Appendix

CHRONOLOGICAL CHART OF SECOND-TEMPLE JEWISH HISTORY AND OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Dates are vital for historians, but for ancient historians always controversial. A good deal in what follows remains hypothetical; some particularly difficult issues are addressed in the relevant sections of the book. I have added in italics a selection of events and features which relate to various discussions, particularly those in Part III.

1. From Babylon to Rome

a. Babylonian Period

597	Jerusalem taken by Nebuchadnezzar II
587	Jerusalem destroyed … exile
539	Fall of Babylon; Cyrus’ victories

b. Persian/Greek Period    538–320

538 on:	return of exiles; rebuilding of temple begun (completed 516)
450s/440s:	Ezra and Nehemiah in Jerusalem
336	Alexander the Great comes to power
332	Alexander conquers Palestine
323	Alexander dies: empire divided

c. Egyptian Period    320–c.200

Palestine under Ptolemies; local government of High Priests

d. Syrian Period    200–63

200	Antiochus III defeats Egyptians
175	Antiochus IV Epiphanes (= A. E.) enthroned
171	Menelaus High Priest: favours A. E.: Jews rise against Menelaus
167	(25 Dec.) A. E. desecrates temple: builds altar to Zeus Olympus
166	Judas Maccabaeus becomes leader after death of Mattathias
164	(25 Dec.) Judas cleanses temple
164–42	running battles with Syria
161–59	Alcimus High Priest
160	Death of Judas M.
160–52	Jonathan leader of nationalist forces
159–2?	Essene Teacher of Righteousness = High Priest?
152–43	Jonathan High Priest [= Wicked Priest of Scrolls??]
	first mention of Pharisees: Jos. Ant. 13.171
143	Jonathan captured by Trypho
142	semi-independence (tax exemption) attained under Simon
	(Hasmonean High Priests [= HP]/rulers in bold type)
140–34	Simon: HP and ethnarch
142	murder of Jonathan
	Qumran objection to Hasmonean rule: e.g. 1QpHab 3.4–6.12
140	legitimation of Simon’s position by Jewish people
134–104	John Hyrcanus: HP and ethnarch
	War 1.67–9 says he provoked ‘stasis’
	Eleazar asks Hyrcanus to give up being HP: Ant. 13.288–99
104–103	Aristobulus I: HP and King [‘Philhellene’]
103–76	Alexander Jannaeus: HP and King
	‘stasis’ at festival: War 1.88–98; Ant. 13.372–83; bSukk. 48ab
76–67	Hyrcanus II: HP only
	(Salome/Alexander, Alexander Jannaeus’s widow, as Queen)
	War 1.112: ‘she ruled Israel, the Pharisees ruled her’
	Ant. 13.398–418: Pharisees in favour, as A. J. had advised her
67–63	Aristobulus II: HP and King (younger son of Alexandra)
	(defeated Hyrcanus in battle at Jericho)

2. Under Rome: 63–

a. Under Republic

63	Jerusalem taken by Pompey (cf. Ps. Sol. 17.8, 1QpHab 4–6??)
	HPs wield power under Roman protectorate
63–40	Hyrcanus II: HP (reinstated after intervention of Pompey)
	Antipater emerges as power behind Hyrcanus
48	Pompey murdered in Egypt (Ps. Sol. 2.30–2!)
43	Antipater assassinated
44	Death of Julius Caesar: civil wars in Roman world
40	Parthians invade Syria/Judaea, imprisoning Hyrcanus and putting in
40–37	Antigonus: HP and King (last son of Aristobulus)
40	Herod (son of Antipater) declared King of Judaea in Rome, with support of Antony/Octavian
	(Herod, not qualified to be HP, fills the office with nonentities)
40–38	Parthian invasion
37	Herod retakes Jerusalem for Rome after Parthian invasion
	(interrupts siege to marry Mariamne, granddaughter of Hyrcanus: Ant 14.465–7)
37–4	Herod the Great
31 (2 Sept)	Battle of Actium:
	Octavian defeats Antony, confirms Herod in office
	Herod spares Pollio the Pharisee and Samias
20?	Pollio and Samias refuse to take oath to Herod (Ant. 15.370)
19	Herod starts rebuilding temple (consecrated 9 BC)
10?	6000+ Pharisees refuse oath to Caesar (Ant. 17.41–6)
4 BC	Death of Herod: disturbances before and after
	Eagle Incident (Judas and Matthias) (Ant. 17.149–67, War 1.648–55) revolt of Judas son of Hezekiah (= J the Galilean?) (War 2.56 etc.) ‘messianic’ movements of Simon (Ant. 17.273–7) and Athronges (Ant. 17.278–84)
4 BC	Kingdom divided:
	Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (until 38); Marries Herodias
	Archelaus ‘King’ (= ethnarch) of Judaea, Samaria, Idumea; (deposed, AD 6)
	Philip Tetrarch of N. E. Palestine (until 34)
6 AD	Archelaus deposed after protests
	Judaea a Roman Province, under ‘Prefects’
	Census riots: Judas the Galilean, Saddok the Pharisee (Ant. 18.1–10)

b. Under Emperors and Prefects [Emperors in bold type; prefects underlined]

–14 AD	Augustus
	6–9	Coponius
	9–12	Marcus Ambivius
	12–15	Annius Rufus
14–37	Tiberius
	15–26	Valerius Gratus
		18	Caiaphas High Priest
	26–36	Pontius Pilate
		30	Crucifixion of Jesus
		31?	Conversion of Saul/Paul
		36	Nabatean King invades Perea, defeats Antipas
37–41	Gaius
	37–41	Marullus
		40	Crisis over Gaius’ statue Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, becomes King of Philip’s (37) and Antipas’ (39) areas Antipas and Herodias banished
41–54	Claudius
		41	Claudius makes Herod Agrippa King of Judaea too
		Agrippa executes James the brother of John, Passover (Ac. 12:2)
		44	death of Herod Agrippa (Ac. 12): Judaea reverts to Procurators
	44–46	Cuspius Fadus
		44	famine (Ac. 11:28)
	46–48	Tiberius Alexander
			Crucifixion of Jacob and Simon, sons of Judas the Galilean (Ant. 20.102) Late 40s—late 50s: Paul’s missionary journeys
	48–52	Ventidius Cumanus
		49	Claudius expels Jews from Rome impulsore Chresto (Ac. 18:2 etc.)
		49–51 Paul in Corinth (Gallio, Ac 18:12)
			50	Agrippa II (son of Agrippa I) becomes King of various areas
	52–60	Antonius Felix (brother of Pallas, Nero’s freedman)
		54	Jews return to Rome after Claudius’ death
54–68	Nero
	60–62	Porcius Festus
		62	James the Just executed during interregnum (Ant. 20.200)
	62–65	Lucceius Albinus
		63	Temple finally completed
		64	Fire of Rome: Persecution of Christians
	65–66	Gessius Florus
66–70  JEWISH WAR
		9 June 68: Nero commits suicide
68–69	Galba
		69	‘Year of Four Emperors’
69	Otho
69	Vitellius
69–79	Vespasian
		70	Titus takes Jerusalem

c. After 70

			Establishment of Academy at Javneh under Johanan ben Zakkai
		74	Capture of Masada (last stronghold)
79–81	Titus
81–96	Domitian
		c. 90 Domitian’s investigation of Jesus’ relatives 92/3 death of Agrippa II
96–98	Nerva
98–117	Trajan
		c.110	Pliny Governor of Bithynia
		c.110–115	Letters of Ignatius
		115–7	Jewish Revolts in Egypt, Cyrene, Cyprus
117–38	Hadrian
		132	Hadrian’s anti-semitic legislation: temple of Jupiter in Jerusalem
		133–5	Rebellion of Simeon Ben Kosiba (Bar-Kochba)
		135	Martyrdom of Akiba
138–61	Antoninus Pius
		140s–160s	Justin Martyr active in Rome (martyred c. 165)
		155/6	Martyrdom of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna
161–80	Marcus Aurelius
		c.130–200	Irenaeus: Bishop of Lyons in 180s/190s
		c.160–220	Tertullian
180–92	Commodus
		c. 200 compilation of Mishnah