2nd century BC

The 2nd century BC consists of the years 200-101 BC.
==Events==
* Beginnings of Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes
* Earliest extant manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls
* Earliest extant manuscripts of the Septuagint
* 198 BC–165 BC. Syrians (Seleucid Empire) conquers Judea from Egypt Ptolemic Empire.
*165 BC to 63 BC. The Maccabees rebel against the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty of Syria and begin to rule Judea. 
* November 21, 165 BC. Judah Maccabee orders the Temple to be cleansed. Jews celebrate this occasion as Hannakuh.
* 134 BC-104 BC. John Hyrcanus, Ethnarch & High Priest of Jerusalem, "Age of Expansion", annexed TransJordan, Samaria, Galilee, Idumea. Forced Idumeans to convert to Judaism, hired non-Jewish mercenaries, etc.
==Deuterocannon==
* 1 Maccabees
* 2 Maccabees
* Book of Tobit
==See also==
* Intertestamental period
Category:centuries