“Between the Old and New Testaments,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Between the Old and New Testaments
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Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. His prophecy is dated to about 430 BC. After Malachi, we have no biblical record of an authorized prophetic voice until the New Testament. The time between the Old and New Testaments is known as the intertestamental period. “Without a prophet, people in the land began to divide into parties and groups, each claiming the right to interpret the scriptures and lead the people. The true understanding of Jehovah diminished among these groups. A long night of confusion followed, which ended when God sent a new prophet, John the Baptist, to begin a new dispensation.”
Understanding the period between the Old and New Testaments can help us better understand the setting of the Savior’s mortal ministry.
How did the scribes rise to influence and power?
In 597 and then again in 587 BC, Babylonian armies attacked Jerusalem and carried away the Jewish elite into captivity in Babylon. They took members of the priestly and royal families, artisans, craftsmen, and strong men of war. The peasantry and those in the villages and towns in the countryside remained.
The exiles worked to hold onto their religious and cultural identity even as they were influenced by Babylonian culture. They adopted the Babylonian calendar, and the Aramaic language replaced Hebrew in their daily speech. Exiles gathered in local congregations as Jewish synagogue worship became more widespread.
Around 538 BC, King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon. He allowed Jewish exiles to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple. Yet many chose to stay in Babylon. Almost a century after Cyrus’s edict, a scribe and priest named Ezra journeyed with a group of exiles to Jerusalem. Along with Nehemiah, he taught the people to strictly obey the law of Moses. Ezra helped usher in a new era that emphasized the open reading of scripture.
Ezra Called as Scribe, by Robert T. Barrett
Modeled after Ezra, a new group of scribes emerged to become influential teachers of the law. Scribes were educated men who made their livelihood as record keepers and copyists of the scriptures. They studied religious texts diligently to understand their meaning and to detect scribal errors. They also supplied copies of the scriptures to the growing number of synagogues. Scribes became experts at interpreting the law of Moses.
An important factor in scribes’ rise to power was the shift in the primary language of the people from Hebrew to Aramaic. Though sister tongues, the languages were different enough that Jews who spoke only Aramaic had trouble understanding the Hebrew scriptures. So the people had to rely on scribes to read, interpret, and explain them.
It is not surprising that over time various groups interpreted the scriptures differently. Without prophets to guide them, Jewish society became more divided and contentious. The true intent of the Mosaic law was lost, as was a correct understanding of the coming Messiah.
How did Greek culture influence the Jews?
By the fourth century BC, the Greeks emerged as a new world power. Alexander the Great led his armies to defeat the Persian Empire. From there he quickly swept through the entire Middle East, conquering all the nations in his path, including Judea.
In Alexander’s wake came Greek colonists, including merchants, craftsmen, and laborers. Alexander attempted to unify his empire by spreading Greek culture and language. Greek libraries, gymnasiums, schools of philosophy and rhetoric, theaters, and town councils sprang up in cities throughout the empire. This spread of Greek culture is sometimes called Hellenism.
Some Jews willingly adopted Greek ways of life. Others were hesitant and believed that doing so weakened Jewish identity. During this time, many Jews left Judea to live in other Greek cities, furthering the dispersion of the Jews. Jewish communities and synagogues throughout the Mediterranean world would later facilitate the spread of Christianity.
The spread of Hellenism led to a new translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek. The earliest surviving Greek translation is the Septuagint made in Alexandria, Egypt. This translation became the scripture most used by early Christians to spread the gospel outside of Palestine.
How did the Maccabean revolt influence the Jewish people?
After Alexander the Great died, his empire was divided among his generals. One of his generals named Seleucus set up his own empire. In time, the Seleucid rulers came to rule over Palestine. In 167 BC, one of these rulers attempted to force Greek culture and religion upon the Jews. They plundered the temple in Jerusalem. They offered swine, animals considered unclean under the law of Moses, on the temple altar. Jewish sabbath observance, celebrations, and circumcision were forbidden.
These actions and restrictions outraged the Jewish community. In response, a priest named Mattathias and his five sons led a revolt. Eventually his son Judas became the leader of the rebellion. He was given the name Maccabaeus, meaning “hammerer.”
Maccabean forces recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the temple. The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) commemorates this momentous event. Maccabean leaders eventually succeeded in establishing an independent Jewish state for the first time in over 400 years. Simon, a son of Mattathias, became both high priest and governor of Judea, thus establishing the Hasmonean dynasty.
Who were the Pharisees?
Two influential Jewish groups emerged in the second century BC: the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
The Pharisees were a group of pious Jews whose name may mean “separatist.” This could have reference to their opposition to Hasmonean rule. It could also refer to their efforts to separate themselves from gentile impurities. To counteract Greek influences, the Pharisees determined to strictly follow the law of Moses. Their zeal for ritual purity led them to condemn anyone who did not conform to their rules and traditions. In general, the Pharisees were a major source of opposition to Jesus Christ.
In addition to the written law of Moses, Pharisees upheld the oral law, or tradition. The oral law defined ways to apply the law of Moses. It contained rules and discussions on how to live God’s law. The Pharisees claimed that these rules and teachings were passed down orally from Moses to Joshua, who passed them to the elders of Israel, who then passed them to the prophets. The Pharisees believed this oral tradition was equal in authority to written scripture. Their teachings often reduced religion to a set of rules to follow. At times, the Pharisees clashed with Jesus over the oral law or “tradition of the elders.”
The Pharisees believed in life after death, angels and spirits, a personal resurrection, and a final judgment.
Who were the Sadducees?
While the Pharisees were primarily from the common people, the Sadducees were upper-class aristocrats. They generally represented the wealthy class that accepted Greek culture. Their religious party was made up mostly of priests who served in the temple.
Their origin is uncertain. Some believe the word Sadducee derives from a word that means “righteous.” Therefore, the name could denote “righteous one.” Others believe Sadducee comes from the name Zadok, the high priest in the days of King David and King Solomon. The Sadducees may have connected themselves to Zadok’s family to strengthen their claim to power and control of the temple.
The Sadducees believed only in the written law as contained in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). They rejected belief in angels and spirits, the Resurrection, and life after death. They emphasized that the rituals and sacrifices of the temple were essential to maintaining a relationship with God. They opposed Jesus for His cleansing of the temple, which they saw as a challenge to their authority.
How did Roman rule and Herod the Great impact the Jews in Judea?
Jewish independence did not last long. When civil war broke out between competing Jewish rulers in Judea, the Romans intervened. In 63 BC, the Roman general Pompey invaded Jerusalem, and Judea again became a conquered land. Rome eventually appointed Herod the Great to rule over Judea.
The Romans were pleased with Herod because he kept order in a province known to be troublesome. Herod was an able administrator. He expanded and fortified the borders of Judea. With his help and influence, Jews were guaranteed freedom to worship throughout the Roman Empire. Herod also renovated and expanded the temple in Jerusalem, which then became known as the temple of Herod.
Herod was also known for his brutality. He had the high priest, who was also his wife’s brother, drowned so he could appoint a new high priest. He responded forcefully and with violence to reports of anyone plotting his overthrow. Full of suspicion, he had his wife Mariamne put to death. Later, he also had their two sons executed. Threatened by news of the Messiah’s birth, he ordered the slaying of children ages two and younger in Bethlehem.
After Herod’s death in 4 BC, his kingdom was divided between three of his sons. One of them, Herod Antipas, ruled Galilee. He is the Herod mentioned most frequently during the time of Jesus Christ’s ministry.
Unrest in Judea led the Roman emperor to remove Herod’s son Archelaus as ruler over Judea. Beginning in AD 6, Rome began appointing governors over the province of Judea. Pontius Pilate was appointed governor in AD 26.
Who were the Herodians and the Zealots?
A group of Jews favored the reign of Herod Antipas and urged the people to support him. For that reason they were called Herodians. They often joined forces with the Pharisees to oppose Jesus since they saw Him as a threat to their political aims.
In opposition to the Herodians stood the Zealots. They opposed Roman rule and desired Jewish independence. Some Zealots reasoned that violence was justified in seeking to overthrow Rome. After the death of Jesus, it was primarily the Zealots who led the revolt against Rome that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Learn More
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S. Kent Brown and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, “The Lost 500 Years: From Malachi to John the Baptist,” Ensign, Dec. 2014, 56–60