Maccabean Revolt (167-164 B.C.)
After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided into four kingdoms: Egypt, Syria, Pergamum, and Greece. Only three of these really rose to the status of a power center, however, and of those three, two made the greatest impact upon Judaism. These two powers were Egypt, being governed by Ptolemy I Soter (ruling from 323-285 B.C.), and Syria, being governed by Seleucus I Nicator ( ruling from 312-281 B.C.).1 In general, the Ptolemies allowed for Judaism to function according to status quo without much intervention. It was not quite the case in the second century B.C. when the Seleucids gained dominance of the region of Judea. In 175 B.C. the ambitious new Seleucid King, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.) sought to bring Egypt under his dominion. Rome intervened and thwarted what would have been a solid victory for Antiochus, who was forced to return home without fully accomplishing his goal of conquest. Newsome explains what happened next:
On his return home, he vented his frustration on the Jews of Jerusalem. The Seleucid army entered the city and slaughtered large numbers of the inhabitants and carried away as slaves many others. The Temple was looted of its treasures and profaned by the imposition of pagan sacrifices. Antiochus' violation of the city was one of the major causes of the Hasmonean revolt.2
The Hasmoneans were of the priestly class. Since the time of Ezra and the rebuilding of the new temple, the political organization of Judea had changed. The political authority no longer rested in the hands of a monarch, but now its power was wielded by the High Priest and his order. Nor was his power limited to religious affairs, but he essentially functioned as the head of the state. This was not a term-length position, but a hereditary position held for life.3 The Jewish High Priest at the time of Antiochus IV's desecration of the Temple was Onias III, who, according to Sch?er, was "a zealot for the laws (2 Mac. 4:2)."4 By this time, Hellenistic influence had pervaded Judaism so that there were Hellenistic sects of Jews. These pro-Greek Jews were, of course, disdained by those Jews who held to their ancestral orthodoxy. One of the strongest pro-Greek Jews, however, was Onias III's own brother. He solicited Antiochus IV through bribery to have himself appointed as High Priest in the place of his brother, Onias III. Antiochus concurred and this resulted in great offenses to the Jewish sensibilities. Once again, Sch?er explains:
[The] 'lawful institutions' were abolished and 'new usages contrary to the Law' introduced (2 Mac. 4:11). A gymnasium was erected below the citadel and the young men of Jerusalem practiced the athletic skills of the Greeks. Even the priests left their service at the altar and took part in the games held in the palestra. The contempt for Jewish customs went so far that many removed their circumcision artificially.5
The build-up of this "forced Hellenization,"6 found its climax in Antiochus IV's desecration of the Temple as a result of his frustration regarding the incomplete takeover of Egypt. This was the "final straw" that led to the Maccabean revolt (166-142 B.C.). The record of this revolt is the subject matter of 1 & 2 Maccabees. The fallout of all of this led to the tearing down of the walls of Jerusalem with a permanent Seleucid military presence established there, making Jerusalem its citadel.7
It was at this time that members of the Hasmonean family withdrew to the mountains after a bloody confrontation with one of the king's officers who was there delivering an edict of the king regarding a sacrifice that was royally mandated. He rallied some other Jewish rebels around him and one Judas became the commander of the rebel forces. He was given the nickname "Maccabeus" (meaning "the hammerer"). Their resistance was enough to defeat Seleucid forces and ultimately achieve an independent state.
To understand how this developed even further, click here: First Jewish Revolt Against Rome (A.D.66-73).
Notes
1James D. Newsome, Greeks, Romans, Jews: Currents of Culture and Belief in the New Testament World (Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1992):8.
2Ibid., 10-12.
3Emil Sch?er, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C.-A.D. 135), Vol. 1, ed. Matthew Black (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1885-1924, reprint 1973): 138-39.
4Ibid., 148.
5Ibid., 148-49.
6Shaye J. D. Cohen, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987):30.
7James C. VanderKam, An Introduction to Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001):19-20.
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