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This 400 years when there was no speaking or writing prophet, God was using as an incubator for his plan of salvation. With the Babylonian exile the Jews were dispersed to various conquered countries but allowed to practice their religion. Out of necessity the synagogue arose providing a place top learn and maintain their religion in a hostile world. They learned about eschatology and apocalyptic concepts from the Persians so that when Daniel and Ezekiel and later prophets are writing their prophecies, they had the concepts that originally were foreign to Jewish thinking.

With the Greeks, the language became in a short time under the conquests of Alexander, the language of commerce, society and culture throughout the middle east and parts of Europe. Greek philosophical concepts became the religion of the educated classes throughout the Greek conquered world and moved thinking including Jewish thinking from the concrete to include abstractions. the Old Testament was translated into the Greek language and made available in a language familiar throughout the Greek world.

The Romans with their vast armies and the need for safe supply lines created protected roads and cities throughout the conquered middle east and Europe paving the way for safe travel. Roman law civilized most of the disparate tribal cultures and provided a semblance of peace and justice and common coinage and commercial law for the Roman protectorates. Rome also saw the need for a friendly buffer between it and the hostile Egypt and gave Israel some freedom of self government.

Out of this incubator came four Jewish religious parties; the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Zealots. The Pharisees were located in southern Israel around Jerusalem and their center was the Temple and the School of Hillel, which would be considered much like our evangelical seminaries in that the teaching was broader and more liberal (not in the religious sense). The Zealots were located in the north, Galilee, and their center for religious studies was the synagogue and the School of Shammai, what would be comparable to our fundamentalist Bible colleges. They were very conservative in their religion and politics, looking for a political messiah who would rid Israel of the infidels and re institute the "golden age". What is interesting is that Jesus was from this region and culture, grew up under this influence and drew most of the Disciples (many of whom were his relatives)from around Galilee. The Essene's were fundamentalist separatists who withdrew from the culture. However in doing so they preserved portions of the Old Testament that were found in the 40's and authenticated the Word when it had been under attack for a long period by "higher criticism". The Sadducees were typical wealthy highly educated people who had no convictions except those of whoever was ruling or could protect their positions and interests.

Out of this period, as Daniel says "In the fullness of time" the world was prepared by God for His Son and the way prepared in governments, language, concepts, commerce, travel, people and institutions for the spread of the Gospel in rapid fashion. The Disciples, including Paul, were fanatics, chosen from the Zealot class, or religious fanatics like Paul, or used to being persistent and despised like Matthew. There were no softies in the first army.

But I suspect if we were living during this period we would be wringing our hands, wondering why God had forsaken us, while all the while He was, as Stedmen said, changing the scene and preparing the world for the greatest display of mercy, grace and love in Jesus Christ and it was all foretold a hundred years before..

>> This 400 years when there was no speaking or writing prophet, <<

There most certainly were prophets in this time. The schools of the prophets were re-established with the rededication of the Temple. Two such prophets are explicitly named in the New Testament, Anna and Simeon. ("There also lived a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher;" "It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he had witnessed the consolation of Israel.")

The prophetic school was abuzz with excitement at the time of the birth of Jesus, that the Messiah was about to be born unto a woman named Mary (Miriam.) For this reason, the eldest daughter of many pious families was commonly named Mary. (Hence, the majority of women mentionned in the gospels were named Mary: Mary of Joseph, Mary the mother of James and Joses, Mary of Magdala, Mary of Bethany, Mary the wofe of Cleopas, etc.)

From this prophetic school, there were several books written, but they were rejected by the Jews after the fall of Jerusalem, because they foretold the Messiah, among other reasons.