However, Saul established a Jewish monarchy. (Wikipedia). Saul was only the first of the Jewish kings and was later followed by David, whom was renowned for his military skill, and Solomon, whom was renowned for his wisdom. "After Solomon's reign the nation split into two kingdoms, Israel, consisting of ten of the tribes (in the north), and Judah, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (in the south). (Wikipedia). Assyria conquered Israel in the 8th century BCE, which resulted in the loss of the 10 tribes of Israel. Babylonia conquered Judah in the 6th century BCE. In turn, Babylonia was conquered by the Persians. Alexander the Great conquered the Persians. After his death, his empires divided his kingdom, and the area containing Judah became part of the Seleucid Kingdom. .

             The creation of the Seleucid Kingdom helped highlight differences between religious Jews and Jews who had adopted Greek customs under the rule of Alexander the Great. As a result, Antiochus IV Ephiphanes imposed "decrees banning certain Jewish religious rites and traditions." (Wikipedia). The Jewish people revolted. Led by the Maccabees, the Jewish revolt resulted in the formation of the Hasmonaean Dynasty, which ended in a civil war. In the face of the civil war, the Jewish people appealed to Rome. The Roman ruler Pompey responded to their appeals and sought to annex Judea to Rome. .

             Initially, Rome permitted Judea to function as an independent Jewish Kingdom, but it eventually became a province of Rome. The Roman administration was "often callous and brutal in its treatment of its Judean subjects," which led to a Jewish revolt in 66 CE. The revolt was unsuccessful, but did not result in increased restrictions on Jews. However, when the Jews revolted again in the 2nd century, Romans ravaged Judea and barred Jews from entering Jerusalem. .

             The ravaging of Judea provided the background for one of the most significant events in Jewish history: the Diaspora.