what was one effect of the maccabean revolt

This resulted in literature suggesting that those who suffered in their earthly life would be rewarded afterward, such as the Book of Daniel describing a future resurrection of the dead, or 2 Maccabees describing in detail the martyrdom of a woman and her seven sons under Antiochus, but who would be rewarded after their deaths.[114][115][116]. [1] Greek philosophical ideas spread through Palestine as well. [73][74], Josephus wrote over two centuries after the revolt, but his friendship with the Flavian dynasty Roman emperors meant he had access to resources undreamt of by other scholars. [3], In general, the ruling Greek policy during this time period was to let Jews manage their own affairs and not interfere overtly with religious matters. In 2 Maccabees, intended for an audience of Egyptian Jews who still lived under Greek rule, peaceful coexistence was possible, but misunderstandings or troublemakers forced the Jews into defensive action. [10] A new citadel garrisoned by Greeks and pro-Seleucid Jews, the Acra, was built in Jerusalem. The Maccabean Revolt (Hebrew: ) was a Jewish rebellion led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and against Hellenistic influence on Jewish life. Besides the establishment of Hanukkah, which is much more popular among Jews in the West, where Christmas is the dominant holiday, the rebellion inspired two books, Maccabees 1 and 2, added to the Bible. These sources exist in Greek; but the original language of 1 Maccabees was Hebrew, These soldiers were preparing to fight in an expedition to the east, not in Judea, but give a rough estimate to the total size of the Seleucid forces in the Western part of their empire capable of being deployed wherever the ruler needed them, not including local auxiliaries and garrisons. The situation then took an even more drastic turn when another Hellenized Jew named Menelaus paid even more for the position. Jerusalem was successfully captured, and the Temple of Jerusalem was reconsecrated, an act commemorated today in the Jewish Hanukkah festival. The rebellion marked the end of Seleucid control over the Levant and signaled the end of the Seleucid Dynasty. However, it greatly impacted the Near East's geopolitical situation at the time and left a legacy that can still be seen today. [7] Determined to see no more unrest in Judea, Antiochus IV decided to strike back by essentially outlawing the Jewish religion by establishing an altar to the Greek gods in the Temple. [20] The Maccabees themselves fight and exile Hellenists as well, most clearly in the final expulsion from the Acra, but also in the earlier countryside struggles against the Tobiad clan of Hellenist-friendly Jews. To understand this revolt, one needs to know what happened between the history recorded in the biblical account and these events circa 167 BC. [15], After Mattathias' death about one year later in 166BCE, his son Judas Maccabeus (Hebrew: Judah Maccabee) led a band of Jewish dissidents that would eventually absorb other groups opposed to Seleucid rule and grow into an army. In 141 BCE, Simon Thassi succeeded in expelling the Greeks from their citadel in Jerusalem. [110][111], The traumatic time period helped define the genre of the apocalypse and heightened Jewish apocalypticism. License. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah ("Dedication") commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE . The Testament is usually considered to have been written in the first century CE, but it is at least possible it was written much earlier, in the Maccabean or Hasmonean era, and then appended onto with first century CE updates. the revolt was led by his son Judas, . A Greek translation of the scriptures, the Septuagint, was also created during the third century BCE. Hellenism presented a unique challenged to the Jews of the Levant and their culture. [21] Judas launched expeditions to these regions outlying Judea to fight non-Jewish Idumeans, Ammonites, and Galileans. It was centered in Egypt, where Alexandria was the capital. Circles mark battles against Seleucids in Judea, triangles outlying cities attacked by the Maccabees. [37][34] Both Jonathan and now Simon had maintained diplomatic contact with the Roman Republic; official recognition by Rome came in 139 BCE, as the Romans were eager to weaken and divide the Greek states. At the time, Judea was home to many Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon thanks to the Persians. Antiochus IV appears to have augmented the size of his army by hiring additional mercenaries, at cost to the Seleucid treasury. The Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid rule in Judea began in earnest in 168 BC. The Maccabean Revolt: Anatomy of a Biblical Revolution, Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt, Insurrection: An Epic Novel About The Maccabean Revolt, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Help us and translate this article into another language! [95][82] For example, Josephus's account directly blames Menelaus for convincing Antiochus IV to issue his anti-Jewish decrees. Judas did not give battle, perhaps still rebuilding after his defeat at Beth Zechariah. Simon was the only one of the five sons of Mattathias to survive and he ushered in an 80-year period of Jewish independence in Judea, . [35], The Hasmonean leaders did not immediately call themselves "king" or establish a monarchy; Simon called himself merely "nasi" (in Hebrew, "Prince" or "President") and "ethnarch" (in Koine Greek, "Governor"). Rhodes would become "permanent allies" of the Romans in 164 BCE. Maccabean forces employed guerrilla tactics emphasizing speed and mobility. Web. The basic Hellenistic battle deployment consisted of heavy infantry in the center, mounted cavalry on the flanks, and mobile skirmishers in the vanguard. On 25 December 165 BCE, after months of work clearing and cleaning, the Temple was finally rededicated to God. As Judah stood there looking at the masses, so the story goes, he prayed to God for victory. The rebels as a whole would come to be known as the Maccabees, and their actions would be chronicled later in the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 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. Antiochus IV issued decrees officially suppressing the Jewish religion; subjects were required to eat pork and violate Jewish dietary law, work on the Jewish Sabbath, cease circumcising their sons, and so on. Mattathias killed a Jew who had stepped forward to take Mattathias' place in sacrificing to an idol as well as the Greek officer who was sent to enforce the sacrifice. While less trained and under-equipped for pitched battles, the Maccabees could control which battles they took and retreat into the wilderness when threatened. From there, they launched their attacks, creating much havoc in the region and often defeating larger Seleucid forces. They likely used simple leather armor due to a paucity of metals and craftsmen capable of making Greek-style metal armor. The rebels suffered a loss of support from moderates as a result. [59][67] The book also acts as Hasmonean dynasty propaganda in its editorial slant on events. Because of the benefits of the Greek culture, which included economic integration between all of the Greek states, and the pressure of regime, many Jewish people accepted Hellenism. Still, both the Jews and the Greeks had a fair amount of misunderstanding that exacerbated the situation. Submitted by Harry Oates, published on 29 October 2015. [4]. Greek HopliteJohnny Shumate (Public Domain). [35] The Seleucids did send an army back into Judea during this period, but Jonathan evaded it and refused battle until it eventually returned to the Seleucid heartland. Regent Lysias, having dealt with rivals back in Antioch, returned to Judea with an army to aid the Seleucid forces. His psychopathic tendency was exacerbated by resentment at what the siege had cost him, and he tried to force the Jews to violate their traditional codes of practice by leaving their infant sons uncircumcised and sacrificing pigs on the altar. The Israelites were forced out of the Kingdom of Judah. [29] Bacchides led an army of 20,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry into Judea on a second expedition intending to reconquer the restive province before it grew too used to autonomy. [4][5] Cultural change did happen, but was largely driven by Jews themselves inspired by ideas from abroad; Greek rulers did not undertake explicit programs of forced Hellenization. Successful, Jerusalem was captured and the Temple of Jerusalem reconsecrated, an act still commemorated today in the Jewish Hanukkah festival. The Revolt of the Maccabees is a major event in Jewish history. The Seleucid Empire was too riven with internal unrest to stop this, and Ptolemaic Egypt maintained largely friendly relations. One Good Fact; Entertainment & Pop Culture; Geography & Travel; Health & Medicine; Lifestyles & Social Issues; Literature; Philosophy & Religion . This proved a wise decision: many Hellenized Jews had cautiously supported the revolt due to the suppression of their religion. Toward the end of summer in 165 BCE, Antiochus IV departed for Babylonia in the eastern half of his empire, and left Lysias in charge of the western half as regent. He accepted a bribe and approved the takeover of Jason of the Oniad family to the now de facto client position of high priesthood. Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to the throne of the Seleucids in 175 BCE, and did not change this policy. They may have been supplemented by local Seleucid-allied militias and garrisons, however. Josephus appears to have used 1 Maccabees as one of his main sources for his histories, but supplements it with knowledge of events of the Seleucid Empire from Greek histories as well as unknown other sources. World History Encyclopedia. Antiochus IV led an army to attack Egypt. I R September 1, 2006 Topic: Society Regions: Levant Middle East Tags: Business Empire Evil Empire Labor Communism Federalism Tory Euro Revolt of the Maccabees Mini Teaser: The Biblical account. The size of the rebel army facing them is disputed; 1 Maccabees implausibly claims that Judas's army at Elasa was tiny, with 3,000 men of which only 8001,000 would fight. One of the most notable and unusual aspects of the book of 1 Maccabees by absence is the lack of any direct mention of God. For Antiochus the unexpected conquest of the city (Jerusalem), the looting, and the wholesale slaughter were not enough. His aim was to remove any features of Judaism that could define it from the Greek religion and other accepted monotheistic religions. [79][82], Other works appear to have at least been influenced by the Maccabean Revolt include the Book of Judith, the Testament of Moses, and parts of the Book of Enoch. Other kings were Ptolemy I, who received Egypt, and Lysimachus was given Thrace. [22], In 162 BCE, Judas began a long siege of the fortified Acra citadel in Jerusalem, still controlled by Seleucid loyalist Jews and a Greek garrison. [98] Daniel R. Schwartz argues that Antiochus IV's initial attacks on Jerusalem from 168167 BCE were not out of pure malice, as 1 Maccabees depicts, or a misunderstanding as 2 Maccabees depicts (and most scholars accept), but rather suppressing an authentic rebellion whose members were lost to history, as the Hasmoneans wished to show only themselves as capable of bringing victory. but the chief distinctions among them were religious and go back well before the Maccabean revolt. Eventually, internal division among the Seleucids and problems elsewhere in their empire would give the Maccabees their chance for proper independence. The Maccabees avoided direct conflict with the Seleucids, but the internal Jewish civil struggle continued: the rebels harassed, exiled, and killed Jews seen as insufficiently anti-Greek. [note 5][108] As a result, Hanukkah outlasted Hasmonean rule, although its importance receded as time passed. The Kingdom of Judah gained its independence from Syria. To understand the impacts that the Maccabean Rebellion had on the Near East, it is important to examine some of the factors that led to the rebellion and the revolt itself. The Temple of Jerusalem was filled with Greek statues. You can read about it in the First Book of Maccabees which is found in the Apocrypha, a collection of books included in Catholic Bibles and other places. [23] They battled Judas's forces in an open fight at the Battle of Beth Zechariah next, with the Seleucids defeating the Maccabees. Honigman 2014, p. 388389. 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. With support from the Romans, the Maccabees finally gained independence under Simon Maccabeus in 140 BC. He then outlawed certain practices such as circumcision and the Sabbath. The Jewish people were forced to worship in secret or be exiled. simple farmers dedicated to the laws of Moses, armed only with spears, bows and arrows, and rocks from the terrain, the Maccabees, as Mattathias' sons, particularly Judah, came to be known, fought a guerrilla war against the well-trained, well-equipped, seemingly endless forces of . Antiochus wanted to Hellenize the Jewish community. [34] The land was de jure part of the Seleucid Empire, but continuing civil wars gave the Maccabees considerable autonomy. The Jewish people needed someone to lead them. On his way back through Jerusalem after the successful campaign, High Priest Menelaus allegedly invited Antiochus inside the Second Temple (in violation of Jewish law), and he raided the temple treasury for 1800 talents. Nicanor took his forces into the field, and fought the Maccabees first at Caphar-salama, and then at the Battle of Adasa in late winter of 161 BCE. Battles during the Maccabean Revolt. Antiochus was made to look foolish. [46] The council of elders - which some see as a precursor to the Sanhedrin - ceased to be an independent check on the monarchy. Second Temple ModelDana Murray (CC BY-NC-SA). ABBREVIATIONS; ANAGRAMS; BIOGRAPHIES; CALCULATORS; CONVERSIONS; DEFINITIONS; GRAMMAR; LITERATURE . [25] Alcimus was accepted into Jerusalem, and proved more effective at rallying moderate Hellenists to the pro-Seleucid faction than Menelaus had been. The centuries leading up to the birth of Christ were filled with the drama of conquest and revolution. Antiochus sent for his most glorified general, Lysias, and around 60,000 Seleucid soldiers to try and do just that. However, after the Maccabees conquered the whole of Judea and enforced the collapse of the Seleucid Kingdom in Palestine, the Jewish people imposed themselves as an autonomous group. The Jewish revolt against the Greeks sets a precedent in human history - it becomes the world's first religious war. During both Ptolemaic and Seleucid rule, many Jews learned Koine Greek, especially upper class Jews and Jewish minorities in towns further afield from Jerusalem and more attached to Greek trading networks. They ritually cleansed the Second Temple, reestablishing traditional Jewish worship there; 25 Kislev, the date of the cleansing in the Hebrew calendar, would later become the date when the festival of Hanukkah begins. He refused and when another Jewish man stepped forward to do it, he murdered the officer. Demetrius II exempted Judea from payment of taxes in 142 BCE, essentially acknowledging its independence. Judas was eventually killed and the remaining Judeans fled. [58], The rebel forces grew with time. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. The company of Greek officers who arrived at Modi'in intending to enforce the king's ordinances addressed Mattathias first, for he was held in high esteem by the villagers. The Maccabean Revolt. [43] John Hyrcanus and his children would go on to centralize power more than Simon had done. While this would be cause for caution to the Seleucid Empire in the long term, it was not a particular concern in the short term, as the Romans would be unlikely to intervene if the Judean unrest could be decisively crushed. The Kingdom of Pergamon, directly on the Seleucid border, was a close Roman ally. [6][7] Three years later, a newcomer named Menelaus offered an even larger bribe to Antiochus IV for the position of high priest. The Seleucids under Antiochus III controlled much of the Arabian Peninsula forcibly converting many of its new populace to Greek culture and religion, and the intent in that hegemony continued as they took Jerusalem. The Romanized Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote about the event. [44][45] The Hasmoneans exiled leaders on the council or gerusia that they felt might threaten their power. During this period, the legitimized armies of Jonathan fought in these civil wars and border struggles to maintain the favor of allied Seleucid leaders. By Lesli . While he agreed the new find was an important discovery for the understanding of the period, Benedikt Eckhardt, a senior lecturer in ancient history at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, said the Israeli interpretation of them belonging to a refugee fleeing the Maccabee revolt was just one possibility. For the reprieve and donation, Antiochus VII was referred to as "Eusebes" ("Pious") by the grateful populace. We care about our planet! Then we have the formation of the kingdom; Davids' heroic reign; then the tribes are united under one ruler and Jerusalem gaining significance as the capital and a great religious center. The subsequent cleansing of the temple and rededication of the altar on 25 Kislev is the source of the festival of Hanukkah. He soon became independent of the Seleucids as high priest, ruler . The Maccabean Revolt is the Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid Empire from around 167 BC to 160 BC recorded in the Apocryphal books of First and Second Maccabees as well as Josephus's The Jewish Wars. The state understood this, and therefore, made it a legal requirement for anybody who could afford it to go at least once. [113], The persecution of the Jews under Antiochus, and the Maccabees response, would influence and create new trends in Jewish strains of thought with regard to divine rewards and punishments. 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 Maccabean Revolt: Anatomy of a Biblical Revolution. Antiochus, buoyed by his success of the gymnasium, decided to push harder against the Jewish religion. The Hasmoneans, while of the priestly line (Kohens), were seen by some as usurpers, did not descend from Zadok, and had taken the office originally only via a deal with a Seleucid king. [note 1] Tensions with the Ptolemaic dynasty continued, and Antiochus rode out on campaign again in 168 BCE. [14]. Maccabees, also spelled Machabees, (flourished 2nd century bce, Palestine), priestly family of Jews who organized a successful rebellion against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV and reconsecrated the defiled Temple of Jerusalem. Jonathan was given official authority to build and maintain an army in exchange for his aid. The Seleucids besieged Beth-Zur and took it without a fight, as it was a fallow year and food supplies were meager. The STANDS4 Network. Honigman downplays strongly the claims of actual religious persecution, however. [6] The events left many Jews incensed and ready for war. [29], The Seleucids had reasserted their authority in Jerusalem. Answer The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish rebellion against their Greek/Syrian oppressors in Israel, c. 167160 BC, as well as a rejection of Hellenistic compromises in worship. The outcome, however, remained the same; the formation of the Hasmonean Dynasty, an autonomous Jewish rule over Palestine that would last a generation. Today, the books are only considered canonical by the Roman Catholica and Eastern Orthodox Christian churches but have been used as a historical source for the Maccabean Rebellion, especially 1 Maccabees. [32], From 152141 BCE, the rebels achieved a state of informal autonomy akin to a suzerain. [79] Additionally, all those who had died under the king of the north would be revived, with those who suffered rewarded while those who had prospered would be subjected to shame and contempt. Antiochus IV accepted Menelaus bribe because he needed to fund his army during the Sixth Syrian War against Ptolemaic Egypt. If this person even existed, they lost their position after Jonathan Apphus, backed by his Maccabee army and his new alliance with Seleucid royal claimant Alexander Balas, took over the High Priest position in 152 BCE. Some see it as an economic and religious civil war, the Hellenised Jews that were propped up with the support of the Seleucids against the zealous who could only turn to their religion.
Winter Park Wedding Colorado, Visiting Nurses Lawrence Ks, Articles W