Years covered: 175 BC -162 BC
In part 1 of this chapter, we cover the story behind the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, which starts with a war between the Greeks...and the Romans, and leads to a skirmish between hellenist Jews and...other hellenist Jews, which then leads to Antiochus IV going a little overboard, culminating in a battle between the Maccabees and...Samaritans, and finally, with the recapturing of the Temple at Jerusalem so the Jews could celebrate...Sukkot.
This ain't the story you learnt in Hebrew school.
Cast of Characters
The Jews:
Mattitayhu the Hasmonean x
Judah Maccabeus
Simon Thassi
Jonathan Apphus
John Gaddi
Eleazar Avaran
High Priests:
Onias III x
Jason
Menelaus x
The Seleucids:
Antiochus the Great x
Antiochus IV Epiphanes x
Seleucus VI Philopater x
Antiochus (son of Seleucus VI) x
Heliodorus x
Antiochus V Eupator
Seleucid Generals:
Gerogias
Seron x
Lysias
The Ptolemies:
Ptolemy VI Philometer
Ptolemy VIII Physcon
The Persians (Parthian):
Phraates I
Mithridates I
Romans:
Gauis Popinus Laenus
Sources:
Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus
The Book of the Maccabees Part 1
The Book of the Maccabees Part 2
The Histories - Polybius
Tractate Shabbat - The Talmud
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