285 Ptolemy Philadelphus succeeds his father, who abdicates. The Septuagint version of the Bible begun under his patronage.
250 Onias II becomes high priest. Tries to withhold tribute from Ptolemy.
247 Ptolemy Euergetes succeeds his father.
222 Ptolemy Philopator succeeds his father.
219 In the war between Antiochus the Great and Ptolemy Philopator, Jerusalem is pillaged and the temple profaned by the latter.
217 Simon II becomes high priest.
204 Judea lost to the Ptolemies, under whom she has been happier than any time since she lost her independence, and comes under the rule of the Seleucidæ.
198 Onias III becomes high priest. Antiochus makes a bloodless capture of Jerusalem. His treatment of the Jews is very favourable.
187 Seleucus Philopator succeeds Antiochus.
176 Attempt of Heliodorus, instigated by the viceroy Apollonius, to plunder the temple.
175 Antiochus Epiphanes succeeds Seleucus.
175 Onias, friendly to the Egyptian party, is deposed by Antiochus IV, and retiring to Egypt with his followers founds Leontopolis. Jason becomes high priest. A Greek gymnasium established at Jerusalem.
172 Menelaus ousts Jason from the priesthood.
Antiochus intervenes in the resulting quarrel. Menelaus is forcibly installed as high priest and Apollonius takes Jerusalem. Profanation of the temple. Daily sacrifice and other rites suspended. THE MACCABÆAN RISING TO THE FALL OF JERUSALEM (167 B.C.-70 A.D.)
167 There is a rising at Modin, under the priest Mattathias, because Syrian officers try to compel the Jews to worship heathen deities. Many desperate adherents flock to Mattathias’ standard, and a large band is soon roaming the country destroying heathen altars and enforcing circumcision. Mattathias dies (166) making Judas Maccabæus his successor. A systematic campaign is now decided upon.
166 Judas Maccabæus defeats the Syrians at Emmaus.
165 Judas Maccabæus defeats the Syrians at Bethzur, reconsecrates the temple and restores daily sacrifice.
164 Antiochus Eupator. The Book of Daniel is written.
162 Judas attempts to expel the Syrian garrison from Acra, meets a crushing defeat from the Syrians at Bethzur. Alcimus, leader of the Hellenistic party, becomes high priest, to the resentment of the Maccabæans.
Demetrius I usurps the Syrian throne, and has Antiochus killed.
161 Judas defeats Nicanor, the Syrian, at Beth-horon (Adasa). Nicanor slain. Judas defeated and killed at Elasa. He had made secret overtures to Rome. Judas’ brother Jonathan succeeds to the leadership of the party.
159 Death of Alcimus. An interregnum in the high-priestship. Jonathan establishes himself at Michmash as governor of the Jewish nation.
153 Alexander Balas, a pretender to the Syrian throne, makes Jonathan high priest.
150 Death of Demetrius.
145 Alexander Balas killed by Ptolemy Philometor. Demetrius II succeeds. Confirms Jonathan in the priesthood.
142 Trypho, the general of Alexander Balas, and his son Antiochus, seize Jonathan and put him to death. Simon, son of Mattathias, assumes the leadership, and induces Demetrius to release Judea from tribute. Capture of Acra by Simon. Judea free from Syrian control.
141 Simon confirmed as high priest. A time of peace and prosperity. The Law finally re-established.
135 Murder of Simon and his two sons by his son-in-law, Ptolemy. The third son, John Hyrcanus, succeeds to the high-priesthood. The position becomes one of practically independent sovereignty. Antiochus VII attempts to recover Judea. He devastates the country and Hyrcanus is obliged to purchase the withdrawal of the army, and the immunity of the capital.
128 Antiochus killed in Parthia. Hyrcanus annexes new territory. Captures Shechem and Samaria. Era of grandeur for the Jewish commonwealth.
105 John Hyrcanus dies. His son Aristobulus imprisons his mother, kills two brothers, and assumes title of king. Conquest and annexation of Ituræa.
104 Alexander Jannæus succeeds his brother. The growing opposition of the Scribes and Pharisees to the development of the Maccabæan commonwealth into a kingdom, leads to civil war, during which the Pharisees summon assistance from Syria and drive Alexander from Jerusalem, but he recovers the throne and works bloody revenge upon the Pharisees.
79 Hyrcanus II succeeds his father Alexander.
78 Alexandra (widow of Jannæus) makes terms with the Pharisees.
69 Aristobulus II wrests power from his brother Hyrcanus. Antipater, governor of Idumæa, sides with the latter. Aristobulus defeated, and Hyrcanus nearly succeeds in 65 regaining the throne, but the Romans appear in Syria, and take sides with Aristobulus.
63 Pompey, appealed to by both princes, captures Jerusalem; Hyrcanus retains his title, but Judea is made tributary to Rome.
47 Antipater made procurator of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee by Julius Cæsar. Hyrcanus assumes title of ethnarch.
43 Assassination of Antipater. His son Phasael is governor of Jerusalem. His son Herod is governor of Galilee.
40 Phasael captured by Antigonus, son of Aristobulus II, and commits suicide. Herod flees to Rome and is made king of the Jews.
37 Herod captures Jerusalem in his war against Antigonus.
He reorganises the sanhedrim, and the Pharisees become nearly as numerous in it as the priests and elders.
35-25 Herod removes the surviving members of the Asmonæan family from his path.
20 Herod begins reconstruction of the temple. He founds the cities of Antipatris and Cæsarea.
7-6 Herod causes the sons of Mariamne to be condemned and strangled.
4 Birth of Jesus—Death of Herod. He wills his dominions to his surviving sons, Herod Antipas and Archelaus.
6 A.D. The Jews appeal to Rome on account of Archelaus’ misgovernment. Augustus deposes the ethnarch, and Judea becomes a Roman province.
7 The census of Quirinius takes place. Coponius is procurator. He is followed by Marcus Ambivius and Annius Rufus.
15 Valerius Gratus appointed procurator.
26 Pontius Pilate appointed procurator. The procurators are subordinate to the Imperial Legates of Syria and reside at Cæsarea.
29 Jesus begins his ministry.
33 Death of Jesus.
36 Marcellus appointed procurator.
37 Marullus appointed procurator.
38 Persecution of the Jews for refusing to worship Caligula.
41 The emperor Claudius commits the former kingdom of Herod to the latter’s grandson, Agrippa.
44 Death of Agrippa. Cuspius Fadus appointed procurator. The insurrection of Theudas takes place.
46 Tiberius Alexander appointed procurator.
48 Cumanus appointed procurator. Signs of revolt among the Jews appear.
52 Felix appointed procurator. The state of anarchy increases. The Zealots become the dominant party.
60 Porcius Festus appointed procurator.
62 Albinus appointed procurator.
64 Gessius Florus, the last procurator, appointed.
66 Florus seizes the temple treasure. After other atrocities the Jews revolt. The Syrian legate appears before Jerusalem, but quickly raises the siege. The emperor then appoints Vespasian to conduct the war.
67 Vespasian arrives in Galilee. Siege and capture of Jotapata. Josephus the insurgent general taken.
68 Siege of Jerusalem begins.
70 Fall of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem
CHAPTER I. LAND AND PEOPLE
It is difficult nowadays to realise how unimportant the people of Israel seemed in their own time, as viewed by contemporaries. Thanks to their traditions, which the Western world accepted almost unchallenged for many centuries, the Hebrews came to be thought of as occupying a central position in the Oriental world. In point of fact they had no such position. They were quite overshadowed by numerous competitors. Except for a brief period under David and Solomon, they were never a conquering people, or of political consequence. They could not compete in culture with the Egyptians on the one hand, or with the Assyrians on the other. They were not great traders like their neighbours, the Phœnicians. We shall see that they even turned to the latter for aid in building their famous temple which, after all, as it appears, was but an insignificant structure compared with the great pyramids and temples of their neighbours.