Dr. Jodi Magness

Let's mandate that everybody is going to now adopt Greek culture and get rid of sort of these problems, which, you know, are fostered by these kind of internal civil wars and opposition and so on. So I think that he was using I'll say this term, it's debated. But anyway, he's using Hellenization, meaning sort of the trying to promote the spread of Greek culture, not to punish the Jews, per se.

or to try to eliminate Judaism as a religion, but rather to deal with what he saw as a problematic part of his kingdom and bring all of these people into the fold, so to speak. So I think that that's what's going on. Now, of course, it didn't have the desired impact, right?

or to try to eliminate Judaism as a religion, but rather to deal with what he saw as a problematic part of his kingdom and bring all of these people into the fold, so to speak. So I think that that's what's going on. Now, of course, it didn't have the desired impact, right?

or to try to eliminate Judaism as a religion, but rather to deal with what he saw as a problematic part of his kingdom and bring all of these people into the fold, so to speak. So I think that that's what's going on. Now, of course, it didn't have the desired impact, right?

Exactly. And so here again, we get that very different picture that apparently there were some Jews, certainly among the elite, but maybe even among the masses who either thought this was fine with them or, you know, were so busy just trying to subsist that they didn't really care one way or the other.

Exactly. And so here again, we get that very different picture that apparently there were some Jews, certainly among the elite, but maybe even among the masses who either thought this was fine with them or, you know, were so busy just trying to subsist that they didn't really care one way or the other.

Exactly. And so here again, we get that very different picture that apparently there were some Jews, certainly among the elite, but maybe even among the masses who either thought this was fine with them or, you know, were so busy just trying to subsist that they didn't really care one way or the other.

And so there, you know, in some parts of the Jewish population, there was no opposition to this at all. And the revolt actually starts after the edict is issued by Antiochus IV, when with an incident in a small town, not in Jerusalem, the revolt didn't start in Jerusalem. And by the way, the first Jewish revolt against the Romans did not start in Jerusalem either. It started in Caesarea.

And so there, you know, in some parts of the Jewish population, there was no opposition to this at all. And the revolt actually starts after the edict is issued by Antiochus IV, when with an incident in a small town, not in Jerusalem, the revolt didn't start in Jerusalem. And by the way, the first Jewish revolt against the Romans did not start in Jerusalem either. It started in Caesarea.

And so there, you know, in some parts of the Jewish population, there was no opposition to this at all. And the revolt actually starts after the edict is issued by Antiochus IV, when with an incident in a small town, not in Jerusalem, the revolt didn't start in Jerusalem. And by the way, the first Jewish revolt against the Romans did not start in Jerusalem either. It started in Caesarea.

But in this case, this revolt starts in a, I mean, really it was a village that's about halfway between today Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It's called Modi'in. And there was a local village priest. His name was Mattathias, and he had five sons. And what happens is that the king's officials are sent out around the kingdom to make sure that everybody is complying with the new mandate.

But in this case, this revolt starts in a, I mean, really it was a village that's about halfway between today Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It's called Modi'in. And there was a local village priest. His name was Mattathias, and he had five sons. And what happens is that the king's officials are sent out around the kingdom to make sure that everybody is complying with the new mandate.

But in this case, this revolt starts in a, I mean, really it was a village that's about halfway between today Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It's called Modi'in. And there was a local village priest. His name was Mattathias, and he had five sons. And what happens is that the king's officials are sent out around the kingdom to make sure that everybody is complying with the new mandate.

And as part of that, there was a sacrifice being offered to a Greek god, apparently with pork. And a Jew was about to offer this sacrifice. And there's an officer, a royal officer there overseeing this sacrifice. And this priest, this local village priest, Mattathias, who was already an elderly man at that point, but he kills the Jew. This is interesting, right?

And as part of that, there was a sacrifice being offered to a Greek god, apparently with pork. And a Jew was about to offer this sacrifice. And there's an officer, a royal officer there overseeing this sacrifice. And this priest, this local village priest, Mattathias, who was already an elderly man at that point, but he kills the Jew. This is interesting, right?

And as part of that, there was a sacrifice being offered to a Greek god, apparently with pork. And a Jew was about to offer this sacrifice. And there's an officer, a royal officer there overseeing this sacrifice. And this priest, this local village priest, Mattathias, who was already an elderly man at that point, but he kills the Jew. This is interesting, right?

So he kills the Jew for complying, and he also kills the officer. The Jew and the officer are killed, and that then sparks the outbreak of the revolt, because at that point, of course, you've killed an officer of the king. You've not only disobeyed the edict, but you've also killed one of the king's officers. And so the revolt officially starts with this.

So he kills the Jew for complying, and he also kills the officer. The Jew and the officer are killed, and that then sparks the outbreak of the revolt, because at that point, of course, you've killed an officer of the king. You've not only disobeyed the edict, but you've also killed one of the king's officers. And so the revolt officially starts with this.

So he kills the Jew for complying, and he also kills the officer. The Jew and the officer are killed, and that then sparks the outbreak of the revolt, because at that point, of course, you've killed an officer of the king. You've not only disobeyed the edict, but you've also killed one of the king's officers. And so the revolt officially starts with this.

And Mattathias dies within a year of the outbreak of the revolt. As I said, he was elderly. But the revolt in its first years was led by the third son, whose name was Judah, who becomes known as Judah Maccabee. Maccabee, it's a nickname. It means Judah the Hammer.