Biblical Judaism essays

Biblical Judaism essays The Hasmonean dynasty can be considered to be a turning point in the history of the biblical Jewish ancient state. It represented the time in history that marked two important moments in the Jewish culture: on the one hand, the end of the Maccabean Wars, and on the other hand, the start of the Roman rule over Palestine. The most important contribution of the reign of the Hasmonean dynasty was the period of development for the Jewish people. One of the most visible changes that took place at the time was the territorial expansion of the state. In this sense, The policy of conquest carried out by the Hasmoneans led to a major expansion of Jewish territory, achieved by expulsion and dispossession of non-Jewish population groups. In principle, these new territories became the property of the ruler, that is, the reigning family, just as was the case under the Hellenistic monarchies (Schfer, 2003). From this point of view it can be said that the dynasty played an important role in establishing the Jews as a unitary group on a definite territory. Another major role played by the dynasty was in the creation of a standing army of the Jewish state. With the use of mercenaries as part of their army, this allowed them to be in better control of their land and territory, both to protect him from outside threats, as well as to maintain its unity in the face of internal threats. Also during the Hasmonean Dynasty, the political scene changed as the Pharisees became an ever increasing force. Thus, while under Alexander Jannaeus, the Pharisees were subjected to outright persecution, under Jannaeus' successor, Salome Alexandra, they apparently rose to become the dominant party in the state (Schfer, 2003). Afterwards, new parties, that of the Zealots also emerged. However, the start for a certain type of political life became fully visible during the Harmonean Dynasty and from this point of view, it represents one of t...