Theology Economic Justice in the Biblical Tradition

Basics of the Chronology of ancient israel in the Biblical Period

Premonarchic period/period of the Judges (before Kings, 1200-1000 BC)

Monarchic Period/pre-exilic period (1000-586 BC)

(Babylonian) Exile (586 BC-538 BC)

Postexilic Period/Second Temple Period (538-330BC)

• Persian Period

• Hellenistic Period

Roman Period/New Testament times (63 BC -100 AD)

Formation of the monarchy (israel gets a king!) - approx. 1000 BC (David, 2nd king)

• Saul, the first king of Israel, from the Tribe of Benjamin.

• was picked by God through the prophet samuel

• he displeased God and was revoked of His favor

• Then David from the southern tribe, judah became king following saul’s death

• David captured the city of jerusalem near the border of judah amd ephrai,/benjamin and made it His capital.

United Monarchy (all 12 tribes under 1 king) split into two kingdoms: israel (aka, the northern kingdom) and judah (aka the southern kingdom). - approx.. 920 BC

• after solomon’s death (the 3rd king) the tribes broke into two kingdoms

  • judah

    • smaller/weaker

    • capital was Jerusalem

    • remained loyal to “House of David” (descendants of david and solomon)

  • Israel

    • larger/more powerful kingdom

    • made up of the other 10 territorial tribes

    • tribes kept the name israel for their kingdom and made the city of Samaria their capital

Assyria conquers and destroys the northern kingdom, israel; it ceases to exist - 722 BC

• center/capital was in northern mesopotamia

• power lasted roughly from 900s to the year 700 BC

Babylon conquers the southern kingdom, judah, destroying the capital city jerusalem - 586 BC

• demolished jerusalem and sent most of the people into exile in babylon

Babylon deports most of the surviving population to babylon - starting around 586 BC.

Persia conquers babylon - 539 bc

• Cyrus the Great was King of Persia defeated babylonians and established the Persian Empire

• Cyrus allowed the exiled people of Judah. to return home, rebuild Jerusalem and the temple there, and live relatively autonomous lives under the rule of Persian appointed governors

Persain empire conquered by alexander the Great - 330 bc.

judah comes under the rule of greek kings in syria and egypt for almost 200 years

maccabean revolt 

judah wins independence from the greek kings of syria - 165 BC

rome conquers judah (Judea) and takes over the entire region - 63 bc

• judea was conquered by the roman general pompey

jesus is born - approx. 1 AD

Jesus is crucified by the romans - approx 30 AD.

rome crushes a revolt in judea (the greco-roman name for the province of judah), and destroys jerusalem and the temple of the Lord that was there - 70 AD