History of Judaism up to Roman Rule

The Jewish people have the most complicated history of any race. Never really having a land of their own, they were persecuted all over the world. Traditionally, Jews all over the world claim to be descended from the ancient Israelites. Jewish tradition says that the Israelites were descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons (one of whom was Judah) who settled in Egypt. The exodus of the Israelites to Canaan, led by Moses, marks the formation of the Israelites as a people, divided into twelve tribes named after Jacob’s sons. Jewish tradition and the Bible tell us of the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and conquered Canaan under the command of Joshua. The land was divided between the twelve tribes which were eventually led by King David who conquered Jerusalem. David’s son, Solomon, built the First Temple in Jerusalem.

After Solomon’s reign the nation split into two, Israel and Judah. Israel was 10 tribes in the north and Judah and Benjamin were 2 tribes in the south. Israel was conquered by the Assyrian ruler although there are no accepted records that prove the 10 tribes existed. A Babylonian army conquered Judah but after the Persian conquest of Babylonia the Judaists returned to their homeland Judea flourished under the Persians and then the Greeks. There was a period of Hellenistic Judaism and after the death of Alexander the Great there was a deterioration of relations between the Hellenized Jews and religious Jews. Decrees banning certain Jewish religious rites and traditions were imposed and consequently the orthodox Jews revolted under the leadership of the Hasmonaean family. This led to the formation of an independent Jewish kingdom known as the Hasmonaean dynasty which was followed by Herodians. Eventually the Jewish power in Judea declined and it came under the direct rule of the Romans.