thank you for that bit of history, jonathan.
Lithien
http://members.tripod.com/~lithien/Lila2.html
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan B. Marder <marder@agri.huji.ac.il>
To: Lila Squad <moq_discuss@moq.org>
Date: Monday, December 14, 1998 10:32 AM
Subject: MD Hanuka
>Hi Lilacs,
> The Jewish festival of Hanuka is upon it, and it occurred to me that
>the Squad may be interested in the history, since we have a collective
>interest in the growth and influence of Greek thought and culture,
>particularly following the birth of Greek philosophy in the 5th century
>BCE.
>
>In the second century BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes rose in power as ruler
>of the Seleucid empire, and embarked on a programme to impose Greek
>Hellenic culture and religion throughout his empire, which included the
>Holy Land and Jerusalem. Antiochus took issue with several Jewish
>practices, but one of the most bizarre things to cause offence was the
>practice of "witnessing" the new moon for a new calendar month to be
>officially declared (as happens today in Islam).
>Perhaps the Greeks considered this as man putting himself above nature!
>
> Antiochus's campaign became progressively more violent and severe,
>leading ultimately to the desecration of the Jewish temple, which became
>a temple for pagan worship. Adopting guerrilla tactics, the Maccabees
>led a successful revolt and ultimately achieved independence. It is
>their rededication of the temple in Jerusalem that is the focus of the
>Hanuka festival.
>
>Jonathan B. Marder <MARDER@agri.huji.ac.il>
>Department of Agricultural Botany, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
>Faculty of Agriculture, P.O.Box 12, Rehovot 76100, ISRAEL
>Phone: +972 8 9481918 Fax: +972 8 9467763
>Web page: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/~marder
>
>
>
>
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