If you celebrate Hanukkah, thank a Greek

Hanukkah in Berlin
December 2019

Slowly assimilating people into a different way of life can be far more effective than using brute force.  The Ancient Greeks knew this.  That is why they often welcomed Jews into their midst.  A mutual admiration then developed.

The two cultures certainly had their discrepancies.  It is said that the Greeks worshipped the holiness of beauty, whereas the Jews worshipped the beauty of holiness.

Yet some Jews became quite Hellenistic in their preferences.  They readily embraced Greek fashion, philosophy, art and language.  In return, the Greeks were said to have ordered 70 rabbinic scholars to translate the Hebrew Bible into Greek (resulting in the Septuagint, aka "Translation of the Seventy").

Not all Jews were on board with this.  Some became quite alarmed, fearing the ultimate disappearance of a distinct Jewish identity.  Pressure began to mount between Jews who favored assimilation and those who didn't.

By this time, Alexander the Great had died and his empire was breaking up.  The Jews ended up with a king who became less and less patient with their internal tension.  Antiochus Epiphanes finally decided that tolerance was no longer the way to proceed.  He instead began to brutally force all Jews into a Hellenistic lifestyle.

History tells us (over and over again) that coercion is not a lasting solution.  In this case, it led to the Maccabean Revolt that we honor as Hanukkah.  Yet historical tensions remain strong.  Some still thank the Greeks for their wisdom and tolerance, while others still thank Antiochus Epiphanes for instigating a rebellion against assimilation.  Whether one applauds or condemns it, the Hellenistic influence on Judaism has endured throughout the ages.

Resources

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah