Maccabees
The Truth about the Hasmonean Dynasty
The Hanukkah story is clearly one of conflict, pitting the underdog Judeans against the powerful Seleucids and King Antiochus IV. The Judeans were also up against their Hellenized brethren who actively sought to end the Temple service and...
The Mystery of the Burial Site of the Maccabees
The modern city of Modi’in was established in the 1990s about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem and about halfway between Israel’s capital and Tel Aviv. Modi’in was not mentioned in the Bible or in the Mishna so little is known about its...
Why do we celebrate Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is a historical holiday that is not mentioned in the Bible. Its name means ‘dedication,’ and it commemorates the eight-day rededication of the Second Temple by the Hasmoneans that took place at the beginning of the Maccabean...