Hellenism in Jerusalem.

       When Seleucus died and Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes, succeeded him on the throne, Jason, the brother of Onias, obtained the high priesthood by corrupt means. In a petition he promised the king three hundred and sixty talents of silver, with eighty talents from another source of revenue. In addition, he committed himself to a payment of a further one hundred and fifty talents if he was given the authority to establish a gymnasium and a youth club to be affiliated with it, and to enroll the people of Jerusalem as Antiochians.

       When the king gave his assent and Jason succeeded to the office, he immediately imposed the Greek way of life on his fellow Jews. He set aside the royal concessions that had been granted to the Jews through the efforts of John--the father of that Eupolemus who later was sent on an embassy to negotiate a treaty of friendship and alliance with the Romans--and, abolishing the institutions founded on the law, he introduced customs that ran contrary to it. He quickly established a gymnasium at the very foot of the citadel itself, and he convinced the most noble of the young men to wear the Greek hat.

       As a result of the introduction of foreign customs, the craze for Hellenism became so intense because of  the unrestricted wickedness of the ungodly bogus high priest Jason that the priests no longer bothered to fulfill their duties at the altar. Disdaining the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, they would hasten to participate in the unlawful exercises as soon as they heard the signal for the discus-throwing. They showed no respect for what their ancestors had regarded as honorable and placed the greatest value on what the Greeks honored above all else. As a result, they ended up suffering great affliction, for the very people whose way of life they sought to emulate and whom they wished to imitate in every respect became their enemies and oppressors. It is no light matter to violate the laws of GOD, as will become clear in due course.

       When the quinquennial games were being held at Tyre in the presence of the king, the villainous Jason sent envoys chosen from among the Antiochian citizens from Jerusalem to bring there three hundred silver drachmas for the sacrifice to Hercules. However, those who were designated to carry the money considered it improper for this money to be used as a sacrifice, and they decided to expend it for some other purpose. And so, the money intended by the sender to be used for the sacrifice to Hercules was in fact applied, at the suggestion of those who brought it, to the construction of triremes.

       When Appollonius, the son of Menestheus, was sent to Egypt for the coronation of King Philometor, Antiochus learned that Philometor had become hostile to his reign. Concerned about his own security, after arriving at Joppa he moved on to Jerusalem, where he was given a lavish welcome by Jason and the people of the city, who escorted him in with a torchlight procession and acclamations. After this, he led his army into Phoenicia.

2 MACCABEES: chapter 4, verses 7 - 22