from which Antiochus sought to control Jerusalem and monitor activity in the Temple, according to the news release. Both the Books of Maccabees and the writings of ancient historian Josephus ...

1 Maccabees is one of the deuterocanonical books ... in the part alotted to Seleucus and his heirs. Generations later, Antiochus IV Epiphanes rules the Seleucid Empire 175-164 BC.

For centuries, the people of Judaea had seen many foreign dynasts claim hegemony over them; the Greeks were but the latest.

But there was a brave family called the Maccabees, who decided to fight against King Antiochus. The name, Maccabee, means Hammer. Judah Maccabee led his brothers in many battles against the mighty ...