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King David 1010 BCE
King David was the 2nd King of Israel. Due to his composition and singing of songs, David was summoned by the first king, Saul, to play music whenever an evil spirit seized the king. Saul and his son were eventually killed in battle and David became the king. David formed the beginnings of an Israelite empire, making Jerusalem its capital. -
King Solomon 970-931 BCE
King Solomon was the son of King David and was responsible for the construction of the great Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. Although Solomon had done a great deed, he took advantage of the great personal wealth he had accumulated and at the expense of the people, he built altars to the gods of his wives.This angered the Lord, and he divided the kingdom after the death of Solomon. -
Assyrians 722 BCE
God permitted the kingdom of Assyria to take over what was left of Israel. To ensure that Israel would not rise again, the Assyrians carried most of the Israelites to exile among the Gentiles(non-Jewish people). Most of the Israelties actually became dispersed among the Assyrians and these people became known as the "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel". -
Babylonians 586 BCE
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had captured Jerusalem after taking over the Assyrian empire in 605 BCE. During this time, the Babylonians had battered down the walls of Jerusalem and had torched most of the buildings. The Babylonians had taken everything in the great temple and had the building destroyed. -
Persians 515 BCE
After being exiled in Babylon, a small group of Jews were able to return to their holy city under the command of the Persian king, Cyrus. Cyrus authorized the rebuilding of the Temple, which had been completed in 515 BCE -
Ezra 430 BCE
Ezra was both a scribe and a priest who aided in the developing of the new Temple rites. Some scholars believe that it was Ezra and his priestly editors that wrote the creation account in Genesis 1. In 430 BCE Ezra had set the precedent ,of reading for hours,from Torah scrolls in a public square, these five books were accpeted as a sacred covenant. -
The Greeks 323 BCE
Greek lifestyle was introduced in the Middle East during the fourth century BCE by Alexander the Great. The influences of Hellenism led many wealthy and intelectual Jews to adopt a Hellenistic view versus having an unquestioning belief. -
Antiochus 175-164 BCE
Antiochus, a Hellenistic ruler of Syria, had tried to force a Hellenistic approach to achieve political unity. In doing so, he abolished the Torah, burned copies of the Torah, killed familiies who had their sons circumsised, and built an alter for Zeus in the Temple in Jerusalem. He also proceeded to sacrifice a hog on the temple which was in the defiance of the Mosaic law. -
Maccabees 164 BCE
In response to Antiochus's antics, the Hasmon family led the Maccabean rebellion. During this revolt the Maccabees won independence for Judaea, which once again became Israel, centered around Jerusalem, which was ruled by the Hasmonean family. The kingdom lasted until 63 BCE when the Romans took it over. -
Hasmonean Family
Three sects of Jews formed in Judea, under the rule of the Hasmonean Family; the Sadducess(priests and wealthy), the Pharisees(liberals), and the Essenes(the people who retreated). Eventually the conflicts between the sects erupted into a civil war and the Hasmonean Family rule was lost to general Pompey. -
Romans 63 BCE
After the Hasmonean civil war erupted, Roman general Pompey was called in from Syria to determine who the contenders for the Hasmonean throne would be. Instead, Pompey had taken over the country and the Roman rule of Judaea would continue for four centuries. -
Messiah- 1st century CE
During Roman rule, the Jews were under a popular belief that a Messiah would come to rescue the people of their sufferings. For example, while the Jews were in exile in Babylon, Daniel forsaw that a "son of man" would come on heavenly clouds. By the first century CE the Messiah would allow God to gather the chosen people and reinstate the Jewish law in Jerusalem. -
1st Rebellion Against the Romans 66-70 CE
Spurred by the Zealots(anti-Roman militias), the Jews rose up in a rebellion against Rome. Unfortunetly the Jewish defenders were slaughtered in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple and only left a few remains standing, the Temple was never rebuilt and is now known as the Western Wall. -
2nd Rebellion Against the Romans 132-135 CE
A second revolt against the Romans followed in 132 CE. Again Jerusalem had been reduced to ruins. The remaining Jews , that hadn't been executed, were forbidden to read the Torrah or observe the Sabbath, or circumcise their sons. No one was allowed to enter Jerusalem, either, when it had been rebuilt as the Roman city Aelia Capitolina.
