Between the Testaments

by Charles F. Pfeiffer

Book Overview

This informative volume highlights the "four hundred silent years," the intertestamental period, about which the Bible gives no information. Here is a popularly written account of this period, an overview that explains the forces that shaped the world in the centuries immediately preceding the birth of Christ. Both the Persian and Hellenistic eras are covered in broad but informative strokes, and special attention is given to the status and problems...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801068738
• ISBN13: 9780801068737
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group (MI)
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An overlooked gem

400 silent years. Silent, not because nothing was happening, but because this is the period between the Old Testament and New Testament canonical books. And silent, also, because most of us know little or nothing about what was going on during that time. This book remedies that lack of knowledge. Be warned: this is not a flashy book. He's giving history, not telling a story. Although the period doesn't lack for good stories: the Maccabees, Alexander, and Cleopatra among many others. Pfeiffer gives us the structure and chronology to make sense of what happened during this time period, as well as understanding the future events, especially many of the groups and individuals mentioned in the New Testament books, as well as understanding some of the background of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The book is especially good for providing background on the various Jewish sects mentioned in the New Testament: the Pharisees, the Zealots, the Sadducees and the Essenes. I disagree with Pfeiffer's assessment of a relationship between the Qumran manuscripts and the Essenes, but that doesn't detract from the value of his overview of the complex of "denominations" found in first century Palestinian Judaism. This book is also good for giving an overview of the nature of Hellenism during this time, and the effects Hellenism had on the world into which the New Testament was born.

Clarifying the Impact of Persian and Hellenistic Periods on the Jewish Nation

'Is it not written in the Book of Jasher? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day." (Joshua 10:13) The Silent Years: The Christian looks upon the Old Testament as preparatory, looking toward the fulfillment of its hopes and promises in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is interested in the history of the centuries preceding the coming of Christ, the advent, and a progress toward that period of history termed "the fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4)." The time between the close of Old Testament history and the beginning of the New Testament period has often been called "the four hundred silent years." To the historian, however, these centuries were anything but silent, and they seem to become more vocal with each passing decade. Proceeding from the Old Testament into the New Testament you notice changes in their political and religious milieu. Apparently no Hebrew prophets were speaking or writing, and God was revealing no new word to the Palestinian Jews. It was a time of wondering and waiting for the Diaspora, and mother land being acted upon by other nations. Now appear Jewish groups within Palestinian Judaism; the Pharisees and the Sadducees are two-which did not show up in the Old Testament, but appear in the New. The Jew notes during these centuries the development of synagogue worship, the successful Maccabean revolt, and the emergence of those parties within Judaism which have set the pattern for Jewish life and thought during the past two millennia. Palestine under the Nations: To the student of ancient history, names like Cyrus, Darius, and Alexander the Great make this period one of paramount importance. There is a new political power on the scene. The Old Testament ends with the Israelites under the control of the Babylonians. As the New Testament opens, Rome rules Israel. What has happened? Palestine, because of its location on a major travel and trade route, was often invaded and ruled by other nations. Those times of invasion-and the ensuing occupation-had profound effects on the nation and its religious life.The Assyrian Influence. Although the Assyrian influence came before the Inter-Testament period, there was an effect that lasted into the New Testament period. After conquering parts of Israel in 722 B.C., the Assyrians carried off some of the Jewish inhabitants and replaced them with other people. The resulting intermarriages resulted in the Samaritans, a half-breed people racially and religiously. - The Greek Influence, through the conquests of Alexander the Great, had two major effects. Greek culture and the Greek language became prominent. The New Testament books were written in Koine, Old Greek and some of them utilize Greek concepts to convey the message of the Good News. On the other hand, the overwhelming Hellenizing influence led to a split among the Jewish people between the those who adopted Greek culture and the Nationalists who defended a pure Jewish culture and traditions. - The

Great book!

This book is an accurate and sound book. If you are looking for factual information about the intertestament period, get this book.

Essential Guide

Charles Pfeiffer's book is essential for understanding how and why Jewish culture changed during the silent 440 years.

400 years of Bible Silence

This is THE book to read on what heppened in the 400 silent years between the Old and New Testaments. This exciting time in Jewish history set the stage for the coming of Jesus. Why did the whole world speak Greek? What was the Jewish Rebellion? How did the Edomite line of Herod come to rule over the Jews? All of this background and more is in this book. It is written at a college history level, it is not light reading but it is well worth the effort.