A history of the Jews in Israel

I decided to write a consistent history of the Jewish presence in Israel as an entry for my blog. This is one of many entries I will write in order to grasp a thorough understanding of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The coming entries will relate on the history of Diaspora (Jewish scattered around the world), and the emergence of the idea of Zionism. I will also speak about the political life in Israel. The information available on the internet do not relate specifically to the precise question of the “political organization” of the Jewish community over time, and is either too precise or too vague. I had to go through the painful process of gathering many different source of information to write this historical summary:


The Promised Land

The Promise Land is a term used to describe the land promised by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites (the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob). The Promised Land was given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it describes a territory from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates river. However, the Israelites become a local political power with the emergence of a United Monarchy.


United Monarchy (autonomous)

Thanks to King Saul, from 1020 BC, the decentralised Israelite tribal confederacies were gathered into a local political power. The increasing pressure from the Philistines, and other neighbouring tribes, forced the Israelites to unite as a more singular state. This unification is known as the first united Kingdom of Israel.
However, David, in 1006 BC, is accounted as being responsible for the strong unification of the young Israelite monarchy. He established Jerusalem, its national capital, and set up a monarchical government. Under his reign, the United Kingdom of Israel achieved prosperity and superiority over its neighbours. A period of peace and prosperity would follow under David’s successor (Salomon). However, under king Rehoboam, in 930 BC, the country split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. The split is a result of political rebellion against Rehoboam who refused to lighten the taxation and services imposed on his subjects.


The Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom) and the Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom)
(autonomous)

The Kingdom of Israel existed as an independent state until around 720 BC, when it was conquered by the Assyrian Empire. The Kingdom of Judah existed as an independent state until 586 BC when it was conquered by the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzza II (Babylonian Emperor) invaded the Kingdom of Judah. After an 18 month siege Jerusalem was captured in 586 BC, 4,600 Jews were deported to Babylon and Solomon's Temple was razed to the ground. At this time, many Jews fled to surrounding Moab, Ammon, Edom and other countries to seek refuge. This event puts an end to the independent Kingdom of Judah. The information on the deportation and spread of the population is particularly relevant to the upcoming discussing on the current debate.




Yehud Province (under Babylonian, then Persian, then Greek-kingdoms rule)

After the destruction of Judah, Babylon created Yehud Province (Jewish autonomy within the Babylonian Empire), for the remnant of the Jewish population in a part of the former kingdom. At this time, Jews that had taken refuge in surrounding countries would return to Yehud Province. However, the population that was left in the land, and those that had returned fled to Egypt fearing a Babylonian reprisal. The refugees would settle in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and Pathros. The numbers that were deported to Babylon and those who made their way to Egypt and the remnant that remained in the land and in surrounding countries is subject to academic debate.
The Persian Empire took over the Babylon Empire, while Yehud province was already in existence. In 538 BC (first year as emperor), Cyrus the Great enacted a decree in which he allowed the Jewish deportees to return to Yehud province, and rebuild the Temple. The Persian kings after Cyrus tended to treat the Jews kindly, and the Jews were given a permission to build the Second Temple. This period is known as “The Return to Zion” period. About 50,000 Jews returned from Babylon to Yehud, following Cyrus the Great’s decree.

Yehud province remained a peaceful part of the Persian Empire until the empire fell to Alexander the Great (Macedonian Empire) in 332 BC. Upon Alexander's death in 323 BCE, Yehud province changed hands regularly between two Greek successor-kingdoms, the Seleucids of Syria and the Ptolemies of Egypt. There arose in the Jewish nation pro-Seleucid and pro-Ptolemaic parties; and the schism exercised great influence upon the Judaism of the time.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria (174-163 BC), when he gained control of Yehud, attempted complete Hellenization of the Jews. His desecration of the Temple sparked the Maccabee rebellion in the 2nd century BC, which ended in victory for the Jews with the expulsion of the Syrians and the re-consecration of the Temple, and the establishment of the Hasmonean Kingdom of Israel (140–37 BC) which replaced Yehud.



Hasmonean Kingdom of Israel (autonomous)

Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserted the Jewish religion, expanded the boundaries of Israel and reduced the influence of Hellenism.


Herodian Kingdom of Israel (Roman Client state known as Iudaea Province by the Roman Empire)

Hasmonean rule lasted until the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem and subjected Israel to Roman rule, while the Hasmonean dynasty itself ended in 37 BCE when the Idumean Herod the Great became king of Israel and king of the Jews. He would erect the second temple. Herodian Kingdom was established as a Roman client kingdom (Roman rule began in 63 BC).

Three Jewish-Roman wars would end up making Iudaea Province part of the Roman Empire. In 66 AC, period known as the Great Revolt, Jewish rebellions would trigger conflicts between the Roman Empire and its client state (Iudaea Province). Hadrian then changed the name of the province to Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina in an attempt to erase the historical ties of the Jewish people to the region. The defeat of the Jewish revolt altered the Jewish diaspora, as many of the Jewish rebels were scattered or sold into slavery. Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, 97,000 were captured and enslaved and many others fled to areas around the Mediterranean. After this event, Judea formed a separate Roman province governed by a legate. Nevertheless, forty years later the Jews put forth efforts to recover their former freedom. These efforts, resolute but unwise, were suppressed by Trajan (115-117), and under Hadrian the same fate befell the attempt of the Jews of Israel to regain their independence (133-135). 43 Jewish communities in Israel remained in the sixth century. Jews remained scattered for close to two millennia; their numbers in the region fluctuated with time.