The Maccabean Revolt

        A long time ago in the second century, a Syrian general named Antiochus ruled Israel. Antiochus could not understand why most of the Jews where not following the Greek trends and customs which every one else thought where good ideas. This was because Greek sports and other customs were always dedicated to their Gods.  If the Jews took part in them it would be breaking the second commandment in the Jewish religion which is ‘do not bow down to any idol or worship’.

        

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        After a while Antiochus got fed up and thought that this reason was not a good enough reason. He then started to think that he himself was a god but the Jews thought that this was a crazy idea and would not hear anything of it. They refused to bow down to him as it was against their religion, and when he started calling himself ‘Epiphanes’ (the shining one) they had a play on words and called him using a Latin word meaning ‘mad man’.

As Antiochus was so outraged that the Jews would not worship him he ...

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