19. The Maccabean Revolt (Jewish History Lab)

Brief discussion of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE, part of the Jewish History Lab series. This lecture is also part of the course entitled Biblical Jewish History: From Abraham to Bar Kochba. Course information and registration here: henryabramson.com/course/bibl...
For recommended reading, please visit: henryabramson.com/recommended...
Interested in studying more deeply? Join our learning community of students, researchers and colleagues: / @henryabramsonphd
Online Courses:
Biblical Jewish History: From Abraham to Bar Kochba
Course information and registration here: henryabramson.com/course/bibl...
A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz!
Course information and registration here: henryabramson.com/course/a-th...
Interested in studying more deeply? Join our learning community of students, researchers and colleagues: / @henryabramsonphd

[@psjasker]

I never fail to be impressed by Dr Jacobson’s gift for teaching

[@thatgloomycreature8668]

I find myself generally happy just to think that every time I finish my homeworks, I can watch these lectures.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you like them!

[@aminaz1778]

This can be a daf yomi in History

[@JaneDoe-ij4ls]

EXACTLY 👍. I take notes, too.

[@JaneDoe-ij4ls]

@@aminaz1778 what is daf yomi?

[@aminaz1778]

@@JaneDoe-ij4ls daily page meaning one passage/ paragraph or page from the book of holy writings

[@calebdarr7482]

Thank you Dr. Abramson for this video series. I am a Christian studying the period between Malachi and Matthew and I really enjoyed learning more about the Maccabean revolt from a knowledgeable Jewish historian.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you find it useful!

[@Volleyball_Chess_and_Geoguessr]

Hello fellow Christian!

[@jennapecor1865]

Me too! I’m teaching about it in my Sunday school class. I’m showing this video in the morning!

[@pWnageTaco92]

"trade them like hockey cards" your very Canadian analogy made me chuckle

[@williammiller3175]

I remember sitting and listening to the horrible account of the desecration of the Holy Temple, I recoiled in disgust . The perpetrators needed to feel the hammer and they did. And heck I wasn't even Jewish. Keep up the good work.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you found it useful.

[@shabbatsongs4801]

Agreed...the desecration of the Temple was horrendous...which makes the rededication that much sweeter...🙏

[@berserk9085]

why you forget that the hasmonean dynasty destroyed Samaritan temples?

[@autisticfieldmarshall1006]

At least Hellenic religion was more advanced then Yahwehs death cult lol

[@englishfrog]

You filled in some nice gaps for me Dr, thank you again....the 5 years I spent in New Jersey with lots of Jewish friends and teachers, we gentiles learned a bit about this history....but not much....and back then I was more interested in spinning the dreidle.....even though I didn't know what the letters were or what they represented....shalom.

[@gregcollins7602]

Bravo. Excellent history lesson.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CatDaddy0327]

This is great thank you sir! I love the Maccabees since Hebrew school!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You are very welcome

[@stevefranklin963]

Toda, Dr. Abramson - your scholarly work is much appreciated. As always, your presentations are engaging, waste no time and provide all the detail-rich truths from history and scriptures. Keep up the good work!

[@adekakwandi2741]

Shalom Dr. Thank you for sharing this period of Jewish history is deeply fascinating.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you found it useful!

[@iamislove5049]

Just finished reading Book of Daniel. Being amazed by the historical accuracy, I decided to research the Maccabean revolt. Very interesting!

[@AhavaSarahTV]

I enjoyed this lecture very much. I find the Maccabean revolt with the miraculous nature of their military triumph to be highly inspiring. A true picture of uncompromising faith & a tremendous zeal for holiness. Thank you 😊🙏

[@gerardcosloy6946]

Mr. Abramson, your lectures are absolutely wonderful!

[@yourthought2333]

You do love those elephant depictions 😂

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Doesn't everyone?

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Dude, I want an eletiger!

[@m_d1905]

Very interesting discussion on the Maccabees. I read the books of Maccabees as a youngster and found it fascinating. It helped me discover there were great stories in the Bible.

[@JaneDoe-ij4ls]

Sir, I LOVE your lecturs. THANK YOU SO MUCH♥️♥️♥️🙏🙏🙏🌹 I need to take notes.♥️

[@johnwalz2832]

Lots of new info here, but also helps to illuminate the parts of history surrounding the revolt that I'm more familiar with. Thank you.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you found it useful!

[@YannisH]

I find your last commentary fascinating and truthful. I do see life is a big circle and understand the drive to hold your uniqueness in a world that is compliant.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you found it interesting!

[@davidm4807]

Thanks again Rabbi for another splendid, informative video. I’m still mystified why the average Charedi High school including the one I attended, never felt it was important enough to teach Jewish history. I find that since I started learning Navi in conjunction with your videos, it has only buttressed my Faith in Hashem. Moreover, so many of the stories as well as the protagonist aren’t depicted as mythical prodigies. Rather, very much relatable down to earth human beings, that earned their enviable status as a result of constantly working on elevating their characters using the Torah’s guiding principles. Thank you again for all your wonderfully presented and extremely informative videos, past, present and future. Happy Chanuka.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it! Not a Rabbi, btw, just a regular guy.

[@danellis6091]

Excellent presentation. Thank you and Chag Sameach!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@janetsmith8566]

Very useful! Thank you

[@mikejhorn]

From an ardent Orthodox Christian follower; another great lecture professor! A wonderful message for all people of faith! The story of the miracle and the message to resist giving up one's religious values is the reason why the Book of Maccabees is included in the Orthodox Christian Bible.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks!

[@robertomorales8286]

I am fanatic of yout history conferences.I am from Puerto Rico.Now living temporaly in Tikhvin,Russia.I have watched lot of your conferences.You are a cool historian.

[@jonahmaddox9341]

Thank u doc for information.

[@SHSims-uv9ru]

I am a PhD student studying the Seleucids. I am disgusted by Antiochus IV. Thank you for this wonderful glimpse into real history.

[@beliefinjustice448]

What a great lecture

[@beliefinjustice448]

And I never knew about the tragedy of יהודה losing the support of the חסידים later in life. I need to re-watch your יהודה מכבי lecture from a couple years ago!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks!

[@ELJason2006]

We are still fighting the Maccabean wars till today

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

In a way, yes.

[@mykesinger]

The Greeks are winning.

[@mikisunshine9334]

Excellent

[@tiggergolah]

@@mykesinger This too, shall pass. They have chosen to learn the lesson of the Maccabees the hard way. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat its mistakes.

[@joshmesser374]

I’m curious, what do you mean by this?

[@saharahashaart2802]

The famous line drawn in the sand around Antiochus was possibly so humiliating that he stomped away from Popilius in a huff and took it out on Israel. Read that somewhere.... But, thank you so much for your delightful intriguing history lessons🤗!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Agreed! Glad you liked the video.

[@1BestCookie]

Really interesting. The small videos on Chanikah have the same information as this video or is there one I should still whatch

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Same.

[@alg11297]

A happy chanukkkkah to you and yours.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Same!

[@Dave-um7mw]

I noticed you didn't go into the details of the different groups of Jews at the time of the revolt (Pharisees, Sadducees, zealots, the fourth group who's name escapes me) as you have in previous videos on the topic. Did you change your mind about them or were you just trying to save time on the video since you've already talked about them previously? By the way, thank you for sharing your your information on Jewish history with us.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6iZg2iZjpWpi6s

[@damaxpowerway]

Your Canadian is showing in this one.."..trade them like *Hockey* cards.." lol.

[@geertdecoster5301]

Here's a good question to pose... A few months ago I failed an oral exam for a christian theology course on the Tenach. The question was: what were the more optimistic books of the two following sets : Samuel-Kings or Chronicles? Somehow I got it into my brain that the first was more optimistic than the second. How can only the ending be telling about the entire nature of what went before? Likewise, was the 20th Century really the most horrible of all?

[@thecriticalscholar8680]

Will there be a video on the history of the Jewish Kingdom of Yemen?

[@illerac84]

As you are speaking on the Maccabees, will you be looking into the Roman-Jewish treaty that they made with the Roman Republic?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Mentioned in passing in this and the next brief video.

[@simban00]

Hello Henry very enlightening. I wonder why this isn't taught properly?

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

Greetings from Greece!

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

I miss the longer videos(over 1 hour).

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Hopefully we will go back to live lectures once the pandemic is over. In the meantime, you can always binge watch.

[@wretchedfibs4306]

love the jumbos and true about liberal/conservative timelessness in our natures

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ty!

[@jasondusek1792]

Initially, I thought Dr. Abramson might have been saying something drawn from "glücklich" ("happy") towards the end but it's actually drawn from "light" or "bright": a "lichtiger Hanukkah" is a bright Hannukah.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Correct

[@maligjokica]

As orthodox Christians we have 3 macabean books in our old testament canon. Remember reading it for the first time in high schools!!..Its like reading a military report battle after battle with the greec pagans for the true fate in the One God!! Truly epic!:)) I can imagene that movie inspired with the macabean book will ROCK:)) p.s I encourage our Jewish friends to read them( they are pre-cristian)they will enjoy.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

The Book of the Maccabees is definitely thrilling reading.

[@simongiles9749]

More like a mini-series to do it justice. There were many times in my An Atheist Explores the Bible blog that I used the term "it's all gone a bit Game of Thrones" or variants thereof. Particularly true of 2nd Maccabees where the author seems to enjoy graphic depictions of torture like the seven martyred sons (chopped up and fried in front of their mother) and the guy executed by sticking him in a tower of swirling ashes. Grim stuff!

[@davids9549]

A great history of Hanukah thank you. One point - you were right to highlight the lack of early reference to the 8-day-oil-miracle, but didn't mention the (perhaps) more plausible reason (mentioned partially in Maccabees and more plainly by Josephus) for the 8 days: The Jews were in fact celebrating a kind of 'Succoth Sheni' because they had been unable to celebrate Succoth 'bizmano' due to the unavailability of the Temple and the military operation based in caves! So the most natural thing in the world would have been for them to celebrate it belatedly at the first opportunity. Why doesn't the Talmud state this? Presumably because the rabbis of the Talmud weren't in fact the greatest fans of the Hasmoneans...

[@devinsmith4790]

Considering the miracle of the oil lamp isn't recorded in our earliest sources (1 & 2 Maccabees), it's most likely a later legend.

[@ephy1973]

The main thing I learned is that I have been pronouncing so many words wrong.

[@yourthought2333]

😂

[@saharahashaart2802]

🤗

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

!

[@elnathan574]

Thank you for giving this history of those who had assimilated into the hellenistic style of life.But No where have I read or heard about them repenting the YHWH or seeking His council on what to do.Just an very important part of the move don't you think? Shalom.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Somehow I think you already have a preferred answer for your own question but posted anyway.

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

Using the four letter name if God is extremely disrespectful in Judaism, I’m not Jewish either but it’s not that hard to be respectful!

[@maxsmart99]

💯💯💯💯💯

[@josephtein3835]

Not the poor elephant's fault.

[@comentario-ur8rd]

I think you didn't gorgle enough when saying 'CHHanukkah'... Just kidding, I've learned a lot with your lectures

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@yourthought2333]

Just in time for Hanukkah 😁

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Yup

[@shabbatsongs4801]

Happy Chanukah

[@shawnmulberry774]

Haha, we know you grew up in Canada because you mention trading of hockey cards.

[@jerolvilladolid]

The maccabean revolt is when Israel revolted against its Iranian (Seleucid) overlords

[@autisticfieldmarshall1006]

I wonder if history of Jewish people would have turned out better if they would took that chance and accept a better Hellenic religion.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

There must be a KZbin channel somewhere that asks this question

[@autisticfieldmarshall1006]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD probably. There was an interesting article I've read, about how Egyptian pharaohs founded monotheism, and how sun-god worship(personified by Akenaton IIRC) was adopted in Egypt's eastern provinces. So basically Yahweh is Amon, who was manifested by Akhenaton. That cult existed for a generation before Egyptian priests brought back the original religion.

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

@@autisticfieldmarshall1006that is a cool theory but it’s 100% speculative and more nuanced than that

[@worldtraveler8613]

Notice how he doesn't throw the name of God around lightly like many Christians do nowadays. I myself am a Christian however i believe that the name of God is thrown around too lightly these days. It is supposed to be revered and never taken in vain. To me that means used only in worship. Even the biblical authors subbed it for the name LORD in all caps anytime the name of God was used in Scripture.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Hope you found the video useful

[@worldtraveler8613]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD awesome insight

[@wormonholiday]

There was a big urban-rural divide...sounds like today's America

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Some parallels to be sure

[@ArjunaLionsWhelp]

Speaking of the Hellenists in Jerusalem...immediately the gay pride parades come to my mind.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

The conflict is similar.

[@user-po7xn8ri7r]

Οκ first we thebgreeks lived in palestine before the jews hommer saysbit about the solymoi that had a temple of zeus (jerousalym) second epiphanis means not god but great (alexander the great was taken megas) anout the greek religion it was not polytheism but they said εν ειν το παν god is one the gods like athina poseidon etc are expression of god on earth in the physical field the war started because the jews started killing th greeks in the palestine also the high priest in the temple of solomon was greek iolaos

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

There’s no credible scholarly source to back this narrative, saying it as a gentile who is chill with all religions

[@user-po7xn8ri7r]

@@MaryamMaqdisi in hommer you will find the answe also iero solymoi zeus jerusalym it means exactly that in greek . who will look for such evidence the jews the christians or the barbaric muslims