In this Bible class from Oak Hollow church of Christ, teacher Shaun Calix examines the historical period between the Babylonian exile and the New Testament. He shows how foreign rule and Hellenistic culture made it difficult for the Jews to fully live out the Greatest Commandments—loving God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and loving their neighbor as themselves—setting the stage for Jesus’ ministry.

In the March 29, 2026 Bible class titled “The Greatest Commandments and The Jews Under Foreign Rule,” Shaun Calix shifts from direct Scripture study to essential historical background. After a brief recap of the Greatest Commandments (love God fully and love your neighbor as yourself) as the foundation of the law and prophets, the lesson explores the roughly 400-year intertestamental period.

The Jews returned from exile determined to rededicate themselves to God. They established the synagogue system for communal prayer and Torah study, rebuilt the Temple and Jerusalem’s walls under Persian permission, and sought to follow the law faithfully. But successive foreign empires—Persian, Greek (under Alexander the Great), and eventually Roman—brought new challenges. Hellenistic culture, with its emphasis on individualism, self-centered ambition, Greek language and rhetoric, theater, civic festivals, gymnasiums, polytheism, and commerce, clashed directly with the communal, God-centered values of the Greatest Commandments.

The class traces key events: Alexander’s peaceful entry into Jerusalem, the spread of Hellenism, the Ptolemaic and Seleucid struggles for control of Judea, the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus IV’s persecution, the rise of the Hasmonean dynasty, and Rome’s takeover in 63 BC with Herod the Great as client king (who greatly expanded the Temple). Shaun then introduces the major Jewish parties that emerged in response to foreign rule and Hellenistic influence: the Herodians (focused on political stability), the Sadducees (temple priests who embraced Hellenism and gained wealth through temple operations), and the Essenes (priests who rejected corruption, withdrew to Qumran, and pursued strict purity to “prepare the way of the Lord”).

This history helps explain the cultural and religious tensions present when Jesus began teaching and why His emphasis on the Greatest Commandments was both consistent with and revolutionary within first-century Judaism. The lesson concludes by noting that the class will continue next week with more on the Jewish sects (including the Pharisees) and how they attempted to navigate foreign rule while trying to love God and neighbor.

1. **Opening Prayer and Welcome**
- Prayer of thanksgiving and request that the class help everyone love God and neighbor better.

2. **Recap of the “Greatest Commandments” Series**
- Review of the Old Testament law and prophets studied so far.
- Reminder that all the law and prophets depend on loving God with all heart, soul, and mind and loving neighbor as self.

3. **Purpose of Today’s Lesson**
- Historical (not strictly biblical) look at the period from the return from Babylonian exile through foreign rule up to the New Testament.
- Goal: Show how the surrounding culture and foreign domination made it difficult for the Jews to live out the Greatest Commandments, even though they deeply wanted to.

4. **Return from Exile and Rededication to God (Persian Period)**
- Determination to change after exile (illustrated by Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego).
- Establishment of the synagogue system (prayer and Torah study).
- Rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem’s walls under Persian rulers (Cyrus, Ezra, Nehemiah).

5. **Greek Conquest and the Rise of Hellenism**
- Alexander the Great’s peaceful takeover of Jerusalem (~332 BC).
- Introduction of Hellenistic (“Greek”) culture as the Greeks’ “gospel.”
- Core of Hellenism: centralization of the individual and self-centered ambition (directly opposed to loving God and neighbor).

6. **Pillars of Hellenistic Culture and Their Conflict with Jewish Faith**
- Education, language (Greek), rhetoric, debate, and theater.
- Shift in synagogue architecture influenced by Greek theater style.
- City-states, civic assemblies, marketplaces, festivals, gymnasiums, and Olympics.
- Polytheism and assimilation of foreign gods (including viewing Jehovah as just another deity).
- Expanded commerce and trade routes bringing more pagan influence.

7. **Post-Alexander Political Changes**
- Division of Greek empire; Ptolemaic (Egypt) then Seleucid (Syria) control of Judea.
- Seleucid King Antiochus IV’s persecution and the “abomination of desolation.”
- Maccabean Revolt (167 BC) and establishment of the Hasmonean dynasty (141–63 BC).

8. **Roman Rule and Herod the Great**
- Roman conquest of Jerusalem (63 BC).
- Herod the Great as client king (37 BC); massive expansion of the Temple (now called “Herod’s Temple”).

9. **Emergence of Jewish Parties/Sects in Response to Foreign Rule**
- **Herodians**: Focused on political stability and collaboration with Rome/Herod; fully embraced Hellenism.
- **Sadducees**: Chief priests (descendants of Zadok), politically powerful under Hasmoneans and Herod; embraced Hellenism, controlled Temple wealth and operations (Jesus’ temple cleansing directly challenged them).
- **Essenes**: Priests who rejected Sadducee corruption and Hellenism; withdrew to Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls site) seeking strict purity to “prepare the way of the Lord.”

10. **Closing and Preview**
- Note that the class will continue next week with additional sects (including the Pharisees) and how these groups tried (and sometimes failed) to live out the Greatest Commandments under foreign rule.
- Prayer of thanksgiving and dismissal for fellowship meal.