1 Maccabees 1:41-63
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Many
people of today are unaware of the cruel treatment the Greeks put upon
the Israelites during the Hellenistic Greek period (332-37 BCE). It is
from this period the book of Maccabees which is found in the Apocrypha
records the cruelty of the Greeks.
For those Israelites that refused to break the law of Yah, much hardship came their way. The brutality in which many of the Israelites suffered under was unthinkable. The type of cruelty that can only be measured in war-time torture, or at the hands of the Roman Empire which would follow next and the slavery in America that the Israelites would suffer yet again many centuries later.
The religion of the Greeks was a universal religion that served many gods. This came in direct conflict with the Israelites belief of Yah being creator of all. With a deceitful tongue, King Antiochus writes a letter to persuade the Israelites to give up their customs, laws and statues and adopted his religion.
41. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, 42. and that each should give up his customs. 43. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. 44. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, 45. to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane Sabbaths and feasts,
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For those Israelites that refused to break the law of Yah, much hardship came their way. The brutality in which many of the Israelites suffered under was unthinkable. The type of cruelty that can only be measured in war-time torture, or at the hands of the Roman Empire which would follow next and the slavery in America that the Israelites would suffer yet again many centuries later.
The religion of the Greeks was a universal religion that served many gods. This came in direct conflict with the Israelites belief of Yah being creator of all. With a deceitful tongue, King Antiochus writes a letter to persuade the Israelites to give up their customs, laws and statues and adopted his religion.
41. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, 42. and that each should give up his customs. 43. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. 44. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, 45. to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane Sabbaths and feasts,
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Defiling the Sanctuary & Putting Israel to Death
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Greeks sacrificing swine on the altar
The
Greeks defiled the temple of Jerusalem by sacrificing pigs and other
unclean animals. Those Israelites that did not follow the decree by the
King Antiochus suffered death at the hands of the Greeks.
Verses 46 thru 63 explain in detail the cruel events as follows:
46. to defile the sanctuary and the priests, 47. to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, 48. and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, 49. so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances. 50. "And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die." 51. In such words he wrote to his whole kingdom. And he appointed inspectors over all the people and commanded the cities of Judah to offer sacrifice, city by city. 52. Many of the people, every one who forsook the law, joined them, and they did evil in the land; 53. they drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had. 54. Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege upon the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah, 55. and burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. 56. The books of the law which they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. 57. Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if any one adhered to the law, the decree of the king condemned him to death. 58. They kept using violence against Israel, against those found month after month in the cities. 59. And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar which was upon the altar of burnt offering. 60. According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, 61. and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks. 62. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. 63. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel.
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Verses 46 thru 63 explain in detail the cruel events as follows:
46. to defile the sanctuary and the priests, 47. to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, 48. and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, 49. so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances. 50. "And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die." 51. In such words he wrote to his whole kingdom. And he appointed inspectors over all the people and commanded the cities of Judah to offer sacrifice, city by city. 52. Many of the people, every one who forsook the law, joined them, and they did evil in the land; 53. they drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had. 54. Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege upon the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah, 55. and burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. 56. The books of the law which they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. 57. Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if any one adhered to the law, the decree of the king condemned him to death. 58. They kept using violence against Israel, against those found month after month in the cities. 59. And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar which was upon the altar of burnt offering. 60. According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, 61. and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks. 62. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. 63. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel.
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The cruelty of Greeks
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Plundering the Israelites
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King
Antiochus was mad with power and full of greed. Wanting to reign over
Egypt and Jerusalem, he came to Jerusalem and stole all the precious
items of the sanctuary. In his plundering of the city he shed much blood
of the Israelites.
1 Maccabees 1:20-29
20. And he took the strong cities in the land of Egypt: and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt. 21. And after Antiochus had ravaged Egypt in the hundred and forty-third year, he returned and went up against Israel. 22. And he went up to Jerusalem with a great multitude. 23. And he proudly entered into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof, and the table of proposition, and the pouring vessels, and the vials, and the little mortars of gold, and the veil, and the crowns, and the golden ornament that was before the temple: and he broke them all in pieces. 24. And he took the silver and gold, and the precious vessels: and he took the hidden treasures which he found: and when he had taken all away he departed into his own country. 25. And he made a great slaughter of men, and spoke very proudly. 26. And there was great mourning in Israel, and in every place where they were. 27. And the princes, and the ancients mourned, and the virgins and the young men were made feeble, and the beauty of the women was changed. 28. Every bridegroom took up lamentation: and the bride that set in the marriage bed, mourned: 29. And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
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1 Maccabees 1:20-29
20. And he took the strong cities in the land of Egypt: and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt. 21. And after Antiochus had ravaged Egypt in the hundred and forty-third year, he returned and went up against Israel. 22. And he went up to Jerusalem with a great multitude. 23. And he proudly entered into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof, and the table of proposition, and the pouring vessels, and the vials, and the little mortars of gold, and the veil, and the crowns, and the golden ornament that was before the temple: and he broke them all in pieces. 24. And he took the silver and gold, and the precious vessels: and he took the hidden treasures which he found: and when he had taken all away he departed into his own country. 25. And he made a great slaughter of men, and spoke very proudly. 26. And there was great mourning in Israel, and in every place where they were. 27. And the princes, and the ancients mourned, and the virgins and the young men were made feeble, and the beauty of the women was changed. 28. Every bridegroom took up lamentation: and the bride that set in the marriage bed, mourned: 29. And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
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Greek
Culture brought an enormous leverage against the message. Everyone had
their own personal deity in their home. Every city worshiped multiple
gods or goddesses, not just one.
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Why Did Yah Not Protect His People?
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Many
might say, "Why did Yah not protect His people from this type of
destruction." "Why would he allow such wicked and defile people to
plunder and destroy the Israelites in such a matter?"The answer is in the scriptures. The book of 1 Maccabees makes it clear in verses 11-15
1 Maccabees 1: 11-15
11. In those days there went out of Israel wicked men, renegades, and they persuaded many, saying: Let us go, and make a covenant with the heathens that are round about us: for since we departed from them, many evils have befallen us. 12. And the word seemed good in their hearts. 13. And some of the people determined to do this, and went to the king: and he gave them license to do after the ordinances of the heathens (gentiles). 14. And they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to the laws of the Gentiles customs: 15. And they removed the marks of curcumcision, and departed from the holy covenant, and joined the heathens, and sold themselves to do evil.
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