The Hellenistic World · Part 4 · Judea and Alexandria · B2–C1
Alexander’s Heirs: Ptolemies, Seleucids and Maccabees
Part 4 of The Hellenistic World: after Alexander died, his generals divided the world. The Ptolemies ruled Egypt from Alexandria, the Seleucids ruled Syria and Babylonia, and little Judea lay between them. Then a Seleucid king tried to stamp out the Jewish religion, and a family of priests went to war. Participle clauses (having won the battle…, stopped by the Romans…) and the language of purpose (in order to, so as to, so that), with Philo, Sophia, Marcos and Demetria.
Tonight, we come almost to our own time. Philo, your grandfather was a young man when these things happened.
He used to tell me about Judas Maccabeus as if he had known him. Every winter we light lamps for the Temple that Judas cleaned.
And my grandfather used to say that the Jews of Judea had rebelled against a Greek king. It is strange how the same story sounds from two houses.
When Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BCE, his generals fought over his empire. Ptolemy took Egypt and made Alexandria his capital; Seleucus took Babylonia and Syria. Their families ruled for almost three hundred years, and fought six wars over Syria and Judea. Judea belonged to the Ptolemies for a century, and then, after 200 BCE, to the Seleucids.
Greek language and culture spread everywhere: cities, theatres, gymnasiums, Greek names. In Jerusalem, some Jews welcomed it; others saw it as a threat. In 175 BCE the high priest Jason built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, with the king’s permission. Then, around 167 BCE, King Antiochus IV banned Jewish practices and turned the Temple into a sanctuary of Zeus. Why he did it is still debated.
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