3
THE INFLUENCE OF THE
MACCABEES IN JEWISH HISTORY
The story of Hanukkah begins with
the Greek invasion of the known world. A
successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV, was
given control of the region. He quickly
initiated severe means of persecuting
the Jewish population. The persecution
ranged from assigning a Hellenistic
priest in the Temple to prohibiting Jewish
religious expression, to outright murder of Jews. What ultimately
drove the Jews to revolt was the sacrifice of pigs on the Temple’s altar.
Although, some groups, specifically the Chasidim (no relation to the
movement which began in the Middle Ages) already were opposing the
Greek government because of the assimilation of many of their fellow
Jews.
Two groups opposed Antiochus: a nationalistic group led by
Mattathias and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious group which
ended up being the forerunner of the Pharisees. They joined forces
in revolt against the persecution. Their revolution succeeded and the
Temple was rededicated. The Talmud tells of the legend that as the Jews
were rededicating the Temple, a day’s portion of oil lasted for eight days
allowing the full restoration of the Temple. After decades of fighting, in
the year 129 BC, the Jewish people achieved independence under the
Hasmonean dynasty (from which the Maccabees came1), which lasted
about 80 years, with the Jewish kingdom regaining boundaries not far
off from Solomon’s time, and Jewish life flourished.
Some in the more traditional parts of the Jewish community see the
Maccabees as setting a precedent. Jewish people were taught a lesson
which they took to heart – the God of Israel is worth dying for. 2
1 “The family of Mattathias became known as the Maccabees, from the Hebrew word for “hammer,”
because they were said to strike hammer blows against their enemies. Jews refer to the Maccabees,
but the family is more commonly known as the Hasmoneans.” Source: Bard, M. The Maccabees/
Hasmoneans: History and Overview. Retrieved from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/
Maccabees.html
2 Spiro, K. History Crash Course #29: Revolt of the Maccabees Retrieved from http://www.aish.
com/h/c/t/h/48942121.html?s=mpw