With regards to the holiday of Hanukkah, while most everyone knows about the Maccabees’ victory over the mighty Seleucid Greek Empire and the subsequent miracle of the menorah oil lasting for 8 days, less known are the parts of the story that involve Jewish power struggles, religious oppression, civil war, and a political alliance with Rome. Even though the “good guys” aren’t all good, Hanukkah remains a celebration of resilience, beating the odds, and standing up for one’s beliefs.

00:00 Intro
00:35 Seleucid Greek Empire and Hellenism
01:28 Jewish life under Antiochus III
02:03 Jewish life under Antiochus IV
02:22 The clash between Second Temple priests
03:59 Antiochus bans Jewish practices
04:24 Mattityahu (Matthias) leads an uprising and civil war ensues
05:52 Judah Maccabee leads the war against the Empire
06:49 Maccabees make political alliance with Rome
07:57 The Maccabees retake and restore the Temple
08:05 The miracle of the burning oil and the Menorah
08:42 What happened next?
09:09 The Maccabees give Hellenizers an ultimatum
09:28 The Hasmonean Dynasty
09:44 Hanukkah as a celebration of standing up for your beliefs

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Image and footage credits:
TimeTravelRome
Walters Art Museum
Peter van der Sluijs
MatthiasKabel
Jamain
George Shuklin
Zde
Monica from Anghiari (AR), Italy
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Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
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Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires, www.livrariasafra.com.br, @safralivraria

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