Intertestamental Period PaperAccording to the information about the Jews history the second temple period falls within 535BC and 70CE. Specifically, the period is known as the second temple period because the second temple of Jerusalem was also constructed during this time during this time. This period started when the Jews who were deported went back to Jerusalem during the tenure of the Cyrus the Great. Eventually, the period came to an end in 70CE when the temple was demolished. At this time, the Jews encountered numerous changes in their religious and cultural activities. It is also important to point out that there were different empires and leaders that emerged during this period. This paper will critically focus on the different eras that were there in the second temple period. This will include the tenure of Herod and how it led to the formation of different spiritual and political groupings that existed during the era of Jesus Christ.The construction of the second temple was administered by prophets Malachi, Haggai, and Zechariah while the funding was done by the Persians. In essence, this construction was among the various projects that were undertaken by the Jews after they had returned from deportation. fter many years of conflicts, the land that belonged to the Jews had been completely destroyed but they were quite determined to restore their spiritual beliefs. As such, the construction of the second temple was part of the Jewish strategy of recovering their religious foundation. Ideally, the temple was being made in a way that it could resemble the initial temple that had been destroyed. For instance, they constructed a Gods alter in the same location it was situated inside the first temple. After putting a lot of effort towards this project, the temple was completed in 516 BCE. Thereafter, the prophets declared that the second temple was to bring more happiness and blessings than it was experienced during the period of the first temple.This period also existed during the same duration the second temple period. Mainly, during this era there were efforts to pursue the formation of the Hebrew-Jew tradition. Furthermore, Alexander the Great also made efforts to make sure that the culture of the Greek was introduced and extended among the Jews. Eventually, the Persians who had dominated their presence in Jerusalem were also defeated. There were numerous changes that were experienced during Alexanders reign. At the initial stages, the Persians had allowed the Jews to have religious freedom in order to promote their culture and religious ideologies. However, under the reign of Alexander the Great, the nation became vulnerable to the Western influence. The freedom that enjoyed by the Jews was because they were permitted to conduct their affairs without any form of disturbance from the local leaders. At the end, when Alexander died, his empire suffered numerous divisions. These divisions were caused by the fact that Alexander lacked and he had not named any successor by the time he died.Another era that was established during the second period was the Hasmonean era. Indeed, this was the era that faced conflicts and troubled relations between Jews who adhered to the principles of the Hellenistic era and those who were religious. This conflict resulted in the abolition of some of the rituals and practices practiced by the Jews. As the conflict increased, the Hasmonean dynasty was established but was eventually collapsed due to the rivalry for power that existed amongst all the three sons. In a different perspective, the Hasmonean ear led to increasing development and success among the people. There was also some evidence of religious disagreements as the Jews tried to clean the temple that was affected by pagan influences. Likewise, the Hasmonean rule gave rise to the religious conflicts that existed between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.According to the social classifications, the Sadducees belonged to the upper social elites in Jerusalem while the Pharisees belonged to the middle and low class people in the society. The Pharisees showed concern for the weak and the disadvantaged people in the society while the Sadducees welcomed and accepted the Greek culture. Indeed, this was a great difference from the initial Hasmonean group who had totally rejected all the aspects of the Hellenistic cultures. In addition, they also disliked the inappropriate religious practices and cultural practices that were being carried out in the temple. Conversely, the Pharisees were not interested on the issues to do with the temple. Instead, their interest was in the training and knowledge from the Torah and finding out how practical they were in their daily endeavors. In this regard, the Pharisee viewed the temple and the Ten Commandments as separate entities. The implication of the acceptance of the Hellenistic culture was an indication that it was becoming popular. After some time, the Hasmonean adopted the Hellenistic culture including their way of dressing. Moreover, the second age group of the Hasmonean even made use of some Greek names.After the Hasmonean dynasty disintegrated, the Roman conquest took over. By this time, the Greek were no longer willing to have a king as a ruler. It was for these reasons that they turned to the Roman authorities who led them in conquering and possessing the area that was known as the Roman province. This province also incorporated other regions such as Judea, Galilee, Samaria, and the Herodians. As usual, the Jews expressed dissatisfaction with the latest system and resisted by use of revolt and conflicts. In 36BC the Romans appointed Herod to be the Kind of Judea.There were numerous challenges that were experienced in Jerusalem under Herods leadership. Although Herod lived in a lavish lifestyle, most of the people he was leading lived in deteriorating conditions where poverty was rampant. In addition, religion was being neglected and the city was becoming a pagan state. This was ironical considering that Jerusalem city had the biggest and the most attractive temples in that area and had the biggest population of pagans. However, the Herodian rule was economically stable compared to the other dynasties that were there in the past. Herod was also considered to be a strategic leader as observed from the close relationship that he had with Rome while still remaining committed to serving the Jews.The Jews were not contented with having Herod as their leader as they considered him to be an outsider due to his close ties with the Roman Empire. Despite working hard to earn respect from the Jews, he did not manage. In an effort to gain their favor, Herod married a Hasmonean princess but the marriage failed after a short while. Just like Alexander the Great, Herod also made Jerusalem to be a Hellenistic city. This was done through the introduction of entertainment places, sports such as wresting, and allowing Gentiles to migrate to Jerusalem. Through the permission granted by the Roman Empire who had also allowed him to have power over Jerusalem, Herod expanded his territory to incorporate the Palestine.The relationship between the New and the Old Testament started with the selection of Augustus as a leader. Augustus ordered for the Jews census to be carried out and hence prompting Mary and Joseph to move from the town of Nazareth to Bethlehem as they tried to hide baby Jesus from being killed. When Herod died, his three sons namely Philip, Herod Antipas, and Archelau inherited his throne. As a result, the kingdom was also dived among the three and hence leading to social and political unrest that was common after Herod had passed on. Jews were also unhappy under the Roman Empire and propagated many wars and revolts in Jerusalem. Some of the wars were due to the discontent of Roman rule while others were due to corruption allegations. Another way that the Herod era can be related to the occurrences in the New Testament as well as the problems faced by Jesus is that Herod Antipas ordered the arrest and the beheading of then John the Baptist. Clearly, Herod Antipas was in a position of leadership when Jesus was being brought up.Herods Palestinian rule played a role in the various conflicts that Jesus encountered in his lifetime. He is among the most talked about people in both the New and the Old Testaments. Herods rule started when Antipar was in power. During the same period, Antipar was given the Roman citizenship and rewarded for helping Caesar fight Pompey. Thereafter, Antipar passed his to his two sons, Herod and Phasael who happened to be leaders of Jerusalem and Galilee respectively. As Herod acquired more power, he was also envious of anybody who was deemed to intimidate his leadership. This is what led to the Herods attempt to kill baby Jesus who was prophesied to be the future king. To ensure that baby Jesus was killed, Herod ordered the elimination of all the male sons that were sired by Jews in Bethlehem. In general, Jesus was received with a lot of hatred because the Herodians fully supported the Sadducees.All the Sadducees had a lot of wealth and were authoritative in the society where they mixed religious matters with politics and also welcomed the Romans by encouraging them to take up leadership positions in the society. Additionally, Sadducees received the Greek culture more positively. This caused a conflict because the Greeks were worshiping gods and performed ceremonies that did not agree the Jesus Christ teachings. As a result, when Jesus initiated his Christian organization he experienced a problem because people adored idols and showed concern to the earthly belongs at the expense of the Lords teachings.A conflict was also evident when Jesus entered a synagogue for a prayer session and found that people had turned it into a market place where they were selling various commodities. He was not pleased by this act whipped those who were conducting business in Gods holy ground. Due top the anger, Jesus also destroyed all the property and goods that were in the synagogue. Similarly, the society had adopted the Greeks culture that had some Western characteristics and engaged in sinful activities. When Jesus came, He realized that the society was not following the Gods teachings or the Torah and the teachings that came from it.Jesus also came across the Zealots, a group of revolutionalists who opposed the Roman occupation and culture. Moreover, at the birth of Jesus there were some religious groups that also preached about repentance and the coming of Jesus as the Messiah. Some of these groups included the followers of John the Baptist. This preaching angered Herod because he did not anybody who would have more powers than him. During His time, Jesus also interacted with the Pharisees who taught that it was mistake to do anything on a Sabbath day. In response to these teachings, Jesus challenged them on how sometimes it was impractical not to do anything on a Sabbath day. When John the Baptist died, a few his disciples embraced Christianity while others did not believe that Jesus the real Messiah.In summary, during the intertestamental period there were numerous changes in religion and politics that were experienced in both Jerusalem and Israel. It was also in this time that the construction of second temple of Jerusalem was accomplished. This happened after the period when the Jews were released from deportation and made to return to their motherland through the orders of King Cyrus. Most of the dynasties that existed during the second temple period had in one way or another led to disagreements and other tribulations encountered by Jesus during His ministry. Some of the religious groups that Jesus found include the Sadducees and the Pharisees, all which conflicted with the actual teachings of Jesus. Other political groupings like the Herodians also existed during the tenure Jesus and were against Him because He was referred to as the Messiah. According to them, they had expected the messiah to come with horses and chariots and not a humble man as Jesus appeared. In the long-run, Jesus was arrested and executed during the Herodian rule. Furthermore, the adoption of other cultures was also common during the second period. Some cultures such as the Greek introduced to the Jews some forms of entertainment such as fighting with wild animals and dressing. Regardless of the fact that most of the Jews adopted these cultures, there were others who did not practice them.Flusser, Dickson. , Boston: Eerdmans Publishing, 2007.Foster, Paul, Messianism in the Second Temple Period: Andrew Chester, , 119, no. 12 (2008): 610.Gillingham, S, The History of the Second Temple Period, 53, no. 1 (2003): 137.Kautsky, Ken. and Packer, David. New York: IMG Publications, 2007.Sacchi, Pam. New York: Routldege, 2004. Sacchi, Pam. New York: Routldege, 2004. Foster, Paul, Messianism in the Second Temple Period: Andrew Chester, , 119, no. 12 (2008): 610. Sacchi, Pam. New York: Routldege, 2004. Foster, Paul, Messianism in the Second Temple Period: Andrew Chester, , 119, no. 12 (2008): 610. Gillingham, S, The History of the Second Temple Period, 53, no. 1 (2003): 137. Kautsky, Ken and Packer, David. New York: IMG Publications, 2007. Flusser, Dickson. , Boston: Eerdmans Publishing, 2007. Kautsky, Ken and Packer, David. New York: IMG Publications, 2007. Foster, Paul, Messianism in the Second Temple Period: Andrew Chester, , 119, no. 12 (2008): 610.