Judas Maccabeus (or Judah the Maccabee from the Hebrew יהודה המכבי transliteration: Yehudah HaMakabi) translation: "Judah the Hammer" was the third son of the Jewish priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167-160 BCE). His epithet Maccabeus is from the Syriac word maqqaba (hammer), and this name was granted to him in recognition of his ferocity in battle. Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 6 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one system of writing into another. ... Translation is an activity comprising the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language — the source text — and the production of a new, equivalent text in another language — called the target text, or the translation. ... // The word Jew (Hebrew: יהודי transliterated: Yehudi) is used in many ways, but generally refers to a follower of Judaism, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity; and often a combination of these attributes. ... Mattathias, a Jewish priest, the father of the Maccabees, who in 170 BC, when asked by a Syrian embassy to offer sacrifice to the Syrian gods, not only refused to do so, but slew with his own hand the Jew that stepped forward to do it for him, and then... The Maccabees were a Jewish family who fought against the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, who was succeeded by his infant son Antiochus V Eupator. ... The Seleucid Empire was one of several political states founded after the death of Alexander the Great, whose generals squabbled over the division of Alexanders empire. ... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 172 BC 171 BC 170 BC 169 BC 168 BC - 167 BC - 166 BC 165 BC 164... (Redirected from 160 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 165 BC 164 BC 163 BC 162 BC 161 BC - 160 BC - 159... Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ...

In 165 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes assumed the emperorship of the Seleucid Empire and began a campaign of assimilation against the Judeans. In an effort to unify the Greek elements of his empire, Antiochus determined to destroy the Jewish faith and Hellenize the sons of Jacob. However, a priest from Modiin, Mattathias, resisted assimilation and instigated a rebellion when he killed one of the emperor's officers. The resistance he started was to be nurtured and led by his son, who would go on to join Joshua, Gideon and David as one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history. (Redirected from 165 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 170 BC 169 BC 168 BC 167 BC 166 BC - 165 BC - 164... Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ... Assimilation, from Latin assimilatio meaning to render similar, is used to describe various phenomena: schema (psychology), the process of assimilating new ideas into a schema (cognitive structure). ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank, and, in a few geographical definitions of Judea... // Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Modiin is a young city located half way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in central Israel. ... Joshua or Yehoshúa (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ The LORD of/is help/court, Standard Hebrew YÉ™hošúaÊ¿, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hôšuªʿ) is a Biblical character, much of whose life is described in the Book of Joshua. ... Gideon (גִּדְעוֹן, Standard Hebrew Gidʿon, Tiberian Hebrew Giḏʿôn) is a character who appears in the Bibles Book of Judges. ... Michelangelos David. ... Jewish history is the history of the Jewish people, faith (Judaism) and culture. ...

The rise of Judas Maccabeus

Before the patriarch Mattathias died in 167 BCE, he bestowed upon his sons John, Simon Maccabaeus, Eleazar, and Jonathan Maccabaeus the task of continuing the holy war he had started — with Judas at their head as military chief. Judas was able to recruit only a few hundred troops from among the Judean province early on. However, he effectively conducted a guerrilla war against Antiochus' troops, who were actively engaged in forcing Greek culture onto Judea. Simon Maccabaeus (died 134 BC) was a member of the Maccabees family. ... Jonathan Maccabaeus was leader of the Hasmonean Dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BC. He is called also Apphus (Ἀπφοῦς [Syriac, (image) ] = the dissembler or the diplomat, in allusion to a trait prominent in him; 1 Maccabees ii. ... Guerrilla War redirects here. ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank, and, in a few geographical definitions of Judea...

After two years of small-scale, hit-and-run clashes, the Maccabee faced a great challenge. Apollonius, the Seleucid governor of Judea and commander of its forces, decided to lead his army into the field to dispose of the Jewish rebels. Though Apollonius' army greatly outnumbered his own, Judas surprised the Syrians at Nahal el-Haramiah and completely crushed them. The Seleucid commander was killed in the battle. Apollonius may be: Historical people: Apollonius (philosopher), Greek philosopher Apollonius of Rhodes (born ca. ...

After Nahal el-Haramiah, recruits flocked to the Jewish cause. But an even larger Syrian force loomed. Antiochus tasked another general, Seron, with suppressing the revolt. Seron, with twice as many men as his predecessor, entered Judea and attempted to march to the relief of the Seleucid garrison at Jerusalem. However, in an attack reminiscent of his battle against Apollonius, Judas surprised the enemy force at Beit Horon and sent it reeling into the countryside. Seron is one of the two settlements created immediately after the Great Flood. ... Jerusalem and the Old City. ...

Antiochus sent yet a third expeditionary force into Judea under command of his viceroy, Lysias. However, the rebels turned back the Syrians again at the Battle of Emmaus. A viceroy is somebody who governs a country or province as a substitute for the monarch. ... Lysias lis-i-as (Lusias): (1) A noble man, and one of the blood royal whom Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes (circa 166 BC) left with the government of Southern Syria and the guardianship of his son, while he went in person into Persia to collect the revenues which were. ... The Battle of Emmaus took place in 166 BCE between the Hasmonean rebels of Judea, led by Judas Maccabeus and the third expedition of Hellenist forces sent by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, this time led by Lysias and his general, Gorgias. ...

In two years, Judas Maccabeus had transformed from obscure son of a Modiin priest to great military captain. Recruits flocked to the cause in numbers like never before, and the people began to hail him as a savior of the people. The Maccabee continued to remind his men that they fought for God, family, and country.

The restoration

Lysias, eager to avenge his defeat, again led an expedition into Judea, this time with the intention of working in tandem with the Seleucid forces in the Acra fortress at Jerusalem. However, the Seleucid general was again driven back by Judas' smaller army. After this campaign, the Jewish hero entered the Holy City and restored the Temple, which had been profaned by the pagan Seleucids. According to Jewish lore, on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev in 164 BCE, the Temple was re-dedicated. Supposedly, only one day's supply of oil was available to burn in the candelabrum and it miraculously lasted for eight days. Today, this event is commemorated by the festival of Hanukkah (also called the Festival of the Restoration or the Festival of Lights). The Jerusalem Temple (Hebrew: beit ha-mikdash) was the center of Israelite and Jewish worship, primarily for the offering of sacrifices known as the korbanot. ... Paganism (from Latin paganus) and Heathenry are catch-all terms which have come to connote a broad set of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion, as opposed to the Abrahamic religions. ... Kislev (כִּסְלֵו, Standard Hebrew Kislev, Tiberian Hebrew Kislēw: from Akkadian kislimu) is the third month of the ecclesiastical year and the ninth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... (Redirected from 164 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 169 BC 168 BC 167 BC 166 BC 165 BC - 164 BC - 163... A candlestick or candelabrum is a decorative holder for one or more candles, often shaped as a column or pedestal. ... Hanukkah menorah on the eighth night of the festival. ...

Leaving the seemingly impregnable Acra in the hands of the Syrians, Judas turned his attention to relieving Jews throughout the countryside, who were being persecuted by enemy troops. After accomplishing this mission in 162 BCE, Judas turned his attention back to the Acra, which remained a Seleucid bastion in the midst of the holiest of Jewish cities. Meanwhile, in Antioch, Lysias was vying for control of the empire with Philip, the regent appointed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes before the emperor's death in 164 BCE. The Maccabee took advantage of this internal conflict and besieged the Acra with the hope that this power struggle would prevent Seleucid forces from taking the field against the Jews. (Redirected from 162 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC 140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 167 BC 166 BC 165 BC 164 BC 163 BC - 162 BC... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

However, the spite that Lysias felt for Judas Maccabeus was greater than the spite he felt for Philip. The Seleucid general left Antioch with the largest field army yet seen in this conflict, and marched toward the Jewish force besieging the Acra. Not wanting to be hemmed in, Judas marched his army out to meet the enemy at Beth-zechariah. But, without the element of surprise, the small band of Jewish citizen-soldiers was no match for the numerically superior Syrian army. The Jews were forced to fall back to Jerusalem, where Lysias besieged them. However, Lysias received ominous news from the east. Philip was returning to Antioch after completing his latest military campaign and could assume the throne in Lysias' absence from the city. The general formulated a compromise to free him of his siege of Jerusalem: he granted the Jews religious freedom under the law. Judas agreed to this proposal, and Lysias hastened to Antioch. Hanukkah coin depicting Eleazar Horan The Battle of Beth-zechariah was fought between Jewish and Syrian forces during the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. ... Jerusalem and the Old City. ...

Toward political independence

On the surface, it appeared that the sons of Mattathias had met with ultimate success. However, Judas only provisionally accepted the course of events. He insisted that religious liberty would not continue unabated without political independence and vowed to continue the war. In the meantime, Demetrius I, nephew of the late Antiochus IV Epiphanes, garnered popular support in Antioch, overthrew Lysias, and put him to death. He then ordered a renewed offensive against the Jews. Judas responded by waging guerrilla operations against the Syrians until the spring of 161 BCE. The Maccabee then sent a diplomatic envoy to Rome to request formal recognition of the independent state of Judea. Rome complied. However, this simply stirred Demetrius to a new ardor for quashing what he still considered a rebellion. He ordered his army to march on Jerusalem in a campaign to subdue the troublesome Jews once and for all. Judas gave battle to a Syrian force of over 20,000 men at the Battle of Elasa. Finding himself enveloped by enemy troops, Judas Maccabeus fought hand-to-hand alongside his men--then died a warrior's death. The people mourned his loss and shouted, "How is the mighty one fallen, the Savior of Israel!" Demetrius I (d. ... (Redirected from 161 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC 140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 166 BC 165 BC 164 BC 163 BC 162 BC - 161 BC... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ... Until the early 19th Century, each European nation had its own system of diplomatic rank. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,823,807 almost 4,000,000 1... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank, and, in a few geographical definitions of Judea... Battle of Elasa - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

The death of the Maccabee stirred the Jews to renewed resistance. After several additional years of war, and under the leadership of two of Mattathias' other sons, the Jews finally achieved independence and the liberty to worship God as their fathers had.

In literature

In the Divine Comedy, Dante sees the spirit of Judas Maccabeus in the Heaven of Mars with the other "heroes of the true faith". Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, in Michelinos fresco. ... Dante redirects here. ...

In 1746, the English composer George Frideric Handel commemorated the heroism of Judas Maccabeus in his oratorio of the same name. Events January 8 - Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Stirling April 16 - Battle of Culloden brings an end to the Jacobite Risings October 22 - The College of New Jersey is founded (it becomes Princeton University in 1896) October 28 - An earthquake demolishes Lima and Callao, in Peru Catharine de Ricci (born 1522... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... George Frideric Handel (German Georg Friedrich Händel), (February 23, 1685 – April 14, 1759) was a German Baroque music composer who lived much of his life in Great Britain, a leading composer of concerti grossi, operas and oratorios. ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ...

Mattathias, a Jewish priest, the father of the Maccabees, who in 170 BC, when asked by a Syrian embassy to offer sacrifice to the Syrian gods, not only refused to do so, but slew with his own hand the Jew that stepped forward to do it for him, and then... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 172 BC 171 BC 170 BC 169 BC 168 BC - 167 BC - 166 BC 165 BC 164... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC - 160s BC - 150s BC140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC Years: 165 BC 164 BC 163 BC 162 BC 161 BC - 160 BC - 159 BC 158 BC 157... Jonathan Maccabaeus was leader of the Hasmonean Dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BC. He is called also Apphus (Ἀπφοῦς [Syriac, (image) ] = the dissembler or the diplomat, in allusion to a trait prominent in him; 1 Maccabees ii. ...

External links

• Judas Maccabeus on the Web (pictures and directory)
• Jewish Encyclopedia
• Catholic Encyclopedia