The following is the historical background that brought upon the Jews of Israel the wrath of the Hellenistic Era.  In the 7^th century BCE (Before the Common Era), King Cyrus gave the Jews, who had been exiled to Babylonia, permission to return to the land of Israel and to rebuild the holy Temple. 

Alexander the Great 4^th century BCE massive conquering campaign pushed across the Middle East.  To unify his conquests, Alexander the Great encouraged the adoption of Hellenistic ideals.  Some Jews eagerly co-opted to the Greek’s admiration of the body, their penchant for philosophy and literature.  But most Jews rejected the Greek ideals of beauty and remained loyal to Judaism and its practices. 

After Alexander the Great died, his vast kingdom was divided into three mini-empires.  Two of them, the Ptolmies of Egypt and the Selucids of Syria, fought over Judea.   

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