The second paper will require that students examine and analyze a historic figure’s or groups construction and or view of Jerusalem using both primary and secondary sources. Questions the research...

Maccabees
Jerusalem is the capital of present Israel. It is a Middle East country. It is situated between the Medite
anean Sea and the plateau of Judean mountains and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest city and the holiest places in the world. There are three universal religions pursued in Jerusalem which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Although it is the capital of Israel, Palestine has also declared Jerusalem to be the capital of their country. There have been many wars, revolts and conflicts which took place and resulted in the formation of the modern Jerusalem. The history of Jerusalem beings as early as the Bronze Age with its first human settlement established themselves around 3500 BC. In the 1000 BC, King David conquered the state and formed the Jewish empire. Later his son Solomon constructed a holy temple after 40 years in Jerusalem. In 586 BC the state was captured by the Babylonians and destroyed the temples and sent the Jews to deportation. Finally, after 50 years from the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, the Persians conquered the state and impeached the Jewish traditions and constructed temples again. It was in 332 BC when Alexander the Great took over Jerusalem. He won many battles and conquered many empires. Alexander was the disciple of Aristotle and had vision of transforming the Middle East countries with the spread of Greek culture. This Greek culture was better known as Hellenism. But, Alexander died in his early thirties in 323 BC. After his death, the empire of Jerusalem and other kingdoms were divided between his two disciples Seleucus and Ptolemy. More than hundred years Jerusalem was under the control of Ptolemy and was tolerant with the traditional religion of Israel which was known as Jewish culture. But, it was the Greek culture also known as ‘Hellen’ was adopted in almost all the kingdoms conquered by Alexander. The upper class of Jews known as the Judah in order to conduct smooth functioning of their business em
aced the Hellenism culture of the Greeks. But, most of the Jewish restrained themselves from the Hellenistic culture as they believed it to be disloyal for the Israelite religion. The Ptolemies were defeated by the Seleucid and took over the Palestine te
itory. Initially, the Seleucids were tolerant of the Israel’s religion but insisted on Hellenism of the Jewish. And this became more autocratic as King Antiochus IV becoming the new empire of the Seleucids and ruled the te
itories of Alexander. With King Antiochus IV, it was the beginning of the end of the Jewish tradition and the rise of Hellenism in Jerusalem. He punished the people who resisted the Hellen culture. He constructed a gymnasium near the pagan games which was near the Jewish temple. He issued ruthless polices which prohibited circumcision, sacrifice, honour observances during the Jewish deaths and Sa
ath which was a weekly religious observance and abstinence from work of the Jewish community from Friday evening to Saturday evening. He ordered the destruction of the Old Testament and burned them out publicly. He destroyed the temples and ransacked the emeralds and diamonds in it and introduced a statue of pagan god Zeus on the temple top. But, still some Jewish continued to belief in their faith and their own traditional religion.
It was an aged priest named Mattathias of the Modein situated near Jerusalem. He defied the order issued by the Greek King Antiochus IV to Hellenize the Jews community. Mattathias was the king of Modein. He protested against the fascist policy of King Antiochus IV by killing a Jew when he tried to sacrifice on the raised pagan or structure for worship. He also killed the king’s messenger and fled away to the Judas Mountains with his five sons....