Podcast

At the time of the Greeks, the Davidic line passes into obscurity, and
the political power in Israel is held by the high priests. One such
high priest, Onias II, refuses to pay taxes to the Ptolemaic empire.
The Tobiad family steps in to cover the debt, and winds up becoming
responsible for the tax collection in Israel. The Seleucid Empire takes
over Israel, and gives the Jews certain concessions for their
assistance.

Onias III becomes high priest, and owing to a dispute with the governor
of the Temple, receives a favorable preliminary ruling from the
Seleucid Empire. Onias tries to confirm the ruling, but while he seeks
out this confirmation, a new emperor takes power, Antiochus IV
Epiphanes.

In Jerusalem, a new group of rulers also takes over, and a man named
Jason becomes high priest. Jason was not a particularly pious man, and
allows certain Hellenistic influences into Israel, most notably a
gymnasium. In this gymnasium, the men exercise naked, and in order to
appear more like the Greeks whom they exercise with, some Jews begin to
have cosmetic surgery to reverse their circumcisions.

Meanwhile, a man named Menelaus convinces the Seleucids to assassinate
Onias III and remove Jason to have himself named high priest. Menelaus
starts selling off temple vessels, and the people riot. Menelaus seeks
help from the Seleucids, who put down the riots bloodily. To keep the
peace, the Seleucids conscript some Jews to build a garrison near the
temple, and decide to begin construction on a Sabbath to prevent riots.
This backfires and there are even more riots. The pro-Greek populace
moved into the garrison and only left to enforce the edicts of the
empire. People fled Jerusalem, since it was not safe for either
orthodox or liberal.

Antiochus wages a preemptive war on Egypt and wins, but the cost of the
war causes him to despoil the Temple. As Antiochus attempts to
completely conquer Egypt, Rome intervenes and turns Antiochus back, who
now places the blame for this failure on the disunity in the empire
caused by the nonconforming Jews.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

After the Persian period, the Greeks conquered a vast empire, spreading
Hellenistic Greek culture throughout the area from Rome to India.
Alexander the Great conquered the area from Rome and Egypt to India,
including Israel. This land would be divided after Alexander’s death,
and the area including Israel was known as the Seleucid Empire, ruled
by Ptolemy. The Jews found themselves increasingly in opposition to
these new Greek rulers in Israel. This sets up the conditions which
will result in the Maccabean revolt.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

Period history up to the beginning of 1 Maccabees.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

The return to the land of Israel was an event which really broadened
the world of the Israelites. When Jews began forming a Diaspora, it
clarified the concept that God was not just a local deity, but rather
the God of the universe. Babylon, in particular, appears as a true
cosmopolis until the time when Revelation was written.

As previously stated, the Persians, unlike the Babylonians, allowed a
moderate amount of home rule, which was eventually exploited to build a
second temple around 522BC, after prodding by Haggai and Zechariah.
This second temple was much smaller than the temple built by Solomon,
and those who had seen the first temple were struck by the difference
between the two.

Zechariah and Haggai prophesy that Zerubbabel will see the completion
of the temple, and for that, he is part of the earthly lineage of the
Christ. While the people set about funding the rebuilding of their own
homes, they do not do all they can to fund the rebuilding of the
temple. God, through Haggai, chastises the people for not funding the
process and afflicts the land with a drought as punishment. The
rebuilding of the temple takes seven years, and then 50 years after
that, Nehemiah, the governor arrives in the land. Ezra proclaims the
law to the people, and for the Jews, this triumphant echo of Moses
forms the end of the historical books of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

The Persians under Xerxes invade Greece, and have some success
until Greece expels them. It is during this period that the Book of
Esther takes place, a book that has great significance when considering
the tensions between the many cultures in the Middle East at the time.
After Xerxes, the Persia is ruled by Artaxerxes and Artaxerxes II
(among others).

From a more religious perspective, after the
return to Israel, Malachi rails against the dullness he sees in the
religion as people were practicing it. This should not be surprising,
since every generation needs to be evangelized, lest the people fall
into a civic religion. It is during this period that the Book of Esther takes place, a book that has great significance when considering the
tensions between the many cultures in the Middle East at the time. The
prophets and writers of this time period, including Jesus son of
Sirach, should remind us that we must refresh our faith today with the
same vigor that was demanded by the prophets.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

The Jewish canon ends the Hebrew Scriptures after the return from the
Babylonian Exile. While the canon continues for Christians, there is
not much Scripture for the 500 years between the return from Babylon
and the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. There are many events that
occurred in this time, and placing them into a context is important.

The return from exile was did not result in all the Jews returning, nor
did they return to a land empty of their kinsmen. Many Jews remained in
Babylon, which would remain there for many years after, even compiling
the authoritative Babylonian Talmud there. Many lower-class people were
allowed to stay in Israel when they were taken into exile, and the
influx of that many people posed problems for them. After the conquest
of the northern tribes, foreigners came into that land and promoted a
form of worship that would become the Samaritans.

The temple had been destroyed, and the rebuilt temple was only a shadow
of its original glory. After its completion, Ezra gathered the Jews and
read them the Law, which chastened them and convinced them to return to
the worship of the true God.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com