Lecture 10

This lecture was about Greek influence on Jerusalem, starting with Alexander the Great.  He took control after defeating Darius I of Persia.  After this, he established a Hellenistic timepoint for Jerusalem.  After his death, Jerusalem came under rule by two different groups, the Ptolemies and the Seleucids.  Under the Ptolemies, Jerusalem became Hellenistic, but these people allowed the Jews to maintain their tradition and be their own people.

Once the Ptolemies lost their rule after Antiochus III The Great defeating them, the Seleucids took control.  These people were a lot harsher with their rule, making sure to convert everyone and everything into a Greek influence.  Here are notes on Antiochus IV, who defeated his brother to get the throne:

o   Antiochus IV “Epiphanes”

§  175-164 BCE

·         Thoroughly Hellenized Palestine and Jerusalem

·         Deposes Onias III and sells high priesthood to his bro Jason in 175 BCE

·         Jason establishes gym in Jerusalem

·         Antiochus IV sells high priesthood again to Menelaus in 172 BCE

§  To suppress jewish resistance

·         Attacks Egypt in 170 BCE

·         Returns and conquers Jerusalem

·         Looted temple treasury

·         167 BCe edict outlawed jewish religious practices

·         Sacrificed a pig on the temple altar

·         Converted temple into a temple of zeus

·         Fully Hellenizes the jews

The Jews needed to find a way to get their tradition back.  Because of the harshness that Antiochus IV exposed them to, the Jews Rebelled.  This led to Hasmonean rule, which was the last time the Jews ever had the chance to rule themselves.  This revolt was called the Maccabean revolt, who's leader became the temporary.  These people were not direct descendants of David, so they swore to lead only for a little while.  Sadly, the rulers of the Hasmonean era eventually became corrupt, and also started to act very Greek, supporting the ideals that they had initially ruled against.  Under these people came the rise of the priesthood back to power, but eventually the Hasmoneans would fall.  This allowed for the rise of the Romans.