Life in 1st century Palestine Flashcards
Palestine was a term used to describe a specific region by the Romans. What areas does the region of Palestine cover using today’s geogrphical language?
It is in the Eastern Mediterranean, covering what is today the State of Isreal and parts of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan
What had the southern part of Palestine previously been?
The Jewish kingdom of Judah, until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 597 BCE
When did the Jews return to Judah, following the Babylonian exile in 597 BCE?
539 BCE; they set about rebuilding their homeland, conscious of God’s Old Testament promise that the entire region was a ‘promised land’ for the descendants of Abraham
Who were the Hasmoneans?
Ruled Judea (as it became known) and managed to create a fully independent Jewish kingdom between 110-63 BCE, until the Roman Empire invaded the region
What happened when the Hasmoneans rebelled against the Romans?
They were crushed in 37 BCE and another family, the Herodians, who would be more loyal to Rome, were installed as rulers.
Describe Herod the Great
Ruled the region of Judea for 30 years with the backing of the Roman Empire. He was unpopular with his Jewish subjects, because his family had only recently converted to Judaism and he clearly didn’t take the religion seriously. He murdered many of his family members and oppressed his citizens; his death in 4 BCE came as a relief to the people
What did Herod the Great leave behind as his legacy?
The magnificent temple in Jerusalem that he had expanded and lavished gold upon in a bid for popularity
What happened to the region after the death of Herod the Great?
Herod’s sons divided up his territory between them, but they were not as successful as their father
Who was Herod Antipas?
The son of Herod the Great, he ruled Galilee and had a scandalous personal life
Who was Herod Archelaus?
The son of Herod the Great, he ruled Judea with so much oppression and bloodshed that the Romans had to remove him from power
What did the Romans do after removing Herod Archelaus from power?
They made Judea a Roman province and sent a governor to run the territory for them
What did the governor do in Judea?
Their main job was to collect taxes and keep the peace. They would be based in the coastal town of Caesarea and would travel to Jerusalem, as this would the time when rebellions were most likely
Who was the Roman governor during Jesus’ adult life?
Pontius Pilate
Who were the publicans?
They helped the governor run Judea by collecting taxes, reporting on troublemakers and imposing the law
Why were the publicans widely hated?
Because they would often demand bribes and used their connection to the Romans to extort and bully neighbours. Jews who became publicans were thought to havve ‘sold out’.
