The Maccabean RevolutionBetween the books of Malachi and Matthew, the Maccabees fought for the rights and freedom of the Jewish nation. At this time, the Jews were massively oppressed by the Seleucid rulers. One in particular was Antiochus. He tormented the Jews in hopes of Hellenizing them, and to top it all off, he used their own religious beliefs against them, massacring and humiliating them. However, against all odds, the Maccabees liberated the nation of Judah and managed to regain their rights. It's the Maccabean revolution. It all began in 166 BC, when Antiochus, the Seleucid king, ordered the sacrifice of pigs on the altars of Jewish temples. This dishonored the beliefs of the Jews, for pigs were unclean even if a Jew touched them, yet they had to be sacrificed on the altars of their Lord. In the small village of Modi'in, when a small group of soldiers arrived at the Temple to carry out Antiochus' order. They sought out the high priest, whose name was Mattathias, and ordered him to sacrifice a pig on the altar of the temple. Although the soldiers pleaded and bribed, Mattathias remained faithful to the Lord and refused to make the sacrifice. However, due to Mattathias' refusal, a villager offered to make the sacrifice himself. At these words Mattathias was furious. He grabbed the sacrificial knife and killed the man. With the soldiers caught off guard, Mattathias, his five sons and several villagers managed to kill the soldiers, take their equipment and retreat to the hills. The revolt had begun. Many surrounding villages joined the revolt and the band of men created a small guerrilla force that attacked at night. Since the death of Mattathias at the beginning of the revolution... middle of paper ...... in the village of Modi'in, the revolution has spread and grown. The Maccabees proved to be good leaders and led the people to a spiritual awakening from idols to return to the Lord. Their freedom was hard fought for and well won in the clutches of one cruel king after another. , Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2000 Rattey, BK, The Hebrews, Oxford, London: Oxford University Press, 1964 Stevenson, John, “The Intertestamental Period”, Surburg, Raymond F., Introduction to the Intertestamental Period, St Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1975NA, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/353838/The-Books-of-the-Maccabees