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this way – they set a precedent. Jews more than ever were willing to die
for their faith. Just like the exile to Babylon dissuaded generations from
following the gods of the nations, the Maccabean revolt embedded in
the Jewish mind that it was not enough to simply oppose the idolatry,
but when faced with death or partaking in it one should choose death, if
he could not fight.
The subsequent centuries are rife with examples. Some of the most
notable regard the Crusades, during which time many Jews were forced
to convert or die by the sword. One famous story is from 1099 AD in
Jerusalem where the cornered Jews were forced into the local synagogue
and burned alive as the Crusaders sang praise hymns. Events such as
this only strengthened Jewish resolve to stay faithful to their covenant
and God’s commandments. In 613 AD Jews were given the choice of
leaving Spain or converting to Christianity. Many
children were forcibly taken from their parents
and given a non-Jewish upbringing. This would
not be the first time that Jewish people faced
forced conversions and many, rather than give up
their faith, would die praising God’s name while
reciting the Shema (Deut. 6:4-9), proclaiming
before God and to their persecutors that they worship only one God,
the God of Israel. (Image: Believed to be a Maccabean relic; this is kept in
the Maccabees Shrine in St. Andrew’s Church, Cologne, Germany.)
The tenacity and dedication with which the Maccabees opposed the
Greeks set in motion an understanding in Jewish thought and religious
expression which was used by
God to preserve the Jewish
people after the expulsion
of 135 AD. Through the
centuries, Jewish people,
whether in exile or as they
are now, in the Land, have
remained distinct; many with
the resilient understanding
that they are obligated to the
God of the universe.