[broadsword]

The Jewish tradition is that prophecy ended with the death of Ezra, and the Hebrew Bible was closed soon thereafter. This was about the time of Alexander, well before the time of the Maccabees. This was about 70 years before the Septuagint.

So then your Messiah was not to be any kind of prophet or did he already come about the time of Alexander?

[hlmencken3]

http://www.aish.com/literacy/concepts/Divine_Inspiration_Part_Two.asp

Prophecy is very difficult to attain when the Ark of the Covenant is not in its place in the Holy Temple. Therefore, when the Temple was destroyed and the Ark permanently concealed, prophecy became very difficult.

Moreover, prophecy can only exist in the Holy Land when it is inhabited by the majority of Israelites in the world.

Therefore, when the majority of Israelites refused to return to the Holy Land in the time of Ezra, the land ceased to have its special status with respect to prophecy, and prophecy ceased to exist.

However, it will be restored in the Messianic age, when the majority of Israelites once again live in the Holy Land.

- Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan