The Old Testament ends at about 400 BC. That ended the period of Jewish sacred writings. There was some writing done between then and the beginning of the Christian era but they are not universally accepted on the same level as those that are common to all Christians.
Between then and the first century of this era the Jews did not have an independent country—except for one short time. They were often oppressed and sometimes persecuted bitterly. Their only bright spot was when a man named Judas Maccabees led a revolt and managed to defeat his Greek overlords, purify the Jerusalem temple from its heathen defilement, and establish an independent Jewish state for a brief time. Though this was a great relief, this kingdom still fell far short of the prophetic hopes. This left the Jews longing both for further future deliverance and for the establishment of what they called “the kingdom of God” promised by their prophets. The small progress under Judas Maccabees gave them some hope. If he could succeed, even briefly, then God was able to raise up the necessary deliverer to restore the nation back to independence and prosperity.