There was a period of four hundred years between the end of the Old Testament and the coming of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Christ. This period is commonly referred to as "silent", for no God-inspired prophet arose during this time. However, these four centuries were anything but silent, and many events took place which would serve to shape Jewish theology and ideology, paving the way for the coming of our Lord Jesus and the Gospel.

The Persian Period
The demise of Belshazzar and the overthrow of the Babylonian empire by the Medo-Persians led to the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon to their homeland (Daniel 5:30-31). Cyrus the King gave the people permission to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. With the encouragement of Nehemiah, Ezra, and other Old Testament prophets, the Jews overcame local opposition and discouragement within their own ranks and rebuilt the city walls and reconstructed the temple, which was dedicated during the reign of Darius. The Jewish people during this time repented and turned to God, showing a love and renewed interest in His Word and the Law.

For about 150 years after the time of Nehemiah, the Persians controlled Judea. The Jews fared well under Persian rule, and were allowed to observe their religious ordinances without interference. The Jews, without a king, were instead ruled by the High Priests which were responsible to the Persian government, allowing Israel more freedom and self-government (Nehemiah 12:22). Unfortunately, over time, this turned the priesthood into a political office allowing for future corruptness and power struggles.

Alexander the Great
Persia's failed attempt to conquer Greece led to uprisings among her subject peoples, including a failed revolt by the Jews. A new leader in Greece, Alexander the Great, brought an end to the Persian empire. Alexander was not a power hungry dictator, but was convinced that Greek culture was the one force that could bring world unity and peace. In 333 B.C., Alexander invaded Asia Minor where he defeated the Persian armies stationed there. He then swiftly progressed southward through Syria, Palestine and Egypt, and then progressed eastward as far as India. Any resistance Alexander encountered only served to strengthen his resolve and determination to press onward.

The Jews now found themselves under the rule of Greece. As with the Persians, they were allowed to continue their religious observances without interference. But Greek culture and philosophy would have a great impact on Jewish life. Legend says that Alexander was a friend of the Jewish people, and the High Priest, Jaddua, was reported to have met with Alexander, informing him of Daniel's prophecies of swift victories by a Greek conqueror (Daniel 8).

In keeping with his mission of spreading Hellenistic culture, Alexander desired to build a city within each country within the empire which would serve as a model for remolding life and culture of the people along Greek lines. Citizens were encouraged to take Greek names, adopt Greek fashion, and learn the Greek language. Fine, ornate public buildings, libraries and schools were constructed, including a gymnasium for games and open-air theatres for cultural events. Though some resisted being assimilated into Greek culture, many combined Hellenistic philosophies and culture with their own. And gladly so, for the standard of living rose considerably under Greek rule due to increased trade and commerce. In Palestine, many Jews took Greek names and learned the Greek language, and tried to combine Hellenistic philosophy with their own faith.

At the age of thirty-three, Alexander died, leaving the future of the empire uncertain for several years. But four of Alexander's generals divided the empire among themselves (see Daniel's prophecy 8:8). Even though there was internal fighting in several of the divisions, the social and cultural mission of spreading Hellenism continued.

The Ptolemies
After the death of Alexander, Judea was controlled by Antigonus, one of Alexander's generals. He quickly fell however to another general, Ptolemy I, who seized Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day in 320 B.C. Ptolemy's kingdom was centered in Egypt, and the city of Alexandria continued to be an important center of Jewish thought for many centuries. It was here that the Old Testament scriptures were translated into the Greek language, called the Septuagint, by a council of six scholars from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Jewish people continued to enjoy prosperity under the rule of Ptolemy, and local affairs continued to be run by the High Priests, as it had since the time of Persian rule.

The Seleucids
Antiochus III, ruler of one of the successor states to Alexander the Great, waged a series a battles with Egypt, and in 199 B.C., wrestled control of Palestine from the Ptolemies. This event would mark a new era in Jewish history. While the Ptolemies were tolerant of Jewish institutions, the Seleucids were determined to enforce Hellenistic philosophy and culture upon the Jewish people.

During the reign of Antiochus IV, Jerusalem was ruled by the High Priest Onias III, who was a descendant of Simon the Just and a strictly orthodox Jew. A heated division occured between Jews who wished to embrace the Greek culture, and Jews who desired to keep their culture and faith pure. Jason, by promising to pay higher taxes, was appointed as High Priest by Antiochus, who viewed the position of High Priest as a political office which he could fill as he pleased. The orthodox Jews, however, viewed the priesthood as ordained by God, and considered its "sale to the highest bidder" as a sin against God.

Nevertheless, Jason helped carry out the mission of assimilating the Jewish people into Greek culture. A gymnasium was built, and the people were encouraged to take Greek names, while Jewish laws and traditions became obsolete. During this time, a close friend of Jason, Menelaus, was installed into the office of High Priest by promising even higher tribute payments to Antiochus. This caused a bitter division among the people and Jason raised an army that supported him as High Priest. Antiochus, desiring to keep the region under effective control, staged a sneak attack upon Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day, knowing that the Orthodox Jews would not counterattack. Many Jews were slaughtered and the city walls were destroyed. Antiochus was now determined to remove all traces of the Jewish faith. Israel's God was identified with Jupiter, and a pagan image was erected upon the altar at the Temple, where pigs were offered as sacrifices, a slap in the face of the Jewish faithful. Copies of the scriptures were destroyed, and the Jews were forbidden to practice their religion, their rituals and their feasts, under penalty of death. Under force of arms, Menelaus continued on as High Priest, but the stage had now been set. Though the orthodox were willing to die for their faith, many were not convinced they should do so passively.

The Maccabean Revolt
It did not take long for the Jews to find a champion around which to rally. A representative of Antiochus arrived at the village of Modin expecting Mattathias the priest to set a good example by offering a pagan sacrifice. Mattathias refused, but a frightened bystander, afraid of Antiochus' wrath, stepped forward to perform the sacrifice. Enraged, Mattathias killed the man and the representative, destroyed the altar, and then fled into the Judean hillside with his family. Soon, he was joined by other Orthodox Jews who began waging guerilla warfare upon the Hellenistic Jews. Soon after the revolt started, Mattathias died. But before he died, he urged the people to take his third son as their leader. His third son was named Judas, and was nicknamed "the Maccabee", or "the hammer". This would be the name by which all in revolt would be called. Judas and the Maccabeans staged a successful campaign, holding their own against the attacks of the Hellenistic Jews and the Syrians. They were able to enter Jerusalem and cleanse the Temple of the pagan gods. The peace was short-lived when Lysias, a Syrian general, defeated the Maccabees near Jerusalem and besieged the city. Trouble at home, however, caused Lysias to halt his campaign and to make peace with the Maccabees. A council consisting of representatives from both parties convened at Jerusalem to reach an agreement, by which all laws against practicing the Jewish faith were repealed, Menelaus was removed from office and executed, and Alcimus was installed as High Priest, though Judas advised against it.

Alcimus, as Judas feared, captured and executed many of the Orthodox Jews, and the civil war was renewed. Diplomacy prevailed however, ending the war, as Jonathan, the brother of Judas, was installed as High Priest. Upon Jonathan's death, Simon, another brother of Judas, was installed as High Priest. Because of his wise rule, Israel's leaders named Simon "leader and High Priest forever, until there shall arise a faithful prophet." This began a new dynasty termed Hasmonaean, the name derived from a Maccabean ancestor, Asmonaeus (Hashmon in Hebrew). A revolt against Simon by his own son-in-law resulted in his death, and the death of two of his sons. A third son, John Hyrcanus, escaped, and succeeded his father as the hereditary head of the Jewish state.

The Hasmoneans
The Syrians recognized the government of John Hyrcanus on condition that he subjected himself to Syrian authority, and offer his military to assist in Syrian campaigns. Hyrcanus' efficient leadership led to the annexation of several territories, and by the time of his death in 104 B.C., the borders of Israel had advanced on every side. As the revolt of the Maccabeans had long past, new rivalries began to develop. The Orthodox views of the Maccabeans would be the forerunner of the sect of Pharisees, while the Hellenists views became the forerunner of the sect of Sadducees.

The death of Hyrcanus initiated a struggle for power among his sons. The oldest son Judah, who preferred his Greek name Aristobulus, won the struggle for High Priest and had three of his brothers thrown into prison, two of which starved to death. A fourth brother was murdered in the palace. Aristobulus, though a High Priest, proclaimed himself a king, but his "reign" was halted prematurely by the ravages of indulgences in alcohol and constant intense worry for his life and the loss of his "kingdom". When Aristobulus died, his one remaining brother, Jonathan, who was in prison, rose to take his place. Jonathan's more well known Greek name was Alexander Jannaeus, who continued the policy of territorial expansion. Under Jannaeus, the Jewish state extended along the coast southward toward Egypt, northward to Lake Huleh above the Sea of Galilee, and eastward across the Jordan River to Perea, approximately the same territory ruled by King David and King Solomon during Israel's zenith in world prominence.

Internal strife still existed in the Jewish state, with the Pharisees desiring to hold to the Jewish religion and culture, while the Sadducees desired to spread the influence of Hellenistic culture. Jannaeus show open contempt for the Pharisees, while the Pharisees, in turn, received aid from the Syrians, bringing the state to the brink of civil war. Jannaeus, however, captured the leaders of the rebellion and crucified over 800 Pharisees. Legend says that on his death bed, Jannaeus repented and instructed his wife, Salome Alexandra, to take leadership with the help of the Pharisees. Alexandra, who reigned for seven years, divided the responsibilities of leadership between her two sons. Her older son Hyrcanus became High Priest, and her younger son Aristobulus became the military leader.

Alexandra's reign gave the Pharisees a golden opportunity to influence Jewish life. The Sanhedrin (Jewish Council of the State) under the leadership of Simeon be Shetah, Alexandra's brother, decreed that every young man should receive an education centered in the scriptures to produce literate and informed citizens. With the balance of power now shifted from the Sadducees to the Pharisees, growing internal strife again brought the country to brink of civil war. The death of Alexandra brought a struggle for power among her two sons. Her son Hyrcanus, the High Priest, rightfullly succeeded to the throne with the Pharisees' support. But the Sadducees supported her other son, military leader Aristobulus, who they beleived could bring to reality their dreams of imperial expansion and spreading teh Hellenistic culture and philosophy. Aristobulus and his army of Sadducees marched on Jerusalem, but Hyrcanus and the Pharisees, not being ready for war, surrendered the throne. Aristobulus was installed as High Priest and king, but a true peace never materialized, with the threat of civil war always present.

The fighting was all for naught when in 63 A.D., Pompey and his Roman legions besieged Jerusalem, and after three months, breached the fortifications and captured the city, slaughtering some 12,000 Jews.

The Romans
Under Roman rule, the Jewish were permitted to continue their worship, observing rituals and feasts. But their independence was lost and Judea was incorporated into the Roman province of Syria, with a yearly tirbute due. Hyrcanus remained the High Priest, was named Ethnarch of Judea, including the regions of Galilee, Idumaea, and Perea. A friend of Hyrcanus, the Idumaean governor Antipater (or Antipas), took a close interest in the politics of Judea. Hyrcanus came to rely heavily on Antipas, to the point that Antipas was practically the power behind the throne of Judea. The Jewish people resented the influence of Antipas, almost as much as they hated the Romans.

Cassius became the new leader of Rome after the murder of Julius Caesar. Trying to show loyalty to the new regime, Antipas zealously collected taxes to pay tribute, much to the chagrin of the Jews. Upon the death of Hyrcanus, Herod, a son of Antipas, was named Procurator of Judea with the promise that he would one day be named king. When Anthony defeated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi, the Roman empire again fell into the hands of a new regime. Herod quickly changes loyalties and bribed his way into Anthony's favor.

The eastern portion of the once might Persian empire was occupied by the Parthians who had never been subdued by Rome. The Parthians waged a military campaign against Jerusalem in 41 B.C., and made Aristobulus' son, Antigonus, both king and High Priest. Herod was forced to flee for his life to Rome. While in Rome, he won Anthony's blessing and was proclaimed as "King of the Jews." Herod returned to Jerusalem with the Roman army adn retook the city, and triumphantly entered as their new king.

Herod's reign lasted from 37-4 B.C. He is remembered for his fear of the birth of a rival king, and ordered the murder of infants in Bethlehem after Jesus was born. Though the Jews hated Herod, he continued on with a program of building and rebuilding cities throughout Judea, constructing roads, parks, and many Hellenistic luxuries. In the eighteenth year of his reign, about 19-20 B.C., Herod began work on rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. The priests finished construction on the main edifice in 18 months, but work on the entire complex took over forty years (John 2:20). The Temple had been completed for less than a decade when it was destroyed by Titus and the invading Roman armies in 70 A.D., an event prophecied by Christ (Luke 21:5-6).

Conclusion
Paul wrote to the Galatians, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them..." (Galatians 4:4-5). It was during this time of the Romans that God decided to send His only Son. He could have come during our century to die and take upon Himself the sins of man. Lethal injection or the electric chair would have made His execution very quick and far less painful. (I wonder if we would be wearing little electric chairs around our necks, or if we would decorate our homes with pictures of hypdermic needles?) No. The time He came was the right time. Death by crucifixion. The Cross. The spikes. It was all part of God's plan before the foundation of the world was laid.

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