Judah Maccabee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judah Maccabee
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Judah from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum"
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| Born | Modiin, Judea |
| Died | March 160 BCE Elasa, near modern day Ramallah |
| Allegiance | Hasmonean |
| Service/ |
Maccabees |
| Years of service | 167–160 BCE |
| Battles/wars | Maccabean revolt |
| Relations | Father – Mattathias Brothers – Jonathan, John, Simon, Eleazar |
Judah Maccabee was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE).
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah ("Dedication") commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabeus removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it.
Judah opposed the Seleucid Emperor's attempts to suppress traditional Jewish culture and make the Jewish people more Greek-like, he was regarded as one of the heroes of the Old Testament.
Judah died in combat, but the rebellion that he had led did not stop. The rebellion's success led to the reestablishment of the kingdom of Judah. As warrior hero and national liberator, Judah Maccabee has inspired many writers, and several artists and composers.
Early life
Judah was the third son of Mattathias the Hasmonean, a Jewish priest from the village of Modiin. In 167 BCE Mattathias, together with his sons Judah, Eleazar, Simon, John, and Jonathan, started a revolt against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who since 175 BCE had issued decrees that forbade Jewish religious practices.
After Mattathias's death in 166 BCE, Judah assumed leadership of the revolt in accordance with the deathbed wishes of his father. The First Book of Maccabees praises Judah's valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made Judah a natural choice for the new commander.
Images for kids
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Judah from Die Bibel in Bildern
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Judea under Judah Maccabee
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Judas Maccabeus before the army of Nicanor, by Gustave Doré
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Vision of Judas Maccabee, 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld
See also
In Spanish: Judas Macabeo para niños
