The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish rebellion, lasting from 167 to 160 BCE, led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and Hellenistic (Greek) influence on Jewish life. The recapture of Jerusalem in 164 BCE from the armies of Antiochus IV was a significant early victory for Judah Maccabee’s fighters, who came to be known as the Maccabees. The subsequent cleansing of the temple and rededication of the altar on the 25th of [the Hebrew month of] Kislev have been celebrated ever since as the Hanukkah festival.
Quote: “Though many Jews had been seduced by the virtues of Hellenism, the extreme measures adopted by Antiochus helped unite the people. 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 BCE the Jews rose up behind Mattathias and his five sons and fought for their liberation.”
Sources: Wikipedia (introduciton), My Jewish Learning (introduction and quotation)
Learn more about the Revolt of the Maccabees from Wikipedia. ►
Read “The Maccabees/Hasmoneans: History & Overview” ►
Watch “The Jewish Rebels: The Third Battle of the Maccabean Revolt” [4:52]. ►
Watch “History of Maccabee Revolt from Modiin Israel” [3:55]. ►
Illustration: My Jewish Learning
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