Ancient Palestine From Alexander the Great to Herod the Great.

Ancient Palestine

From Alexander the Great to Herod the Great

• Main Geographical areas of Palestine– Galilee– Samaria– Judea

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• Main topographical areas of Israel-Palestine– Coastal plain– Central hill country – Shephelah– Jordan Valley– Transjordan Plateau– Negeb

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• Persians invaded Greek territories– Philip of Macedon rallied the Greek armies– His son, Alexander the Great, pushed the

Persians back and recaptured the Greek territory

– Alexander continued pursuing the Persians– Invaded

- Palestine - Egypt- Syria - Persia- Went as far as the Indus river – - Died on the trip home (323 B.C.)

• Territories were divided among Alexander’s 3 generals– Ptolemy– Seleucus– Antigonus– They fought over control of Palestine and

further East

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• Palestine was controlled by Seleucus

• Antiochus Epiphanes IV (175 B.C.)– Ruled Palestine & other areas

• Forced many to worship of Zeus – Outlawed worship of Jewish God– Forbade circumcision– Built altar to Zeus in Jewish Temple– Offered a pig in the Jewish Temple

• The Hasmonean family (166 – 163 B.C.)– Rebelled – refused to sacrifice to Zeus– Mattathias (a priest) led his sons – he soon

died• Judas “the hammer” (Maccabeus) became the

leader – brothers helped: Simon, Jonathan

– Recaptured Temple 164 B.C. (Kislev 25)• Time of celebration, rededication of Temple – 8

days• “Festival of Dedication” – Hanukkah

– Continued rebellion until regained freedom

• Jonathan then Simon later became the political rulers in Palestine

• Simon’s descendants ruled over the next century

• Much internal turmoil – religious and political. – Almost resulted in civil war

• Jewish leaders asked Rome for help– They sent Pompey to take control – 63 B.C.

• Pompey ruled through the Maccabees for a while, but they were not good rulers

• He appointed Antipater, an Idumean, as ethnarch of Palestine

• In time his son, Herod, became ruler – Rome gave him the title King

• Herod the Great– Harsh ruler

• Killed the remaining Maccabean descendants• Killed any he thought might try to take his power,

including his wife and son.• Had male infants killed in Bethlehem area when he

heard a new king had been born

– “the Great?”• Great builder – many projects, Caesarea,

Herodium, Masada• Kept the peace

Harbor at Caesarea

Stadium at Caesarea

Herodium

Herod’s Palace at Herodium

Masada

Masada

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Three levels at Masada

Buildings at Masada

Synagogue at Masada

Plastered walls (Frescos) at Masada

Roman camp viewed from Masada

Roman camp

• 3 of Herod’s sons wanted to rule Palestine

• Rome divided it among them– Archeleaus – Idumea, Judea, Samaria– Antipas – Galilee, Perea– Philip – Batanaea, Trachonitis, Auranitis

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Ancient Palestine From Alexander the Great to Herod the Great.

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