543 Read the Bible for Yourself 10: Key Background for Reading the New Testament

This is part 10 of the Read the Bible For Yourself.

We've taken our time working through the Old Testament, section by section. Before we tackle the New Testament and look at the Gospels, we need to talk about the time between the Old and New Testaments. In the gap of roughly four hundred years, massive political and cultural changes occurred. Nowhere in the Old Testament do we see anything about the Romans, Pharisees, Sadducees, or the Sanhedrin. In today's episode I'll catch you up on what happened after the OT and before the NT so you can better understand the world in which Jesus functioned.

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3humYIVYho&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=10

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—— Notes ——

Recent History

• Persians: Cyrus the Great
• Greeks: Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes
• Hellenization (2 Maccabees 4.7, 10-15; 1 Maccabees 1.41-53)
• Maccabean Revolution: Mattathias, Judah the Maccabee, Jonathan Apphus, Simon Thassi, John Hyrcanus, Aristobulus I, Alexander Jannaeus, Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II
• Romans: Pompey the Great annexed Judea in 63bc
• Herodian Dynasty: Herod the Great and his descendants

Geographical and Political Setting

• Roman Empire: Augustus (27bc-ad14), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68)
• Provinces: every region outside of Italy
• Galilee: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Antipas (4bc-ad39), Herod Agrippa I (37-44)
• Judea: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Archelaus (4bc-ad6), Coponius (6-9), Marcus Ambivulus (9-12), Annius Rufus (12-15), Valerius Gratus (15-26), Pontius Pilate (26-36), Marcellus (36-37), Marullus (37-41), Herod Agrippa I (41-44)
• Samaria: under Judean jurisdiction; Samaritans and Jews conflicted with each other

Jewish Groups

• Sadducees
  • controlled the temple
  • partners with Roman governors
  • wealthy aristocrats
  • chief priests were the leaders
  • only accepted the Torah as scripture
  • didn’t believ