Political, Social, & Economic Settings

• Post-Exilic Palestine- The return of the Diaspora Jews
• Greek Domination- Conquest of Alexander the Great
• Political powers that ruled Palestine prior to the fall of Jerusalem:

  • Greek Domination
  • Hasmoneans
  • Herod and Sons
  • Roman Rule
• When diaspora Jews returned to Judah, the people of Israel, after learning the hard lessons from their infidelity and disobedience to God, resolved to keep their identity by observing the commandments, and avoiding contamination from any foreign and pagan worship.
• The Greeks at the reign of the young conqueror Alexander the Great advanced to the Near East, invaded lands, subjected its territories to Greek rule, and spread Greek culture on the entire Mediterranean world.
• In the history of thought, the Greeks were known for their intellectual giants like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They are dedicated in finding universal truth.
• The Greeks worship a variety of Gods (polytheism) – such as Zeus, Hera, Hermes and Poseidon. Such religious tradition rans into conflict with the Jewish peoples’ core monotheistic belief of their God, YHWH.
• The Greeks practice polytheism while the Jewish people practice monotheism.
• After Alexander the Great’s death, his empire was divided into various territories among his leading generals.
• The Seleucids ruled Syria known as Syrian Greeks.
• Disrespectful of the Jewish identity and worship, the Syrian Greeks sacked Jerusalem and desecrated their beloved Temple
• The Syrian Greeks even went so far as to build the Greek god Zeus in the holy of holies, the most sacred part of the Temple
• Holy of holies- the most sacred part of the Temple
• Offended and insulted beyond words because of the Greek’s desecration, the Jewish people collectively responded in a revolt against the Greeks, a war remembered in history as the Maccabean Revolt.
• Maccabean Revolt- Named after its courageous Jewish leader, Judas Maccabeus, and recalled in the Book of Maccabees
• History favored the Jews, and enabled them to redeem the temple, their pride, and independence.
• But the long awaited independence from the Greek rule which the Jews regained after the Maccabean revolt became a short-lived freedom.
• The Romans entered into the scene to settle a rivalry with the Hasmonean leadership.
• Led by Pompey, the great military rival of Julius Caesar, Roman legions arrived in Palestine as ostensible peacemakers, invited to settle a dynastic dispute between two brothers contending for the Hasmonean throne.
• Pompey Magnus- the great military rival of Julius Caesar
• John Hycarnus II appealed to Rome for help in ousting his younger sibling.
• Aristobulus II, who have made himself both priest and king.
• After overthrowing Aristobulus, Pompey installed John Hycarnus II as high priest and ethnarch (provincial governor) over a Jewish state.
• Appointed by Rome and took the throne after John Hycarnus’ death. Herod is an Idumean and this had displeased the Jews. For them Herod the great is a foreigner.
• For them an Idumean is unworthy to rule due to negative past historical perception
• Idumeans resorted to pagan worship in the past, thus, they were labelled as ritually unclean and unfaithful people.
• To win the people's favors, Herod forged an apparent stability of peace and restored the great temple of Solomon
• Solomon’s Temple, finished in 957 BC, was less than one-half (1/2) size of Herod the Great’s expanded second temple in Jerusalem built in 20-19 BC
• Matthew 2:16-18 - "But his greed for power and cruelty became more evident. Whenever a group of people becomes a threat to his throne Herod had them under suspicion or worse executed."
• Herod the Great- Ruled all over Palestine, taking the throne after John Hycarnus II’s death.
• Herod Archelaus- He ruled the territories of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria.
• Herod Philip- The one who ruled Caesarea Philippi (North of Galilee) & Bethsaida Julias (East of Galilee).
• Herod Antipas- He governed the central Galilee and Perea.
• Archelaus was known to be cruel like his father, had his enemies executed. This caused widespread resistance among the people. He was later deposed by the Roman Emperor Augustus.
• At this point Rome took the lead in ruling and governing Palestine. A Prefect or Procurator was appointed by Rome. At the time of Jesus, Pontius Pilate was the Roman Procurator
• According to Historians, the Roman rule in Palestine represented by Pontius Pilate strictly imposed itself as higher than the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish Council.
• Rome was naturally suspicious against a leader or group who might start an uprising. In fact, Romans captured, hanged, crucified and executed hundreds of Zealots.
• Fed up with foreign domination, insulted by pagan Roman worship, and driven by the thirst for independence, the Jewish people spearheaded by the Zealots, revolted against Rome.
• Rome was Rome. Its military power proved to be superior against the band of Zealot nationalists. Hundreds of Zealots were captured and crucified reinforcing the brutal end of Jewish rebellion
• Knowing that Romans would certainly defeat them, Zealots eventually committed mass suicide as their blatant way of condemning, and refusing Roman rule in Palestine – even to their last breath.