Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: WEAK (07/22/21)
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TITLE: Circle Of The Law | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sue Botte
07/28/21 -
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It took approximately three years for the kingdom to be divided. The two eastern sections, Syria to Seleucus, Egypt to Ptolemy and Palestine (situated between Syria & Egypt) first was given to Syria and later was placed under the control of Egypt until 198 B.C.
Antiochus III was one such a recipient. His son, Mithradates, always received what he wanted; at times, he received before he asked for it. He paraded in the palace with his swollen head. The palace slaves whispered about him behind his back.
After the death of Antiochus III, Mithradates became king. He changed his name to Antiochus Epiphanes IV. He was full of himself and was set on conquering the world, not through good deeds but through violence.
Antiochus Epiphanes IV was violently bitter against the Jews; he was jealous. He was set on exterminating the Jews, their religion, customs and culture.
About this time, renegades of Israel gave up their customs and traded their culture for pagan beliefs. They obtained the approval of King Antiochus Epiphanes IV for building a gymnasium in Jerusalem where they could practice their newly adopted pagan customs and embrace their new culture. In clinched conclusion, he asked his advisor to prepare the edict.
The King declared an edict:
Any one, who opposed and or refused to adopt Hellenism* as their culture and does not adhered to their customs and were caught practicing Judaism were precipitously killed.
Sometime after the edict, he went to Jerusalem. He was prepared with a well-equipped strong army behind him. He spoke words of peacefulness to them; he gained their confidence. He noticed they were receptive towards him. Suddenly he gave orders to his army. Many Jews were killed; Jerusalem was devastated, he also gave orders for the Temple’s complete desecration.
He left a trail of destruction where-ever he went.
In the meantime Mattathias and sons, John known as Gaddi, Simon called Thassi, Judas called Maccabaeus, Eleazar called Avaran and Jonathan called Apphus heard about the destruction. They were upset. Within a short time period and with military precision gathered soldiers to protect and retain what belonged to the Jews. This was how the Holy War started; culture to culture.
In approximately the year 162 B.C. the King lost most of his battles. He heard that Bethzur, and Jerusalem had been reclaimed by the Jews; by Judas called Maccabaeus. The Temple rebuilt and high walls built around Jerusalem.
He was profoundly shaken by the news of Jerusalem.
‘He threw himself onto his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned.’ (v 8)
‘And there he remained for many days, subject to deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that he was dying.’ (v 9)
He summoned his Friends and said to them:
“Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed by anxiety. I have been asking myself how I could have come to such a pitch of distress, so great a flood as that which now engulfs me – I who was so generous and well loved in my heyday. But now I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem when I seized all the vessels of silver and gold there, and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at all. This I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholy in a foreign land.” (v10-13)
Psa 31:10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
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* Hellenism – the national culture of Greece, especially ancient Greece.
Part fiction.
Some parts paraphrased from The First Book of Maccabees.
The Jerusalem Bible Reader’s Edition 1968 page 570. Chapters 1-6
Halley’s Bible Handbook New Revisited Edition 1965 page 402-403. H. H. Halley.
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