Jewish History from Alexander to Hadrian
Chris Seeman and Adam Kolman Marshak
From Alexander to Pompey
The conquests of Alexander the Great had far-reaching consequences for
the Jews. In the course of a single decade (334-324b.c.e.), Jewish commu-
nities everywhere found themselves subjects of a new world empire ruled
by Macedonians and connected with Greek culture (see map 1). Macedo-
nian monarchs would continue to dominate the Near East for the next
three centuries, while Hellenism itself would cast a still longer shadow over
the region and its peoples.
These new realities carried with them both peril and prospect for the
Jews of Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Iran. The inabil-
ity of Alexander’s successors to hold together his far-flung dominions con-
demned those lands to chronic interstate warfare and incessant dynastic
instability. Physical displacement, economic hardship, political factional-
ism, enslavement, and other woes are prominent themes of this era. But
Jews could also benefit from the opportunities created by so volatile an en-
vironment. Some found ready employment in the military and bureau-
cratic sectors of the Hellenistic states. Others engaged in interregional
trade networks and participated in the cosmopolitan life of Greek cities.
By the second half of the first centuryb.c.e., the Hasmoneans were able to
forge a sovereign, Jewish state in Palestine — the first in almost 500 years.
The Hellenistic age brought Jews into contact with a wider world; it also
brought them to the notice of that world. When the Roman general
Pompey set foot in Palestine in 63b.c.e., the Jews had become a people to
be reckoned with.30
EERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:03:50 PM