Origins & Early Life

Judas Maccabaeus (), also known as Judah Maccabee (Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi), was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He was an early leader in the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire, taking over from his father around 166 BCE, and leading the revolt until his death in 160 BCE. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah ('Dedication') commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. Judah was the third son of Mattathias, the Hasmonean, a Jewish priest from the village of Modi'in.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

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 169/8 BC had issued decrees that forbade Jewish religious practices. After Mattathias died in 166 BC, Judah assumed leadership of the revolt per the deathbed disposition 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...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ajatashatru — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Powerful King of Magadha, founder of a dominant empire in ancient India.
• Alcamenes — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): 5th-century BC Greek sculptor known for delicate finish, contemporary of Phidias.
• Amyrtaeus — Contemporary (Born in -500) (-500): Pharaoh of the Twenty-eighth Dynasty, ending the first Persian occupation of Egypt.
• Demetrius II of India — Contemporary (Died in -160) (-160): Indo-Greek King who ruled briefly in the 2nd century BC, known primarily through his coinage.
• Jugurtha — Contemporary (Born in -160) (-160): King of Numidia, whose conflict with Rome sparked the Jugurthine War.
• Kaṇāda — Contemporary (Died in -160) (-160): Ancient Indian philosopher and founder of the Vaisheshika school of thought.
• Hanno the Navigator — Contemporary figure (Born in -499) (-499): Punic explorer renowned for his 5th-century BC voyage down the coast of West Africa.
• Amyntas I of Macedon — Contemporary figure (Died in -498) (-498): King of Macedon, whose reign saw the kingdom become a vassal of the Achaemenid Empire.
• Hippodamus of Miletus — Contemporary figure (Born in -498) (-498): Father of European urban planning, philosopher, and architect from Miletus.
• Sophocles — Contemporary figure (Born in -496) (-496): Master of Athenian Tragedy, Sophocles defined dramatic structure and enduring human conflict.
• -500 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -500
• -160 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -160