Hellenistic and Hasmonean Jerusalem: Lecture 9.1 and 10.1 - February 10, 2011

Hellenistic Jerusalem

            In the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE the Greeks, who were led by Alexander the Great defeated Persia’s King Darius. As a result of this Jerusalem had not only been exposed to Persian influence, but now Greek too. After the Jews came back from exile they reestablished the Jewish Temple and Judaism, the High priest was returned and took control, there was a new understanding of Judaism compared to that of the First Temple, and there was a demise of monarchy. During this time known as the Hellenistic period, Josephus, a Roman historian and a Jew, was a rebellion leader until he was caught and claimed to be a prophet and that the Roman general who caught him would become emperor one day. Because his prediction was correct, his is not killed and instead writes Jewish history but through a very pro-Roman perspective. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, there is another division of he Kingdom into Ptolemies (Egyptians) and Seleucids (Syrians). In 320 BCE Ptolemy I captures Jerusalem and then in 201 BCE Antiochus III of the Seleucids defeats Ptolemies and annexes Jerusalem and “Palestine” (territory of the Romans). This lecture also covered the various secular leaderships of the Priests throughout the different Persian Periods and the Hellenistic Period.

Hasmonean Jerusalem:

            After a period of under Greek rule, the Conservative Jews began an open revolt. Lead by Judas Maccabaeus, the Maccabean Revolt employed guerrilla tactics that were superior to the Seleucid army. They were successful and regained control of Jerusalem and the Temple. They resumed the sacrificial system and established self-rule. This revolt gave rise to the Hasmonean Dynasty. The Hasmonean rulers ironically became more Hellenized and corrupt, by assuming the office of high priest as well as King. Also, they build “Solomon’s” Pools because when you build something new for the good of a city, you must try to tie it as far back as you can to legitimize rule. The Hasmoneans continued to do to their people what was done to them, by destructing and exiling native populations and implementing forced conversions of foreigners as well as the centrality of the Temple in Jerusalem.