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The Maccabees - Politics, Business, Civil, History - Posted: 7th Feb, 2005 - 5:39am
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The Maccabees
The story of the Maccabees has always fascinated me since it was taught in great detail in Israel every year during Hanukkah. It details the rebellion of this Jewish family that lived in Greece, against the harsh king Antiochus IV.
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| The Maccabees appear in history as the family of a priest, Mattathias, dwelling in Modin, who opposed the Hellenizing tendencies of the Syrian ruler Antiochus IV. Antiochus had taken advantage of factionalism among the Jews and had stripped and desacralized the Temple and begun a religious persecution. Mattathias, after killing an apostate Jew who took part in a Greek sacrifice, killed the royal enforcing officer. With his five sons he fled to the mountains and was joined by many Hasidim. Thus began a guerrilla war. On Mattathias' death (166 B.C.) the leadership passed to his son Judas Maccabeus, from whose surname the family name is derived. Judas, an excellent military leader, defeated an expedition sent from Syria to destroy him. Having occupied Jerusalem, he reconsecrated the Temple; the feast of Hanukkah celebrates this event (165 B.C.). At that time there was civil strife in Syria. Demetrius I, then in control, sent the general Nicanor with an army against Judas; that expedition was routed, but another, led by Bacchides, defeated and killed Judas (161? B.C.). Judas' brother Jonathan (after whom I was named), the new leader, was successful for a time; he supported Demetrius' rival, Alexander Balas, and made treaties of friendship with Sparta and Rome. Jonathan was killed by treachery in 143 B.C., and the last brother, Simon, succeeded; he was recognized by the other powers as civil ruler as well as high priest, and Palestine enjoyed some years of peace. Eventually Antiochus VII sent an expedition against the Jews; Simon defeated it, but in the disorder afterward he was murdered (135 B.C.) by an ambitious son-in-law. John Hyrcanus, Simon's son, managed to gain the ascendancy in the subsequent strife. He fought against Antiochus and remained in power until his death (105? B.C.). Under him Judaea enjoyed its greatest political power |
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Post Date: 7th Feb, 2005 - 5:39am / Post ID: #
Maccabees The
I had read first and second Maccabees but never truly understood how fierce the Maccabees where. Upon reading in the encyclopedia and in my bible dictionary about the Maccabees, I realized that the Maccabees where fierce fighters for freedom in their time. I would compare them to freedom fighters in that they where willing to sacrifice themselves for what they believed. I highly recommend all history buffs and biblical scholars read first and second Maccabees and check out some external history on them. The saga is quit exciting and interesting and should keep you glued to what ever you are reading about it.
TOPIC: The Maccabees