why did the maccabean revolt happen

The military victory may have been more impressive, but as we already mentioned, the real battle was spiritual and not physical. 2. The Books of the Maccabees were both written in the first century BCE. Today, the State of Israel is predominately made up of the descendants of Judah. After Alexander the Greek (Great) died his Kingdom was separated and given to Greek, Roman and Syrian generals, one of which was Antichious. Alcimus fled from Jerusalem and went to the Seleucid king, asking for help. The last two Hasmonean rulers are the sons of Shlomzion, Hyrcanus and Aristobolus, both of whom are totally Hellenized. This time the Seleucid forces of 20,000 men were numerically so superior that most of Judah's men left the field of battle and advised their leader to do likewise and to await a more favorable opportunity. Lysias then appoints three generals, Ptolemy, Nicanor and Gorgias to fight. Today, the Jews call this feast Hanukkah. Which we now know to be against the bible and the laws of the Most High. 7. Two later 19th-century interpretations of the story are Judas Makkabaeus, a novella by the German writer Josef Eduard Konrad Bischoff, which appeared in Der Gefangene von Kuestrin (1885), and The Hammer (1890), a book by Alfred J. In 1746, the composer George Frideric Handel composed his oratorio Judas Maccabeus, putting the biblical story in the context of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Lysias skirted Judea as he had done in his first campaign, entering it from the south, and besieged Beth-Zur. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Jewish revolt against the Greeks sets a precedent in human history - it becomes the world's first religious war. Throughout the intertestamental period, the Roman Empire rapidly expanded its influence, eventually leading to the complete annexation of the Hasmonean Kingdom and the consolidation of Roman rule over Palestine. Even now, the state of Israel does not control all of the land. The seven major battles of the Maccabean Revolt took place in what is now the West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria. The religious and political backdrop set the stage for Jesus arrival, fulfilling many prophecies and bringing hope to a weary people. The intertestamental period witnessed the growing Jewish diaspora, with Jewish communities spreading throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond. They should not have been kings in the first place and then they became corrupted by their own power. During that period of time around 200 BC the European Romans were conquering the land of Jerusalem. 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. John 10:22-23 shows Jesus walking in the Temple area in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication. the world and the Most High laws, You may have come across the term Hasmonean or Hasmonean dynasty, and written it off as just another European Kingdom but nothing could be further from the truth. The extreme tactics employed by the Hasmoneans in their struggle with Hellenizing Jews, whose children they forcibly circumcised, indicate the inroads that Hellenism had already made. 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. C. Identify the psalm genre of the psalm that begins this way: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side let Israel now say if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the . Today we refer to these events as the Maccabean Revolt, named after the Jewish leader, Judah Maccabee. Antiochus IV had been in Rome as a hostage because of his father's military defeats. The family of Mattathias and Judah ruled until the rise of the Herods in 63 BC. In the hills, they organize a guerilla army, led primarily by the oldest of the sons named Judah, nicknamed Maccabee, which means the Hammer. Maccabee is also an acronym for mi komocho baalim Hashem, who is like you among the powers O God,the battle cry of the Jewish people. It is precisely this inner spiritual strength that has enabled the Jewish people to outlast the greatest empires in history and have monumental impact on humanity. Several explanations have been put forward for this surname. 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. 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. After which the temple is re-dedicating and all the unholy Roman statues removed which profaned the temple. [10] The Hellenizing Jews built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, competed in international Greek games, " removed their marks of circumcision and repudiated the holy covenant ". When they re-enter the Temple, the first thing they do is try to light a make-shift menorah (as the real gold one had been melted down by the Greeks) but only one vial of pure lamp oil with the special seal is discovered. Jewish History By understanding this pivotal era, we gain a deeper comprehension of the challenges faced by the Jewish people, the various sects within Judaism, and the Messianic expectations that shaped the reception of Jesus ministry. Its important that we discuss the Hasmonean dynasty because it brings everything together into our modern times. One suggestion is that the name derives from the Aramaic maqqaba ("makebet" in modern Hebrew), "hammer" or "sledgehammer" (cf. 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. This period, known as Hellenism, had a profound effect on Jewish society. Were there any religious developments during the intertestamental period? It encompasses roughly from 400 BC to 4 BC. Life Cycle There is virtually no cultural institution that more typifies ancient Greek culture than their athletic competitions. the 25th of December. DONATE In Christianity, the New Testament follows the line through Mary and Joseph to Jesus.. They hit on the idea of asking Rome to mediate in their dispute. Jewish priest who led the Maccabean Revolt, An imaginary depiction of Judas Maccabeus from, The modern Hebrew spelling for Maccabaeus follows a reconstruction based on the Greek name (the double "kk" being rendered as the Hebrew character, Virtually all that is known about Judah Maccabee is contained in the, Galilee, however, does not seem to have been evacuated of its Jewish population, since two generations later, when, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Theater 61 Press Presents Playing Dreidel with Judah Maccabee", The Hasmoneans on the Web (Resource Index), Judas Maccabeus on the Web (pictures and directory), "Under the Influence: Hellenism in Ancient Jewish Life", Erran Baron Cohen Presents: Songs in the Key of Hanukkah, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judas_Maccabeus&oldid=1160471815, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from November 2013, All articles needing additional references, Articles that may contain original research from August 2015, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0. When in 198 Palestine was conquered by King Antiochus III (reigned 223187 bce) of the Syrian Seleucid dynasty, the Jews were treated even more liberally, being granted a charter to govern themselves by their own constitutionnamely, the Torah. Again, the parallels between Hellenistic rhetoric and rabbinic hermeneutics are in the realm of terminology rather than of substance, and those between Roman and Talmudic law are inconclusive. This era, often overlooked and underexplored, played a crucial role in shaping the political, religious, and cultural landscape of the world, particularly in the region of Palestine. 54 Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; 55 And burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the streets. II Maccabees was originally written in Greek and based on earlier work written by Jason of Cyrene. The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. Despite the attempts of the Pharisaic leaders to restrain the wave of Greek influence, they themselves showed at least superficial Hellenization. It was him who entered the temple and ransacked it, taking the gold lamps stands and other utensils; it was also him who instituted the abolition of the 7th day Sabbath. The Herodian dynasty, starting with Herod the Great, ruled over Palestine under the oversight of Roman authority. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. As noted above, Mattathias was a cohen, and so it is not surprising that his son, Simon, should become High Priest. The first large-scale conversions were conducted by John Hyrcanus and Aristobulus I, who in 130 and 103 bce, respectively, forced the people of Idumaea in southern Palestine and the people of Ituraea in northern Palestine to become Jews. and the censers of gold, and the veil, and the crown, and the golden ornaments that were before the temple, all which he pulled off. Fernando Rodrguez-Gallego details its history in his critical edition: the play was performed in the 1620s in different versions and finally published as part of an anthology by Vera Tassis in 1637. Schalit, Abraham (1997). Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabus, Hebrew: , Yehudah HaMakabi) was a Jewish priest and a son of the priest Mattathias.He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167-160 BCE).. Did any significant religious texts emerge during the intertestamental period? What Happened in the Intertestamental Period? 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). When preaching, the Talmudic rabbis often gave the Greek translation of biblical verses for the benefit of those who understood only Greek. As mentioned earlier the 25th of the 9th month was significant because this is the exact same day that it was profaned by the Romans. Such numbers represent a considerable increase from previous eras and must have included large numbers of proselytes. Opposition to the priests oppressive rule arose among an urban middle-class group known as scribes (soferim), who based their interpretation of and instruction in the Torah on an oral tradition probably going back to the time of the return from the Babylonian Exile (538 bce and after). As warrior hero and national liberator, Judah Maccabee has inspired many writers, and several artists and composers. Commandments & Daily Living With him were his five sons, John Gaddi, Simon Thassi, Judas Maccabeus, Eleazar Avaran, and Jonathan Apphus. Judah took possession of Apollonius's sword and used it until his death as a symbol of vengeance. 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. The antipathy was reciprocated, for in the same passage in the Babylonian Talmud (the annotations and interpretations of the Oral Law compiled by Babylonian Jewish scholars in the 5th century ce) are added the words, Greater is the hatred wherewith the amme ha-aretz hate the scholar than the hatred wherewith the heathens hate Israel. That there was social mobility, however, is clear from the Talmudic dictum, Heed the sons of the amme ha-aretz, for they will be the living source of the Torah.. Im sure youve heard references such as Rome wasnt built in a day all of these phrases pay homage to the Roman Empire. 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. Many of the inhabitants chose to destroy their houses and leave the country. In other words, the Maccabean Revolt was presented as a nationalistic uprising against the oppression of a foreign power. 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. Theres only a few places where the Greeks can ascend and this is where the Maccabees choose to take them on. 10. Judah raised the siege of the Acra and went to meet Lysias. The Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who initially granted exemptions and privileges to the Jews, intervened at the request of Menelauss party. . [2] After Mattathias's death in 166 BCE, Judah assumed leadership of the revolt in accordance with the deathbed disposition of his father. 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. 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. The weaker Jewish army couldn't oppose the enemy and withdrew from Jerusalem, so Judah returned to wage guerrilla warfare. In a probable allusion to proselytism, in 139 bce the Jews of Rome were charged by the praetor with attempting to contaminate Roman morals with their religion. When we read the scriptures we see that the Messiah celebrated the Feast of Hanukkah: 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 31 And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side. Made with in California 2023. Lets delve deeper into what transpired during this significant period. 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. Maccabean Revolt. In conclusion, the intertestamental period is a crucial but often overlooked era in history. Ptolemy secured control of Egypt and the Land of Israel. 1. By a forced night march, Judah succeeded in eluding Gorgias, who had intended to attack and destroy the Jewish forces in their camp with his cavalry. The Pharisees stressed the importance of performing all the commandments, including those that appeared to be of only minor significance; those who were particularly strict in their observance of the Levitical rules were known as averim (companions). When Alcimus executed sixty priests who were opposed to him, he found himself in open conflict with the Maccabees. The chief doctrine of the Pharisees was that the Oral Law had been revealed to Moses at the same time as the Written Law. 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. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. The Jews are vastly outnumbered, poorly trained, and poorly equipped (not to mention, they have no elephants), but what they lack in training and equipment they make up in spirit. The liberation of Jerusalem was the first step on the road to ultimate independence. Even though the Jews regained a considerable amount of land when it declared statehood in 1948, gaining even more during the Six Day War, the ownership is endlessly argued. A good discussion of the political and religious developments in Judea from the beginning of the Maccabean revolt.
Hunterdon County Police News, Fbi Disqualifying Medical Conditions, Sun City Grand Realtors, Ucsd Colleges Requirements, Articles W