The Maccabees were a band of Jewish freedom fighters that liberated the land of Israel from the Seleucid Empire.
In 168 BCE, the Maccabees began a successful Jewish revolt against the Syrian Greek king Antiochos. Antiochos' aim was to hellenize the Jews, and ultimately to transform Judaism into just another Greek religion. His army ransacked the Temple and installed alters to the Greek gods. Following Antiochus’ decree to outlaw Judaism, the Hasmonean family, headed by Mathias and his son Judah the Maccabee, led the revolt against Antiochus.
After many battles, the smaller Maccabee army successfully liberated Jerusalem and the Temple, thereby restoring the ability of the people to practice Judaism. The Holiday of Chanukah celebrates this historic story of “the few defeating the many”.
