THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

The story of Chanukah, though not included in the Jewish Bible, the Tanach, remains a valuable source of Jewish history.  Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BCE to 164 BCE.  Though his father Antiochus III made allowances for the people of Israel to worship in freedom, Antiochus the IV allowed no such provision and determined to eliminate the Hebrew population altogether.  Antiochus IV (Epimames,) known as the Madman among Judeans, reigned by imposing fanatical religious decrees and enforcing barbaric cruelty against the Judeans.

David deSilva’s novel mixes historic personages with fictional characters and offers a colorful and picturesque view into the Biblical era using architecture, foods, and clothing style along with both fictitious and non-fictitious events.

 

Honiah, the High Priest of Judah, serves in the Temple of Jerusalem.  Jason and Menelaus, Honiah’s brothers, covet his position and seek to unseat Honiah with lies and deception.  Honiah strictly adheres to the Hebrew Covenant  and determines to allow as little Greek or Hellenistic influence as possible in Jerusalem.  Both Jason (Yeshua) and Menelaus (Onius) prefer a mix of the two cultures, though Jason is more conservative than the zealously liberal Menelaus.  Both brothers are well connected and influential among Hellenized Jews in the community.

Benjamin and Meir, two Jerusalemite brothers with views on opposing sides, grapple with the conflict between the religious and the secular communities.

The battle for the priesthood involves intrigue, subterfuge and murder.  Antiochus’ demands taxes.  The Hellenized Priesthood thieves the Temple treasury and the Temple is defiled with statues, unclean animals and the unclean.

As the people of Judah struggle to maintain their religion and culture under the impossible dictates of Antiochus IV,  Mattathias, a priest, and his five sons, who dwell in Modein, stand appalled by the Greek idolatry, and the usurpation of Jerusalem the religion, and stage an uprising against the Hellenization of Judah known as the Maccabean Revolt.  Antiochus seeks a terrible revenge against the Hebrews.

 

The author depicts Menelaus as the evil aggressor against his people.  Antiochus, however, in his determination to destroy Judah, put forth the decrees that outlawed traditional and religious practices such as circumcision, lighting of Sabbath candles and possessing a Torah. The decrees incited rebellion in Judea.  Antiochus waged war against the Judeans.

 

After Jason’s failed attempt to retake Jerusalem, Jason flees Judah to Ammon, then Egypt and finally to Sparta where he later dies.  An estimated 40,000 to 80,000 Judeans were killed.

The Macabbean Revolt rages from 167 BCE to 160 BCE.  Antiochus IV dies in 164 BCE.  Menelaus is killed by Antiochus V, for his actions in Judea.  Antiochus V makes a compromise with Judea.

Judah Maccabee is killed in the long wars as are his brothers. Only Simeon survives to lead the people.  Simeon fathers John Hycranus I (164 BCE to 104 BCE) who becomes the High Priest of Israel and continues the struggle against the Seleucid Empire.  Hycranus I fathers Alexander Yannai, (127 BCE to 76 BCE) who will greatly expand Israel’s borders close to the size of King David’s empire.

 

The lunar calendar was given the Hebrews by Moses (not Honiah) and is still used in present day along with the Roman sun calendar.

 

References to Palestine:  Although historians reference “Palestine”, the actual term began in the year 135 CE, after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, and during the second Jewish War against Rome in the 130’s CE.  The Romans renamed Judea with the Roman name of Palestine, and Jerusalem, the Roman name of Aelia Capitolina. The move was to rid the rebellious Jews of their homeland once and for all.  The Jews were subsequently enslaved by the Romans and shipped off to Rome.