How Antiochus "the Great" Won Jewish Support

In 202 BCE, the region of Israel changed rulers for the second time since the construction of the Second Temple. Initially under the rule of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, it passed to his successor Ptolemy, King of Egypt. After many years of conflict, it finally came under Antiochus III, known as "the Great," the Seleucid king who ruled from the Mediterranean shores of Israel to far-off India.

During these years, as described by Josephus, the Jews endured immense suffering due to the damage inflicted on their lands. As Antiochus fought Ptolemy, they had to withstand the consequences, caught in a storm like a ship battered by waves from every direction.

The High Priest Onias erred by prematurely siding with the Seleucid king, resulting in the appointment of Joseph the son of Tobiah. But when Antiochus's victory appeared certain, Joseph was dismissed in disgrace, and the Jews aided the Seleucids in capturing the land. In a letter from Antiochus, quoted by Josephus, he commended the Jews: "Since the Jews welcomed us with open arms when we approached their city, and the elders greeted us with grace, providing abundant supplies for our soldiers and elephants, and even assisting in expelling the Egyptian garrison, we too have decided to reward their devotion by restoring their war-torn city and repopulating it by gathering their scattered people. We have resolved, due to their faith in Hashem, to furnish them with a supply of kosher animals for sacrifices, as well as wine, oil, and wheat, all valued at twenty thousand silver coins...The Temple service shall continue, materials shall be imported from Lebanon without taxation. All Jews shall conduct their lives according to the laws of their ancestors, and the elders, priests, and Temple scribes shall be exempt from the head tax. Every resident of Jerusalem shall be tax-free for three years, and any Jew who was enslaved is hereby freed."

Once again, the Jews' status seemed to rise in the Seleucid Empire, which they joined. Their reputation for dedication and loyalty spread even within the empire. When rebellions erupted in Lydia and Phrygia, Antiochus instructed his general Zeuxis to relocate two thousand Jewish families from Babylon to frontier fortresses, saying, "I trust they will be the reliable guardians we need due to their reverence for Hashem, and I know that my ancestors affirmed their loyalty and willingness to perform any requested task, ensuring they can practice their unique laws." Everything seemed to be getting better, so what could possibly go wrong?

What occurred during this period was a cultural approach between the Greeks and Jews. Until then, none of the nations that fought the Jews, or even made peace treaties with them, engaged with Jewish culture, nor did they understand or attempt to comprehend Jewish faith and laws. Several examples in the Bible illustrate this lack of understanding—like the Arameans, who thought the God of Israel was "a god of the mountains." However, since the Torah's translation into Greek, the Greeks began to value the Jews, collaborate with them, learn and interpret their laws and customs, creating a connection between the two peoples. Despite their commendable qualities, the Greeks were a pagan nation, worlds apart from Jewish ethics. This connection sowed the seeds for future calamities that befell the Jewish people. Although for some generations, the Jews seemed to benefit from this cultural exchange, later it proved to be a loss, far outweighing the gains.

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