After the Maccabeean revolt
How The Maccabees Started
In the beginning of the revolt the resistance was at an individual and unorganized level. Soon one family became the standard-bearers for the revolt. An old priest named Matthias and his five sons retreated to the country side to become more organized.
What was the Maccabeans Revolt ?
The Maccabees Revolt was a Jewish rebellion, lasting from 167 to 160 BC, led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and the Hellenistic influence on Jewish life
Forgetting about the Law of Moses
Even the priests joined the fun, neglecting the sacrifices so they could go with everyone to watch wrestling. The high priest himself sent some of the Temple revenue off to buy sacrifices to Hercules.
The Final Desecration
The Jewish people were tired of suffering at the hands of the Greek people. The Greeks were desecrating the temples and making it their own temple.
The revolt
Mattathias killed a Hellenistic Jew who offered a sacrifice to an idol in Mattahias' place. Mattathias and his five sons fled to the wilderness of Judah. When Mattahias died his son Judas Maccabbee led an army of Jewish dissidents to defeat the Seleucid dynasty.
Preparations of Battle
Judas said: “Arm yourselves and be brave; in the morning be ready to fight these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. It is better for us to die in battle than to witness the evils befalling our nation and our sanctuary. Whatever is willed in heaven will be done.” (1 Maccabees 3: 58-60).
Victory over Gorgias
"The men with Judas blew the trumpet, and joined the battle. They crushed the Gentiles, who fled toward the plain."c(1 Maccabees 4: 13-14). The people were singing hymns and glorifying Heaven.
Victory over Lysias
Judas and his army prayed for the Lysias' to be strike with cowardice, boldness and weaken their strength.
"When Lysias saw the tide of the battle turning, and the increased boldness of Judas, whose men were ready either to live or to die nobly, he withdrew to Antioch and began to recruit mercenaries so as to return to Judea with greater numbers" (1 Maccabees 4:35).Purification of the Temple
"When Maccabeus and his companions, under the Lord's leadership, had recovered the temple and the city," (CCC 1).
Peace Treaty
Therefore let us now come to terms with these people and make peace with them and all their nation. Let us grant them freedom to live according to their own laws as formerly; it was on account of their laws, which we abolished, that they became enraged and did all these things.” (1 Maccabees 6: 58-59).
Breaking the Oath
The king swore an oath to the Jews but when you king entered Mount Zion he broke that oath and gave orders to tear down the encircling wall.
Letter 1: 124 B.C.
"In the reign of Demetrius, the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you during the height of the distress that overtook us in those years after Jason and his followers revolted against the holy land and the kingdom" (2 Maccabees 1: 7).
Hanukkah
The Maccabees reclaimed the temple, restating as the nations holiest place. This event is celebrated still today called Hanukkah the feast able of lights
Hellinistic period in Judea and the Hasmonean Revolt
Work Cited
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.
The textbook
Usccb.org
Youtube