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

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.
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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 believe in resurrection or angels


Pharisees

focused on obedience to Torah
accepted the law (Torah), prophets (Nevi’im), and writings (Kethuvim)
oral tradition & fence laws
not in power at the time of Jesus, except those in the Sanhedrin


Sanhedrin

Romans established 5 councils over 5 districts
most important council was in Jerusalem
had temple police at their disposal to arrest people
could meet out punishments except capital punishment, which was reserved for the Roman governor


Scribes

every group had scribes
even Paul used scribes to write his letters (Tertius in Rom 16.22)
writing was a skill
copy scripture to preserve it
called lawyers or experts in the law


Revolutionaries

wanted to overthrow Roman occupation
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews23 “But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty; and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kind of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man Lord”


John’s Renewal Movement

called people to repent
baptized them in the Jordan River
possible connection with the Essenes



Importa