1 Maccabees 1:1-9: Understanding the Intertestamental Period and Alexander the Great

The Intertestamental Period and 1 Maccabees

• 📖 This episode begins a study of 1 Maccabees and the Intertestamental Period, the over 300 years between the Old and New Testaments.
• 📜 First Maccabees is a book written after the Old Testament canon was established by Jewish elders, explaining why it's not in all Bibles.
• ✝️ While absent from Protestant Bibles (often found in the Apocrypha), 1 Maccabees is included in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.

The Rise and Fall of Empires

• ⚔️ The Persian Empire, the dominant power at the end of the Old Testament, was conquered by Alexander the Great.
• 👑 Alexander, son of Philip of Macedon, united Greece, defeated Darius of Persia, and campaigned to India, ruling for 12 years before his death.
• 🗺️ Upon Alexander's death, his kingdom was divided among his officers, leading to the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt) and the Seleucid Empire (Asian Persia).

Impact on Israel and the New Testament

• 🌍 The Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires were geographically close to Israel, significantly influencing its history.
• ✡️ The conflicts and rule by these Greek Macedonian powers during this period led to the rise of groups like the Pharisees and Sadducees, who appear in the New Testament.
• 🕎 The book of First Maccabees also chronicles the story of Hanukkah, which occurred during this intertestamental era.