistic mission? How did he regard different cultures?

Answer 17

Well perhaps not intentionally. But he did install Greek culture especially in the court and ruling classes. However, he was interested in the different cultures and let them continue to have their special customs.

Question 18

Alexander’s generals, families and friends entered the stage after his death to claim power for themselves. What are they collectively named?

Answer 18

Diadochi (Greek. Successors).

Question 19

Which ones were successful in claiming power and what parts did they control?

Answer 19

Antigonos: Asia Minor.
Ptolemy: Egypt and North Africa
Seleucos: India - Mesopotamia - Greece, with Antioch as capital.

Question 20

Israel became under foreign rule from 323 B.C. - 142 B.C.

Can you name these rulers?

Answer 20

Ptolemees (Egypt) 323 - 198 B.C.
Seleucids (Syria) 198 - 142 B.C.
Among these, the most important was Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Syria) 175 B.C.

Question 21

What happened to the Jewish culture during the reign of Epiphanes IV (God Manifest), sometimes more revilingly referred to as epimanes (the mad one).

Answer 21

The Hellenistic culture started to permeate the Jewish culture. It was also aided by liberal currents among parts of the Jewish leadership, as for example the high priest Jason.

Question 22

The period of under the rule of Epiphanes was significant in shaping the culture and context for the New Testament. The Jews struggled for political and religious freedom.

Answer 22

The suspense would come with the Maccabean revolt.

Question 23

The revolt that installed political and religious freedom for Israel goes under what name?

Answer 23

The Maccabean period. The Hasmonean dynasty.

Question 24

What did Antiochus Epiphanes do with regard to the temple?

Answer 24

The Temple becomes a temple of the Olympian Zeus.

Question 25

Who was Mattathias and what is his part in this story?

Answer 25

The Jews were forced to make pagan sacrifice in the marketplace. Mattatiahs was a priest who refused, and killed a Jew who did make the pagan sacrifice. He then fled up to the mountains.

Question 26

Mattathias action led to a revolt, who became its leader. And what was its name? When did this take place?

Answer 26

Mattathias son, Judas Maccabeus, became leader of the revolt that became to be called “the Maccabean revolt.” 167-166 B.C

Question 27

What did the revolt fall out?

Answer 27

They were successful and managed to win against te Seleucids.

Question 28

When did they restore the temple cult.

Answer 28

In 164 they temple cult was up and running again.

Question 29

When did the Maccabbeans manage to reclaim a Jewish state? And what is another name for the dynasty.

Answer 29

142 B.C. This led to about 100 years of Hasmonean rule.

Question 30

When is the Roman time?

Answer 30

From 31 B.C - A.D 312. Constantine conquered Maxentius in A.D 312.

Question 31

Who was the first Roman emperor?

Answer 31

Augustus.

Question 32

Who captured Jerusalem, and what did he do to the high priest?

Answer 32

In 63 B.C. the roman general Pompey captures Jerusalem. He installs a new high priest but takes away his princely title. The priest becomes a roman vassal.

Question 33

What happens to the Hasmoneas under the Roman rule?

Answer 33

They loose power and must eventually give it over to the Herodians, who were not ethnic Jews. They were Idumeans Jews by forced conversion.

Question 34

How long did the Herodian dynasty last?

Answer 34

37 B.C. - A.D 92

Question 35

Who was in power when Jesus was born?

Answer 35

Herod the Great, he ruled 37-4 B.C. Jesus was born around 7 B.C.

Question 36

What is Herod the great known for?

Answer 36

Being a builder. Rebuilt the Jewish temple as well as a new temple to Caesar. Extremely sacred for being assassinated.

Question 37

Who was King Herod Agrippa I?

Answer 37

He was the grandson of Herod the Great. Ruled 37-44. Executed James, put Peter into prison; was eaten by worms (Acts 12).

Question 38

Who was King Herod Agrippa II?

Answer 38

Ruled 50-93. Paul appeared before him. He sided with Caesar in the Jewish war.

Question 39

Who was the caesar under which Jesus was born. He also initiated the worship of caesar.

Answer 39

The first Caesar Augustus. ruled 27 B.C - A.D. 14

Question 40

Under which caesar did Jesus minister and was executed?

Answer 40

Tiberus, ruled A.D 14-37.

Question 41

Which Caesar demanded ordered his staty to be placed in the temple - though he died before the order was carried out.

Answer 41

Caligula, ruled A.D 37-41.

Question 42

Which Caesar expelled the Jews from Rome, including Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:2), for civil unrest.

Answer 42

Claudius, ruled A.D. 41-54

Question 43

Which Caesar persecuted Christians in Rome, set it to fire, and martyred Paul and Peter?

Answer 43

Nero, A.D. 54-68.

Question 44

Which Caesar began to crush the Jewish revolt when he still was a general? He later, when he became Caesar, left it up to his son to destroy Jerusalem and the temple in A.D 70.

Answer 44

Vespasian, ruled A.D. 69-79

Question 45

Which Caesar destroyed the temple under his father’s rule?

Answer 45

Titus, ruled A.D 79-81

Question 46

Which Caesar persecuted John, which led to John fleeing to the isle of Patmos.

Answer 46

Domitian, ruled A.D. 81-96.

Question 47

How did the destruction of the temple come about?

Answer 47

A very difficult situation under bad Roman procurators in Judea and Samaria: religious unrest, unfair taxes, excessive interest on loans, government corruption, corrupt priesthood.
The spark that ignited the revolt: the desecration of a Caesarean synagogue by Greek people, a devastating three-year war began.

Question 48

What was the role of Titus, the son of Vespasian?

Answer 48

Titus conquered Jerusalem with four legions; four months of struggle and brutal slaughter.

Question 49

A second revolt came about ignited by the dream of rebuilding the temple; when was this, and what is it called? What emperor crushed it brutally, definitely ending the dream of rebuilding the second temple.

Answer 49

The revolt was named Bar-Kochba, and occurred between 132-135. It was brutally stopped by the emperor Hadrian. Jews were banned from Jerusalem and Hadrian built a Roman city with a temple where he stood statue on the Holy of Holies.

Question 50

What consequence did Hadrian’s ban on Jews have on the Jewish society?

Answer 50

Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai, the leading rabbi: flight to Jabne (Jamnia) and establishment of a Jewish ‘world centre’ there; this movement is often thought of as Rabbinic Judaism.

This also meant the end for the Sadducees and the High priest, also the zelots, since they existence was centered around the Temple.