Ancient Jewish history (to 150 CE)
Ancient Israelites
For the first two periods the history of the Jews is mainly that of the Fertile Crescent. It begins among those
people who occupied the area lying between the Nile river on the one side and the Tigris and the Euphrates
rivers on the other. Surrounded by ancient seats of culture in Egypt and Babylonia, by the deserts of Arabia, and
by the highlands of Asia Minor, the land of Canaan (later known as Israel, then at various times Judah,
Coele-Syria, Judea, Palestine, the Levant, and finally Israel again) was a meeting place of civilizations. The land
was traversed by old-established trade routes and possessed important harbors on the Gulf of Akaba and on
the Mediterranean coast, the latter exposing it to the influence of other cultures of the Fertile Crescent.
Traditionally Jews around the world claim descent mostly from the ancient Israelites (also known as Hebrews),
who settled in the land of Israel. The Israelites traced their common lineage to the biblical patriarch Abraham
through Isaac and Jacob. Jewish tradition holds that the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob's twelve sons
(one of whom was named Judah), who settled in Egypt. While in Egypt their descendants were enslaved by the
Egyptian pharaoh, often identified as Ramses II. In the Jewish tradition, the Israelites emigrated from Egypt to
Canaan (the Exodus), led by the prophet Moses. This event marks the formation of the Israelites as a people,
divided into twelve tribes named after Jacob's sons.
Ancient Israelites
For the first two periods the history of the Jews is mainly that of the Fertile Crescent. It begins among those
people who occupied the area lying between the Nile river on the one side and the Tigris and the Euphrates
rivers on the other. Surrounded by ancient seats of culture in Egypt and Babylonia, by the deserts of Arabia, and
by the highlands of Asia Minor, the land of Canaan (later known as Israel, then at various times Judah,
Coele-Syria, Judea, Palestine, the Levant, and finally Israel again) was a meeting place of civilizations. The land
was traversed by old-established trade routes and possessed important harbors on the Gulf of Akaba and on
the Mediterranean coast, the latter exposing it to the influence of other cultures of the Fertile Crescent.
Traditionally Jews around the world claim descent mostly from the ancient Israelites (also known as Hebrews),
who settled in the land of Israel. The Israelites traced their common lineage to the biblical patriarch Abraham
through Isaac and Jacob. Jewish tradition holds that the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob's twelve sons
(one of whom was named Judah), who settled in Egypt. While in Egypt their descendants were enslaved by the
Egyptian pharaoh, often identified as Ramses II. In the Jewish tradition, the Israelites emigrated from Egypt to
Canaan (the Exodus), led by the prophet Moses. This event marks the formation of the Israelites as a people,
divided into twelve tribes named after Jacob's sons.
Jewish History
Jewish tradition and the Bible (Genesis through Malachi) tells
that the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty one years
after which they conquered Canaan under the command of
Joshua, dividing the land among the twelve tribes. For a time,
the twelve tribes were led by a series of rulers known as
Judges. Afterwards, an Israelite monarchy was established
under Saul, and continued under King David and Solomon.
King David conquered Jerusalem (first a Canaanite, then a
Jebusite town) and made it his capital. After Solomon's reign
the nation split into two kingdoms, Israel, consisting of ten of
the tribes (in the north), and Judah, consisting of the tribes of
Judah and Benjamin (in the south). Israel was conquered by
the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser V in the 8th century BCE. There
is no commonly accepted historical record of those ten tribes,
which are sometimes referred to as the Ten Lost Tribes of
Israel.
that the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty one years
after which they conquered Canaan under the command of
Joshua, dividing the land among the twelve tribes. For a time,
the twelve tribes were led by a series of rulers known as
Judges. Afterwards, an Israelite monarchy was established
under Saul, and continued under King David and Solomon.
King David conquered Jerusalem (first a Canaanite, then a
Jebusite town) and made it his capital. After Solomon's reign
the nation split into two kingdoms, Israel, consisting of ten of
the tribes (in the north), and Judah, consisting of the tribes of
Judah and Benjamin (in the south). Israel was conquered by
the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser V in the 8th century BCE. There
is no commonly accepted historical record of those ten tribes,
which are sometimes referred to as the Ten Lost Tribes of
Israel.
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Exilic and post-exilic periods
The kingdom of Judah was conquered by a Babylonian army in the early 6th century BCE. The Judahite elite
was exiled to Babylon, but later at least a part of them returned to their homeland, led by prophets Ezra and
Nehemiah, after the subsequent conquest of Babylonia by the Persians. Since Zoroastrianism was the state
religion of the Persian Empire, the extent to which Zoroastrianism has been an influence in the development
of Judaism is a subject of some debate among scholars (See Christianity and world religions).
Already at this point the extreme fragmentation among the Israelites was apparent, with the formation of
political-religious factions, the most important of which would later be called Sadduccees and Pharisees.
Hellenistic Judaism
Currents of Judaism influenced by Hellenistic philosophy developed from the 3rd century BC, notably the
Jewish diaspora in Alexandria, culminating in the compilation of the Septuagint. An important advocate of the
symbiosis of Jewish theology and Hellenistic thought is Philo.
The Hasmonean Kingdom
The Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great. After his demise, and the division of Alexander's empire
among his generals, the Seleucid Kingdom was formed. A deterioration of relations between hellenized Jews
and religious Jews led the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes to impose decrees banning certain Jewish
religious rites and traditions. Consequently, the orthodox Jews revolted under the leadership of the
Hasmonean family, (also known as the Maccabees). This revolt eventually led to the formation of an
independent Jewish kingdom, known as the Hasmonaean Dynasty, which lasted from 165 BCE to 63 BCE.
The Hasmonean Dynasty eventually disintegrated as a result of civil war between the sons of Salome
Alexandra, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. The people, who did not want to be governed by a king but by
theocratic clergy, made appeals in this spirit to the Roman authorities. A Roman campaign of conquest and
annexation, led by Pompey, soon followed.
The kingdom of Judah was conquered by a Babylonian army in the early 6th century BCE. The Judahite elite
was exiled to Babylon, but later at least a part of them returned to their homeland, led by prophets Ezra and
Nehemiah, after the subsequent conquest of Babylonia by the Persians. Since Zoroastrianism was the state
religion of the Persian Empire, the extent to which Zoroastrianism has been an influence in the development
of Judaism is a subject of some debate among scholars (See Christianity and world religions).
Already at this point the extreme fragmentation among the Israelites was apparent, with the formation of
political-religious factions, the most important of which would later be called Sadduccees and Pharisees.
Hellenistic Judaism
Currents of Judaism influenced by Hellenistic philosophy developed from the 3rd century BC, notably the
Jewish diaspora in Alexandria, culminating in the compilation of the Septuagint. An important advocate of the
symbiosis of Jewish theology and Hellenistic thought is Philo.
The Hasmonean Kingdom
The Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great. After his demise, and the division of Alexander's empire
among his generals, the Seleucid Kingdom was formed. A deterioration of relations between hellenized Jews
and religious Jews led the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes to impose decrees banning certain Jewish
religious rites and traditions. Consequently, the orthodox Jews revolted under the leadership of the
Hasmonean family, (also known as the Maccabees). This revolt eventually led to the formation of an
independent Jewish kingdom, known as the Hasmonaean Dynasty, which lasted from 165 BCE to 63 BCE.
The Hasmonean Dynasty eventually disintegrated as a result of civil war between the sons of Salome
Alexandra, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. The people, who did not want to be governed by a king but by
theocratic clergy, made appeals in this spirit to the Roman authorities. A Roman campaign of conquest and
annexation, led by Pompey, soon followed.
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