What is the Real Story of Hanukkah?

Part 1 of a historically accurate 8 Part Series

To read the Introduction to this 8 Part series please click below…

https://lewiscoaches.medium.com/what-is-the-real-story-of-hanukkah-c288e61a17b4

Q. You say that the story of Hanukkah really begins with the death of Alexander the Great. Please map out what happened next.

A. Alexander’s death was so sudden that when reports of his death reached Greece, they were not immediately believed. Alexander had no obvious or legitimate heir.

Dissension and rivalry soon afflicted his armies and followers known as the Macedonians. Ultimately there were 40 years of war between “The Successors” and eventually, the Hellenistic world settled into four stable power blocks: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Mesopotamia and Central Asia, Attalid Anatolia, and Antigonid Macedon. In the process, various kings and leaders were murdered.

Q. So Antiochus III became the king of Seleucid Mesopotamia?

A. Yes All the wars of Antiochus III brought the region into the Seleucid Empire and Jerusalem fell to his control in 198.

Q. Did this affect Jewish life in Jerusalem?

A. For a time Jewish culture had flourished under Greek rule. Eventually, deterioration of relations between Hellenized Jews and strictly…