Maccabean Revolt

After the fall of the Persian Empire what is now Israel was occupied by a Helenistic dynasty, thus bringing together two of the most assertive cultures in the entire world. This quite naturally caused a Culture Clash. The local issues included Jews who adopted Greek customs (called "the Helenizers"), and by counterpart, Greek attempts to force their customs on Jews. As a result a large part of the Jews took to the hills,led by the Maccabee family to fight a guerilla war which after many years they won. This enabled them to have a short period of independence which would last until the days of The Roman Empire. This revolt is celebrated by Jews in the holiday of Hannukah, the "festival of lights". In rather an Irony, in America the Holiday is in practice an expression of a mildly ecumenical spirit; tacitly designed to make sure Jews get to celebrate on Christmas too and thus something of an attempt to help Jews and gentiles live together. Rather amusing as it was originally about a nasty Culture Clash.


 * An Asskicking Christmas: Happy Hannukah!
 * Badass Family: The Maccabees
 * Badass Israelite: The ancient version, but Badass enough anyway.
 * Berserk Button: King Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificing a pig to Zeus on the altar at Jerusalem. You don't do that. Don't ask why, just don't.
 * Cultural Posturing: Oh yeah.
 * La Résistance
 * Light Is Good: According to tales, when the temple was recaptured there was no properly purified oil for the lamps. However the lamps miraculously burned until new oil could be obtained. For this reason Jews light a Menorah(branched candlestick) on Hannukah.
 * Patriotic Fervor
 * The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized : Just ask the Hellenizers.
 * Les Collaborateurs : Hellenizers
 * Let's Get Dangerous
 * Occupiers Out of Our Country
 * Synagogue Militant
 * Stupid Evil: Antiochous . How stupid can you get?
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: Both sides perhaps

=== Depictions in fiction ===