Hellenistic Jerusalem follows Persian Jerusalem with the defeat of King Darius in 333 BCE by Alexander the Great. Not too long after, Alexander the Great dies in 323 BCE and is succeeded by 2 different factions. Around this time, the lands of Israel, Judah, Jerusalem and so forth starts to be called Palestine, a Greek interpretation of the Hebrew name "Philistine".
The Ptolemies (Egyptians) succeed Alexander and captures Jerusalem in 320 BCE. The Ptolemies were pretty lenient. Jerusalem was given autonomy as long as they paid taxes and didn't revolt. The Ptolemies were defeated by the Seleucids (Syrians) in 201 BCE. Antiochus III defeats Ptolemy V at Paneas in 198 BCE. They also annex Jerusalem and Palestine. The Seleucids were not as flexible as the Ptolemies and wanted to aggressively Hellenize the Jews. They felt that their way of life was superior and wanted to export it. Every aspect of Jewish life was affected (including burials, which are very conserved in all cultures). An example of the Hellenization was The Septuagint (or LXX): the Hebrew Bible translated into Greek. In fact, the New Testament heavily quotes from the LXX and not the actual Bible. It shows here that enough Jews spoke Greek and were Hellenized to cause a need for a Greek translation of the Bible. Problems arise when Antiochus IV sells the High Priesthood to his brother Jason and then later again, to Menelaus. This angers the Jews.
In response to the false appointments of High Priests, the Jews rebel. Antiochus IV returns and reconquers Jerusalem and enacts punishment. He loots the Temple's Treasury, outlaws Jewish practices such as circumcision, sacrifices a pig on the Temple alter and converts the Temple into the Temple of Zeus. The Jewish reactions were varied. Some welcomed it as God's plan and/or wrath. Others resisted. This caused Jewish infighting leading to different Jewish sects and further revolts.
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Hasmonean Jerusalem followed the Hellenization of Jerusalem. Conservative Jews who didn't like the state of affairs revolted. They were led by Judas Maccabeus (the Hammer) and thus, the revolt was named the Maccabean Revolt. They rebelled against other Jews as well as the Greeks. They utilized guerrilla warfare techniques against the superior Seleucid army. They eventually regained the Temple and Jerusalem from the Seleucids around 165 BCE. The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the victory of regaining the Temple. They eventually established Jewish self-rule (for the first time since the Babylonian exile) and this gave rise to the Hasmonean Dynasty.
The Hasmonean Dynasty would be the last time the Jews were in control of the government until modern day. In the beginning, the Hasmoneans stated that they would only be temporary kings due to the fact that they were not of the Davidic line. At the height of the Hasmonean Dynasty, John Hyrcanus was the king. The Hasmoneans were able to reconquer and expand Jewish territory. Ironically, they eventually became increasingly Hellenized, secular, and corrupt. They assumed the office of BOTH king and high priest, were insensitive to Jewish tradition and overly nationalistic. They also forcibly Judaized the surrounding gentile regions. Although Jerusalem's size increased during this time, large amounts of infighting weakened the dynasty and allow Pompey (of the Roman Empire) to easily defeat the Hasmoneans in 63 BCE. John Hyrcanus was restored as the High Priest but no longer had any political authority.
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