Video Flashcards: Ancient Judea and Hellenistic World

Vocabulary flashcards drawn from the lecture notes on ancient Near Eastern and Judean history.

Cyrus the Great

Persian king who freed the Jewish people from Babylon, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy.

Phillip of Macedonia

King who united Greece; Alexander the Great's father.

Alexander the Great

Greek ruler who spread Hellenism across his empire.

Hellenism

Spread of Greek culture, philosophy, and language.

Septuagint

Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced by 72 scholars in Alexandria, Egypt.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Seleucid king who desecrated the Temple with pagan sacrifices.

Mattathias

Jewish priest who refused pagan sacrifices; his killing of a Seleucid soldier sparked the Maccabean Revolt.

Judas Maccabeus

Leader of the Jewish revolt against the Seleucids; recaptured and rededicated the Temple.

Hanukkah

Jewish holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple during the Maccabean Revolt.

Pompey

Roman general who conquered Judea and entered the Temple Holy of Holies.

Julius Caesar

Paved the way for the Roman Empire; laid groundwork for the Herodian Dynasty; assassinated by Brutus.

Mark Antony

Roman general who appointed Herod as King of Judea.

Herod the Great

Self-proclaimed King of the Jews; ordered the killing of newborns in Bethlehem.

Augustus Caesar (Octavian)

First Roman emperor; ordered a census that sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecy.

Pharisees

Religious leaders who believed in the Resurrection and in angels.

Sadducees

Wealthy temple leaders who denied the Resurrection and angels; cooperated with Rome.

Essenes

Separatist Jewish group who lived in the desert waiting for the Messiah; produced the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Zealots

Militant Jewish group promoting violence against Roman rule.

Herodians

Political supporters of Herod; allied with Pharisees against him.

Scribes

Experts in Jewish law who copied and preserved scriptures.

Sanhedrin

Jewish ruling council that tried and convicted Jesus before his death.

Synagogue

Local centers for worship and teaching.

Samaritans

Half-Jew, half-Gentile community.

Gentiles

Non-Jewish people; included in the early Christian ministry.

Josephus

Jewish historian whose writings mention Jesus, John the Baptist, and James.