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Church History
Class Two
FROM THE BABYLONIAN EXILE TO THE
BIRTH OF CHRIST
What We Will See
 In this class, we will see God prepare the world for his
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son through several radical changes in the ancient world.
The First will be the defeat of Babylon by Cyrus the
Great, which ends the Babylonian Exile.
The Second is the Rise of Alexander the Great who
spreads Greek culture and language throughout the
known world.
The Third will be the rise of the Roman Republic which
extends a single order throughout the world.
The Last is the founding of Imperial Rome which brought
the whole world under the Pax Romana.
This left the known world with one language, one rule,
safe travel, and an eagerness for a new religion.
Life in the Exile
 The Jews were allowed to
live ordinary lives in
Babylon.
 The Synagogue.
 The Susanna Episode.
The Four Princes
 Four members of Jewish
Royal household
educated in Babylonian
Culture:
 Hananiah, Mishael,
Azariah and Daniel.
 First 3 renamed
Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego.
 Self-denial
A Statue, A Dragon
 The episode of the fiery
furnace.
 Bel the eating idol.
 The Dragon (possibly a
large crocodile).
 The Feast.
 Nabonidus goes insane.
Cyrus Emerges
 Cyrus leads rebellion
against the Medes.
 Cyrus goes on a
campaign of Conquest.
 Invades Mesopotamia.
 Captures Babylon
 Massive Empire Built.
Isaiah and Jeremiah Vindicated
400’s – 300’s
 Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
Ezekiel prophesied
disaster to the nations
for their sins.
 Edom, Moab, Ammon,
Aram, Philistia simply
disappeared as nations.
 Egypt crushed by Persian
invasion.
 Persians fulfill the
prophecies.
The Great Restoration
 Cyrus liberates Jews (and
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everyone else).
King of great moral
character.
Ezra begins restoration,
enacts reform.
Succeeded by Nehemiah.
200 years of peace for
Judea.
The Rise of Greek Culture
700’s-400’s
 Once writing was (re)-introduced
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into Hellas (Greece), civilization
grew rapidly.
776 B.C. The first Olympic
Games.
The Iliad and Odyssey written in
800’s B.C.
Pythagoras (Math), Euclid
(geometry), Thales
(philosophy/science), History
(Herodotus), Medicine
(Hippocrates) and many more.
Drama and the visual arts begin
to flourish.
Experiments with government
other than kings.
Athens and Sparta emerge as the
two dominant powers.
The Persian Wars
492-490; 480-478
 Assistance sparks War.
 Darius invades.
 The Battle of Marathon.
 Xerxes (Ahasuerus)
invades.
 Thermopylae and
Salamis.
 The counter attacks, war
ends.
 Cold War.
Queen Esther
 Mordecai the loyal
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subject XerxesAhasuerus.
Haman the hater.
Esther (Haddassah).
The Plot.
Esther’s risk.
Haman Hanged.
Persian Law.
Victorious Jews.
Sparta
 Highly militaristic state.
 Slave caste; aggressive
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upbringing.
Infanticide.
Weakened family bonds.
Hatred for pleasure.
Love of war, love of
honor.
Small population.
Athens
Root of Civilization
480-404
 Democracy established.
 Head of the Delian
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League.
Art and Drama.
Socrates and Plato.
Platonic philosophy: The
Supremacy of the Ideal.
Pericles: inspired
leadership.
Headship, Empire,
Enemies.
The Peloponnesian War
431-404
 Sparta fears Athenian
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dominance.
Greece splits in two, torn in
war.
The Wall.
Whale vs. Elephant.
Plague, Pericles.
Sicilian Stupidity.
Spartan Victory.
“Tear down this wall!”
Socrates Executed.
Century of decline.
Aristotle
 The practical philosopher.
 Macedonian, moved to
Athens.
 Student of Plato, disagreed.
 Founded: Biology,
Philology, Physics,
Metaphysics, Ethical
Philosophy, Political
Philosophy and more.
 Nature, Form, Substance.
Macedon Hellenizes
359-336
 Philip looks south.
 Philip imports Greek
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Experts.
Marries Olympias;
fathers Alexander (356).
A friendly hostagetaking.
Hires Aristotle.
Elite core of Macedonia
becomes Greek.
Alexander excels and
displays genius.
Military Reform - Conquest
 Philip, a Military Genius,
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reformed the
Macedonian military.
Flexible phalanx, mobile
cavalry, hammer-anvil
techniques.
Philip goes on warpath.
Drunkenness and
womanizing.
Slowly all Greece falls
under his power.
Alexander becomes King
 Philip and Alexander
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dispute.
Philip assassinated.
Alexander becomes king.
Rebellions quelled;
Thebes destroyed.
Alexander makes designs
on Persia.
Companions
Greek-MacedonianBarbarian hybrid.
Invasion of Persia
334 B.C.
 Alexander invades Asia
Minor.
 Troy pilgrimage.
 The Battle of Granicus.
 Greek-Persians executed.
 The Gordian Knot.
The Battle of Issus
333
 Great Victory for Alexander
Siege of Tyre
332
 The Island defies
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Alexander.
The slow causeway.
The burning ships.
The new catapult.
Floating siege-towers.
Causeway complete.
The slaughter, the
sacrifice.
Egypt Liberated
 Alexander welcomed in
Egypt; becomes Pharaoh.
 Seeks out oracles and
signs.
 Founds Alexandria.
 Re-enters Asia
Gaugamela
331
 Complete Victory for
Alexander
Empire - Death
 Babylon made capitol.
 Persians incorporated
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into army.
Afghanistan invaded.
India invaded, battle of
Hydaspes (326).
Met Chandra Gupta???
Dies in Babylon (323)
Empire collapses into
various kingdoms.
The Lasting Effects
 Greek language spreads.
 Communication across cultures.
 Greek philosophy creates a new mental climate.
 Science and learning flourish.
 Library of Alexandria founded.
 Old Testament translated into Greek (Septuagint).
 Non-Greeks reading the OT before Jesus even born.
Maccabean Wars
167-140
 Jews lived in peace under Egyptian Greeks.
 But in 170’s Palestine fell under Syrian Greeks, The
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Seleucid Kings.
Antiochus Epiphanes.
Loyal Jews, Hellenizing Jews.
Persecution, Martyrdom.
The Great Revolt, Judas Maccabeus.
Then Jonathan, then Simon.
Victory secured with help of Rome.
John Hyrcanus (140).
Rome
 Rome founded 753 B.C.
 Under Etruscan
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domination.
Borrowed Etruscan culture
and religion but not
language.
500’s Lucretia raped, Rome
becomes a Republic.
Italian peninsula slowly
brought under Roman
control via various means.
282-275 War against King
Phyrrus
Carthage
 A Phonecian colony
 Founded c. 1000 b.c.
 Spread its culture over
much of North Africa.
 Developed into an
economic and sea power.
 Uninterested in land
conquest except as an aid
to business.
First Punic War
264-241
 The Sicilian Connection.
 War erupts.
 Carthage dominates at
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sea.
Lose a ship.
Romans build fleet.
Add the “Corvus.”
See-saw war finally ends.
Roman Victory.
Hamilcar Barca furious.
Second Punic War
Part I
 218-202
 Hamilcar forces an oath
 Hannibal seethes with
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hatred.
Carthage loses Corsica and
Sicily but takes Spain.
Hannibal takes command.
Rome’s ally doctrine.
Saguntum attacked.
Expedition to Carthage.
War
Second Punic War
Part II
 Hannibal’s mixed army.
 Crossing of the Alps.
 Gauls revolt, join
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Hannibal.
Battle of Trebia
Battle of Lake Trasimine.
Scipio the younger saves
his father.
Fabius becomes dictator.
Battle of Cannae
 Varro takes command.
 80-90 thousand Romans and
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allies formed into one army.
Meet Hannibal at Cannae in
southern Italy.
Hannibal’s cavalry drives off
Roman cavalry.
Roman center pulled into
Hannibal’s center.
Hannibal’s cavalry returned.
Roman army surrounded.
50-70 thousand Romans and
allies slaughtered.
Rome could have been
annihilated then.
70,000 Dead!!
Second Punic War
Part III
 Fabius vindicated.
 His radical reforms.
 Peninsular War ensues.
 Some Italian cities defect to
Hannibal.
 Romans attack Hannibal
allies using better mobility.
 Hannibal tries to protect
allies, appeals to Carthage
uselessly.
 Capua punished for
treason.
Second Punic War
Part IV
 Scipio invades Spain.
 Captures New Carthage.
 Hasdrubal attempts to help
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Hannibal.
Hasdrubal killed.
Scipio returns to Italy,
invades Africa.
Numidians defect to Rome.
Hannibal recalled.
Zama and the end of the
War.
The Effects of the War
 Core of Roman empire built by accident.
 Rome undisputed superpower of Medditerranean.
 Created in Rome a pre-emptive personality, thus
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causing more expansion.
Lesser states preferring to be on Rome’s side before
any conflict even arises (Pergamum).
Social upheaval caused by a flood of slaves.
Greece conquered as Macedonia had to be punished.
Greek culture infuses Roman culture.
Social Unrest-Dictators Appear
200-44 B.C.
 After the SPW, Rome flawlessly governed the world,
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but not itself.
Slaves (unwillingly) displaced the free poor.
Votes for sale or riot.
Gracchii brothers fatally wound the Republic.
Social War ends in victory-defeat.
Most Italians become Roman citizens (including a
small town called Vilatri).
Marrus and Sulla become (modern) Dictators.
Civil Wars plague Roman world.
Pompey Conquers Jerusalem
64
 Pompey outstanding
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military mind.
Sent to East to quell piracy
and rebellion.
Defeats the corrupt
Hasmonean Dynasty in
Judea.
Jerusalem captured,
Temple raided.
Romans allow Jews to
practice faith.
Pay for daily prayers for
Rome.
The First Triumvirate
60-53
 Pompey, Julius Caesar and
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Crassus form an alliance.
Pompey marries Caesar’s
daughter (true love).
Julius Caesar becomes
governor of Cisalpine Gaul,
invades Celtic Gaul to “help
allies.”
Pompey goes east (as said
earlier).
Crassus loans his head to
the theatre (Carrhae).
Conquest of Gaul
 Caesar spends 10 years
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subjugating Gaul.
Gauls finally unite under
Vercingetorix
Senate becomes suspicious
of Caesar, hopes he simply
dies.
The Great Battle of Alesia.
Senate recalls Caesar.
Ceasar crosses the Rubicon
Civil War erupts.
Civil War
49-45
 Pompey flees to East.
 Caesar invades Spain.
 Caesar invades Greece.
 Almost loses.
 The battle of Pharsalus
 Pompey killed in Egypt.
 Caesar invades Egypt.
 Cleopatra has his son,
Caesarion.
 Civil War ends in Africa.
The Ides of March
44
 Caesar makes friends with
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the common man.
The aristocracy fears loss of
both Republic and
privileges.
Brutus (Caesar’s adopted
son), joins conspiracy.
Caesar assassinated in
forum.
Public opinion lay with
Caesar.
Will read.
“Who’s this guy?”
Octavius Caesar
 Julius adopted his young
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nephew Octavius as his heir.
From Vilatri, sickly, bad
soldier, tendency to black out.
Octavius immediately
inherited Caesar’s name and
clients.
Caesar’s veterans recognized
him as their leader.
Brief war between Antony and
Octavius.
Formed a shaky alliance with
Marc Antony and Lepidus.
The Proscriptions.
Herod the Great appointed
King of Judea (40).
Herod the Great
74-4 B.C.
 Originally an Arab but
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converted to Judaism
A total puppet king.
Built Caesarea in honor of
guess who?
Married many wives, had
many children.
Slowly descended into
madness and jealousy.
Murdered many of his wives
and sons.
Promoted Roman culture
(infuriating pious Jews).
Built the Great Temple (kept
them from rebelling).
Antony and Cleopatra
 Antony heads east.
 Marries Cleopatra
 Caesar accuses Antony of
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sexual treason.
War between Rome and
Cleopatra
Sea battle of Actium (30 B.C.)
Antony and Cleopatra flee to
Egypt.
Caesar annexes Egypt, slays
Caesarion.
Returns to Rome as sole ruler.
Lepidus forced into
retirement.
Republic Ended
(Theoretically).
 Caesar never formally ended Republic.
 Senate kept intact.
 Has himself declared Principes (first citizen).
 Is given full command of all armies not in Italy
(Imperator).
 World’s first family-values moralist.
 Forces Julia to divorce and marries her, though she
already has a son, Tiberius.
 Is declared Augustus (exalted one).
Imperial Rome
 Augustus reigned so long, he
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outlived anyone who
remembered the Republic.
Imposed peace via crucifixion
and great roads; Pax Romana.
Merchants loved it!
But Greek (not Latin) was the
dominant language.
Augustus wanted to tax the
people so he ordered several
censuses.
Augustus’ own family
members die.
Tiberius groomed as
successor.
The Great Dream
 For centuries an expectation
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of a God-King had been
growing.
The Stoics predicted the
“Great Stoic.”
Numerous legends and myths
of a great god being born
among men who would defeat
evil and usher in paradise.
The Indian epic “The
Ramayana.”
The prophecy in Rome, the
failed infanticide.
God preparing the world for
Jesus.
Christ is Born
6 B.C.
 Forgive the monk’s mistake.
 Legend of Augustus’ consultation with the Sibyl.
 Caesar calls for a census.
 Joseph from Nazareth takes pregnant wife Mary to his
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town of birth, Bethlehem.
Magi from Persia come in search.
Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt (Alexandria).
Herod slaughters the new-born of Bethlehem.
Dies
Psychological authentication.
Joseph returns to Nazareth (4 B.C.)
Battle of Teutoburg Forest
9 A.D.
 When Jesus was 15, Rome
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suffered a terrible defeat.
Northern France/Germany
Varus led three legions into
thick woods.
Deceived by Arminius.
Totally slaughtered.
Germany never conquered.
Horrified Caesar.
Encouraged all rebels in
empire including Judea.
Augustus Dies
 A.D. 14 Caesar dies.
 Tiberius becomes
Emperor.
 Appoints Pontius Pilate
governor of Judea.
 24 A.D. a wild man
preaching in the Jordan
River, cries out
 “Prepare the way of the
Lord!!”