Between Malachi and Matthew
The time between the last OT book (Malachi) to the first NT book (Matthew), is roughly 400 years.
The Romans controlled Palestine.
Aramaic was the common language. Greek was the language of commerce and communications throughout the Roman empire. Hebrew was the language of religion.
Targums: Aramaic paraphrases of Scripture.
Old Testament ends in 430 B.C. with Malachi.
Side note: It is thought that Greek history begins in the 12th century B.C. (The time of the book of Judges). Authentic Greek history begins in 776 B.C.
Alexander the Great invaded Palestine in 332 B.C. After his death, his empire was divided among four of his generals. Syria went to Seleucus. Egypt to Ptolemy. Palestine went first to Syria, than to Egypt, and remained under Egyptian control until 198 B.C. Antiochus the Great recaptured Palestine in 198 B.C.
Antiochus Ephiphanes (2nd century B.C.) committed sacrilege with the pig in the temple, installed a statue of Zeus in the altar, etc. this led to the Maccabean revolt.
Maccabean period (167 --63) is also called the Hasmonean, or Asmonean period. The priest Mattathias revolted against Antiochus. Matthathias' son recaptured the temple (165). This is the Origin of Feast of Hanukkah, which means Feast of Dedication. Judas established the line of Hasmonean priest rules, for the next 100 years, which governed an independent Judea.
Roman Period: 63 B.C. - 636 A.D.
Pompey (63 B.C.) a Roman general. He made Palestine part of the Roman empire.
King Herod (37 A.D. -4 B.C.) an Edomite (from Esau). He was cruel and brutal, but expanded and beautified the temple.
At the close of the OT, Palestine was a Persian province. At the time of Christ, Palestine was divided into three regions: Galilee, Samaria, Judea. Judea is the latinized form of Judah. Judea was under Roman control until A.D. 37.
The synagogue was "invented" and came into prominence during the Babylonian Captivity. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed at that time. In the synagogue a passage from Scripture would be read in Hebrew (the language of religion), followed by the Targum (Aramaic) of the same passage.
The Sadducee's accepted only the five books of Moses in the OT.
The Pharisees accepted the Torah and tradition (the applications of the Law as taught by earlier teachers of the Law). Jesus rejected the validity of the oral laws of the Pharisees, and their emphasis on ritual purity that made them refuse any contact with "sinners." The Pharisees were exclusivistic, in the sense that they disinvited all who did not live by their standards. It was this exclusivism that Christ objected to. Jesus taught that it is what is inside a person that counts, and that the Pharisees also needed God’s mercy.
The Zealots and Herodians were more political parties. The Zealots were nationalists.
"Rabbi" means "my master," "my lord." It was a general term of respect. John said rabbi means "teacher." (John 1:38; 20:16). "Rabbi" did not become a professional title until much later. Salaried rabbi's did not appear until the Middle Ages.
The Sanhedrin were comprised of elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. During the Roman period, the internal government of Palestine was largely in the hands of the Sanhedrin. It is probable that after the death of King Herod, their authority was limited to Judea. The Sanhedrin was abolished after A.D. 70.
King Herod built the Wailing Wall. The second temple complex was finished in A.D. 64.
Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the common language in Palestine after the Babylonian Exile (circa 586 B.C.).
The Septuagint translation of the OT was for Greek-speaking Jews, and the Targums were for Aramaic-speaking Jews. The Septuagint translation of the Torah is excellent, but it varies in quality a great deal with the other OT books. The Targums are translations of the Hebrew OT into Aramaic.
The Pseudepigrapha writings are though to come from this period.