Texts in Conversation
2 Maccabees and Josephus both tell how Jason, brother of the high priest Onias, brought Greek customs into Jerusalem by setting up a gymnasium and urging young men to adopt Greek ways. Both portray this as a negative influence on Hebrew tradition.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
2 Maccabees 4:13
Deuterocanon
11 Setting aside the royal ordinances of special favor to the Jews, granted by the means of John the father of Eupolemus, who went on the mission to the Romans to establish friendship and alliance, and seeking to overthrow the lawful ways of living, he brought in new customs forbidden by the law. 12 For he eagerly established a gymnasium under the citadel itself, and caused the noblest of the young men to wear the Greek hat. 13 Thus there was an extreme of hellenization, and an advance of a foreign religion, by reason of the exceeding profaneness of Jason, who was an ungodly man and not a high priest; 14 so that the priests had no more any zeal for the services of the altar; but despising the sanctuary and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened to enjoy that which was unlawfully provided in the wrestling arena, after the summons to the discus-throwing. 15 They despised the honors of their fathers, and valued the prestige of the Greeks best of all.
Date: 160–63 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 12.5.1
Classical
1 About this time, upon the death of Onias the High Priest, they gave the High Priesthood to Jesus his brother: for that son which Onias left was still only an infant. And in its proper place we will inform the reader of all the circumstances that happened to this child. But this Jesus, who was the brother of Onias, was deprived of the High Priesthood by the King, who was angry with him, and gave it to his younger brother; whose name also was Onias. For Simon had these three sons; to each of which the High Priesthood came: as we have already informed the reader. This Jesus changed his name to Jason; but Onias was called Menelaus. Now as the former High Priest, Jesus, raised a sedition against Menelaus, who was ordained after him, the multitude were divided between them both. And the sons of Tobias supported Menelaus: but most of the people assisted Jason; and by that means Menelaus, and the sons of Tobias were distressed, and retired to Antiochus, and informed him, that they wanted to leave the laws of their country, and the Jewish way of living according to them; and to follow the King’s laws, and the Grecian way of living. Therefore they desired his permission to build them a Gymnasium at Jerusalem. And when he had given them permission, they also hid the circumcision of their genitals; that even when they were naked they might appear to be Greeks. Accordingly they abandoned all the customs that belonged to their own country, and imitated the practices of the other nations.
Date: 93–94 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... A “reform” was attempted which took on various dimensions. Just before 175 BCE there was a split in the Judean aristocracy, that is, between the Zadokite high priest Onias III and his brother Jason. The latter was in favour of Hellenization, or more specifically, the adoption of Greek education, athletics and dress. The attempt was further made to transform Jerusalem into a Greek polis, or at least, for the citizens to be called “Antiochenes”. Jason, the “ungodly wretch, and no high priest” (2 Maccabees 4:13) was appointed and had support from Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“God revealed”) who came to power in Syria in 175. 1 Maccabees describes that there were “wicked men” in Israel who wanted to make a covenant with the [Gentiles or nations], and who was granted permission by the king to observe Gentile ordinances (1 Maccabees 1:11-13). Having obtained permission, they returned to Jerusalem where they built a gymnasium at the foot of the Temple. According to 2 Maccabees 4:9 Jason also asked for a training centre to be built. In this manner a process was initiated whereby the Hellenistic spirit could be instilled in young Judean men. It is claimed that Antiochus further encouraged young Judean men to reject the ancestral law: “Share in the Greek style, change your mode of living, and enjoy your youth” ..."
Markus Cromhout, “A Clash of Symbolic Universes: Judeanism vs Hellenism,” HvTSt 63.3 (2007): 1089–1117.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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