Years Covered: 33-44

We continue to followHerod Agrippa—the politically nimble, debt-ridden, charm-wielding, luck-chasing Jewish prince of the early Roman Empire. A family quarrel propels Agrippa into a world of high-stakes intrigue stretching from Tyre to Alexandria, and from the courts of Roman governors to the inner circle of the Julio-Claudians themselves.

Meanwhile, the messiah claimant Jesus of Nazareth is dead, but that's not the end of the story. We also meet Philo of Alexandria, the Jew who tries to bridge the gap between Jewish and Greek thought.

Cast of Charaters

The Jews:

Herodians

-Herod Agrippa I x

-Herod Antipas x

-Herodias x

-Aristobulus

-Cypros

-Berenice

-Herod Agrippa II

-Drusilla

Pharisees and Sadducees

-Caiaphas

-Gamliel the Elder

-Simon bar Hillel

Jewish Christians

-Stephen x

-Simon Peter

-Saul/Paul of Tarsus

-Ananais

Jewish Diaspora

-Alexander Lysimacus

-Philo of Alexandria

-Anilai and Asinai x

The Romans

-Emperor Tiberius x

-Emperor Caligula x

-Emperor Claudius

-Tiberius Gemellus x

-Julia Drusilla x

-Aulus Avilius Flaccus

-Lucius Pomponius Flaccus x

-Lucius Vitellius

-Publius Petronius

-Gaius Vibius Marsus

-Marcellus

-Pontius Pilate

-Thallus

The Greek

-Apion

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The War of the Jews - Josephus

On the Embassy to Gaius - Philo of Alexandria

Against Flaccus - Philo of Alexandria

The Book of Acts

The Twelve Caesars - Seutonius

The Annals - Tacitus

The Talmud

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Years Covered: 1bc - 33

Oscar Wilde once said that 'anyone who never lived beyond their means suffered from a lack of imagination'. Herod Agrippa has imagination in spades. Lucky for him, his grandfather's purges are over, but now his friends in Rome are going to start dying. Back in Judea, it's one messiah claimant after another as Judah the Galilean and Jesus of Nazareth enter, and exit, our stage.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Herod Agrippa

Herod Archelaus x

Herod Antipas

Hillel x

Shammai x

Caisphas the High Priest

Judas the Galilean x

Jesus of Nazareth x

John the Baptist x

Cypros, wife of Herod Agrippa

Berenice, wife of Herod Antipas

Herodias, Herod Agrippa's sister

Barabbas

Judas Iscariot

Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth

The Romans:

Augustus x

Livia x

Julia, daughter of Augustus

Tiberius

Sejanus x

Publius Quirinius x

Gaius Caesar x

Lucius Caesar x

Agrippa Postumus x

Agrippina The Elder x

Germanicus x

Claudius

Livilla x

Nero Julius Caesar x

Drusus Caesar X

Gaius Caesar (Caligula)

Apicata

Antonia Minor

Aelia Paetina

Marcus Anoninus Pallas

Pontius Pilate

Others:

Glaphyra, widow of Alexander, wife of Herod Archelaus x

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

War of the Jews - Josephus

Annals - Tacitus

Gospel of Mark

Gospel of Luke

Gospel of Matthew

Tractate Sanhedrin 41a - The Talmud

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Years Covered: 34bc - 1bc

You can't rebuild a temple without breaking a few heads, and in Herod's case, it will be his own family. Our final episode covers Herod the Great's final years.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Herod the Great x

Miriam (Mariamne I) x

Alexandra x

Hyrcanus II x

Salome

Pheroras x

Joseph the Treasurer

Sohemus x

Costobarus x

The Babas Boys x

Antipater x

Doris

Alexander x

Aristobulus x

Herod Archelaus

Herod Antipas

Philip I

Judas x

Matthias x

Hillel

Shammai

Bava ben Buta

Shemaya

Bernice

The Romans

Octavian (Augustus)

Mark Antony x

Marcus Agrippa x

Publius Quintilius Varus

The Ptolemaic Greeks:

Cleopatra VII x

Caesarion x

Alexander Helios x

Others

Malichus

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

War of the Jews - Josephus

Parallel Lives - Plutarch

The Civil Wars - Appian

Tractate Shabbat 31a - The Talmud

Tractate Baba Batra 3b - The Talmud

Gittan 9 - Mishna

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Years covered: 47-34bc

Hyrcanus' rule is now dependent on Rome, but what do you do when the rulers keep changing? Not to mention, Aristobulus' son is still out there, and the Parthians look set for a fight. Times are going to be tough in Judea, so its the perfect time for a scholar to immigrate.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Avtalyon

Shemaiah (Shmaya)

Hillel the Elder

Herod the Great

Antipater the Idumean x

Malechus x

Hyrcanus II

Hezekiah the Bandit x

Antigonus II Mattathias x

Phasael x

Alexandra

Mariamne/Miriam

Aristobulus III x

Salome, sister of Herod

Joseph, uncle of Herod x

Joseph, brother of Herod x

Costobarus

The Romans:

Julius Caesar x

Sextus Caesar x

Gaius Cassius Longinus x

Mark Antony

Octavian

Publius Ventidius (Bassus) x

Gaius Sosius

Quintus Dellius

The Parthians:

Pacorus I x

Barzapharnes ?

Others

Cleopatra VII

Antiochus of Commagene

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

Tractate Yoma 35b - Babylonian Talmud

Mishna Parah 3:5

The Parallel Lives - Plutarch

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Years covered: 67-47bc

As is Hasmonean tradition, brothers will fight over the crown. The Seleucids reach their end, but the Romans, the allies of Judea, appear at the borders. This should go over well.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Hyrcanus II

Aristobulus II x

Antigonus, son of Aristobulus II

Alexander, son of Aristobulus II x

Antipater the Idumean

The son of Shimon Ben Shetach x

Herod the Great x

Phasael

The Romans:

Pompey the Great x

Marcus Licinius Crassus x

Julius Caesar

Marcus Antonius

Aulus Gabinius

Cassius Longinus

Scaurus

The Greeks:

Antiochus XIII

Ptolemy XII

Cleopatra VII

Other:

Aretas, King of the Nabateans

Tigranes II, King of Armenia

Mithradates VI Eupator

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The Parallel Lives - Plutarch

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Years covered: 104 - 67 BC

Marrying into the royal family is no prize, when your husband kills his own mother, and jails his siblings. Queen Salome lives in a world of deceit, and has to navigate it, alone. Meanwhile the great Seleucus Empire is in its dying days, with the War of the Antiochi ending with a whole bunch of claimants.

Cast Of Characters

The Jews:

Queen Salome

King Aristobulus x

King Alexander Janneus x

John Hyrcanus' wife and mother to Aristobulus x

Antigonus, Son of John Hyrcanus x

Absalom, son of John Hyrcanus x

Unnamed son of John Hyrcanus

Shimon Ben Shetach ?

Hyrcanus, son of Alexander Janneus

Aristobulus, son of Alexander Janneus

Chelkias x

Ananais

The Greeks:

Antiochus VIII Callinicus x

Antiochus IX Grypus x

Cleopatra III x

Ptolemy IX x

Ptolemy X x

Zoilus, warlord of Dor ?

Heracleon x

Seleucus VI Epiphanes x

Demetrius III Eucares x

Antiochus X Eusebeus x

Philip I Philadelphus x

Cleopatra Selene x

Others:

Theodorus son of Zeno x

King Tigranes II of Armenia

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

Tractate Sotah 22b - Babylonian Talmud

Tractate Sukkot 48b - The Babylonian Talmud

Tractate Berkhot 48a - The Babylonian Talmud

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Years covered: 142 BC - 101 BC

Freeing a country is one thing...but keeping it is quite another. Simon the Maccabee is now high priest, and with his sons, he's going to have to fight enemies inside and outside his borders. His son John Hyrcanus will expand the borders and expand the people, as Isaac's sons become one family again.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Simon Thassi x

Judah, son of Simon x

Mattityahu, son of Simon x

John Hyrcanus, son of Simon x

John's Queen

Ptolemy ben Ababas, governor of Jericho ?

Shimon Ben Shetach

Salome Ben Shetach

Aristobulus, son of John Hyrcanus

Antigonus, son of John Hyrcanus

Alexander, son of John Hyrcanus

Absalom, son of John Hyrcanus

Eleazar

Yehuda Ben Gedidya

Jonathan the Sadducee

The Seleucids:

Antiochus VI Dionysus x

Diodotus Tryphon x

Antiochus VII Sidetes x

Alexander Zabinas x

Seleucus V Philometer x

Antiochus VIII Callinicus

Antiochus IX Cyzicenus

The Ptolemies:

Ptolemy VIII Physcon x

Cleopatra Thea x

Sources:

Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews

The First Book of the Maccabees

Babylon Talmud, Kiddushin 66a

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Years covered: 162 BC - 143 BC

In our second part on the lifetime of Jonathan Apphus, we find out what happens to the Maccabees after the Temple is in their hands. Antiochus IV might be dead, but that doesn't mean the Seleucids are just going to relinquish Judea. Independence will be a long, drawn-out process, and paid for in blood.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Mattitayhu the Hasmonean x

Judah Maccabeus x

Simon Thassi

Jonathan Apphus x

John Gaddi x

Eleazar Avaran x

Sons of Jonathan Apphus x

Alcimus x

The Seleucids:

Antiochus V Eupator x

Lysias x

Demetrius II Nicator

Timarchus

Heracleides

Alexander Balas x

Laodica

Diodotus Tryphon

Antiochus VI Dionysus

Seleucid Generals:

Gerogias

Nicanor x

Bacchides

The Ptolemies:

Ptolemy VI Philometer

Cleopatra Thea

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The Book of the Maccabees Part 1

The Book of the Maccabees Part 2

The Histories - Polybius

Tractate Shabbat - The Talmud

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