why did the maccabean revolt happen

His successor was another Hellenizer Alcimus. A Rational Approach to the Torahs Divine Origin, Israel This revolt of the Jews sets a precedent in human history. Unfortunately the writers of history seemed to think that everybody looked like them. In the Battle of Beth-zechariah, south of Bethlehem, the Seleucids achieved their first major victory over the Maccabees, and Judah was forced to withdraw to Jerusalem. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like List four of the Maccabean results that revealed the Power of God for the Jews, How did John Hyrcanus purify the rest of the country of pagan influences, What did John Hyrcanus do that caused problems with the Samaritans, problems that would last even through the time of Jesus and more. Yes, the intertestamental period witnessed the rise of various Jewish sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots, each representing different interpretations and practices of Judaism. The Jewish revolt against the Greeks sets a precedent in human history - it becomes the world's first religious war. Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to do his commandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers, yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathersWe will not obey the kings word by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left. 40 As had been her glory, so was her dishonour increased, and her excellency was turned into mourning. Judah sent his brother, Simeon, to Galilee at the head of 3,000 men; Simeon was successful, achieving numerous victories. Now when we read the story of the Maccabees it seems like its something that takes place over a few weeksthe battles take place, the Jews win, and the Greeks go home. Which we now know to be against the bible and the laws of the Most High. One of the peoples that are forcibly converted at this time are the Idumeans. Even now, the state of Israel does not control all of the land. Indeed, the supreme council of the Great Synagogue (or Great Assembly) of the Pharisees was modeled on Hellenistic religious and social associations. Matthais and his five sons were totally opposed to Roman rule and showed their intention to King Antichous representative by telling him that they will never break the Commandments of the Most High (1 Maccabees 2:19-23), They made it clear that they would never sell out even if other Israelites did, which was a reference to those who sold themselves out to the Roman rule. He accordingly assembled a new and larger army and marched with it on Judea from the south via Idumea. Its not just a numerical superiority the Greeks have. 29 And after two years fully expired the king sent his chief collector of tribute unto the cities of Juda, who came unto Jerusalem with a great multitude. Scholarly estimates of the Jewish population of this era range from 700,000 to 5,000,000 in Palestine and from 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 in the Diaspora, the prevailing opinion being that about one-tenth of the population of the Mediterranean world at the beginning of the Christian era was Jewish. Commandments & Daily Living And you can even play archeologist and go there and dig for a day. All of this was done on a day before the 25th of the 9th month which is around the same time that the pagan Christmas is kept i.e. The fame of Judas Maccabeus was heard across Jerusalem when he defeated the Greek general Apollonius (1 Maccabees 3:1-9), this caught the attention of the Syrian commander Seron, who decided that he would attempt to take down the Israelites to make a name for himself (1 Maccabees 3:13-14). The Herodian dynasty, starting with Herod the Great, ruled over Palestine under the oversight of Roman authority. They find the Temple defiled and turned into a pagan sanctuary, where pigs are sacrificed on the altar. We know the details of the Jewish fight against the Greeks and Hellenism from the two Books of the Maccabees as well as the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. The Romans also erected their own statues in holy places in Jerusalem and burned the books of the law, killing anybody that was found with the book of the law. . How did the events of the intertestamental period influence early Christianity? It is a rededication of the temple in Israel to remember what happened. (The line of Davidthe line of kingscomes from the tribe of Judah, whereas the line of the cohanim, the priests, comes from the tribe of Levi, as per the blessing of Jacob on his twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel.). But Kraemer cautions that, like all books, ancient and modern, its got a perspective. Since the collapse of the Roman Empire, notwithstanding some temporary Crusader holdings, the Promised Land has been under the sway of various Arab and Muslim nationsnotably the Ottoman Empiredown to modern times. According to the Bible, David, of the Tribe of Judah, was . In a battle near Adasa, on the 13th Adar 161 BCE, the Seleucid army was destroyed and Nicanor was killed. Now you know what Hanukkah is heres an explanation of how long it lasts, The celebration last 8 days. This led to a rebellion against the Romans led by Judas Maccabees. To associate the rabbis with urbanization seems a distortion. It is not known whether this surname should be understood in Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic. There is evidence of discussions between rabbis and Athenians, Alexandrians, Roman philosophers, and even the emperor Antoninus Pius (reigned 138161); despite all of these discussions, only one rabbi, Elisha ben Abuyah (early 2nd century), appears to have embraced gnosticism, accepting certain esoteric religious dualistic views. If by apocalypse, one simply means works which are based on divine revelation, but, above all, divine revelation concerning things to come, then I would say, that the Book of Daniel is the first . Jerusalem is a divided city, and the Israelis have not dared claim all of the Temple Mount for themselves, because they know that it would result in an all-out war with the Muslims. Apocrypha means the hidden books, of which one of those books is The Maccabees books, which have also been titled The Maccabees Bible by some. All Rights Reserved. December 4, 2015 3:34 PM EST. (The relationship between the Jews and the Romans actually began during the Maccabian Revolt when Judah Maccabee made an alliance with Rome). Among his many errors, Yochanan Hyrcanus does a terrible anti-Jewish thing. If he had, He would have avoided the Temple. He is more than happy to oblige and move his armies into Israel. Share Watch on Depiction of the Maccabees at the Or Torah Synagogue in Acre, Israel. They hit on the idea of asking Rome to mediate in their dispute. This immediately tells us that he was from the same tribe as Moses, who also was a Levite, Its also important to know that Simeon, John, Eleazar and Johnathan the brothers of Judas Maccabeues and he himself were all men of colour i.e a Negro black men, you can find out who Israel are here. According to the Palestinian Talmud (the annotations and interpretations of the Oral Law compiled by Palestinian Jewish scholars in the 3rd and 4th centuries ce), there were 24 types of heretics in Palestine in 70 ce, thus indicating much divergence among Jews; this picture is confirmed by Josephus, who notes numerous instances of religious leaders who claimed to be prophets and who obtained considerable followings. Meanwhile, Demetrius I Soter, son of Seleucus IV Philopator and nephew of the late Antiochus IV Epiphanes, fled from Rome in defiance of the Roman Senate, arrived in Syria. The Maccabean Rebellion was a conflict that pitted Hellenism against Abrahamic monotheism, leaving several long-lasting impacts on the Near East and a few that can still be seen today. At every stage, an attempt is made to identify the groups supporting the Hasmoneans, a vexed question not . He figures in a tenth-century illustrated manuscript Libri Maccabaeorum. The late medieval French artist Jean Fouquet painted an illustration of Judah triumphing over his enemies for his famous manuscript of Josephus. The Maccabean Revolt was caused by several factors including: The promotion of Greek culture The persecution of Judaism by the Seleucid Empire The prohibition on various Jewish practices by the. Key developments during this period include the rise of Hellenistic influence, the Maccabean revolt, and the establishment of the Roman Empire. When Maccabees succeeded in taking back the temple, this marked the regaining of power back from Roman rule, which was the start of the Hasmonean dynasty, a priestly rulership, because they were Levite priests. Jacob Benjamin Katznelson (18551930) wrote the poem, "Alilot Gibbor ha-Yehudim Yehudah ha-Makkabi le-Veit ha-Hashmona'im" (1922); the Yiddish writer Moses Schulstein wrote the dramatic poem, "Yehudah ha-Makkabi" (in A Layter tsu der Zun, 1954); Jacob Fichman's "Yehudah ha-Makkabi" is one of the heroic tales included in Sippurim le-Mofet (1954). The defenders found themselves in a precarious situation because their provisions were exhausted, it being a sabbatical year during which the fields were left uncultivated. What happened in the intertestamental period? 37 Thus they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it: 38 Insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was made an habitation of strangers, and became strange to those that were born in her; and her own children left her. 30 And spake peaceable words unto them, but all was deceit: for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel. One of the best-known literary works on the theme is Judas Maccabaeus (1872), a five-act verse tragedy by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. All of this will give you a deeper understanding of the scriptures and how this historic event fits into the Bible and our lives today. His body was taken by his brothers from the battlefield and buried in the family sepulchre at Modiin. Thus, during the time of Christ, Jews lived in the land and even worshipped in the Second Temple, but they did not really possess the land because it was under Roman jurisdiction. The Hanukkah story began with a confrontation in Modi'in in roughly 168 BCE and ended several years later, when the Maccabees the band of Jewish fighters who battled the Syrian empire regained control of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it. They start a new ruling dynasty in Israelthe Hasmonean dynastywhich lasts for 103 years and which is marked by great territorial expansion but also by a terrible moral and religious decline. After Judah was taken into captivity, Babylon ruled the Promised Land under Nebuchadnezzar. T here's a version of the story of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday that begins on Sunday evening, that many modern-day celebrants probably know. Its a hidden account, the final prophecy of the prophet Daniel, which was written at the time of the Maccabean revolt, so youve got some evidence about it but its not a direct testimony. This date is significant because its the same day that the Romans profaned the temple sanctuary. Schalit, Abraham (1997). Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. Seleucus grabbed Syria and Asia Minor, and Antigonus took Greece. SimpleToRemember.com - Judaism Online. ABOUT He is largely Hellenized and siding with the Sadducees (the Jews who only follow the Written Torah, making up their own interpretations) against the Pharisees (the mainstream Jews). From the time of John Hyrcanus the Sadducees generally held a higher position than the Pharisees and were favoured by the Jewish rulers. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomons porch. Thanksgiving or Self-Indulgence? These sects laid the foundation for the religious landscape that Jesus encountered during his ministry. After being conquered by Alexander the Great (332 bce), Palestine became part of the Hellenistic kingdom of Ptolemaic Egypt, the policy of which was to permit the Jews considerable cultural and religious freedom. The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. The Talmud and the Miracle of Oil. In the Battle of Elasa, Judah and those who remained faithful to him were killed. Two other 17th century works are La chevalerie de Judas Macab by French poet Pierre Du Ries,[8] and the anonymous Neo-Latin work Judas Machabaeus (Rome, 1695). I Maccabees was originally written in Hebrew as an official court history for the Hasmonean Dynasty. Again, there was a superficial Hellenization in the frequent adoption of Greek names, even by the rabbis; and there is evidence (Talmud, Soa [a tractate in the Mishna]) of a school at the beginning of the 2nd century ce that had 500 students of Greek wisdom. At the end of the 2nd century, long after the rabbis prohibited the people from teaching their sons Greek (117), Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi (135220), the editor of the Mishna, the authoritative compilation of the Oral Law, could still remark, Why talk Syriac in Palestine? Jewish History The influence of the Hellenizers all but collapsed in the wake of the Seleucid defeat. Several 20th-century Jewish authors have also written works devoted to Judah Maccabee and the Maccabean Revolt. Yes, during this period, Jewish writings known as the Apocrypha and several influential books known as the Pseudepigrapha were composed. After Alexander the Greats conquests, Greek culture and influence rapidly spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean, including Palestine. Today you will find out who the Maccabees were and the famous Maccabean revolt which is popularly mentioned and why it happened. Mirah refers to Judah Maccabee in her song "Jerusalem". 13 Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen: 14 Whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen: 15 And made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do mischief. 24 And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly. In "The Goldbergs Mixtape", a parody song is named "Judah Macabee". Kabbalah & Spirituality We know the details of the Jewish fight against the Greeks and Hellenism from the two Books of the Maccabees as well as the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. The family of Mattathias and Judah ruled until the rise of the Herods in 63 BC. The equation of Pharisaic with normative Judaism can no longer be supported, at any rate not before the destruction of the Temple in 70 ce. He transplanted a substantial portion of the Jewish settlements, including women and children, to Judea. (PikiWiki Israel) What defines the intertestamental period? According to that version, a group of Jews had been attracted by Hellenistic ways, and it was against that Hellenized leadership that the Maccabees revolted, taking back their temple. Before his death Seleucus Philopater had sent his son to Rome in exchange for his brother Antiochus IV. That the Maccabean ruler John Hyrcanus I (reigned 135104 bce) broke with them and that Josephus set their number at merely more than 6,000 at the time of King Herod indicates that they were less numerous and less influential than Josephus would have his readers believe. Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, celebrates the Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BCE), and the narrative that Jewish rebel Judas Maccabeus vanquished the evil Greek emperor Antiochus and rededicated the Temple, at which the miracle of the oil occurred. The Maccabean revolt was seared into Jewish memory. In the early days of the rebellion, Judah received a surname Maccabee. Babylon later fell to the Medo-Persian Empire, which then became sovereign over Jerusalem and the Promised Land. By James M. Rochford. By the early rabbinic period about a century later at the time that the Mishnah (the first compilation of oral rabbinic law included in the Talmud) was redacted the holiday had become known by the name of Hanukkah ("Dedication"). The Jewish population of the areas taken by the Maccabees was evacuated to Judea. The annual "Day of Nicanor" was instituted to commemorate this victory. (1). It is at the forefront of the spiritual struggle i.e. ", the Maccabean battle-cry to motivate troops. It is the national celebration of the rededication of the Temple by the Jews at the end of the Maccabean revolt. Judas Maccabees father Mattathias was the son of Hasmoneus (Hasmon). During World War II the Swiss-German writer Karl Boxler published his novel Judas Makkabaeus; ein Kleinvolk kaempft um Glaube und Heimat (1943), the subtitle of which suggests that Swiss democrats then drew a parallel between their own national hero, William Tell, and the leader of the Maccabean revolt against foreign tyranny. The Second Exodus (Part One). Article by Harry Oates published on 29 October 2015 Listen to this article Available in other languages: French The Maccabean Revolt of 167-160 BCE was a Jewish uprising in Judea against the repression of the Seleucid Empire. Judah raised the siege of the Acra and went to meet Lysias. 14. Your email address will not be published. Chanukahone of two holidays added to the Jewish calendar by the rabbiscelebrates 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 Greek. The besieged, who included not only Syrian-Greek troops but also Hellenistic Jews, appealed for help to Lysias, who effectively became the regent of the young king Antiochus V Eupator after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes at the end of 164 BCE during the Parthian campaign. Sadducees The Sadducees ( / sdjsiz /; Hebrew: , romanized : dqm) were a socio-religious sect of Jews active in Judea during the Second Temple period, from the second century BCE through the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. After which the temple is re-dedicating and all the unholy Roman statues removed which profaned the temple. One suggestion is that the name derives from the Aramaic maqqaba ("makebet" in modern Hebrew), "hammer" or "sledgehammer" (cf. After several years of guerrilla warfare against the Seleucid forces, the Maccabees successfully recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the desecrated Jewish temple. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. According to First Maccabees, religious persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes led the rebels known as Maccabees to take back their temple from the Syrian-Greek Empire. What can we learn from the intertestamental period? Judas Maccabees and his brothers are able to be successful because of the support of the Most High even though they were outnumbered by the Romans generals during the battles, Another monumental battle is the take back of the the sanctuary in Jerusalem from the nations who captured it, as explained previously (1 Maccabees 4:41-), After this victory Maccabees and the others rebuilt the Sanctuary temple and made new holy vessels. His son and especially his grandsons became ardent Hellenists. The weaker Jewish army couldn't oppose the enemy and withdrew from Jerusalem, so Judah returned to wage guerrilla warfare. The Greek troops show up in the town of Modiin (a site west of Jerusalem which you can visit today off the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway) and demand that the Jews there sacrifice a pig to the Greek gods. What role did the Herodian dynasty play in the intertestamental period? Mindful of the superiority of Seleucid forces during the first two years of the revolt, Judah's strategy was to avoid any engagement with their regular army, and to resort to guerrilla warfare, in order to give them a feeling of insecurity. A miracle occurred and it burned for eight days. Lysias then appoints three generals, Ptolemy, Nicanor and Gorgias to fight. In 167 BCE Mattathias, together with his sons Judah, Eleazar, Simon, John, and Jonathan, started a revolt against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who since 169/8 BCE had issued decrees that forbade Jewish religious practices. The last two Hasmonean rulers are the sons of Shlomzion, Hyrcanus and Aristobolus, both of whom are totally Hellenized. 16 Now when the kingdom was established before Antiochus, he thought to reign over Egypt that he might have the dominion of two realms. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Another big blow was dealt to Israel when one of the Antiochus generals was able to take over the Sanctuary in Jerusalem expelling the Israelites as well as killing and taking their livestock. John W. Ritenbaugh No one in the ancient world died for their gods; only the Jews thought that their religionthe only monotheistic religion at the timewas worth dying for. The Maccabean revolt was a fight for Israel and the remaining tribes at that time the tribes left in Jerusalem were Judah, Benjamin and Levi predominantly (Commonly labelled as Jews). This revolt took place because the Israelites were fighting for the laws and commandments of the Most High, which is our faith today. A Greek garrison remained stationed in Jerusalem in the Acra fortress and the Greek armies besiege Jerusalem and attempt to re-conquer the City. Despite some of Judah having returned to the land, ever since the Babylonian captivity, she has only rarely and intermittently held sovereignty over it. Scholars have revised the conception of a normative Pharisaic Judaism dominant in Palestine and a deviant Judaism dominant in the Diaspora. (I Maccabees 2:19-22), But there is a Hellenized Jew in the town who is willing to do what is unspeakable in Jewish eyes. When Did Jews Start Lighting Candles on Hanukkah? [11] When war against the external enemy came to an end, an internal struggle broke out between the party led by Judah and the Hellenist party. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Part of the explanation of this may be that, although there were 29 Greek cities in Palestine, none was in Judaea, the real stronghold of the Jews. When people hear the word Maccabees it probably doesnt ring a bell.The book of Maccabees has long become a forgotten work, even though it is pivotal in establishing the most dominant faith in the world which is Catholicism. Giuda Macabeo, ossia la morte di Nicanore (1839), is an Italian "azione sacra" based on which Vallicella composed an oratorio. 32 But the women and children took they captive, and possessed the cattle. The First Book of Maccabees[3] praises Judah's valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made Judah a natural choice for the new commander. The Maccabean revolt, fueled by a desire to preserve Jewish identity and religious freedom, emerged in response to this oppression. The reason he did so is not entirely clear, but it seems to have been related to the King mistaking an internal conflict among the Jewish priesthood as a full-scale rebellion. In their exegesis and interpretation of this oral tradition, particularly under the rabbi Hillel (1st century bce1st century ce), the Pharisees were flexible, and their regard for the public won them considerable support. They believed in the providential guidance of the universe, in angels, in reward and punishment in the world to come, and in resurrection of the dead, all of which were opposed by the Sadducees. When the Maccabees succeeded in getting Jewish . The religious and political backdrop set the stage for Jesus arrival, fulfilling many prophecies and bringing hope to a weary people. We know the details of the Jewish fight against the Greeks and Hellenism from the two Books of the Maccabees as well as the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. The intertestamental period illuminates the complex historical, religious, and political context in which Jesus and the early church emerged. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. 11 In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow. The Maccabees made light work of Seron with the backing of the Most High (1 Maccabees 3:14-26). Lysias decided to propose a peaceful settlement, which was concluded at the end of 163 BCE. And thats not all. It doesnt take much to observe the holidayand its fun.. After several additional years of war under the leadership of two of Mattathias' other sons (Jonathan and Simon), the Jews finally achieved independence and the liberty to worship freely. This is the priesthood within the tribes of Israel. For more information on this topic grab yourself an Apocrypha here and read the book of Maccabees. But it is not just a war against the Greeks, it is also a civil warJews, who were loyal to Judaism, fighting other Jews, who had become Hellenized and who were siding with the Greeks. By the beginning of the 2nd century, the influence of the Hellenistic Age in Judaea was quite strong; indeed, it has been argued that, if the Seleucids had not forcibly intervened in Jewish affairs, Judaean Judaism would have become even more syncretistic than Alexandrian Judaism. In any event, the Maccabees soon reached a modus vivendi with Hellenism: thus, Jonathan (died 143/142 bce), according to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (c. 38c. Because they did not take an active role in fostering the rebellion against Rome in 6670 ce, their leader, Johanan ben Zakkai, obtained Roman permission to establish an academy at Yavneh (Jamnia), where in effect the Pharisees replaced the cult of the Temple with a regimen of study and prayer. What are the key takeaways from the intertestamental period? When preaching, the Talmudic rabbis often gave the Greek translation of biblical verses for the benefit of those who understood only Greek. The Jews enjoyed a measure of peace, but their freedom depended on the favor of the ruling Persian emperor. Hanukkah represents the victory over the gentile Nations specifically the Romans who desecrated the temple in Israel around 160BC. In other words, the Maccabean Revolt was presented as a nationalistic uprising against the oppression of a foreign power. Like the later so-called Qumrn covenanters (the monastic group associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls), they were opposed to the Jewish priesthood and the cult of the Temple, regarded Moses as a messianic figure, and forbade the revelation of esoteric doctrines to outsiders.
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