Last lesson

• Galilee
• Samaritans
• Temples
  • Gerizim
  • Elephantine
  • Heliopolis
• End of rule for John Hyrcanus
• Treacheries of Aristobulus

This lesson

• Results of Aristobulus’ rule
• Profane rule of Jannaeus
• Last of the Hasmoneans
• First of the Herodians

John Hyrcanus designates wife as heir

• As ruler, not as priest
• He dies in 104 BC
• Son (Aristobulus) imprisons her and 3 brothers

Aristobulus now rules

• Declares himself as both priest and king
• Conquers the rest of Galilee and Iturea
• Dies of illness after one year

Wife of Aristobulus nicer than husband

Jannaeus now high priest and king

• Marries brother’s widow, Alexandra
  • Deuteronomy 25:5
  • Matthew 22:23-33
• Spent younger years in Galilee
• Vigorous military campaigns
  • Gained much territory
  • Lost same within several years
• Persecuted Pharisees
• Mocked the feasts

Civil war

• Pharisees vs Sadducees, Hasmoneans
• 50,000 killed in six years
• Pharisees appeal to Seleucids for help
  • Eventually dump foreign tyrants for native tyrant
  • Jannaeus dies in 76 BC
  • Queen Salome Alexandra takes throne

Queen Alexandra

• Establishes Sanhedrin
  • Rabbinical council
  • Religious legislative powers
  • Judicial authority
• Strengthens Judean army
• Appoints son, John Hyrcanus II, as high priest
• She dies in 67 BC
• Son takes throne

John Hyrcanus II takes the throne

• Aristobulus II goes to war
  • “Fight” at Jericho
  • Siege at Jerusalem
  • Hyrcanus surrenders with terms
• Antipater the Idumean
  • Well-heeled noble from Idumea
  • Skilled politician and diplomat
• Veteran governor of Idumea under Hasmoneans
• Sees Hyrcanus as weak and pliable

Plots to replace Aristobulus

• Places Hyrcanus with Nabateans
• Makes promises for support

Siege of Jerusalem

• Nabateans take 50,000 troops
• They commit two serious offenses

Race for Roman support

• General Scaurus is completing conquest in Syria
• Both brothers try to bribe him
• Initial call is in favor of Aristobulus

Pompey comes to town

• More bribes
• Pompey ignores bribes
• Considers annexation of Judea instead

Caesar and Pompey contend for rule

• Caesar wins, Antipater supports him
• Antipater appointed governor of Judea
• Hyrcanus appointed high priest, tetrarch

Coming weeks

• Herodian Dynasty
• Role of women in Jewish society
• Social strata of Jerusalem
• Religious sects
• Purification
• Laws of the Sabbath

• Acts 7:58 – Paul at Stephen’s stoning
• Acts 9:3-6, 17-20 – Paul’s conversion
• Acts 22
• Acts 26:12-19
• Galatians 1:13; Ephesians 3:8; I Corinthians 15:9; I Timothy 1:13-15 – Paul always viewed himself as a sinner first.
• Romans 7:24

• Philippians 3:1-12 – Paul was fully converted to his new life as a Christian.

• Ephesians 6:19-20
• Galatians 1:11-24 – Paul’s teaching came straight from Christ.
• Galatians 2:3-11 – Paul’s past did not prevent him from teaching boldly.

• We are admonished to remember God.
• Deuteronomy 4:23
• Psalms 9:17
• II Peter 1:9
• James 1:25

• Deuteronomy 5:3 – Sabbath was for all the Hebrew nation at that time. It is not for us today.

• II Thessalonians 1:8-9

• Deliverance/freedom
  • God is able to deliver His people from slavery.
  • Leviticus 26:13; Judges 6:7-10; Leviticus 11:45; Isaiah 48:20-21; Jeremiah 16:14-15; Psalms 77:20
  • John 8:31-34 – Jesus delivers us from slavery to sin, just as God delivered the Israelites from physical slavery.
• Provisions
  • God provides for the needs of His people.
  • Psalms 78:24-25; John 6:31-35
  • Nor reading your Bible is like failing to pick up manna from Heaven!
• Lack of faith
  • Despite God’s blessings, His people tend to turn their backs on Him.
  • I Samuel 10:17-19
  • Psalm 78:42-53; 81:10-16; I Corinthians 10:1-7
  • Hebrews 10:28-29
• Law
  • God’s law is a blessing for His people.
  • Romans 3:1-2
  • Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Power and glory of God
  • God’s mighty hand in Egypt displayed His power and made a name for Himself.
  • I Samuel 6:6; Psalms 105:26-45; Isaiah 63:12; Romans 9:17
• Tabernacle
  • The tabernacle Moses built is but a shadow of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched.
  • Hebrews 8:1-6; 9:1-12
  • Acts 7:35-44

• Simon
• John Hyrcanus
• Expansion of Judea
• Doctrine of proselytizing

• Observance of law vs. proselytizing
• Hellenized cities vs. Easternized
• Idumea
  • Mass forced conversion
  • Defections
  • Conversion not necessarily assimilation
• Galilee
  • Hick town north of Samaria
  • Barriers to interaction

• Occupiers of northern kingdom of Israel
  • Other nations that had been deported
  • Deported yet again – to Samaria ~ 700 BC
• Perplexed at problems
  • Attacked by wild animals
  • Wanted to appease “god of this land”

• Assyrian king sends a priest
  • Good choice?
  • Did he teach them well?
• Initial results
  • “Feared God”
  • Kept high places
  • Jehovah treated as just another god

• Priest named Manasseh (409 BC – Nehemiah 13:28)
• Builds temple

• Temple at Elephantine
• Temple at Heliopolis

• Isaiah 19:19
• Does this work?
• Highlights problems of interpretation

• As ruler, not as priest
• He dies in 104, son imprisons her

• Declares himself as both priest and king
• Conquers the rest of Galilee and Iturea
• Imprisons his three brothers
• Dies of illness after one year

• Marries brother’s widow, Alexandra
• Spent younger years in Galilee
• Vigorous military campaigns
  • Gained much territory
  • Lost same within several years
• Persecuted Pharisees
• Mocked the feasts

• Pharisees vs. Sadducees, Hasmoneans
• 50,000 killed in six years
• Pharisees appeal to Seleucids for help
  • Jannaeus dies in 76 BC
  • Queen Salome Alexandra takes throne
  • She sides with Pharisees
  • Pharisees dump foreign tyrants for native tyrant

• Establishes Sanhedrin
  • Rabbinical council
  • Religious legislative powers
  • Judicial authority
• Strengthens Judean army
• Appoints son, John Hurcanus II, as high priest
• She dies in 67 BC
• Son takes throne

• Fall of Hasmonean Dynasty
• Roman intrigue, dominance
• Beginning of the Herodian Dynasty
• The role of women in Jewish society
• The social strata of Jerusalem
• Unclean, unwhole
• The Sabbath and its laws

• Read:
  • Matthew 2:1-22
  • Mark 3:6
  • Luke 3:1, 19-20; 8:1-2; 9:1-9; 13:31-32; 23:6-12
  • Mark 6:7-29; 8:15; 12:13
  • Acts 12:1-23