The Maccabees

1. The Maccabees

2. Background Information • 323 B.C.E. Alexander the Great dies. His vast empire is soon split up among his generals, one of which is SeleucusNicator. Seleucus begins the Seleucid Empire in 312 B.C.E. • 198 B.C.E. the Greek Seleucid dynasty in Syria had control of Palestine • 175 B.C.E. - An aggressive campaign to force Greek culture (Hellenization) into the lives of those in Judea is undertaken by Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes. According to 1 Maccabees 1:20-64, Antiochus made it illegal to study Jewish law and tried to coerce the Jews to abandon the worship of their God. • 167 B.C.E Antiochus Epiphanes, the ruler of the Seleucid Empire, invaded Jerusalem. 2

3. Background Information Cont. • During this push for Hellenism (175B.C.E.) • Certain renegades from Israel misled many, saying “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us…” • After building a “gymnasium” in Jerusalem, they removed the mark of circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant • (1 Maccabees 1:11-15) • Sold themselves to do evil • This shows a lack of commitment to God • Signs of pollution in Jewish temples 3

4. Rebellion • When a Greek official tried to force a priest named Mattathias to make a sacrifice to a pagan god, the Jew murdered the man. Predictably, Antiochus began reprisals, but in 167 B.C.E. the Jews rose up behind Mattathias and his five sons and fought for their liberation. • One of Mattathias’ five sons, Judas, becomes military chief of the rebellion after the death of his father. Judas would later be known as Judas Maccabaeus (or Judah the Maccabee), which translated means, "Judah the Hammerer." Judas was called "the hammerer" as recognition of his ferocity in battle. 4

5. Chanukkah Is Created • 164 B.C. - Judas Maccabeus leads a group of dissidents to victory over Antiochus' military. Judas enters Jerusalem and religiously cleanses the Temple, which had been polluted by the Seleucids. On the twenty-fifth day of Kislev the Temple was re-dedicated. A miracle is believed to have occurred when only one day's supply of oil in the temple's candelabrum lasted for eight days. This event is commemorated each year by the Jews through the holiday known as Chanukkah. 5

6. Channukkah Cont. • Chanukah – celebrates two kinds of miracles: 1) the military victory of the vastly outnumbered Jews against the Greeks; and 2) the spiritual victory of Jewish values over those of the Greeks. It is the spiritual victory which is symbolized by the lights of Chanukkah. 6

7. Aftermath • The Jews enjoyed relative political and religious freedom from 164 B.C.E. until the Roman general Pompey entered Palestine in 63 B.C.E. From that point on, the Jews of Palestine were ruled by the Romans. 7

8. Presented by David Ruiz