1. BRIDGES TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

2. INTRODUCTION The OT period ended around 400 BCE
Persia dominated the eastern world and allowed dispersed Jews to return
No significant prophetic figures appeared among the Jews
After Malachi, no literature was included in what was to become the OT canon.
Between the end of the OT and the beginning of the NT, 400 years elapsed.

3. THE LITERARY BRIDGE

4. INTERTESTAMENTAL LITERATURE
Although no biblical literature was produced between the Testaments, were is ample intertestamental literature.
Major examples are:
The Apocrypha (Deutero-canonical books)
Mishnah
Talmud
Pseudepigrapha
The importance
Historical references
Changes and shifts in theology and practice

5. THE APOCRYPHA From a word meaning “hidden” or “secret”
Written in Greek after the end of OT history
Not accepted as Scripture by Jews
Includes several literary genres:
Narratives
Wisdom
Religious fiction
Rejected as Scripture by Protestant reformers
Accepted as Scripture by the Catholic church at the Council of Trent in 1546 CE

6. THE MISHNAH AND TALMUD
The Mishnah, meaning “repetition”, seeks to instruct Jews in how to live by the Torah.
Based on oral tradition dating from as early as 400 BCE
The Gemarah meaning “tradition” is a commentary on the Mishnah
The Talmud meaning “teaching” is a combination of the Mishnah and Gemarah

7. THE TALMUD

8. THE PSEUDEPIGRAPHA Means “written under a false name”
Some written before the NT; others, after.
Sometimes called the “lost” books of the Bible and include works like:
The Apocalypse of Adam
1&2 Enoch
The Revelation of Moses
The church considered them forgeries and never accepted them as scripture.

9. THE APOCALYPSE OF ADAM
The revelation which Adam taught his son Seth in the seven hundredth year, saying, Listen to my words, my son Seth. When God had created me out of the earth along with Eve, your mother, I went about with her in a glory which she had seen in the aeon from which we had come forth. She taught me a word of knowledge of the eternal God. And we resembled the great angels, for we were higher than the God who had created us and the powers with him, whom we did not know.

10. THE RELIGIOUS BRIDGE

11. THE RISE OF RELIGIOUS PARTIES
Developed after the time after Ezra (±450 BCE)
Marked the move from a fairly homogeneous society to a more diverse one
Two general tendencies:
Traditionalists
Sought a return to the roots of faith
Became the nucleus for the Maccabean revolt
Accommodationists
Sought to adapt to a changing society
Favored the hellenization of Jewish society

12. THE SADDUCEES
Developed from Jews who favored hellenization (the move to make Jews more like the Greeks)
Seen as being favorable to the ruling powers
Associated with the aristocracy
Religious beliefs included:
Free will over God’s sovereignty
Argued against the resurrection and future life
Denied spiritual beings
Less legalistic with regard to the law

13. THE PHARISEES
Arose out of the “holiness” movement (Hasideans) after the time of Ezra
Adopted an extremely legalistic position with regard to the keeping of the law.
Followed both written and oral law
Looked for the coming of the Messiah
Valued both free will and God’s sovereignty
Believed in both angels and demons

14. THE ESSENES More conservative than the Pharisees
Sought refuge in the Judean desert to wait for the coming of the Teacher of Righteousness
Adopted a monastic lifestyle and followed ascetic practices
Occupied themselves with the study and copying of Scripture
Associated with the Qumran community and the production of the Dead Sea Scrolls

22. SCRIBES AND ZEALOTS Scribes: Zealots
A professional title that could included both Sadducees and Pharisees.
Charged with copying, reading, and interpreting Jewish law
Zealots
Extreme nationalists who sought to free the Jews from foreign political control.
Could be considered a ‘terrorist’ organization because of their extreme politics and practices

23. THE POLITICAL BRIDGE

24. THE GREEKS
Arrived in the Middle East with the advance of Alexander the Great in 334 BCE.
Extended his empire from Greece to Egypt, Asia Minor and India.
Returned to Babylon in 325 BCE and died two years later
His empire was divided between four of his generals

27. RULERS OF EGYPT (PTOLEMYS)
Ptolemy I founded the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt
His control extended to Judea and Phoenicia
Established a library in Alexandria
The Ptolemeys eventually lost control of Judea to the Seleucids which became part of Syria
Egypt annexed to the growing Roman empire after the end of the Roman civil war (30 BCE).

28. THE RULERS OF THE NORTH (SELEUCIDS)
Establish by Seleucus I, one of Alexander’s generals.
Antiochus III (the Great) was responsible for annexing Palestine from Egypt in 198 BCE.
Antiochus IV began the hellenization of Palestine seeking to eradicate Jewish religion.
Culminated when a statue of Zeus was erected in the Temple in Jerusalem in 167 BCE.

29. THE MACCABEAN REVOLT
Led by the Jewish family of Mattathias and his sons
Eventually regained control of Jerusalem and the Temple under Judas “the Hammer” (164 BCE)
Rededicated the Temple area which became the basis for Hanukkah celebration
The revolt gradually spread to include Edom and Galilee
Judea gained full independence in 142 BCE

31. ROMAN RULE
When civil war broke out in Judea, Pompey was sent to restore peace (63 BCE).
Palestine passed into Roman control
Two governors were appointed: Phasael over Judea and Herod over Galilee
After Phasael’s death, Herod (the Great) assumed control over all of Palestine where he remained until his death in 4 BCE.
After Herod’s death, his territory was divided between three of his sons: Philip, Herod Archelaus, and Herod Antipas

33. POLITICS AND THE GOSPELS
The birth of Jesus
Herod the Great – Matt. 2
Caesar Augustus – Lk. 2
Archelaus – Matt
The ministry of Jesus
Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod (Antipas), Philip – Lk.3
The death of John the Baptist
Herod (Antipas) - Matt. 14
The trial and crucifixion of Jesus
Before Pilate – Matt. 27
Before Herod (Antipas) – Lk