14.2 The near east: 100 b.c. to 0

The near east

Back to The Near East: 200 to 101 B.C.

Arabia and jordan

During the Hellenistic era the Himyarites of southern Arabia had lost their chief source of prosperity when part of the Indian trade was diverted through Egypt, but in 24 B.C., they were still strong enough to defeat the Roman General Gallus, who had been sent to conquer them and the invaders were driven into the desert where many died from heat and thirst. The Nabataean kingdom, in present day southern Jordan, became powerful at this time, with a capital at Petra. Amman, in northern Jordan, was first destroyed and conquered and then rebuilt by the Romans. (Ref. 176 )

Mediterranean coastal areas of israel and lebanon

By 78 B.C. in Judea the Hasmoneans had enlarged their realm so that their territory was as extensive as it had been under Solomon, but the rulers began to lose their religiosity and yielded to Hellenizing elements. Toynbee (Ref. 221 ) says that the Jews' Canaanite culture was not a backward one and was probably equal to the Hellenic in achievement, but it was different in ethos and the Hellenic was the more potent and soon dominated.

In 63 B.C., however, Judea was conquered by Pompey for Rome. As he laid siege to Jerusalem, the Jewish King Aristobulus took refuge in the walled precincts of the Temple and held out for three months. When the ramparts finally fell 12,000 Jews were slaughtered, with some leaping to death from the walls. None surrendered. Pompey left the Temple untouched but exacted 10,000 talents ($3,600,000) from the nation and transferred all Hasmonean cities to the Roman power. Hyrcanus II was made high priest and nominal ruler of Judea, but as the ward of Anatipater the Idumean, who had helped Rome. The independent monarchy was ended and Judea became part of the Roman province of Syria. Herod the Great became subject king in 37 B.C. and using Roman funds, financed a local army to drive the invading Parthians back out of this territory. Herod was also an Idumean and not a Jew either by origin or conviction

There were about 2,500,000 people in Palestine in this era and most of them spoke Aramic, although the priests and scholars knew Hebrew and the officials and foreigners used Greek. There was constant strife between the Jews in the interior of Palestine and Gentiles on the coast, and there was strife within the Great Council of the Elders of Israel who ruled over the people for religious offenses. The higher priests and Sadducees were a conservative element holding for the written law of the Hebrews (Torah) and the Pharisees and Scribes