Maccabean Revolt

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Maccabean Revolt (167–141 BCE)

The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish uprising in Judea against the Seleucid Empire and the push to Hellenize Jewish life under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In 168 BCE, Antiochus banned Jewish worship, desecrated the Temple, and forced people to follow Greek practices. A local priest, Mattathias of Modein, began the resistance by refusing to worship Greek gods and killing a few enforcing officers. He and his family fled to the mountains and started a guerrilla war.

His son Judas Maccabeus led the fighting, gathering fighters from across Judea. They used surprise attacks and hit-and-run tactics, winning several early battles and gaining more supporters. In 164 BCE they captured Jerusalem, cleansed the Second Temple, and rededicated the altar—an event celebrated as Hanukkah.

The war dragged on as the Seleucids and Jewish factions clashed. Judas Maccabeus died in 160 BCE at the Battle of Elasa, but his brothers continued the fight. Jonathan Apphus then took command and fought against Seleucid generals, keeping much of the countryside under Hasmonean influence.

From 152 to 141 BCE, the Hasmoneans won increasing autonomy. In 141 BCE, Simon Thassi was acclaimed High Priest and ruler, effectively founding the Hasmonean state. Rome began to show interest, giving some recognition to the new leadership around 139 BCE.

The Seleucid Empire weakened from internal wars, and the Hasmoneans expanded their control. By 141 BCE they had created a semi-independent Jewish state that would grow under later leaders like John Hyrcanus and his descendants. The dynasty lasted until 37 BCE, when Roman influence helped Herod the Great defeat the last Hasmonean ruler.

Key outcomes:
- Hanukkah commemorates the temple rededication after Judas’s victory.
- The revolt fostered a strong sense of Jewish identity and resistance.
- The Hasmonean state blended Jewish traditions with Hellenistic culture and lasted for about a century.