Revelation Study - Lesson 7

Week 7: Highlights of Jewish History part 2 - The Babylonians and the Persians

Review

In our last "class" we talked about early Jewish history, so let's review before we continue. The independent Jewish kingdom was short lived. The Hebrews lived from approximately 1200-1000 BCE (about 200 years) as separate tribes. The united kingdom existed under the Davidic monarchy from 1020-922 BCE. Israel, the northern kingdom, fell to the Assyrians in 722 BCE, and Judah, the southern kingdom, fell to the Babylonians in 597 BCE. Jerusalem was devastated and the Temple was destroyed in 587/586 BCE. These years also mark the beginning of the Babylonian exile.₁

The Exile

Many biblical scholars today tend to treat the Babylonian exile in an odd way: although it may have started in a tragic way, the Hebrews may not have had it too bad in Babylon. However, these scholars tend to disregard the sociological, political and psychological impact that living in exile and under military occupation has on a population. In biblical stories there are significant symbols of domination, including threats of death from the king, fear of the king's rage, name changing as an indication of subordination, symbolic warfare in visions, and themes of resistance and opposition.₂ Biblical passages indicate that Jews were led off bound and chained (Jer.40:1) and oracles in Jeremiah threaten punishment of Babylon for its severity (Jer. 50:15-16, 29; 51:20-22) and idolatry (50:2, 36; 51:44). Approximately 20,000-25,000 people, or perhaps many more, were exiled.₃ Clearly, the exile was not the life of contentment some of us have been taught it was.



King Cyrus

The Babylonians were defeated the by the Persian king Cyrus in 538 BCE., and he permitted the Hebrews to return home and to rebuild the Temple. King Cyrus is called "Messiah" but we should be careful as to how much importance we read into this. Cyrus was considered to be a tool of God, and to be dependent and obedient to God's will, and this conclusion has importance when reading Daniel. However, we should understand that Cyrus was not acting differently from tradition and policies that Persian kings operated under elsewhere. Cyrus needed a strong western flank, and the Jews and the Temple would serve this purpose. The Persians building of garrisons is an indication of the strong military control the Persians continued to hold over the Jewish homeland. The Hebrews being permitted to return to Jerusalem should be viewed as a strategic plan rather than any enlightenment of King Cyrus.₄ Shoring up the Persian western front became even more important when the Greeks exerted its presence in the around the Mediterranean₅

Some 50,000 Jews set out on the first return to the Israel, led by Zerubbabel, a descendent of the House of David. Less than 100 years later, a second return was led by Ezra, the Scribe. Construction of the Second Temple on the site of the First Temple and the refortification of the walls of Jerusalem mark the beginning of the Second Temple period. Judah became a nation whose leadership was entrusted to the high priest and council of elders in Jerusalem.₆

Those returning from the exile in Babylon constructed their alter on the site of the alter of the first Temple. The building was made of stone with wooden beams reinforcing the walls from the interior. The Holy of Holies was most likely empty because there was probably no ark and no cherubim. The construction of the Second Temple was completed in 515 BCE and was rededicated with much ceremony and celebration. There is significant historical importance to the Jews return to Jerusalem because it restored the sacrificial ritual, central to Jewish worship as prescribed by its ancient texts. It established the manner of worship for the entire Second Temple period and was seen by the majority of the Jewish people as the best way to reach God and secure his favor.₇

The Persian Period

The Persian period ended with their defeat by the Greeks under the command of Alexander the Great in 333 BCE.₈ Alexander kept mostly along the coastline so he could destroy the Persian navy, and therefore bypassed most of the Jewish lands. After Alexander died in 323 BCE, a Greek family known as the Ptolemies took control of Egypt and the Holy Land. Trade occurred between Egypt and Israel, the a process that came to be known as Hellenization (acculturation of Greek customs and language) moved forward. Many high ranking Jews and leaders of society embraced Greek culture and religion.₉

"Ptolemaic rule in the region continued until 200 BCE, when it fell under the rule of the Seleucids, the Greek rulers of Syria."₁₀ The Seleucid who took the Holy Land from the Ptolemies was Antiochus III (223-187 BCE). "After losing Asia Minor to Rome in 189 BCE however, Antiochus III found his kingdom in financial straits. His son, Seleucus IV (187-175 BCE) failed in an attempt to plunder the riches of the Jewish temple, but Antiochus IV (175-164 BCE) did so around 170 BCE.₁₁

Antiochus IV is a huge figure in Jewish history, and very important to our study of Daniel. I will be discussing this period of Jewish history with my next posting.

Since I did not post a lesson last week or this week, I will post information about Antiochus IV and the Roman period in my next post, which will hopefully be within the next two days. I would really like to get started on Daniel on Wednesday, March 9.

Thinking About It

Can you put yourself in the mindset of a Jew in the Babylonian Exile - having been under siege, a defeated nation, marched in chains to Babylon, and now existing as a slave? What would it be like if, having been under foreign powers, you were released to go home again? What if you were released but remained under the control of that foreign power?

Many people at Gravel Hill know what it is like to have their church and sanctuary destroyed by fire, but how would that feeling be different if it had been destroyed through military violence by an enemy?

Speculate how might you feel if you were conquered by an invading army and be denied the ability to practice your faith? How would you feel if someone desecrated the sanctuary of Gravel Hill?

Notes

₁Murphy, Frederick J. "The Book of Daniel." The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VII. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996. p.23.

₂Ibid, 26-28.
₃Ibid, 30.
₄Ibid, 30-31.
₅Ibid, 24.
₆"History: Second Temple Period-Return to Zion." Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2008. March 17, 2011. <http://www.mfa.gov.il>.
₇ Schiffman, Lawrence H. "Second Temple." My Jewish Learning. n.d. March 17, 2011. <http://www.myjewishlearning.com>.
₈Murphy, 24.
₉The Archaeological Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. p. xxii.
₁₀Ibid, xxii.
₁₁Ibid, xxii-xxiii.