Nadene Goldfoot
In 168 BCE, Jews revolted against Syria. Mattathias the Hasmonean was the military leader of this revolt. His oldest son was Judah, known as Judah the Maccabee. Four other sons were Jonathan, Simon, John and Eleazar. They all helped to direct this popular revolt against the hellenizing policy adopted in Judah by the Syrian king ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. Judah was known as Judah the hammerer.
Antiochus was a Greek king from the House of Seleucus. Antiochus III was king from 223 to 187 BCE and had transferred 2,000 Jewish families from Babylon to Lydia and Phrygia. After his capture of Jerusalem in 198 BCE, he treated the Jews with understanding.
However, it was Antiochus IV Epiphanes who reigned from 175 to 163 BCE and after being turned back by Rome on his 2nd expedition against Egypt in 168 BCE, occupied Jerusalem instead. It was he who plundered the Temple treasure and endeavored to hellenize Judea by force in order to convert it into a reliable frontier-province.
This, of course brought about a rising which Antiochus suppressed with great cruelty. Thousands of Jews were killed and many were sold into slavery. Antiochus brought in gentile settlers into Jerusalem and fortified the ACRA as a stronghold of the Hellenizers to dominate the city. He then began a fierce religious persecution of the Jews, forbid circumcision and the observance of the Sabbath, desecrated the Temple altar, set up pagan altars in the provincial towns, and compelled the Jews to participate in pagan ceremonies. His excesses caused the Hasmonean uprising.
From 166 to 164 BCE, the Hasmoneans fought a number of successful battles against the Syrians. Judah the Maccabee died in 160 BC. He had succeeded his father as leader of the revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes (167/166 BCE), and had attacked the Syrian armies by his creative moves of ambush, rapid movement and night-attacks. These Syrians were more Greek than Syrian as the Greek culture had developed within the Greek people.
Judah managed to occupy Jerusalem in 164 BCE and then purified the Temple from the Greek god statues that had been placed there. Then be brought assistance to Jewish communities in Transjordan Galilee, Ammon, Idumea, and Gilead.
Judah was defeated by overwhelming forces under Lysias in 163 at Bet Zechariah. At that time, Syrians were having dynastic difficulties which forced Lysias to recognize Jewish religious freedom.
The family went on to create the Hasmonean dynasty as a whole who were leaders of their people.. The name of Mattathias was used loosely with other members of the family being it had become so well known.
Judah didn't waver in his distain for Syrians so maintained his resistance, insisting on political freedom as well, and was killed in battle at Elasa in 160 BCE. He had become the prototype of heroism among the Jews and was regarded by the Christians as one of the military celebrities of antiquity. John was murdered shortly afterward and Jonathan took over the leadership. By playing off Syrian pretenders against each other, Jonathan was able to secure the high priesthood in 152 and the governorship of Judah in 150.
Simon succeeded in gaining exemption from tribute in 147 BCE. He was confirmed by the people as hereditary high priest, ethnarch (governor), and general leader in 142 BCE only to be murdered in 135 BCE.
His son, John Hyrcanus, (. In rabbinic literature he is often referred to as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol (יוחנן כהן גדול), "John the High Priest".) who succeeded him, suffered a crushing defeat by Antiochus VII Sidetes. Jerusalem was taken by the Syrians after a prolonged siege and Judea once more became a Seleucid province.
After the defeat of Antiochus in his war against Parthia, John launched an offensive against Transjordan. Samaria and Idumea, marking the transition of the Hasamoneans to a semi-hellenized secular military dynasty.
This led to John's repudiation of the PHARISEES and his adherence to the aristocratic SADDUCEE party. " He forced Idumaea to convert to Judaism, the first example of conversion imposed by the Jews in their history. Upon his death Hyrcanus was succeeded by his eldest son, Aristobulus I. Hyrcanus’ reign was the last under which Judaea was a powerful, united state."
He was succeeded by his sons Judah Aristobulus in 105-104 BCE and Alexander Yannai in 104-76 BCE, one of whom was the first to adopt the royal title. Yannai set up a standing mercenary army and conquered Transjordan, Idumea and the coastal plain. His antagonism to the Phariseees, who opposed his war policy, led to civil war i;n whcih he was victorious after a bloody struggle. The Pharisees were in the ascendant during the reign of his widow, SALOME ALEXANDRA from 76 to 69 BCE. When she died, the Hasmoneans declined.
It was cause by strife between her sons Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II that led to the intervention and domination of Antipater and his son Herod, who had Roman assistance. Pompey drastically reduced the country's territory in 63 BCE. Hyrcanus remained a puppet while Aristobulus II and his sons Alexander and Antigonas Mattathias tried to regain power but failed.
Hyrcanus' granddaughter, Mariamne married Herod but was put to death by him in 29 BCE as well as the surviving Hasmoneans by Aristobulus III in 35 BCE, Hyrcanus II in 30 BCE and Mariamnae's sons Alexander and Aristobulus in 7 BCE.
Syria's ancient name used in our Tanakh is ARAM. The state was never a homogeneous one. The coastal strip was settled by the Phoenicians. Described in the Bible (I and II Kings), Israel and Judah had constant friction with The Phoenicians until the 8th century when Syria was overrun by the Assyrians.
They had a large Jewish population in Antioch which became most important during the Seleucid era but had suffered from the hostility of the Greeks. The largest Jewish communities in Syria in the 12th century were at Aleppo with 5,000 and Damascus with 3,000 and Palmyra with 2,000. Today the Jews are gone from Syria, held prisoners for many years and freed by a Jewish Canadian lady, Judith Feld Carr, with the promise to President Assad, of being taken anywhere but to Israel.
Resource:
Updated 12/22/19 on Ms. Carr
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/omitting-the-maccabees/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Hyrcanus-I
However, it was Antiochus IV Epiphanes who reigned from 175 to 163 BCE and after being turned back by Rome on his 2nd expedition against Egypt in 168 BCE, occupied Jerusalem instead. It was he who plundered the Temple treasure and endeavored to hellenize Judea by force in order to convert it into a reliable frontier-province.
This, of course brought about a rising which Antiochus suppressed with great cruelty. Thousands of Jews were killed and many were sold into slavery. Antiochus brought in gentile settlers into Jerusalem and fortified the ACRA as a stronghold of the Hellenizers to dominate the city. He then began a fierce religious persecution of the Jews, forbid circumcision and the observance of the Sabbath, desecrated the Temple altar, set up pagan altars in the provincial towns, and compelled the Jews to participate in pagan ceremonies. His excesses caused the Hasmonean uprising.
 |
| Judah the Maccabee |
Judah managed to occupy Jerusalem in 164 BCE and then purified the Temple from the Greek god statues that had been placed there. Then be brought assistance to Jewish communities in Transjordan Galilee, Ammon, Idumea, and Gilead.
Judah was defeated by overwhelming forces under Lysias in 163 at Bet Zechariah. At that time, Syrians were having dynastic difficulties which forced Lysias to recognize Jewish religious freedom.
The family went on to create the Hasmonean dynasty as a whole who were leaders of their people.. The name of Mattathias was used loosely with other members of the family being it had become so well known.
 |
| Sufganiot or special donuts for Chanukah, fried in oil |
 |
| Remembering the oil in the Temple that lasted for 8 days, we eat fried potato latkas and sufganiot |
Simon succeeded in gaining exemption from tribute in 147 BCE. He was confirmed by the people as hereditary high priest, ethnarch (governor), and general leader in 142 BCE only to be murdered in 135 BCE.
His son, John Hyrcanus, (. In rabbinic literature he is often referred to as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol (יוחנן כהן גדול), "John the High Priest".) who succeeded him, suffered a crushing defeat by Antiochus VII Sidetes. Jerusalem was taken by the Syrians after a prolonged siege and Judea once more became a Seleucid province.
After the defeat of Antiochus in his war against Parthia, John launched an offensive against Transjordan. Samaria and Idumea, marking the transition of the Hasamoneans to a semi-hellenized secular military dynasty.
He was succeeded by his sons Judah Aristobulus in 105-104 BCE and Alexander Yannai in 104-76 BCE, one of whom was the first to adopt the royal title. Yannai set up a standing mercenary army and conquered Transjordan, Idumea and the coastal plain. His antagonism to the Phariseees, who opposed his war policy, led to civil war i;n whcih he was victorious after a bloody struggle. The Pharisees were in the ascendant during the reign of his widow, SALOME ALEXANDRA from 76 to 69 BCE. When she died, the Hasmoneans declined.
 |
| Herod (73 BCE-4 BCE) |
It was cause by strife between her sons Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II that led to the intervention and domination of Antipater and his son Herod, who had Roman assistance. Pompey drastically reduced the country's territory in 63 BCE. Hyrcanus remained a puppet while Aristobulus II and his sons Alexander and Antigonas Mattathias tried to regain power but failed.
Hyrcanus' granddaughter, Mariamne married Herod but was put to death by him in 29 BCE as well as the surviving Hasmoneans by Aristobulus III in 35 BCE, Hyrcanus II in 30 BCE and Mariamnae's sons Alexander and Aristobulus in 7 BCE.
 |
| It was the custom for a long time to give gelt as gifts to children. |
 |
| We spin the dreidal, a game played during Chanukah |
They had a large Jewish population in Antioch which became most important during the Seleucid era but had suffered from the hostility of the Greeks. The largest Jewish communities in Syria in the 12th century were at Aleppo with 5,000 and Damascus with 3,000 and Palmyra with 2,000. Today the Jews are gone from Syria, held prisoners for many years and freed by a Jewish Canadian lady, Judith Feld Carr, with the promise to President Assad, of being taken anywhere but to Israel.
Resource:
Updated 12/22/19 on Ms. Carr
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/omitting-the-maccabees/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Hyrcanus-I
No comments:
Post a Comment