The Maccabean Revolt was an uprising by Jews in Judea against the Seleucid Empire, which then ruled the region. It began when King Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to impose Greek religious practices and banned Jewish rites, and when the priest Mattathias and his sons, above all Judas Maccabeus, took up arms. Fighting guerrilla campaigns in the hills, the rebels recaptured Jerusalem and purified and rededicated the Temple, an event commemorated by the festival of Hanukkah. The revolt continued for years under Judas's brothers Jonathan and Simon, ending with a largely independent Jewish state. This was ruled by the Hasmonean dynasty until the Romans took control in the first century BCE.
Before and after
- 2nd century BCEWinged Victory of Samothrace
- from 171 BCE to 168 BCEThird Macedonian War
- 167 BCERise of Maccabees
- 167 BCERise of Hasmonean dynasty
- from 167 BCE to 160 BCEMaccabean Revolt
- from 2nd century BCE to 2nd centuryProto–Three Kingdoms of Korea
- from 149 BCE to 146 BCEThird Punic War
- from 149 BCE to 146 BCESiege of Carthage
- 147 BCERome destroys Carthage
More in Wars, politics & history
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- 335 BCEAlexander the Great crosses into Asia
- from 218 BCE to 201 BCESecond Punic War
- 217 BCEHannibal destroys the Roman army at Cannae
- from 59 BCE to 51 BCECaesar begins the conquest of Gaul
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 2nd century BCE.
