Comprehensive Study Guide to the Inter-Testamental Period and the Life of Jesus Christ

The Inter-Testamental Period and Roman Socio-Political Administration

The interval of time situated between the Old Testament and the New Testament is traditionally referred to as the Silent years. This specific inter-testaments period spanned from $433BC$ to $5BC$. It is characterized by two significant hallmarks: the absence of recorded prophetic voices and a simultaneous, profound development in the political and religious climate within Palestine. Historically, this era is classified into six distinct developmental stages represented by the acronym GPSMHR, which stands for the Grecian, Ptolemaic, Syrian, Maccabean, Hasmonean, and Roman periods. Christ was born during the Roman period, which saw the empire structured into $50$ provinces governed by administrators appointed by the central authorities. A critical historical milestone occurred in $AD 70$ when the Roman forces captured Jerusalem and destroyed the second temple. During the life of Christ, Pontius Pilate served as the governor overseeing Palestine between the years of $26AD$ and $36AD$; it was under Pilate's administration that the execution of Christ took place.

The Herodian Dynasty and Regional Governance

In the New Testament context, the local rulers of Palestine were generally titled Herod, a family line that maintained power through Roman favor. There are four specific Herods mentioned in the historical narrative: Herod the Great, Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip. Herod the Great, who was an Edomite rather than a Jew, reigned over the entirety of Palestine from $37BC$ to $4BC$. He was notorious for his cruelty, utilizing hanging on special Roman instruments as a method of execution and ordering the massacre of all male infants in Bethlehem. Upon his death, the kingdom was divided. Herod Archelaus ruled Southern Palestine from $4BC$ to $6AD$; it was during his reign that Joseph and Mary returned from hiding in Egypt and settled in Galilee, though Archelaus was eventually removed for his exceptionally harsh treatment of the populace. Herod Antipas governed Galilee and Perea from $4BC$ to $39AD$, participating in many New Testament events, including the imprisonment and killing of John the Baptist, and the mockery of Jesus during His trial as recorded in Luke $23:8-12$. Herod Philip, who reigned over Northern Palestine from $4BC$ to $34AD$, played a less prominent role in the scriptural records compared to his relatives.

Geography, Language, and Religious Sects of Palestine

Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus, was organized into seven distinct political regions: Galilee, Perea, Decapolis, Samaria, Syria, Idumea, and Judea. These regions constituted the primary landscape where Jesus conducted His ministry, with the most prominent being Galilee, Samaria, Decapolis, and Judea. While Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, He was raised in Nazareth in Galilee, a region famous for fishing and heavy involvement in agriculture. The Jewish population of this era was bilingual, speaking Hebrew as their personal and liturgical language and Greek as the official administrative language, while Aramaic served as the common daily dialect spoken by most, including Jesus. The religious life of the Jews was centered around Judaism, which Jesus was born into and practiced. The population was divided into several influential groups: Pharisees (observants of the Law of Moses), Sadducees (who followed the Torah or Hebrew Bible but rejected the concept of life after death), Priests and Levites of the tribe of Levi, Scribes (specialized interpreters of the law often called lawyers), Essenes (a community at Qumran seeking two messiahs and rejecting the Jerusalem priesthood), Herodians (a political group mentioned thrice in the New Testament that conspired against Jesus), and Zealots.

The Nature of the Gospel and the Canonization Process

The accounts of the life of Christ are preserved in the Gospel records. The word Gospel is a translation of the Greek term Euangelion, meaning Good News or Good Message, specifically referring to the subject of preaching, revelation from God, and the joyful report of salvation. The formal process through which these books were officially approved is known as canonization, reflecting the Greek word "Canon" meaning a standard or measurement. A collection of books recognized as authoritative scripture is a canon, and the New Testament canon was finalized at the Council of Carthage in $AD 397$. The New Testament consists of $27$ books: $4$ Gospels, $1$ historical book, $21$ epistles authored by Paul, Peter, James, John, and others, and $1$ apocalyptic book. The Gospels specifically detail Christ's incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and second coming. These are divided into the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), which "see together" or present a similar account from the Greek words sun and optanomai, and the Johannine Gospel (John), which is described as a theological gospel focusing on Christology and the divinity of Jesus as the Son of God.

The Fullness of Time and Prophetic Fulfillment

The concept of the "fullness of time" refers to the strategically appropriate moment for the Messiah's arrival, as witnessed by figures like Simeon and Anna. This era was marked by political, economic, moral, and religious preparations. Politically, the world was unified under the Pax Romana (Roman Peace), facilitating travel on marvelous road networks and communication through a common language. Religiously, the $70$-week prophecy of Daniel $9:23-27$ provided a timeline for the Messiah’s manifestation. In this prophecy, representing $490$ years, three Persian decrees were given to rebuild Jerusalem, the final occurring in $457BC$. The rebuilding was completed in $408BC$ after $62$ weeks ($434$ years). From that point, one week ($7$ years) led to the baptism of Jesus in the autumn of $AD 27$. His ministry lasted three and a half years, culminating in His crucifixion in the spring of $AD 31$. The final portion of the prophecy concluded with the stoning of Stephen in $AD 34$, after which the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles.

The Early Life, Baptism, and Temptations of Jesus Christ

Jesus was born in Bethlehem after Caesar Augustus declared a taxation decree, which moved Mary and Joseph from Nazareth. His birth was announced by angels and signaled to the Gentiles by the Magi (wise men from the East, similar to roles held by Joseph and Daniel). Following a flight to Egypt to escape Herod, He was raised in Nazareth as a carpenter, studying from Nature and the Scriptures under the guidance of His mother rather than attending rabbinical schools. He had four brothers (Simon, Judas, James, Joseph) and two sisters (Melkha, Eskha). At age $12$, He became a "Son of the Law." His public ministry began with baptism by immersion in the Jordan, which symbolized public identification with the mission and the approval of heaven. Following this, Jesus faced a three-pronged temptation in the wilderness: Appetite (testing His divine Sonship after fasting), Presumption (expecting God to act outside His promises, where Satan misquoted Psalm $91:11-12$), and Compromise (seeking a cheap way to gain followers without the sacrifice). Jesus overcame each using the watchword "It is written," specifically citing that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God.