In the year 199 BCE, the Seleucid Greeks took over the area of Judea where the Jews lived and in 167 BCE Antiochus became the Emperor and began to oppress the Jews, demanding they become more like the Greeks. The rebellion began when Mattathias and his 5 sons killed a Hellenistic Jew who had offered a pagan sacrifice. Mattathias and his sons were basically the first guerrilla fighters. They were able to chase the Syrian troops out of Judea. Antiochus kept trying to fight back but was unsuccessful.
There are many heroic stories that occurred during this time including the group of Jews who hid in a cave to escape the oppression. When the Syrian Greeks came after them, rather than fight on the Sabbath, the Greeks set a fire and 1,000 people perished. It was then that the Maccabbees decided that the life of a person is greater than the Sabbath, and one should fight on Shabbat.
There is also the story of Hannah and her seven sons. They were each asked to bow down to Antiochus. Each one refused and was killed. When the last child came Antiochus tried to trick him by throwing his ring to the ground thinking the boy would bend and pick it up, but he refused. It was then that Hannah committed suicide hoping to join her children in the World to Come.
There is also the heroic story of Judith. Judith inebriated the Syrian Greek leader Holofernes and then beheaded him which resulted in all of his followers to fleeing.
The stories of the five sons of Mattathias are well known, especially Judah Maccabbee, the leader, and Jonathan who eventually became the King. Although Mattathias' sons were Priests they took over the kingdom once the Syrian Greeks were chased out of the land. According to the Bible, kings of Israel were supposed to come from the line of Judah. Nevertheless, Mattathias who were Levis, took over the kingship.
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