2.) =The Per'sian Supremacy.= About two hundred years from the fall of Bab'y-lon, B. C. 536, to the battle of Ar-be'la, B. C. 330, by which Al-ex-an'der the Great won the Per'sian empire. During this epoch the Jews were permitted to govern themselves under the general control of the Per'sian kings. 3.) =The Greek Supremacy.= Al-ex-an'der's empire lasted only ten years, but was succeeded by Greek kingdoms, under whose rule the Jews lived in Pal'es-tine for about one hundred and sixty years. 4.) =The Mac-ca-be'an Independence.= About B. C. 168 the tyranny of the Greek king of Syr'i-a drove the Jews to revolt. Two years later they won their liberty under Ju'das Mac-ca-be'us, and were ruled by a line of princes called As-mo-ne'ans, or Mac-ca-be'ans, for one hundred and twenty-six years. 5.) =The Ro'man Supremacy.= This came gradually, but began officially in the year B. C. 40, when Her'od the Great received the title of king from the Ro'man senate. Thenceforth the Jew'ish province was reckoned a part of the Ro'man empire. 4. In each epoch of this period we select one important =Person=. 1.) In the Chal-de'an supremacy, =Dan'iel=, the prophet and prince (Dan. 2. 48; 5. 12). 2.) In the Per'sian supremacy, =Ez'ra= the scribe, the framer of the Scripture canon and the reformer of the Jews (Ezra 7. 6, 10). 3.) In the Greek supremacy, =Si'mon the Just=, a distinguished high priest and ruler. 4.) In the Mac-ca-be'an independence, =Ju'das Mac-ca-be'us=, the liberator of his people. 5.) In the Ro'man supremacy, =Her'od the Great=, the ablest but most unscrupulous statesman of his age. This Ro'man supremacy lasted until A. D. 70, when Je-ru'sa-lem was destroyed by Ti'tus, and the Jew'ish state was extinguished by the emperor of Rome. Blackboard Outline