The Maccabean Revolt. [72][66] In general, 2 Maccabees portrays the prospects of peace and cooperation more positively than 1 Maccabees. Bacchides then returned to Syria in 160 BCE. Once again, luck intervened. The outcome, however, remained the same; the formation of the Hasmonean Dynasty, an autonomous Jewish rule over Palestine that would last a generation. It has been conjectured that one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, . Jewish practices were banned, Jerusalem was placed under direct Seleucid control, and the Second Temple in Jerusalem was made the site of a syncretic Pagan-Jewish cult. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. [20][96] Alcimus, Menelaus's replacement as High Priest, is blamed for instigating a massacre of devout Jews in 1 Maccabees, rather than the Seleucids directly. Antiochus VII sent an army to Judea at some point between 139 and 138 BCE under command of a general named Cendebeus, but it was repulsed. Rhodes would become "permanent allies" of the Romans in 164 BCE. The Jewish downplaying of the Maccabees would be challenged centuries later in the 19th century and early 20th century, as Jewish writers and artists held up the Maccabees as examples of independence and victory. (I Maccabees 2:27). He then outlawed certain practices such as circumcision and the Sabbath. In 333332 BCE, Alexander's Macedonian forces conquered the Levant and Palestine. The main phase of the revolt lasted from 167160 BCE and ended with the Seleucids in control of Judea, but conflict between the Maccabees, Hellenized Jews, and the Seleucids continued until 134 BCE, with the Maccabees eventually attaining independence. [126][note 6] The revolt is featured in plays of the playwrights Aharon Ashman[he], Ya'akov Cahan, and Moshe Shamir. This betrayal led to an alliance between the new leader of the Maccabees, Simon Thassi (Hebrew: Simeon), and Demetrius II Nicator, a rival of Diodotus Tryphon and claimant to the Seleucid throne. It was centered in Egypt, where Alexandria was the capital. Information and translations of Maccabean in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. The degree to which diaspora Jews celebrated Hanukkah in the centuries after the revolt but before the medieval age is unclear and disputed, however. They met again when Judah's army was at the gates of Jerusalem, but it was a much shorter battle. The defeat of Seleucid general Nicanor is celebrated on 13 Adar as Yom Nicanor. Theocracy and politics were intertwined in the 2nd century BCE in Jerusalem. For example, Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar orders his court to eat the king's rich food; the prophet Daniel and his companions keep kosher and eat a diet of vegetables and water, yet emerge healthier than all the king's courtiers. Indeed, I would suggest that the Maccabean revolt was part of a larger struggle for control within the Judean community, and that Hellenistic Judaism was not the primary cause of the revolt, but in fact a victim of the politics of the time, . To put an end to the factional fighting, Antiochus IV sent an army of mercenaries into Jerusalem, which only proved to be a temporary relief for the situation. The state understood this, and therefore, made it a legal requirement for anybody who could afford it to go at least once. Onias III was the legitimate High Priest. Rather than being able to retreat to the mountains, the rebels now had territory to defend; abandoning cities would leave their loyalists open to reprisals if the pro-Seleucid forces were allowed to take control again. Books The Book of Judith is a historical novel that describes Jewish resistance against an overwhelming military threat. Bacchides fortified cities across the land, put allied Greek-friendly Jews in command in Jerusalem, and ensured children of leading families were held as hostages as a guarantee of good behavior. Then taking possession of the Temple, he cleansed the whole area, walled it round, ordered a new set of ceremonial vessels to be fashioned and brought into the Sanctuary as the old ones were defiled, and built another altar, and resumed the sacrifices. [106] Diaspora Jews celebrated it as well, fostering a sense of Jewish collective identity: it was a liberation day for all Jews, not merely Judean Jews. The Seleucids eventually relented and unbanned Judaism, but the more radical Maccabees, not content with merely reestablishing Jewish practices under Seleucid rule, continued to fight, pushing for a more direct break with the Seleucids. The Jewish people were now content with the new political purpose of the Maccabees. What was one effect of the Maccabean Revolt? Either way, Pompey put Jerusalem under a three-month siege and reduced it to direct Roman control. Continuing strife between rival Seleucid rulers made a government response to formal independence of the new state difficult. This repression triggered exactly the revolt that Antiochus IV had feared, with a group of Jewish fighters led by Judas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee) and his family rebelling in 167 BCE and seeking independence. According to 1 Maccabees, the Seleucid Empire sent officials to the towns and villages of Judaea, including Modi'in, demanding that its inhabitants offer sacrifices to the Greek gods . 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]. The rebellion marked the end of Seleucid control over the Levant and signaled the end of the Seleucid Dynasty. Submitted by Harry Oates, published on 29 October 2015. The basic Hellenistic battle deployment consisted of heavy infantry in the center, mounted cavalry on the flanks, and mobile skirmishers in the vanguard. Both kings allocated funds to rebuild the Second Solomonic Temple and allowed the Jews to practice their religion as they did before the Babylonian captivity. After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided into four during the Wars of the Diadochi; Egypt, the Seleucid Empire, the Kingdom of Pergamon, and Macedon (including Greece). [24] Shortly afterward, both regent Lysias and 11-year old king Antiochus V were executed after losing a succession struggle with Demetrius I Soter, who became the new Seleucid king. Rather, the book refers to "heaven" . Jonathan was granted the title of both High Priest and strategos by Alexander, essentially acknowledging that the Maccabee faction was a more relevant ally to would-be Seleucid leaders than the Hellenist faction. Judas's younger brother Eleazar Avaran died in battle after bravely attacking a war elephant and being crushed. Using the slight hills and the superior knowledge of the area, they outmanoeuvred the Seleucids and slowly they picked them off. The date of the work is unknown, and others scholars have proposed different candidates as possible identities of the Wicked Priest, so the identification with Jonathan is only a possibility, yet an intriguing and plausible one. [46] The council of elders - which some see as a precursor to the Sanhedrin - ceased to be an independent check on the monarchy. Egypt, governed by Ptolemy I Soter allowed for Judaism in Jerusalem to flourish with very little intervening in the 3rd century BCE. Second Temple ModelDana Murray (CC BY-NC-SA). [4]. This feeling of the elect, the chosen ones, was crucial to the Jewish self-consciousness. Josephus seems to be familiar with the work of historians Polybius and Strabo, as well as the mostly lost works of Nicolaus of Damascus. He then destroyed the altar. [92][93][94] Elias Bickerman is generally credited as popularizing this alternative viewpoint in 1937, and other historians such as Martin Hengel have continued the argument. As the Seleucid Empire expanded, so too did their notion of Hellenism. The Kingdom of Judah gained its independence from Syria. As a response, he set out to exterminate the Jewish population in Judea. Simon would go on to establish an independent Hasmonean kingdom. Answer 11 people found it helpful Hazeltravasso Answer: [19] With the ban retracted, their religious goals were accomplished, and the Hellenized Jews could more easily be potential Seleucid loyalists again. 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. The Qumran religious community was not on good terms with the Hasmonean religious establishment in Jerusalem, and is believed to have favored the Zadokite line of succession to the High Priesthood. The persecution of Antiochus IV directly contradicted this teaching: for the first time, Jews were suffering precisely because they refused to violate Jewish law, and thus the most devout and observant Jews were the ones suffering the most. [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. After Antiochus VII's death in 129 BCE, the Hasmoneans ceased offering aid or tribute to the remnants of the declining Seleucid Empire. By 167 BCE, the start of the revolt, the Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia (independent in 188 BCE) had been shattered and mostly conquered by the Roman Republic. 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. Map of the Diadochi successor states in 188 BCE. Hellenistic cavalry also used pikes, albeit slightly shorter ones. While less trained and under-equipped for pitched battles, the Maccabees could control which battles they took and retreat into the wilderness when threatened. [95][82] For example, Josephus's account directly blames Menelaus for convincing Antiochus IV to issue his anti-Jewish decrees. In 141 BCE, Simon Thassi succeeded in expelling the Greeks from their citadel in Jerusalem. [29], The Seleucids had reasserted their authority in Jerusalem. [29], In 160 BCE, Seleucid King Demetrius I went on campaign in the east to fight the rebellious Timarchus. They may have been supplemented by local Seleucid-allied militias and garrisons, however. The Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid rule in Judea began in earnest in 168 BC. We care about our planet! When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. The Israelites were forced out of the Kingdom of Judah. The Maccabean Revolt of 167-160 BCE was a Jewish uprising in Judea against the repression of the Seleucid Empire. The Romanized Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote about the event. Thank you! [65][66], The book of 1 Maccabees is considered mostly reliable, as it was seemingly written by an eyewitness early in the reign of the Hasmoneans, most likely during John Hyrcanus's reign. Jonathan fought Bacchides and his troops for a time, but the two eventually made a pact for a cease-fire. [78] The message is clear: defy Antiochus's decree and keep Jewish dietary law. [14]. [58], The rebel forces grew with time. Antiochus, called Epiphanes, on defeating the Jews had entered the innermost sanctuary of the gods temple, where it was lawful for the priest alone to enter. [6][7] Three years later, a newcomer named Menelaus offered an even larger bribe to Antiochus IV for the position of high priest. 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. Web. Two of these empires fought over Israel: The Ptolemaic Empire (pronounced toll-oh-MAY-ick) received its name from Ptolemy (TOLL-emy). For the reprieve and donation, Antiochus VII was referred to as "Eusebes" ("Pious") by the grateful populace. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock. The subsequent cleansing of the temple and rededication of the altar on 25 Kislev is the source of the festival of Hanukkah. It urges its readers to remain steadfast in the face of persecution. 30 Jun 2023. Hellenistic Successor Kingdoms c. 301 BCE. [27] Nicanor gained the hatred of the Maccabees after reports surfaced that he had blasphemed in the Temple and threatened to burn it. Soon after 167 BCE, the family of Mattathias became known as the Maccabees or the hammer. One element that would come to later prominence was Antiochus IV replacing the high priest Onias III with his brother Jason after Jason offered a large sum of money to Antiochus. 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. This conflict was largely political rather than cultural; all sides, at this point, were "Hellenized", content with Seleucid rule, and primarily divided over Menelaus's alleged corruption and sacrilege. A short-lived rebellion took place, and when this was put down, Antiochus' views were hardened. As Judas did not expect Antiochus to take this lying down, he not only marshaled the available Jewish forces but took the bold step of allying himself with Rome. Assuming that Antiochus IV would not have started an ethno-religious persecution for irrational reasons is an ahistorical position in this criticism, as many leaders both ancient and modern clearly were motivated by religious concerns. The Ptolemies ruled in Israel from (320-198 BC), and they treated the Jews well. [42] With the suzerainty briefly re-established, Judea sent troops to aid Antiochus VII in his campaigns in Persia. As such, they focused on being able to win open battles, with additional trained heavy infantry. ), and Greeks were brought from the homeland to populate these kingdoms. "The Maccabean Revolt." Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to the throne of the Seleucids in 175 BCE, and did not change this policy. [125] Proponents of Jewish nationalism of that era saw past events, such as the Maccabees, as a hopeful suggestion to what was possible, influencing the nascent Zionist movement. It is a separate work from 1 Maccabees and not a continuation of it. Discus Thrower (Discobolus Lancellotti)Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). [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"). 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. Lysias and his army then returned to Antioch, with the province officially at peace, but neither the Hellenized Jews nor the Maccabees laid down their arms. [89][90], In the First and Second Books of the Maccabees, the Maccabean Revolt is described as a collective response to cultural oppression and national resistance to a foreign power. By Steven H. Werlin In modern Judaism, the holiday of Chanukah celebrates the victorious revolt of the Jews against the Seleucid Greeks in 167-164 BCE ("before the common era" = BC). Successful, Jerusalem was captured and the Temple of Jerusalem reconsecrated, an act still commemorated today in the Jewish Hanukkah festival. [32], From 152141 BCE, the rebels achieved a state of informal autonomy akin to a suzerain. After the Battle of Beth Zur in 164 BCE as well as news of the death of Antiochus IV in Persia, the Seleucid troops returned to Syria. on the one hand, refused to accept any precept as binding unless it was based directly on the Torahi.e., the Written Law. For example, the claim that Menelaus stole temple vessels to pay for a bribe to Antiochus is merely aimed at delegitimizing them both. [97] There exist revisionist scholars who are inclined to discount the reliability of the primary histories more aggressively, however. 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. Regev 2013, p. 115117. However, during the 2nd century BCE, the Seleucids, having gained dominance over Judea, went to enforce dominion over Egypt and the Jews. [53] The Seleucids also had access to trained war elephants imported from India, who sported natural armor in their thick hides and could terrify opposing soldiers and their horses. [59][note 3] After Jonathan was legitimized as high priest and governor by the Seleucid rulers, the Hasmoneans had easier access to recruitment; 20,000 soldiers are reported as repulsing Cendebeus in 139 BCE. Historical context of the Maccabees The main surviving somewhat contemporary Jewish source mentioning Hanukkah outside Judea is Josephus, who as a distant relation to the Hasmonean family line and who grew up in Jerusalem, would be more inclined to play up its importance. When Epiphanes again invaded the country he counter-attacked vigorously and drove him back; then striking while the iron was hot, he hurled himself against the garrison of the City, which had not yet been dislodged, threw the troops out of the Upper City, and shut them into the Lower the part of the town called the Citadel. It is important to know that although Hellenism was certainly a Greek-centric philosophy, it was also universal in that native elites under Greek rule were encouraged and found it beneficial to learn Greek and take part in Greek customs and past times. [28], Judas had been negotiating with the Roman Republic and extracted a vague agreement of potential support. [17] Historical sources The major source of information about the origin of the Hasmonean dynasty is the books 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, held as canonical scripture by the Catholic, Orthodox, and most Oriental Orthodox churches and as apocryphal by Protestant denominations, although they do not comprise the canonical books of the Hebrew Bible. 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. Greek HopliteJohnny Shumate (Public Domain). By Lesli . In 167 BCE, the Jewish people rose up, with Mattathias as their leader. 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. [13] A rural Jewish priest from Modein, Mattathias (Hebrew: Matityahu) of the Hasmonean family, sparked the revolt against the Seleucid Empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods at Modein's new altar. Judah was severely outnumbered. Antiochus, buoyed by his success of the gymnasium, decided to push harder against the Jewish religion. [23] Lysias's army next besieged Jerusalem. [19] In comparison, Josephus did not want to offend Greek pagan readers of his work, and is ambivalent toward the 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. Just before Antiochus IV died in 164 BC, Judas and his men retook the Temple on Kislev's twenty-fifth day. Help us and translate this article into another language! (and brother of Judas Maccabeus), succeeded his brother Jonathan as leader of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid dynasty. At the time, Judea was home to many Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon thanks to the Persians. World History Encyclopedia, 29 Oct 2015. These sources exist in Greek; but the original language of 1 Maccabees was Hebrew, Advertisement Answer 48 people found it helpful kgoldfarb Answer: When Daniel and the Jews are threatened with death, they face it calmly, and are saved in the end, a relevant message among Jewish opposition to Antiochus IV. 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. [59][67] The book also acts as Hasmonean dynasty propaganda in its editorial slant on events. [30], The Seleucid army marched through Judea after carrying out a massacre in the Galilee. 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. Portier-Young 2011, p. 346352. 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. [87] Another section of Enoch, the "Book of Dreams", was likely written after the Revolt had at least partially succeeded; it portrays the events of the revolt in the form of prophetic dream visions. He refused and when another Jewish man stepped forward to do it, he murdered the officer. There were 6,000 men in Judas's army near the start of the revolt, 10,000 men at the Battle of Beth Zur, and possibly as many as 22,000 soldiers by the time of the defeat at Elasa. However, it greatly impacted the Near East's geopolitical situation at the time and left a legacy that can still be seen today. [34] The Seleucid settlement and garrison in Jerusalem, the Acra, finally came under Simon's control, peacefully, as did the remaining Seleucid garrison at Beth-Zur. A British Zionist organization formed in 1896 is named the Order of Ancient Maccabeans, and the Jewish sporting organization Maccabi World Union names itself after them. I have vigorously studied ancient Palestine from the Jewish society circa 200 BCE to 60 BCE and the origins of Christianity to the rise of Islam. Jason, resentful, turned against Antiochus IV; additionally, a rumor spread that Menelaus had sold golden temple artifacts to help pay for the bribe, leading to unhappiness, especially among the city council Jason had established. "[33] The Maccabees were handed an opportunity as the Seleucids broke into infighting in a series of civil wars, the Seleucid Dynastic Wars. Circles mark battles against Seleucids in Judea, triangles outlying cities attacked by the Maccabees. With support from the Romans, the Maccabees finally gained independence under Simon Maccabeus in 140 BC. This era of Greek cultural expansion became known as the Hellenistic Period, and the idea of spreading Greek culture in these ways is referred to as Hellenism. [1], Seleucus I and the descendants of his dynasty were ardent proponents of Hellenism, promoting its tenets throughout Mesopotamia and the Levant/Syria in various ways. 2 Maccabees suggests the treasury was raided in 168 BCE after the second expedition to Egypt. Another of the Greek successor states, the Seleucid Empire, would conquer Judea from Egypt during a series of campaigns from 235198 BCE. [82][100], Later scholars and archaeologists have found and preserved various artifacts from the time period and analyzed them, which have informed historians on the plausibility of various elements in the books. For example, it dismisses a defeat suffered by other commanders named Joseph and Azariah as because "they did not listen to Judas and his brothers. Judas reacted by organizing what began as a small guerilla force around his family in Modern. [41] King Antiochus VII would personally invade and besiege Jerusalem in 134 BCE, but after Hyrcanus paid a ransom and ceded the cities of Joppa and Gazara, the Seleucids left peacefully. The country priest was ordered to fulfil his duty to the state and be the first to sacrifice an animal to an altar of an idol. [10] A new citadel garrisoned by Greeks and pro-Seleucid Jews, the Acra, was built in Jerusalem. His aim was to remove any features of Judaism that could define it from the Greek religion and other accepted monotheistic religions. Simon was appointed High Priest around 141 BCE, but he did so by acclamation from the Jewish people rather than appointment by the Seleucid king. He defiled the Holy Temple, vandalizing it and erecting an idol on the altar. 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. It was originally led by a man named Mattathias and his sons, especially Judas Maccabeus, for whom the rebellion would later be named. They tore down the altars of idols and killed those who worshipped them, even many Hellenistic Jews. [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. The Maccabean revolt and the miracle of the oil. The rebellion started as a guerrilla movement in the Judean countryside, raiding towns and terrorizing Greek officials far from direct Seleucid control, but it eventually developed a proper army capable of attacking the fortified Seleucid cities. Other kings were Ptolemy I, who received Egypt, and Lysimachus was given Thrace. A Greek translation of the scriptures, the Septuagint, was also created during the third century BCE. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. To understand this revolt, one needs to know what happened between the history recorded in the biblical account and these events circa 167 BC. February 14, 2017 25 Comments Factors Leading to the Maccabean Revolt (Part 1) There were several factors which led to the Maccabean Revolt. The Jewish people needed someone to lead them. Judas did not give battle, perhaps still rebuilding after his defeat at Beth Zechariah. The conflict ceased, and Hyrcanus and Antiochus VII joined themselves in an alliance, with Antiochus making a respectful donation of a sacrifice at the Temple. [note 2] The policy of tolerance of Jewish worship was at an end.[1][11]. The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a state created in 1099 CE by Crusaders World History Encyclopedia is an Amazon Associate and earns a commission on qualifying book purchases. 36 languages The Maccabean Revolt ( Hebrew: ) was a Jewish rebellion led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and against Hellenistic influence on Jewish life. The conference was a trap; Jonathan was captured and executed, despite Jonathan's brother Simon raising the requested ransom and sending hostages. When Antiochus sent some of his officers to the town of Modiin to lay down his tyranny and enact the oppressive laws that he had enforced, he was met by a local Jewish country priest named Mattathias. [99] John Ma argues that the Temple was restored in 164 BCE upon petition by Menelaus to Antiochus, not liberated and rededicated by the Maccabees. [86] Similar to Daniel, after the Apocalypse of Weeks recounts world history up to the point of the persecution, it predicts that the righteous will eventually triumph, and encourages resistance. The factions attempted to negotiate a compromise, but failed; a large Seleucid army was sent to quash the revolt. Demetrius II exempted Judea from payment of taxes in 142 BCE, essentially acknowledging its independence. She advances the view that the loss of civil rights by the Jews in 168 BCE was an administrative punishment in the aftermath of local unrest over increased taxes; that the struggle was fundamentally economic, and merely interpreted as religiously driven in retrospect. [69][91] While many scholars still accept this basic framework, that the Hellenists were weak and dependent on Seleucid aid to hold influence, this view has since been challenged. The elite horsemen on the right retreated, and the rebels pursued. Antiochus wanted to Hellenize the Jewish community. After the Parthians took the Seleucids possessions in Mesopotamia, the Romans incorporated Syria into their growing empire in 64 BC, which put an end to the Seleucid Empire and meant that the Hasmoneans were living on borrowed time. Meaning of Maccabean. It has a special focus on the Second Temple: the controversies over the position of High Priest, its pollution by Menelaus into a Greek-Jewish mix, its eventual cleansing, and the threats by Nicanor at the Temple. 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. Being naked in public was strictly forbidden under Jewish laws, so any Jewish person that went into the gymnasium violated the laws of the covenant. As Judah stood there looking at the masses, so the story goes, he prayed to God for victory. 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.
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