Theology Midterm

Ptolemies and Seleucids

Hellenistic Kingdoms Division of Alexander's empire into separate kingdom Judea finds itself trapped between two kingdoms eager to control it Seleucid king Antiochus III "the Great" conquered many regions between when he campaigned in the east as far as India. In the west, the Seleucid king fought several wars with his fellow Macedonians; The Egyptian forces were crushed in 200 B.C., and the Ptolemies were forced to cede Palestine to Antiochus, who was proclaimed conqueror of the East

Logos

Is the logic behind an argument. Logos tries to persuade an audience using logical arguments and supportive evidence. Logos is a persuasive technique often used in writing and rhetoric

Ascanius/Iulus

Son of Aeneas and the traditional founder of Alba Longa, probably the site of the modern Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. In different versions, Ascanius is placed variously in time. The usual account, found in Virgil's Aeneid, makes the Trojan Creusa his mother. After the fall of Troy, Ascanius and Aeneas escaped to Italy. Ascanius set off a war between the Trojans and the Latins by wounding the pet stag of Silvia, the daughter of the royal herdsman. Aeneas won the war, slew the Latin commander, Turnus, and married Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus. Aeneas subsequently founded Lavinium, the parent city of Alba Longa and Rome. Ascanius became king of Lavinium after his father's death. Thirty years after Lavinium was built, Ascanius founded Alba Longa and ruled it until he died

Mattathias

Priest of a proper priestly family 5 sons: Judas, John Gaddi, Eleazar Avanan, Jonathan, and Simon Refused to follow the king; following the covenant of his ancestors As he was talking, sees his neighbor coming forward to sacrifice at the altar of Modein Gets zeal for the lord→ underlies the group known as Zealots Zeal for the lord: moved to take action; often violent action in order to protect the law and the people Zealous and go kill sinful Jews; sinful Jews seek protection from Pagans Want to purge all foreign influence Those who are zealous do not falter or fear threats

"Roman arts"

Refers to the visual arts made in Ancient Rome and in the territories of the Roman Empire. Roman art includes architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work. Luxury objects in metal-work, gem engraving, ivory carvings, and glass are sometimes considered in modern terms to be minor forms of Roman art, although this would not necessarily have been the case for contemporaries. Sculpture was perhaps considered as the highest form of art by Romans, but figure painting was also very highly regarded. The two forms have had very contrasting rates of survival, with a very large body of sculpture surviving from about the 1st century BC onward, though very little from before, but very little painting at all remains, and probably nothing that a contemporary would have considered to be of the highest quality.

Sarpedon

Sarpedon: son of Zeus From Lycia Zeus noted he was about to be killed Idea: Zeus would get down on the battlefield and save him from death If Zeus went down to save his son, all of the other Gods would do the same thing and that would be wrong Zeus eventually allows his son to die in order to keep the status quo in the world→ Zeus cries tears of blood Sarpedon, in Greek legend, son of Zeus, was a Lycian prince and a hero in the Trojan War. As recounted in Homer's Iliad, Book XVI,Sarpedon fought with distinction on the side of the Trojans but was slain by the Greek warrior Patroclus

Antiochus Epiphanes

Seleucid ruler that provoked a revolt in Judea by his desecration of the Jewish Temple. Hellenistic Greek king of the Seleucid Empire Encouraged greek culture and institutions Attempted to suppress Judaism→ Maccabean Wars Worship of Yahweh and all of the Jewish rites were forbidden on pain of death. In the Temple an altar to Zeus Olympios was erected, and sacrifices were to be made at the feet of an idol in the image of the King. Against that desecration Judas Maccabeus, leader of the anti-Greek Jews, led the aroused Hasideans in a guerrilla war and several times defeated the generals Antiochus had commissioned to deal with the uprising. Later, acknowledges why he was so ill Remembers the wrong he did to Jerusalem First example of a foreign king acknowledging that he has done something wrong and is being punished

Qumran

Place where dead sea scrolls were discovered

Haman

Prime minister of Persia Ordered annihilation of the Jews

Nebuchadnezzar

A Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar was the longest-reigning and most powerful monarch of the Neo-Babylonian Empire Daniel, brought to the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, told the king that he had dreamt of a great statue, its head made of gold, its breast and arms of silver, its thighs of brass, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay A thrown stone, which broke the statue in small pieces that were blown away by the wind, grew into a great mountain that filled the whole earth. Daniel explained that the head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar himself and that the rest of the statue, made of different materials, represented successive kingdoms that would be swept away by the kingdom of God, which would last forever. The astonished king acknowledged the supremacy of God and appointed Daniel governor of the province of Babylon and head of all the wise men in the kingdom. Sometime later, the king made a large idol of gold and invited all the princes, governors, and leading personalities of the kingdom to come to the dedication of the image. A herald proclaimed that all should fall down and worship the statue upon hearing the sound of musical instruments. Nebuchadnezzar had the three men brought to him and threatened that, if they continued to refuse to worship the idol, he would have them thrown into a fiery furnace. The three men refused and were thrown into the furnace, which was so hot that it burned to death the men who pushed them in. An angel came and protected the three men from injury. The amazed king told them to come out, recognized the supremacy of God, and decreed that nobody should dare speak against God. The king had another dream. This time he dreamt of a tree of great height with beautiful foliage and abundant fruit. A holy man ordered the tree to be cut down, leaving just the stump and the roots. Daniel, called to interpret the dream, told Nebuchadnezzar that the king was the tree, and that God would make him eat grass as an animal and live with the beasts of the field. A year later, while the king was boasting of his power, a voice from heaven told him that the kingdom had departed from him and that he would dwell with the beasts of the field and eat grass as oxen do. Later when the king had recovered his sanity, he praised God and was restored to his former exalted position

Esther

A book in the third section of the Christian Old Testament. Esther is one of the five Scrolls in the Hebrew Bible. Narrates the account of a Hebrew woman in Persia, born as Hadassah but identified as Esther, who becomes queen of Persia and prevents a massacre of her people. King wanted to show off his queen's beauty but she refused to obey him; Haman told King to put her to death and get a new wife; chose Esther; she hid her Jewish faith from the King under the advice of her uncle and leader of the Jews in Persia: Mordecai Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman and so Haman ordered the annihilation of all the Jews; Mordecai asks Esther to talk to the King; she knew she'd be killed if she went to see him without being invited but she fasted and prayed and finally had the courage Invited Haman and the King to a second banquet where she said she will finally make her request there; Mordecai reveals to King a plot to assassinate him and he becomes in his good favor and is entrusted with a robe, gold, horses, etc. after Haman accidentally told the King to do that (thinking it was for him) Haman had to go fetch Mordecai his prizes; Esther finally admits to being a Jew and begged King to spare her people; King made aware that Haman made gallows for Mordecai and got furious→ sent Haman to die and Esther saved her people

Teacher of Righteousness

A figure found in some of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, most prominently in the Damascus Document. The Teacher is extolled as having proper understanding of the Torah, qualified in its accurate instruction, and being the one through whom God would reveal to the community "the hidden things in which Israel had gone astray". Although the exact identity of the Teacher is unknown, based on the text of the Community Rule scroll, the teachers of the sect are identified as Kohens (priests) of patrilineal progeny of Zadok(the first high priest to serve in The First Temple), leading scholars to assume the Teacher as a Kohen (priest) of Tzadokite lineage. The Essenes, the Gnostics and early Christians taught that the Teacher of Righteousness was the indwelling Holy Spirit who teaches all things to those who have been anointed from above. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and Righteousness. Salvation comes only to those who have been anointed from above then they become Teachers of Righteousness.

Troy

A kingdom that was destroyed by the Greeks in the Trojan War. It is located on the western coast of Asia Minor Ancient city in northwestern Anatolia that holds an enduring place in both literature and archaeology. The legend of the Trojan War is the most notable theme from ancient Greek literature and forms the basis of Homer's Iliad. Although the actual nature and size of the historical settlement remain matters of scholarly debate, the ruins of Troy at Hisarlık, Turkey, are a key archaeological site whose many layers illustrate the gradual development of civilization in northwestern Asia Minor

Sons of Light/Sons of Darkness

A manual for military organization and strategy that was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls contain an apocalyptic prophecy of a war between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness. The war is described in two distinct parts, first described as a battle between the Sons of Light, consisting of the sons of Levi, the sons of Judah, and the sons of Benjamin, and the exiled of the desert-->against Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Amalekites, and Philistia and their allies the Kittim of Asshur The second part of the war (the War of Divisions) is described as the Sons of Light, now the united twelve tribes of Israel, conquering the "nations of vanity." In the end, all of Darkness is to be destroyed and Light will live in peace for all eternity.The text goes on to detail inscriptions for trumpets and banners for the war and liturgies for the priests during the conflict.

Sadducees

A member of a Jewish sect or party of the time of Jesus Christ that denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits, and the obligation of oral tradition, emphasizing acceptance of the written Law alone The Sadducees were a sect or group of Jews that was active in Judea during the Second Temple period, starting from the second century BC through the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. The sect was identified by Josephus with the upper social and economic echelon of Judean society They had a conservative outlook and accepted only the written Law of Moses

Essenes

A member of an ancient Jewish ascetic sect of the 2nd century BC-2nd century AD in Palestine, who lived in highly organized groups and held property in common. The Essenes are widely regarded as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls Like the Pharisees, the Essenes meticulously observed the Law of Moses, the sabbath, and ritual purity. They also professed belief in immortality and divine punishment for sin. But, unlike the Pharisees, the Essenes denied the resurrection of the body and refused to immerse themselves in public life. With few exceptions, they shunned Temple worship and were content to live ascetic lives of manual labour in seclusion. The sabbath was reserved for day-long prayer and meditation on the Torah (first five books of the Bible). Oaths were frowned upon, but once taken they could not be rescinded.

Son of Man

A messianic title from the Book of Daniel, used to describe a figure who receives authority over other nations from God; the only messianic title in the Gospels used by Jesus to describe himself. The savior; the anointed one Son of man becomes associated with messianic ideas/promise and takes place at the time of judgment day and the apocalypse

Daniel

A noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem, he is taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and serves the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel. A celebrated Jewish scholar and master interpreter of dreams who was exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He is famous for successfully interpreting the proverbial "writing on the wall" and miraculously surviving the lions' den According to the biblical book bearing his name, Daniel is a wise man whom King Nebuchadnezzar takes captive during the invasion of Jerusalem. Daniel rises to power and prestige in the Babylonian court because he can interpret dreams better than the king's own magicians can. Although Daniel interprets the king's dreams and visions throughout chapters 2-6, in chapters 7-12 it is Daniel who receives visions that he himself cannot interpret. Daniel: dates to the period of the great persecution Apocalyptic visions reflect understanding of this prophet and a new world is coming and divinity will intervene

Anchises

Aeneas's father, and a symbol of Aeneas's Trojan heritage. Although Anchises dies during the journey from Troy to Italy, he continues in spirit to help his son fulfill fate's decrees, especially by guiding Aeneas through the underworld and showing him what fate has in store for his descendants. He was a mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite (or in Roman mythology, the lover of Venus). One version is that Aphrodite pretended to be a Phrygian princess and seduced him. She later revealed herself and informed him that they would have a son named Aeneas. Aphrodite had warned him that if he boasted of the affair, he would be blasted by the thunderbolt of Zeus. He did not heed her warning and was struck with a thunderbolt, which in different versions either blinds him or kills him. The principal early narrative of Aphrodite's seduction of Anchises and the birth of Aeneas is the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite.

Judaea and Israel

After the death of King Solomon, the kingdom was divided in two: the southern kingdom became the kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital. The northern kingdom consisted of the remaining tribes and was called Israel. Kingdom of Israel was larger in size and controlled more significant trade routes than did Judah; Israel more powerful Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E., whereas Judah, though severely damaged, narrowly escaped the dreadful onslaught of the Assyrian war machine Jerusalem eventually fell to the Babylonian Empire and was destroyed in 586 B.C.E.

Raphael

Archangel sent to bring remedy to Sarah and Tobit Tells Tobias that he has the proper right to marry Sarah and should seek her out as a wife

Virgil

Augustus brought back Virgil from exile; became close friend is Augustus' family; read many portions of Aeneid to family that pertained to them; Virgil fell ill and begged Augustus to burn Aeneid but Augustus could not bring himself to destroy it An ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He wrote three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid

Pax Romana

Augustus transformed the republic into an empire ruled by a universal ruler: emperor→ laid the foundation for Pax Romana (Roman peace) Time of great diffusion of ideas Augustus treated with establishing laws and creating just legal system that was universally upheld The Pax Romana was a long period of relative peace and stability experienced by the Roman Empire. It is traditionally dated as commencing from the accession of Caesar Augustus, founder of the Roman principate, in 27 BCE and concluding in 180 CE with the death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the "good emperors"

Rome

Beginning in the eighth century B.C., Ancient Rome grew from a small town on central Italy's Tiber River into an empire that at its peak encompassed most of continental Europe, Britain, much of western Asia, northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands. Among the many legacies of Roman dominance are the widespread use of the Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian) derived from Latin, the modern Western alphabet and calendar and the emergence of Christianity as a major world religion. After 450 years as a republic, Rome became an empire in the wake of Julius Caesar's rise and fall in the first century B.C. The long and triumphant reign of its first emperor, Augustus, began a golden age of peace and prosperity; by contrast, the empire's decline and fall by the fifth century A.D. was one of the most dramatic implosions in the history of human civilization

Alexander the Great

Between 334 and 323 B.C.E. he conquered the Persian Empire, reached the Indus Valley, founded many Greek-style cities, and spread Greek culture across the Middle East. Trained in Greek literature and dramatic works→ Renaissance man Alexander as Zeus/Ammon Destined to become the world-conquering king Philip: Father of the child of a God Alexander as Hercules Born as a mortal; spent his life laboring (known for strength); one of his great goals was to kill the Nemean lion terrorizing the town; wears the lions head as a headdress When he dies, he ends up being divinized Tomb was in Alexandria, Egypt Became a pilgrimage point for people wishing to rule (wanting his support)

Holofernes

Chief captain of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, who was commissioned to make war upon the West country and to receive from the inhabitants the usual tokens of complete submission, earth and water The object of the expedition of Holofernes, who thus became the typical persecutor of the Jews, was to compel men everywhere to worship Nebuchadnezzar He was slain by Judith, the heroine of the book of that name, during the siege of Bethulia

Stoicism

Concerned about the order and moral purpose of the universe Saw reason (logos) as the glue that holds all the pieces of the universe together and gives it meaning; unifies the world; makes the world intelligible Human immortal soul is a spark of logos; binds all living creatures to the larger universe Self control very important; should not do anything in excess Should not show emotion in the face of personal gain or loss (stiff upper lip)

Cyrus

Created the Persian Empire by defeating the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians; was known for his allowance of existing governments to continue governing under his name King of Persia afterwards According to the Bible, Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, was the monarch under whom the Babylonian captivity ended. In the first year of his reign he was prompted by God to decree that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt and that such Jews as cared to might return to their land for this purpose. This pagan king is important in Jewish history because it was under his rule that Jews were first allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity.

Dionysus

Dionysus was the ancient Greek god of wine, winemaking, grape cultivation, fertility, ritual madness, theater, and religious ecstasy. His Roman name was Bacchus. He was one of the twelve Olympians, although he was the last to arrive, and his unusual birth and upbringing marked him as an outsider. Born in Thebes Father was Zeus Mother was human Twice born→ after born normal way, Titans tore him apart and Zeus rescued the pieces and sewed him up in his thigh→ rebirthing him again Associated with wine and Demeter associated with bread Wine: life and fertility; transformative substance; frees a person Worshipped by women known as Maenads Under the spell of wine, would hysterically go through the streets at night howling and screaming; go out into the woods and tear apart small animals and eat them

Diaspora

Dispersion of Jews beyond Israel People living in diaspora world deal with others as being a minority Assyrians conquered Israel in 722, the Hebrew inhabitants were scattered all over the Middle East; these early victims of the dispersion disappeared utterly from the pages of history Nebuchadnezzar deported the Judaeans in 597 and 586 BC, he allowed them to remain in a unified community in Babylon Group of Judaeans fled to Egypt, where they settled in the Nile delta Three groups: a group in Babylon and other parts of the Middle East, a group in Judaea, and another group in Egypt Retained their identity, religion, and social customs

Onias

During Onias, everyone blessed the land; Kings honored the holy place Onias: good high priest From his goodness and integrity of the law, world honors Jerusalem Simon does not agree with Onias; goes off to the foreigners→ tells them treasure could be brought to the king God punishes Onias III, son of Simon II, was High Priest during the Second Temple period of Judaism. He is described in scriptures as a pious man who opposed the Hellenization of Judea He was known for his godliness and zeal for the law, yet was on such friendly terms with the Seleucids that Seleucus IV Philopator defrayed the cost of the "services of the sacrifices." Spared heliodorus Jason, the brother of Onias, having offered the new king larger revenue, secured the priesthood, which he held until he himself was similarly supplanted by Menelaus, Simon's brother

Ahiqar

Folktale of Babylonian or Persian origin, about a wise and moral man who supposedly served as one of the chief counselors of Sennacherib, king of Assyria (704-681 BC). Like the biblical Job, Ahikar was a prototype of the just man whose righteousness was sorely tested and ultimately rewarded by God. Betrayed by his power-hungry adopted son, Ahikar was condemned to death, suffered severely, but was finally restored to his former position. The work is classified as pseudepigraphal; i.e., it is a noncanonical book that in style and content resembles authentic biblical works. Nevertheless, the story of Ahikar and his proverbial wisdom influenced the development of Jewish wisdom literature early in the Hellenistic period

Judas Maccabeus

General; Led a Jewish family in revolting against the Greek Empire, resulting in the Jews taking back control of The Temple for some time. Was like a lion in his exploits; tracked down renegades; everyone was scared of him; went through towns of Judah destroying the infidels Description of a Hellenistic Greek warrior→ irony Able to take the temple in Jerusalem and purify it from Greek statues

Asclepius

Greek god of healing Asclepius was the ancient Greek god of medicine and he was also credited with powers of prophecy. The god had several sanctuaries across Greece; the most famous was at Epidaurus which became an important centre of healing in both ancient Greek and Roman times and was the site of athletic, dramatic, and musical Games held in Asclepius' honour every four years. The motherless Asclepius was then brought up by his father who gave him the gift of healing and the secrets of medicine using plants and herbs. Asclepius met a tragic end when he was killed by a thunderbolt thrown by Zeus. This was because the father of the gods saw Asclepius and his medical skills as a threat to the eternal division between humanity and the gods, especially following rumours that Asclepius' healing powers were so formidable that he could even raise the dead

Hercules

Hercules' birth delayed to make sure he was not born immortal Hercules had life of hard work Problems with marriage Became God when dead God of gymnasium and athletes Athletes would make offerings to him before competitions He was the equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of Zeus (Roman equivalent Jupiter) and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.

Achior

Holofernes gets to Israel and encounters Achior (leader of the Ammonites) In the mouth of an Ammonite foreigner comes the truth: God protects the good and punishes the bad Strength and power are celebrated (stands up for Israel) Ammonites are angry at Achior→ sent to live with Israelites (go live with them if you love them so much) General of the Ammonites, who spoke on behalf of Israel before Holofernes, the Assyrian general Holofernes ordered him bound and delivered at Bethulia to the Israelites who received him gladly and with honor. Afterward he became a proselyte, was circumcised, and joined to Israel

Darius the Mede

King of Babylon who was tricked into signing the decree that resulted in Daniel being thrown into the lion's den. Darius the Mede is mentioned in the Book of Daniel as king of Babylon between Belshazzar and Cyrus the Great, but he is not known to history, and no additional king can be placed between the known figures of Belshazzar and Cyrus Darius the Mede is first mentioned in the story of Belshazzar's feast. Belshazzar, king of Babylon, holds a great feast, during which a hand appears and writes on the wall Daniel interprets the words: Belshazzar has been weighed and found wanting, and his kingdom is to be divided between the Medes and Persians. The story concludes: "That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean (Babylonian) king was killed, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom." In the story of Daniel in the lions' den, Daniel has continued to serve at the royal court under Darius, and has been raised to high office His jealous rivals plot his downfall, tricking Darius into issuing a decree that no prayers should be addressed to any god or man but to Darius himself, on pain of death. Daniel continues to pray to the God of Israel, and Darius, although deeply distressed, must condemn him to be thrown into the lions' den because the edicts of the Medes and Persians cannot be altered. At daybreak the king hurries to the place and Daniel tells him that his God sent an angel to save him. Darius commands that those who had conspired against Daniel should be thrown to the lions in his place, along with their wives and children.

Ahasuerus

King of Persia

Mordecai

Leader of the Jews in Persia

Moses

Leader of the exodus; entrusted with 10 Commandments Delivers sermons before his death and teaches Jews the laws they have to obey Provides agenda for behavior when they get into the promised land Moses died before entering promised land; ended up in anonymous grave

Sarah

Lives in Media; was given 7 times in marriage and each time, the demon Asmodeus killed her groom before the marriage could be consummated Decides to ask God to let her die

Eleazar 2

Man of the law; was forced to open his mouth to swallow pig's flesh under persecution of Epiphanes Says he would rather die than break the law; shame comes from breaking the law Reasoning for not saving his own life is that people would think he conformed and eaten pork and that would set a bad example for all the rest to be led astray; would bring him disgrace and shame Eagerly and generously submits himself to death; becomes a sacrifice for the law Not a warrior like Eleazar 1; constrained and old; not physically free but spirit and conscious is free to make the right decision

Aeneas

Mythical hero of Troy and Rome, son of the goddess Aphrodite and Anchises Aeneas was a member of the royal line at Troy and cousin of Hector. He played a prominent part in defending his city against the Greeks during the Trojan War, being second only to Hector in ability In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas a second cousin to Priam's children. He is a character in Greek mythology and is mentioned in Homer's Iliad Books 1-6 Journey from Troy to what is described as the true home for Aeneas and his people (Italy) Along the way, many things happen that are reflections of Aeneas and his journey Ex. cyclops Aeneas morphs from being a typical Homeric hero to Roman hero Books 7-12 War (very much like the Iliad) Virgil does something different from Homeric texts→ did not celebrate glory and honor of heroes who died like Homer→ Virgil had actually seen war and paints picture of battle that are gruesome and show the stark brutality of warfare; focuses on the great tragedy that happens when a son predeceases his father; Virgil evokes emotions of tragedy and pathos that arise from the brutal destruction and costly warfare; rather than being a celebration of glory and honor, scenes of carnage along the way Roman arcs: rulership of the nations; teach the way of peace to those who conquer; spare defeated people and tame the proud When Aeneas is coming out of the underworld, he is told there are two gates of sleep Horn: simple (truth) Ivory: glittering (false dreams) Aeneas goes through the gate of Ivory; dream of glory→ false dream Leads to the question of whether everything we read was true

Hasmonaeans

Name applied to the descendants of Simon, the last surviving brother of Judas Maccabeus, leader of the revolt against the Hellenistically oriented Seleucid empire with its center in Syria When Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) attempted to force Hellenism on the orthodox Jewish community, he was faced with revolt. The aged priest Mattathias and his sons refused to offer sacrifices at heathen altars, and engaged in guerilla warfare with the Seleucid rulers

Uzziah

One of the elders Assyrian army advances and come to the town of Bethulia Bethulia is surrounded; people begin to suffer from lack of food and water Israelites call upon God Uzziah responds for them to hold out for 5 more days (testing God)

Eleazar 1

Son of Mattathias and brother of Judas Maccabeus Learned that there was elephants in a battle; Eleazar noticed that one of the elephants was royally decorated Sacrificed himself to save his people and make an immortal name (a Hellenistic notion; very heroic) Killed elephant and it collapsed on top of him, killing him instantly

Seven Brothers and Mother

Tale of a mother who witnessed the martyrdom of her seven sons before Antiochus IV Epiphanes, following their refusal to violate their ancestral tradition. Each of the brothers undergo terrible tortures and are ultimately killed at the hands of Antiochus IV when he demands that they bow down to idols or consume non-kosher meat Mother is depicted as so pious and noble that she encourages her own sons to stay fast to their ancestral traditions even if it means guaranteeing their own deaths

Isis and Osiris

The Osiris myth is the most elaborate and influential story in ancient Egyptian mythology. It concerns the murder of the god Osiris, a primeval king of Egypt, and its consequences. Osiris's murderer, his brother Set, usurps his throne. Meanwhile, Osiris's wife Isis restores her husband's body, allowing him to posthumously conceive their son, Horus. The remainder of the story focuses on Horus, the product of the union of Isis and Osiris, who is at first a vulnerable child protected by his mother and then becomes Set's rival for the throne. Their often violent conflict ends with Horus's triumph, which restores Maat (cosmic and social order) to Egypt after Set's unrighteous reign and completes the process of Osiris's resurrection. Integral to ancient Egyptian conceptions of kingship and succession, conflict between order and disorder, and especially death and the afterlife.

Pharisees

The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought in the Holy Land during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs became the foundational, liturgical and ritualistic basis for Rabbinic Judaism The Pharisees in the Bible were members of a religious group or party who frequently clashed with Jesus Christ over his interpretation of the Law. The name "Pharisee" means "separated one." The Pharisees believed that God would send the Jews a messiah who would bring peace to the world and rule from Jerusalem. They also believed that all circumstances that affected the lives of Jews were divinely ordained.

Zealots

The Zealots were a political movement in 1st-century Second Temple Judaism, which sought to incite the people of Judea Province to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Holy Land by force of arms, most notably during the First Jewish-Roman War Member of a Jewish sect noted for its uncompromising opposition to pagan Rome and the polytheism it professed. The Zealots were an aggressive political party whose concern for the national and religious life of the Jewish people led them to despise even Jews who sought peace and conciliation with the Roman authorities. A census of Galilee ordered by Rome in AD 6 spurred the Zealots to rally the populace to noncompliance on the grounds that agreement was an implicit acknowledgment by Jews of the right of pagans to rule their nation.

Augustus Caesar

The first emperor of Rome, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, help Rome come into Pax Romana, or the Age of Roman Peace Augustus was a Roman statesman and military leader who was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire, controlling Imperial Rome from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. His status as the founder of the Roman Principate has consolidated an enduring legacy as one of the most effective and controversial leaders in human history As the first Roman emperor (though he never claimed the title for himself), Augustus led Rome's transformation from republic to empire during the tumultuous years following the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father Julius Caesar. He shrewdly combined military might, institution-building and lawmaking to become Rome's sole ruler, laying the foundations of the 200-year Pax Romana (Roman Peace) and an empire that lasted, in various forms, for nearly 1,500 years

Belshazzar

The last king of Babylon. He lost the kingdom to the Medes and Persians. According to the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son Belshazzar, during whose reign Babylon fell to the Persians. Belshazzar was the eldest son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian empire, and regent for his father during the latter's prolonged absence from the city, although he never assumed the titles or ritual functions of kingship. He may have been killed when Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 BCE

Dido

The queen of Carthage, a city in northern Africa, in what is now Tunisia, and lover of Aeneas. Dido left the land of Tyre when her husband was murdered by Pygmalion, her brother. She and her city are strong, but she becomes an unfortunate pawn of the gods in their struggle for Aeneas's destiny. Her love for Aeneas proves to be her downfall. After he abandons her, she constructs a funeral pyre and stabs herself upon it with Aeneas's sword. Her husband having been slain by her brother Pygmalion, Dido fled to the coast of Africa where she purchased from a local chieftain, Iarbas, a piece of land on which she founded Carthage. The city soon prospered, and Iarbas sought Dido's hand in marriage. To escape from him, Dido constructed a funeral pyre, on which she stabbed herself before the people. Virgil, however, in his Aeneid, reshaped this story to make Dido a contemporary of Aeneas, whose descendants founded Rome. Dido fell in love with Aeneas after his landing in Africa, and Virgil attributes her suicide to her abandonment by him at the command of Jupiter. Her dying curse on the Trojans provides a mythical origin for the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage. Dido has been identified by modern scholars with the Virgo Caelestis; i.e., Tanit, the tutelary goddess of Carthage

Turnus

The ruler of the Rutulians in Italy. Turnus is Aeneas's major antagonist among mortals. He is Lavinia's leading suitor until Aeneas arrives. This rivalry incites him to wage war against the Trojans, despite Latinus's willingness to allow the Trojans to settle in Latium and Turnus's understanding that he cannot successfully defy fate. He is brash and fearless, a capable soldier who values his honor over his life. In Virgil's Aeneid, Turnus was the King of the Rutuli, and the chief antagonist of the hero Aeneas. Turnus was a legendary king of the Rutulians in Roman history.

Tobit

Tobit tells us that he is in exile to Assyria; suffered many misfortunes like his exile and father's death despite being good Sennacherib took out his anger on the resident Israelites and killed a great number of them, tossing their bodies over the wall of Nineveh; Tobit buried these bodies Attitude of the foreigner: they are the source of death, destruction, and law disobedience Someone tattled on Tobit and he was forced to flee Took a nap and got bird poop in his eyes, becoming blind; Tobit suffers in the hands of other people and accidents

Tobias

Tobit's son; sent to retrieve money in Media Father/son interaction→ tells Tobias what to do when Tobit dies (take care of your mother and bury us together→ honor your mother and father; don't sin and follow the laws; do everything in moderation Tobias acquires the fish (the source of healing and getting rid of demon/Tobit's blindness) Tobias puts fish's heart and flesh on coal and smell made the demon flee In the end, good will always out the evil

Heliodorus

Treasurer of the Syrian king Seleucus IV King needed money to pay tribute to Romans; wealth which was reported to be stored up in the Temple at Jerusalem and commissioned Heliodorus to bring its contents Onias protested but Heliodorus was proceeding to carry out his commission when, "through the Lord of Spirits and the Prince of all power," a great apparition (a horse with a terrible rider accompanied by two strong and beautiful young men who scourged and wounded Heliodorus) appeared which caused him to fall down Onias interceded and spared him "testified to all men the works of the great God which he had beheld with his eyes."

Judith

Very devout, beautiful, celibate Judith reprimands the people and says they do not understand God and cannot put him to the test; they just have to wait for God and not do anything Uzziah's response: condescending "we know you really believe this"; asks her to pray to God to send some rain Judith has change of heart→ instead of waiting patiently, decides to take action She prays to ancestor known for violence and fighting for the honor of his family who was criticized by Jacob for committing an atrocity Judith gets very dressed up and makes her way through the enemy lines; enemy so impressed by her beauty and ask how anyone could hate a people with women like this Flatters the council with lies; says that her lord will be successful (is she talking about the king or God) Gets general very drunk and he falls into a drunken stupor; Judith decapitates him Assyrians are in disarray; people are saved and Judith is greatly honored End justifies the means

Zeus

Zeus was the king of the Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus. He was the god of the sky and thunder. His symbols include the lightning bolt, the eagle, the bull, and the oak tree. He was married to the goddess Hera Zeus was the first of the GODS and a very imposing figure. Often referred to as the "Father of Gods and men", he is a sky god who controls lightning (often using it as a weapon) and thunder. Zeus is king of Mount Olympus, the home of Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike.