Maccabean

Maccabean refers to the followers of the Maccabee family, notably Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, who led a Jewish revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. The revolt began in 167 BCE as resistance to religious persecution and Hellenistic policies under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The term is often used to describe the era and political system that followed, culminating in the Hasmonean dynasty.

Judas Maccabeus achieved notable military success, and in 164 BCE the Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated after its purification, an event commemorated by the festival of Hanukkah. After Judas’s death, his brother Jonathan Apphus and then Simon Thassi continued leadership, eventually establishing an independent Jewish polity in Judea. The Hasmonean dynasty combined priestly authority with sovereign power, expanding borders, consolidating political control, and encouraging Jewish religious and cultural reforms. Rulers such as John Hyrcanus and Aristobulus expanded influence, minted coins, and maintained the priestly line as a central element of governance.

The decline of Maccabean power came with internal dynastic struggles and increasing external pressure, culminating in Roman intervention. In 63 BCE, Pompey captured Jerusalem, leading to the end of independent Hasmonean rule and the incorporation of Judea into the Roman sphere as a client state. In scholarly usage, Hasmonean refers specifically to the dynasty, while Maccabean more often denotes the revolt, the era, or culturally associated elements, including the celebration of Hanukkah and the legacy of resistance to foreign domination.