The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish rebellion against their Greek/Syrian oppressors in Israel, c. 167-160 BC C., as well as a rejection of Hellenistic commitments in worship. The story of the Maccabean Revolt is found in 1 and 2 Maccabees and in the writings of Josephus. The origin of Hanukkah dates back to the Maccabean revolt.
First, some background on the events leading up to the Maccabean Revolt. The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi, which covers events up to about 400 B.C. After that, Alexander the Great almost conquered the known civilized world and died in 323 BC. His empire is distributed to his four generals who consolidate his territory and establish his dynasties. Ptolemy, one of his generals, ruled in Egypt. Seleucus, another of his generals, ruled over a territory that included Syria. These generals founded dynasties that were often at war with each other. Israel, located between the two kingdoms, occupied a precarious position.
The Ptolemaic government of Israel (Palestine) was tolerant of Jewish religious practices. However, the Seleucid Empire eventually gained control of the area and began to restrict Jewish religious practices. In 175 BC C., Antiochus IV came to power. He chose for himself the name Antiochus Epiphanes, which means “god manifested.” He began to persecute the Jews in earnest. He outlawed Jewish religious practices (including observance of kosher food laws) and mandated the worship of the Greek god Zeus. The last act of desecration of him, which precipitated the revolt of the Maccabeans, was the sacrifice of a pig to Zeus in the temple of Jerusalem in 167 BC.
Faithful Jewish opposition had been an undercurrent all along, but Antiochus’s overt act of desecration brought it to the surface, and the result was the Maccabean revolt. Mattathias, a Jewish priest, led the organized resistance along with his five sons: John Gaddi, Simon Thassi, Eleazar Avaran, Jonathan Apphus, and Judas Maccabeus (Maccabeus comes from the Hebrew for “hammer”). Mattathias started the rebellion by stopping a Jew from sacrificing to a pagan god and then killed an official of the king. Mattathias escaped with his family to the hills where he was joined by many other faithful Jews. From there, they waged guerrilla warfare against the Seleucids, but much of his anger was also directed against other Jews who had embraced Greek culture (Hellenized Jews). The rebels tore down pagan altars, circumcised boys, and forced Hellenized Jews to become “outlaws” with no rights or legal protection. After the death of Mattathias in 166 a. C., his son Judas Macabeo took command of the rebellion. Judas saw himself as a leader like Moses, Joshua, and Gideon.
Under the leadership of Judas Maccabee, the rebellion continued successfully and the Maccabees, as they were called, were able to capture Jerusalem and rededicate the temple in 164 BC. (It is from this time that the holiday of Hanukkah comes.) From there Maccabee took the war to Galilee in an effort to recapture all Jewish territory. In 164 BC C., Antiochus Epiphanes died and his son and his successor, Antiochus Eupator, agreed to peace, which allowed the resumption of Jewish practices; however, warfare resumed soon after, and Judas sought and received help from the fledgling power of Rome in finally throwing off Seleucid control. Judas died around 161 BC. C. and was succeeded by his brother Jonathan. Finally, under the leadership of Jonathan, peace was made with Alexander Balas, the Seleucid king, around 153 BC. After Jonathan, his brother Simon ruled over a semi-independent Jewish nation. With the collapse of the Seleucid Empire in 116 BC. C., the nation of Israel enjoyed full independence until 63 a. C., when Rome installed a puppet king in Jerusalem.
Although Judas Maccabeus did not start the rebellion or see it end, he is considered the central figure in it. Mattathias and his family are sometimes called the Hasmoneans; they are also known as the Maccabeans, after Judas, and the revolt they led is known as the Maccabean Revolt.
The history of the rebellion is recorded in The Jewish Wars of Josephus and in the non-canonical books of 1 and 2 Maccabees.