Timeline of the Second Temple period


The Second Temple period in Jewish history began with the end of the Babylonian captivity and the Persian conquest of the Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE. A new temple to replace the destroyed Solomon's Temple was built in Jerusalem by the returnees, and the Second Temple was finished around 516 BCE. Second Temple Judaism was centered around the religious leadership of the Second Temple, and lasted for six centuries. The Persians were largely tolerant of Judaism. Persian rule lasted for two centuries, but came to an end with the conquests of Macedonia under Alexander the Great in 332 BCE. Judea and the Eastern Mediterranean region came under Greek influence during the resulting Hellenistic period; Hellenistic Judaism blended both Greek and Jewish traditions. Judea was ruled in this period first by the Ptolemaic Kingdom and then by the Seleucid Empire, Greek states formed after the breakup of Alexander's Macedonian empire. The Maccabean Revolt of 167-142 BCE was initially a fight for Judean autonomy against a suppression of traditional Judaism by Seleucid King Antiochus IV, and later sought outright independence from Greek rule. The revolt's success brought about the formation of an independent Hasmonean kingdom of Judea, named for the family which had led the Jewish resistance.
The Hasmoneans ruled until 63 BCE, when they were reduced to client king status as puppets of the Roman Republic. The Hasmonean line was deposed in 37 BCE, and King Herod the Great took control as ruler of the Herodian kingdom, with the approval of Rome. Herod's death in 4 BCE led to both the Herodian Tetrarchy, in which smaller regions were ruled by members of his family, and periods of direct Roman control by the governors of Roman Judea. Direct Roman rule of Judea was generally disliked, and provoked resistance and rebellion. The era came to an end with the First Jewish–Roman War of 66-73 CE. The Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire was unsuccessful, Jerusalem was conquered in 70 CE, and the Second Temple was destroyed.
This timeline focuses both on political events in Judea and the surrounding regions, as well as issues related to wider diaspora Judaism practiced elsewhere. Many of the dates in ancient sources are given in terms of the Seleucid era and the Ancient Macedonian calendar, which do not always map cleanly to Julian calendar dates, leading to some unavoidable uncertainty.

Persian Empire (538 BCE – 332 BCE)

539 BCE
538 BCE
  • Traditional date of the Edict of Cyrus, a decree said to allow and encourage the Jews of the Babylonian captivity to return to Judea. Regardless of whether such an edict directly addressing the Jews existed, Persian religious policy allowed for local religions, including Judaism, to practice undisturbed as long as they do not foment rebellion.
  • Possible mission of Sheshbazzar, an enigmatic figure described in Ezra 1. He is credited with returning the temple vessels to Jerusalem, and possibly also being a governor who laid the foundations for the temple in a quoted document in Ezra 5.
538-332 BCE
537-520 BCE
  • Zerubbabel is appointed governor of Yehud. He is said to have led a group of Jewish returnees from Babylon to Yehud. Provisional work on a new temple starts, but is quickly stopped.
525 BCE
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  • A Jewish military colony and Jewish temple at Elephantine is established, probably by Cambyses to place Persian allies to defend the southern border of Egypt. It is destroyed by worshippers of Khnum in 410 BCE, and while rebuilt a few years afterward, it fades in importance. Later archaeologists find various papyri related to Elephantine preserved by the dry desert climate, making Elephantine one of the better-recorded places of Jewish worship of the era.
522-486 BCE
520-516 BCE
465-424 BCE
458-457 BCE
  • Mission of Ezra the Scribe, who takes another group of returnees from Babylon to Judea with the approval of King Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign.
445-433 BCE
  • Mission of Nehemiah, a member of Artaxerxes's administration who requests leave to go to Yehud and rebuild it, possibly after some unrecorded disaster in Jerusalem at a point prior. He embarks upon a campaign to purge Judea of foreign influence and builds a wall around Jerusalem.
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  • According to Josephus, at some point in this period, an incident occurs where High Priest Johanan murders his brother Jesus inside the Temple; general Bagoses punishes the crime and imposes a seven-year tribute on Judea.
404-359 BCE
397 BCE
  • The alternative proposed date of the mission of Ezra the Scribe.
400-300 BCE
359-338 BCE

Macedonian conquest (332 BCE – 301 BCE)

332 BCE
331 BCE
  • Alexander's appointed governor of Syria, a person named Andromachus, is killed, possibly in a revolt by Samaritans. The assassins are executed and the city of Samaria is captured, and a colony of Macedonian military settlers are sent to live there.
323-301 BCE
  • Alexander the Great dies. His generals partition the Macedonian empire between them.
  • Wars of the Diadochi: Alexander's feuding generals fight each other for control.
  • Little is known of affairs of Judea in this period, but it was fought over and suffered. General Ptolemy's forces triumph at the nearby Battle of Gaza, but are forced to retreat from the Antigonid prince Demetrius after a loss in Syria, and burn many cities in the Palestine region in the retreat, giving the region back to the Antigonids. Ptolemy officially claims the titles of basileus and pharaoh in 305 BCE. He retakes most of the Palestine region without a fight in 302-301 BCE. The region is awarded to Seleucus after a settlement among the victors at the Battle of Ipsus, but Ptolemy ignores the settlement and refuses to hand it over.
  • There is a migration of Jews from Palestine to Egypt amid the chaos, possibly prompted by Ptolemy.

Ptolemaic Kingdom (301 BCE – 199 BCE)

301-200 BCE
  • Coele-Syria, including Judea, is ruled by Ptolemaic Egypt. The Seleucid Empire, claiming that the region was awarded to Seleucus, attempts to conquer the region several times during the Syrian Wars.
  • Hellenistic Judaism slowly arises, a result of a gradual process of hellenization as Greek culture and language spread. It blends both Greek and Jewish cultural and religious traditions.
  • Origin of the Septuagint: During this century, important Jewish writings begin to be translated into Greek for Hellenistic Jews whose first language is Greek.
  • Book of Tobit is probably written. It is possible it dates from even earlier, however.
  • The Book of Ecclesiastes and the initial sections of the Book of Enoch are written at some point in this period.
  • The Aramaic Levi Document, a Jewish predecessor of the Christian Testament of Levi, is possibly written.
  • The Tobiad clan becomes wealthy as tax agents for the Ptolemies.
259 BCE
  • Zenon of Kaunos, a Ptolemaic minister of finance, tours the Palestine region; his compiled documents are later discovered in the 20th century, and are some of the rare surviving material on Jews in the region.
221–204 BCE
  • Reign of Ptolemy IV Philopator in Egypt. His reign is the setting of the book 3 Maccabees, which describes a persecution of Egyptian Jews by Philopator after he returned from the Battle of Raphia ; the historicity of such an event is highly suspect, however, and it is described nowhere else. Another source, the "Raphia Decree", indicates Ptolemy IV did go on a tour of shrines in the Syro-Palestine region, and he may well have stopped at Jerusalem's Second Temple.

  • Probable term of Simon II as High Priest.
202-199 BCE

Seleucid Empire (199 BCE – 141 BCE)

200 BCE
  • At the Battle of Panium, the Seleucid army decisively defeats the Ptolemaic army.
  • Antiochus III and the Seleucid army conquers Jerusalem, defeating the Ptolemaic garrison led by Scopas.
  • Antiochus III makes a decree guaranteeing privileges allowed to Jerusalem's elites and Temple personnel.
200-100 BCE
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187-175 BCE
September 175 BCE
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  • Antiochus IV visits Jerusalem, where he receives an enthusiastic welcome from Jason.
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  • Menelaus is appointed High Priest. Former High Priest Jason flees into exile in Ammon, possibly to Tobiad territory.
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170-169 BCE
168 BCE
  • Battle of Pydna: Roman troops under Aemilius Paullus win a crushing victory over the Macedonian army, break the power of the Antigonid dynasty, and conquer Macedonia. The defeat of this rival further increases Roman sway and influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
  • Sixth Syrian War: Antiochus Epiphanes returns to Egypt for a second campaign, but leaves in July 168 BCE after a Roman show of support for the Ptolemies.
  • Antiochus IV plunders the Second Temple for treasure with the aid of High Priest Menelaus.
168-167 BCE
  • Unrest roils Jerusalem. Jason returns from exile and attempts to oust Menelaus for the position of High Priest. Possibly, rebels take the city. Jerusalem is attacked by the Seleucid army; many Jerusalemites are killed or enslaved; the Acra citadel is raised and fortified in Jerusalem; and Menelaus is restored to his position. Antiochus IV issues several decrees aimed at curtailing the practice of traditional Judaism, beginning a period of persecution.

Maccabean Revolt (167 BCE – 141 BCE)

168-100 BCE
  • Authorship of various books that seem to be familiar with the persecution of Antiochus IV, including the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Baruch. Suggested dates for Jubilees include, 161-140 BCE, and 125 BCE.
December 167 BCE
  • The "Abomination of Desolation" is set up in the Second Temple, and the tamid ceases, profaning the Temple in the eyes of devout Jews.
167-160 BCE
  • The Book of Enoch expands to include the "Apocalypse of Weeks", likely written early in the persecution, as well as the "Book of Dreams" and "Animal Apocalypse", likely written later in the Revolt.
167-165 BCE
  • The Book of Daniel, or at least chapters 1 and 7-12, is written at some point after Antiochus IV's anti-Jewish decrees, but before news of his death reaches Judea. It is the last work to be included in the main canon of the Tanakh.
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  • Mattathias, a priest in rural Modein, kills a Seleucid official and Jew who had obeyed the decree, then flees into the wilderness with his family to lead a band of rebels.
Spring 166 - Spring 165 BCE
End of summer 165 BCE
October - December 164 BCE
  • Lysias, a Seleucid official that Antiochus IV seems to have left in charge of the western part of the empire while he was on campaign in the east, launches his first military expedition to Judea. The Battle of Beth-Zur is fought, which ends inconclusively. The Seleucid force returns to Antioch.
November - December 164 BCE
January 14, 163 BCE
163 BCE
163-162 BCE
  • High Priest Menelaus is executed at Lysias's order in Aleppo.
  • Alcimus is appointed as Menelaus's replacement as High Priest, possibly on a temporary basis; he is confirmed by Demetrius I in 161 BCE.
  • Onias IV, the successor to the Zadokite line of High Priests, flees to exile in Ptolemaic Egypt.
April - May 162 BCE
  • The Maccabees besiege the Acra in Jerusalem, which was still held by forces hostile to the Hasmoneans despite their entry into Jerusalem in 163 BCE.
  • Lysias's second expedition. Beth Zur is besieged again and taken. The Battle of Beth Zechariah ends in Seleucid victory. The Acra is relieved.
June - July 162 BCE
  • Lysias and the Maccabees agree to another peace treaty. Lysias returns to Antioch.
Late Summer - Autumn 162 BCE
November 162 BCE
November - Winter 161 BCE
  • Nicanor is appointed governor in Jerusalem and negotiates with the Maccabees. Alcimus complains to King Demetrius, and negotiations are undermined. The Maccabees prevail at the Battle of Caphar-salama, a skirmish with Nicanor's forces.
  • Timarchus declares himself king in the eastern satrapies of the Seleucid Empire; Demetrius sends armies east to respond.
13 Adar 161 BCE
Spring 161 BCE
Early 160 BCE
  • Demetrius defeats Timarchus's revolt in the eastern half of the Seleucid Empire.
Nisan 160 BCE
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  • Death of John Gaddi, the eldest son of Mattathias.
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  • Writings of the Jewish Hellenistic historian Eupolemus.
160-152 BCE
  • Seleucid control is restored over the major cities of Judea. Leadership of the rebels passes to Judas's brother, Jonathan Apphus. The Maccabees retreat to the countryside.
Sivan 159 BCE
  • Death of High Priest Alcimus. His successor as High Priest is either unknown or the position was left vacant.
157 BCE
  • Another peace treaty between the Seleucids and Jonathan's rebels; General Bacchides returns to Antioch and discontinues his anti-Maccabee campaign.
153 BCE
Autumn 152 BCE
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  • Demetrius I dies; Alexander Balas takes control of the full Seleucid Empire.
147-145 BCE
147-143 BCE
  • Taking advantage of the Seleucid internal conflict, the Maccabees take Beth Zur and Joppa.

143 BCE
142 BCE
  • A letter from Demetrius II promises autonomy for Judea.
  • A new treaty between Judea and the Roman Republic, at least according to a circular letter said to be negotiated by an embassy of Simon to the Roman Senate.

Hasmonean kingdom (141 BCE – 37 BCE)

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  • The Acra citadel in Jerusalem, a stronghold of Greek influence, falls to the nascent Hasmonean state.
  • The fortress of Gezer falls to the Hasmoneans.
  • Simon Thassi takes formal control of the nascent independent Hasmonean state in 170 SE. He takes the title of ethnarch of Judea in addition to the High Priesthood.
141-100 BCE
  • The three Jewish sects described by Josephus—the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes—develop their ideologies and become well-formed.
141-120 BCE
  • Seleucid–Parthian Wars: The Parthian Empire begins its conquest of Babylonia from the Seleucid Empire around 141 BCE. While the region is contested for the next 20 years, Parthian rule eventually becomes secure.
  • Little is known directly of the Babylonian Jews under Parthian rule, but there appear to have been at least some assimilated Jews of high rank and status in Parthia. Some Babylonian Jews prospered as traders in the silk trade between Rome and Eastern Asia, where their connections with Jews in Judea and elsewhere aided their travels.
18 Elul 140 BCE
  • A stela is erected confirming Simon in his position by approval of the people, and declaring him "High Priest and Leader forever".
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139 BCE
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  • A Seleucid army under a commander named Cendebeus invades Judea, but is repulsed.
Shebat, 135 or 134 BCE
134-104 BCE
Autumn 134 BCE
131-129 BCE
  • Under the terms of the alliance, John Hyrcanus leads an army east to fight the Parthians as allies of Antiochus VII.
129 BCE
  • Death of Antiochus VII Sidetes. Both the Seleucids and Ptolemies are distracted by leadership disputes. John Hyrcanus and his army return to Jerusalem from the campaign in the east. The suzerainty of Judea to the Seleucid Empire is broken for the last time.
128-122 BCE
  • Expansion of the kingdom under John Hyrcanus, largely into Idumea to the south of Judea. Madaba, Adora, and Marisa captured, among others. Idumeans are compelled to convert to Judaism. The Samaritan temple at Mount Gerizim is conquered and destroyed.
124-76 BCE
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  • Possibly, a conflict with King Antiochus IX of the Seleucid Empire over control of the coastal region and Joppa. John Hyrcanus sends an embassy to Rome demanding his territory restored and a cessation of a Seleucid embargo on Judean exports.
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104-103 BCE
  • Reign of Aristobulus I, said to be the first Hasmonean ruler to take the title basileus in addition to the High Priesthood. The Hasmonean kingdom conquers Iturea, the territory to the northeast of Galilee.
103-76 BCE
103-101 BCE
  • War of Scepters: Alexander Jannaeus attempts to take the city Ptolemais Akko. Ptolemy IX Soter II, then ruler of Cyprus, sails to its defense and defeats the Hasmoneans in battle. Wary of a rival for leadership of the Ptolemaic Kingdom gaining a foothold, Cleopatra III also invades. Jannaeus acknowledges Cleopatra's rule of Ptolemais, forms an alliance with her, and Ptolemy IX is forced to retreat.
101-100 BCE
100 BCE - 40 CE
  • 3 Maccabees is written in Egypt, either in the late Ptolemaic period or in the Roman period.
100 BCE - 68 CE
  • Qumran is inhabited by a community of around 200 people, with one settlement lasting from around 100 BCE to 31 BCE before an earthquake disrupted it, and another phase lasting from around 1 CE to 68 CE before being dispersed by a Roman army suppressing the Jewish revolt. The community is speculated to be Essenes, or at least influenced by them. The Qumran community becomes of interest to later scholars due to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran in 1946, the most ancient surviving set of Jewish manuscripts.
89-88 BCE
  • War between Alexander Jannaeus and Demetrius III, possibly both at the invitation of Jannaeus's internal opponents and as a reprisal for Hasmonean incursions on Seleucid territory. Demetrius III eventually retreats to Damascus.
  • Jannaeus executes his internal opponents and their families who had supported Demetrius III.
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  • King Tigranes of Armenia invades Parthian Babylonia. According to a rabbinic tradition, he also was threatening Palestine, and the Parthians sent an embassy to Alexander Jannaeus to coordinate a joint defensive effort against Tigranes. According to later Armenian histories, some number of Jews are brought to Armenia in the conflict: the first Armenian Jews.
86 BCE
  • An army of King Antiochus XII of the Seleucid Empire passes through Judea on the way to a campaign against the Nabateans. Jannaeus orders the construction of a defensive line to deter a Seleucid occupation. Antiochus XII is killed in battle against the Nabateans. Aretas III of Nabatea briefly invades Judea, but comes to terms with Jannaeus.
76-67 BCE
  • Reign of Salome Alexandra as Queen. Later histories generally praise her rule for its stability and peace.
67-63 BCE
Spring - Summer 63 BCE
  • Siege of Jerusalem: Pompey conquers Jerusalem from Aristobulus II's followers and enters the Temple. The Hasmonean kingdom becomes a client state of Rome, with Hyrcanus II restored as high priest. Antipater becomes an influential advisor. The area of the Hasmonean state is reduced, losing control of the coastal region. It is placed under the authority of the governor of Roman Syria.
63-40 BCE
57-54 BCE
  • Gabinius, a former consul and ally of Pompey, serves as Roman governor of Syria. He reorganizes Judea into five administrative districts, each with its own council or court, perhaps as an excuse to install Roman-compliant councils to supersede the old Hasmonean Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. These changes do not seem to last, probably due to their unpopularity and resulting revolts.
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  • Aristobulus II and his son Antigonus II Mattathias escape from being held hostage in Rome, reunite with Aristobulus's son Alexander, and resume an anti-Roman rebellion. They are defeated and captured again. Aristobulus's son Alexander is released in a peace deal, revolts again, and is defeated again.

48 BCE
  • After Pompey's death during Caesar's civil war, Hyrcanus II is raised to the position of ethnarch in addition to the high priesthood as a reward for siding with Julius Caesar. Antipater is given Roman citizenship and the title of procurator of Judea.
43-42 BCE
  • Civil unrest: Antipater is poisoned by a rival named Malichus and dies. Antipater's son Herod executes Malichus, but faces revolts led by Antigonus II, son of Aristobulus II. Herod and his elder brother Phasael defeat these attempts.
41-31 BCE
  • The Second Triumvirate gives effective control of the western part of the Roman Republic to Octavian, and the eastern part to Mark Antony. Mark Antony arrives to the eastern domains in 41 BCE and hears petitions from both Judean Jews and diaspora Jews while there, and responds favorably to Jewish entreaties. Antony also favors Herod and Phasael, giving them more power and responsibility as client rulers, and executing other Jews who oppose them.
40 BCE
40-37 BCE
  • Reign of Antigonus II Mattathias as puppet king of the Parthians. His reign is consumed by a losing war against a Roman army commanded by Mark Antony and an army raised by Herod backing his own claim.
Summer 37 BCE
  • Jerusalem is retaken and Antigonus II is executed. Herod, given the kingship of Judea earlier by the Roman Senate, now takes control.

Herodian kingdom (37 BCE – 4 BCE)

37-4 BCE
31-30 BCE
  • Battle of Actium: Octavian defeats the alliance of Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra's Ptolemaic Egypt in the War of Actium, a Roman civil war. Ptolemaic Egypt is absorbed into Octavian's Roman Empire to become Roman Egypt.
  • Herod, an ally of Mark Antony, pledges his loyalty to Octavian and continues in his kingship of Judea.
  • Hyrcanus II, who had been allowed to live by Herod previously, is executed by Herod, presumably as a threat to his leadership.
31 BCE - 14 CE
30-4 BCE
  • Various territories that had been taken away from Judea in earlier conflicts are restored to an expanding Herodian kingdom, as a sign of Roman trust in Herod's leadership.
29 BCE
  • Herod grudgingly orders the execution of his Hasmonean wife Mariamne I, perhaps due to her bitterness at the death of her other family members and belief in accusations that Herod had murdered Aristobulus III, another Hasmonean descendent.
10 BCE
  • Herod gains influence over Batanaea to the east. As exilic Jews in Babylonia traveled through the area when coming to Judea for trade or pilgrimage, he establishes a Jewish settlement there to protect traders from brigands.
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  • Herod orders the execution of his two sons from his marriage to Mariamne, Alexander and Aristobulus. This was allegedly due to some combination of paranoia about his sons having greater popularity than him, and machinations from his son by another wife Antipater.
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4 BCE

Aftermath

70-100
  • Yohanan ben Zakkai is given permission by Romans to relocate to Yavneh and founds a Jewish academy there in 70 CE. The academy's work becomes the basis for what is eventually known as rabbinic Judaism. The sages active in the 1st and 2nd century are later known as the Tannaim.
  • Council of Jamnia is held in the late 1st century. While the Jewish canon was probably not finalized here, it is often considered the beginning of the standardization of the Tanakh.
80-96
  • The Arch of Titus is erected in Rome to commemorate Roman victory over the Jewish rebels; it finishes construction during the reign of Titus's brother, Emperor Domitian. It becomes an enduring symbol of the Jewish defeat.
115-117
  • Jewish revolts against Trajan : Jewish rebellions erupt in Cyrenaica, Cyprus, Egypt, and Mesopotamia during the reign of Emperor Trajan. They are suppressed, seemingly with extreme loss of life.

  • Emperor Hadrian orders the construction of a new Roman colony called Aelia Capitolina, to be built on the ruins of Jerusalem. A temple dedicated to Jupiter is to replace the Second Temple.
132-136
  • Bar Kokhba revolt: Jews in Judea again rise in revolt, this time under the leadership of Simon bar Kokhba. The revolt is defeated, and Jews are banned from living in Jerusalem.