What can be learned from this festival that the L-rd has given to us? Many things if we look at it from the perspective of it being a teaching. In this article I will attempt to explain the truths of G-d as laid out in this Festival of G-d.

In the year 323 B.C.E., Alexander the Great fell very ill and knew he was going to die, so he called his generals that were brought up with him and were honorable and divided his kingdom up among them. These generals ruled in the places that Alexander gave to them. As time passed these generals, now kings, died and their sons took their places.

For the purpose of this article we will only look in depth at two of these kingdoms.

Ptolemy (Tol-e-me), Alexander's greatest general, formed a kingdom in Egypt while Seleucus I (Se-loo-kes) ruled over Babylonia and later conquered Syria and much of Asia Minor.

These two kingdoms were known as the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Kingdom. Seleucus was killed in battle in 261 B.C.E. He was succeeded by a number of kings. Ptolemy was succeeded by his son Ptolemy II in 283 B.C.E. and the kingdom continues through a number of kings called Ptolemy.

It was during the early Ptolemy kingdom, 285-247 B.C.E., that the Alexandrian Jews translated the Pentateuch into Greek. Today we know this translation of the Tanach as the Septuagint.

In 198 B.C.E. Antiochus III (The Great) captured Yisrael from Ptolemy V. Israel was now part of the Seleucid kingdom. Antiochus IV came to power in the year 175 B.C.E. and ruled over the Seleucid kingdom, which had by this time lost much of it's territory and power. Ptolemy VI was ruling in Egypt at this time.

Antiochus IV decided that he wanted to expand his kingdom, so he attacked Ptolemy VI in Egypt. Antiochus pushed his way into Egypt, slaughtering as he went. Ptolemy, being very much afraid of Antiochus, fled and appealed to Rome for help. Rome came to the aid of Ptolemy and drove Antiochus out of Egypt. Antiochus feared the Romans and when they came he did not even put up a fight.

The leader of the Roman army came to Antiochus and told him to down his arms, Antiochus asked if he could think about it. The Roman leader drew a circle around Antiochus and said that he could think about it all he wanted but he could not leave the circle until he had made up his mind. Antiochus dropped his weapons and surrendered.

This is spoken of in Daniel 11.29-30 …

“At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.”

Cyprus is not the little island off the coast of Israel, it is called Kittim in Hebrew and is a term in ancient writing for Rome.

In Israel the Jews had a false report that Antiochus had been killed by the Romans so they were have a great celebration in the city of Y'rushalayim (Jerusalem). After leaving Egypt for fear of the Romans, Antiochus came to Y'rushalayim (Jerusalem) and on hearing the celebration became furious, and when he came over to the mountain and saw the celebration he was even more furious than before. He took the city without a fight, members of his own party who were within the city opened the gates for him.

He killed many thousands of Jews and took as many captives with him back to Antioch. After two years Antiochus again came to Y'rushalayim in the name of peace, but after getting access to the city he killed many and again took many captives. This time he did not stop at that, he also pillaged the Temple of G-d for the money that was there.

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