Hellenistic and Hasmonean Periods

We really flew by a couple hundred years of history in Jerusalem. These are some of my favorite periods, the second temple period in general is probably my favorite part of Jewish history. There is a great story about Alexander, that if we have more time, I think Professor Cargill would have said. It goes like this...When Alexander came to the gates of Jerusalem and was about to conquer the city, the high priest came out and said, "Hey Alexander, you can't enter this city. This is the city of the Lord and the Temple." Obviously Alexander could have squashed the city but choose to spare the city and never entered it. It was still a backwater compared to other places in Syria and Babylon and Persia. But because of the sympathy that Alexander showed, Alexander is the only name not in the Bible that a Jew can be called up to the Torah by. I think its pretty cool.

To the material. It goes like this. Alexander conquered in 332. He dies in 323. He divides his Kingdom into a couple parts. The Ptolmies, who ruled from Egypt were given Jerusalem. They rule until 201, when the Selucids defeat them. The Ptolmies were much nicer rulers than the Selucids. Then the Selucids rule until 164, which is when the Hasmonean/Maccabean revolt happens and the Jews kick out the Greeks and establish self rule in Israel for the last time till 1948. That is big. David ben Gurion once said that Jewish history stopped after the fall of the Hasmoneans and restarted when he founded the new state about 2000 years later. Pretty bold statement.

Also, it is so ridiculous that 70 rabbis could agree on the entire meaning on the Bible. I mean come on, its hard enough to find two rabbis that agree exactly on the meaning of one verse so the idea that 70 would give the same translation of the bible is actually comical if you think about it. Maybe you have to hang out with rabbis enough to really understand that. But it makes for a pretty impressive story, 70 rabbis producing the same translation. Haha, I like it.

I am about to get kicked out of the library. Jewish history is great. I love Jerusalem. We need more time to work on the paper!!! How bout an extension till the Tuesday of the next week? OK, awesome.

Joey