Editing Intertestamental period

The '''intertestamental period''' is the [[Protestant]] term and '''deuterocanonical period''' is the [[Catholic]] and [[Orthodox Christian]] term for the gap of time between the period covered by the [[Hebrew Bible]] and the period covered by the Christian [[New Testament]]. Traditionally, it is considered to cover roughly four hundred years, spanning the ministry of [[Malachi]] (c. 420 BC) to the appearance of [[John the Baptist]] in the early [[Christianity in the 1st century|1st century AD]], almost the same period as the [[Second Temple period]] (530 BC to 70 AD).

It is known by members of the Protestant community as the "400 Silent Years" because it is believed to have been a span where [[God]] revealed nothing new to his people.

It is said that many of the [[Deuterocanonical|Deuterocanonical or Anagignoskomena books]], accepted as scripture by [[Roman Catholicism]] and [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] respectively, were written during this time. This is also the time when many [[pseudepigraphal]] works were produced. An understanding of the events of the intertestamental period provides context for the New Testament.

==Significant events==
* Establishment of the [[synagogue]]
* [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Aramaic]] become the common languages of the Jewish people
* [[Hasmonean dynasty]]
* [[Herodian dynasty]]
* Province of [[Roman Judea]] created in 6 AD
* Production of copies of the Hebrew scripture and other related writings, known as [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] when unearthed in mid 20th century
* Production of the 14 books of the [[Biblical Apocrypha]] (ISBE, vol 1, p.&nbsp;457)
* Production of the [[Pseudepigrapha]] (ISBE, vol 1, p.&nbsp;457)

==See also==
* [[Essenes]]
* [[History of ancient Israel and Judah]]
* [[Pharisees]]
* [[Sadducees]]
* [[Zealots]]

==References==

==Further reading==
* The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol 1, Page 457 "Literary Activity"
* Pfeiffer, Charles F. ''Between the Testaments''. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1959. 132 p.

==External links==

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[[Category:1st century BC in Asia]]
[[Category:2nd century BC in Asia]]
[[Category:3rd century BC in Asia]]
[[Category:5th century BC in Asia]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]