Outline Studies in the Old Testament for Bible Teachers — Reading Companion

What was the extent of its empire? When did the division of the kingdom take place? What was the result of the division? How many were the kings of the Ten Tribes? With what event, and at what date, did the kingdom of Is'ra-el end? How long did Ju'dah last after the fall of Is'ra-el? How many kings reigned in Ju'dah? By what people was Ju'dah conquered? To what city were the Jews carried captive? Name three representative persons of the period of the kingdom.

V. In the closing period of Old Testament history we find the tribe of Ju'dah alone remaining, and during most of the time under foreign rule; so we name this the =Period of the Jew'ish Province=.

1. It extends from the beginning of the =Captivity at Bab'y-lon=, B. C. 587, to the =Birth of Christ=, B. C. 4.[2]

2. During this period Ju-de'a was a subject land, except for a brief epoch. This may be called, therefore, the =Foreign Administration=, as the rule was through the great empires in succession.

3. This period may be subdivided into five epochs. For the first and a part of the second we have the Old Testament as our source of history; all the rest fall in the four centuries of silence between the Old and the New Testament.

1.) =The Chal-de'an Supremacy.= Fifty years from the captivity, B. C. 587, to the conquest of Bab'y-lon by Cy'rus, B. C. 536, by which the Chal-de'an empire was ended, and the Jews were permitted to return to their land (Ezra 1. 1-3).

2.) =The Per'sian Supremacy.= About two hundred years from the fall of Bab'y-lon, B. C. 536, to the battle of Ar-be'la, B. C. 330, by which Al-ex-an'der the Great won the Per'sian empire. During this epoch the Jews were permitted to govern themselves under the general control of the Per'sian kings.

3.) =The Greek Supremacy.= Al-ex-an'der's empire lasted only ten years, but was succeeded by Greek kingdoms, under whose rule the Jews lived in Pal'es-tine for about one hundred and sixty years.

4.) =The Mac-ca-be'an Independence.= About B. C. 168 the tyranny of the Greek king of Syr'i-a drove the Jews to revolt. Two years later they won their liberty under Ju'das Mac-ca-be'us, and were ruled by a line of princes called As-mo-ne'ans, or Mac-ca-be'ans, for one hundred and twenty-six years.

5.) =The Ro'man Supremacy.= This came gradually, but began officially in the year B. C. 40, when Her'od the Great received the title of king from the Ro'man senate. Thenceforth the Jew'ish province was reckoned a part of the Ro'man empire.

4. In each epoch of this period we select one important =Person=.

1.) In the Chal-de'an supremacy, =Dan'iel=, the prophet and prince (Dan. 2. 48; 5. 12).

2.) In the Per'sian supremacy, =Ez'ra= the scribe, the framer of the Scripture canon and the reformer of the Jews (Ezra 7. 6, 10).

3.) In the Greek supremacy, =Si'mon the Just=, a distinguished high priest and ruler.

4.) In the Mac-ca-be'an independence, =Ju'das Mac-ca-be'us=, the liberator of his people.

5.) In the Ro'man supremacy, =Her'od the Great=, the ablest but most unscrupulous statesman of his age. This Ro'man supremacy lasted until A. D. 70, when Je-ru'sa-lem was destroyed by Ti'tus, and the Jew'ish state was extinguished by the emperor of Rome.

+------------+-------------+--------------+-------------+--------------+ |I. Per. Hu. |II. Per. Ch. |III. Per. Is. |IV. Per. Is. |V. Per. Je. | | Ra. | Fam. | Peo. | Kin. | Prov. | +------------+-------------+--------------+-------------+--------------+ | C. M. | C. A. | E. E. | C. S. | C. B. | | C. A. | E. E. | C. S. | C. B. | Bi. Ch. | +------------+-------------+--------------+-------------+--------------+ | Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | The. Adm. | Reg. Adm. | For. Adm. | +------------+-------------+--------------+-------------+--------------+ | Fa. | Jou. Pat. | Wan. Wil. | Ag. Un. | Ch. Sup. | | Del. | Soj. Eg. | Con. Can. | Ag. Div. | Per. Sup. | | Dis. | Opp. Isr. | Ru. Jud. | Ag. Dec. | Gk. Sup. | | | | | | Mac. Ind. | | | | | | Rom. Sup. | +------------+-------------+--------------+-------------+--------------+ | A. E. N. | A. J. J. | M. J. G. S. | D. E. H. |D. E. S. J. H.| +------------+-------------+--------------+-------------+--------------+

What is the closing period of Old Testament history called? With what events and dates did it begin and end? How were the Jews governed during most of this time? Name its five epochs. Under whom did the Jews obtain independence? Name one person in each epoch of the fifth period, and for what he is distinguished.

The Beginnings of Bible History

Having taken a general view of Bible history from the creation to the coming of Christ, we now turn again to the record for a more careful study of each epoch. The aim will be not to give a mere catalogue of facts, but as far as possible to show the relation of cause and effect, and to unfold the development of the divine purpose which is manifested through all the history in the Bible.