2nd century BC

The 2nd century BC consists of the years 200-101 BC.

Events

• Beginnings of Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes
• Earliest extant manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Earliest extant manuscripts of the Septuagint
• 198 BC-165 BC. Syrians (Seleucid Empire) conquers Judea from Egypt Ptolemic Empire.
• 165 BC to 63 BC. The Maccabees rebel against the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty of Syria and begin to rule Judea.
• November 21, 165 BC. Judah Maccabee orders the Temple to be cleansed. Jews celebrate this occasion as Hannakuh.
• 134 BC-104 BC. John Hyrcanus, Ethnarch & High Priest of Jerusalem, "Age of Expansion", annexed TransJordan, Samaria, Galilee, Idumea. Forced Idumeans to convert to Judaism, hired non-Jewish mercenaries, etc.

Deuterocannon

• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees
• Book of Tobit

See also

• Intertestamental period