Alexander the Great died. The Greek Empire split into factions-the Seleucid Kingdom (Syria) and the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt).
At first Judea was under the rule of the religiously tolerant Ptolemaics. Eventually, the Seleucids conquered Judea and the Jews came under the rule of Antiochus IV.
Antiochus IV was not religiously tolerant. He saw the Cohen Gadol (High Priest) as a government role that could be assigned rather than inherited. So, he appointed a High Priest and boy did that create controversy. He also forbade Jewish religious practices and turned the Temple for God into a temple for Zeus.This pitted Jews who wanted to adopt Greek culture and live peacefully under Antiochus against those who wanted to maintain a traditional Jewish life and fight against Seleucid oppression.
Mattathias the Hasmonean was a priest from the sticks who revolted against the Seleucid Greeks. In 166 BCE Mattathias's son Judah won back Jerusalem and the Temple. That's why we celebrate Chanukah/Hanukah/Hanukah. Whatever...you get the idea. Mattathias's sons continued his work of defeating the Seleucids.
Simeon Maccabee, Judah's last remaining son, was declared High Priest, military leader and ruler of Israel. He began the Hasmonean Dynasty. The take away from this is that the Maccabees, which started out as a small rebel group, founded a new kingship in Israel. The Hasmoneans finally got rid of the Seleucids completely in 129 BCE. Judea was an independent nation until 63 CE.
The last of the Hasmonean rulers were two brothers-Hyrcanus and Aristoblus. The brothers fought bitterly for control of their people. Rome saw this civil war as an opportunity to conquer Judea. The brothers were pitted against each other by Pompey the Great. They couldn't unite their people, and Rome conquered Judea in 63 CE. Aristoblus ends up disgraced in Rome. Hyrcanus had his throne taken away, but was allowed to remain in Judea as High Priest and government puppet.
The excerpt from the Talmud below tells a story about the last two Hasmonean kings. They are the last remnant of the Maccabean Revolt that achieved freedom for the Jews. Their story is related to the holiday of Chanukah/Hanukah/Hanukah because it examines the dangers of assimilation and civil war.
ושלא ילמד את בנו יוונית ת"ר כשצרו מלכי בית חשמונאי זה על זה היה הורקנוס מבחוץ ואריסטובלוס מבפנים בכל יום ויום היו משלשלין דינרים בקופה ומעלין להן תמידים היה שם זקן אחד שהיה מכיר בחכמת יוונית לעז להם בחכמת יוונית אמר להן כל זמן שעוסקים בעבודה אין נמסרין בידכם למחר שלשלו להם דינרים בקופה והעלו להם חזיר כיון שהגיע לחצי חומה נעץ צפרניו נזדעזעה א"י ארבע מאות פרסה אותה שעה אמרו ארור אדם שיגדל חזירים וארור אדם שילמד לבנו חכמת יוונית
§ The mishna taught that during the War of Titus the Sages decreed that a person should not teach his son Greek. The Sages taught that this decree came about as a result of the following incident: When the kings of the Hasmonean monarchy besieged each other in their civil war, Hyrcanus was outside of Jerusalem, besieging it, and Aristoblus was inside. On each and every day they would lower dinars in a box from inside the city, and those on the outside would send up animals for them to bring the daily offerings in the Temple. A certain Elder was there, in Jerusalem, who was familiar with Greek wisdom. He communicated to those on the outside by means of Greek wisdom, using words understood only by those proficient in Greek wisdom. He said to them: As long as they are engaged in the Temple service, they will not be delivered into your hands. Upon hearing this, on the following day, when they lowered dinars in a box, they sent up a pig to them. Once the pig reached halfway up the wall, it inserted its hooves into the wall and Eretz Yisrael shuddered four hundred parasangs. When the Sages saw this, they said at that time: Cursed is the person who raises pigs, and cursed is the person who teaches his son Greek wisdom.
Who is inside Jerusalem and who is outside it? What might "inside" and "outside" symbolize?
Why are the people inside lowering dinars (money) for people outside of Jerusalem?
Why are the people outside of Jerusalem sending up animals to those inside Jerusalem?
The rabbis advised against teaching Greek. The Elder advises against teaching a child Greek thought. What is the distinction between teaching Greek vs. Greek thought?
What is significant about the Elder being inside Jerusalem and communicating to those outside Jerusalem?
Why is Temple Service essential to those inside Jerusalem being able to resist defeat?
Why did Eretz Yisrael shudder?
Who is telling this story and what might their world view be?
Do you identify more with those inside Jerusalem, those outside Jerusalem or the elder?
How does this story apply to present day Judaism?