Rulers after Malachi

After the prophet Malachi (circa 420 BCE), Jerusalem was ruled by various empires, first under Persian governors (Yehud), then conquered by Alexander the Great and passed through the Ptolemaic(Egyptian) and Seleucid (Syrian) Greek empires, leading to the Maccabean Revolt and Hasmonean rule, until the Romans took over (63 BCE) and installed client kings like Herod the Great, ushering in the New Testament era. 

Key Rulers & Periods After Malachi:

• Persian Rule (Yehud): Following the Babylonian Exile, Persia governed Judea as a province, with leadership shifting to High Priests, governors (like Nehemiah), and scribes (like Ezra).
• Hellenistic Rule (332 BCE onwards): Alexander the Great conquered the Persians, and after his death, his generals (Diadochi) divided the empire, with the Ptolemies (Egypt) and later Seleucids (Syria) controlling Jerusalem.
• Hasmonean Dynasty (c. 140 – 63 BCE): A period of Jewish independence established by the Maccabees, who ruled as kings from Jerusalem.
• Roman Rule (63 BCE onwards): Pompey conquered Jerusalem for Rome, ending Hasmonean independence. Rome appointed client kings, most famously Herod the Great, who ruled when Jesus was born. 

This period, known as the Intertestamental Period, bridges the Old and New Testaments, transitioning Jerusalem from ancient Jewish rule to Roman provincial control.