He fell upon the unsuspecting city, disarmed the
inhabitants and demolished the walls, but on the other hand
fortified Acra, and garrisoned it strongly, so as to make it a
standing menace to the whole country. Having thus made his
preparations, he proceeded to carry out his main instructions.
All that was religiously distinctive of Judaism was to be removed;
such was the will of the king. The Mosaic cultus was abolished,
Sabbath observance and the rite of circumcision prohibited, all
copies of the Torah confiscated and burnt. In the desecrated and
partially-destroyed temple pagan ceremonies were performed, and
upon the great altar of burnt-offering a small altar to Jupiter
Capitolinus was erected, on which the first offering was made on
25th Kislev 168. In the country towns also heathen altars were
erected, and the Jews compelled, on pain of death, publicly to
adore the false gods and to eat swine's flesh that had been
sacrificed to idols.
The princes and grandees of the Jews had represented to Antiochus
that the people were ripe for Hellenisation; and inasmuch as,
apart from this, to reduce to uniformity the extremely motley
constituents of his kingdom was a scheme that lay near his heart,
he was very willing to believe them.
Pages:
1120
1121
1122
1123
1124
1125
1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135
1136
1137
1138
1139
1140
1141
1142
1143
1144