Silent Period Begins (400 Years)
400 BC
📂 BIBLICAL
📖 About This Event
The period between the last words of Malachi and the birth of Jesus—approximately 400 years—is known as the 'intertestamental period' or the 'silent years,' because no prophet spoke during this time. Yet these four centuries were anything but quiet. The Jewish people experienced the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties, the Maccabean revolt, and the rise of the Roman Empire. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) was produced, the synagogue developed as a center of worship and study, and various Jewish sects emerged—Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.
The deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1-2 Maccabees, and additions to Esther and Daniel) were written during this period, providing valuable insight into the faith and life of God's people between the testaments. The Maccabean revolt (167-160 BC) against Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who desecrated the Temple and forbade circumcision and Sabbath observance, produced the feast of Hanukkah and demonstrated the Jewish commitment to faith even in the face of martyrdom.
The Catholic Church sees this period as God's patient preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The Roman Empire established the Pax Romana, creating the political and linguistic conditions (a single empire with a common language) that would facilitate the spread of the Gospel. Key Scripture: 1 Maccabees; 2 Maccabees; Wisdom; Sirach; Luke 1:5-25; CCC 55-59
📜 Key Facts
Date
400 BC
Category
Biblical
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