<p>Coming out of the Christmas / Chanukah season, I’ve been thinking about my feelings about Chanukah.</p>
<p>I just finished a biography of Hadrian. The only major war during his reign was the Bar Kochba, a massive revolt in Judaea, in 135. It was a real struggle, with huge Roman losses, and followed the massive revolt that resulted in the destruction of the Temple by Titus in 70. There was an intervening revolt in Egypt, Cyprus and other Roman provinces.</p>
<p>These revolts led to the total destruction of Jewish life in Judaea. The Temple was destroyed. The entire city was destroyed. Josephus describes rows of Jews crucified with their children hung from their necks. Jewish communities in Alexandria, Cyprus and other cities of the East were greatly reduced. </p>
<p>In the usual narrative, the “blame” is put on the Romans. For example, Hadrian had an agenda of grafting Greek religious and cultural practice on to Rome and that mean enforcing religious standards across the Empire, with less tolerance for differences. </p>
<p>But why revolt? Why take on the ridiculously large and powerful Empire? Answer: the Maccabees. The Hellenistic Kingdom in Judaea was ousted by the fundamentalist Maccabees in about 164 BC. To the religious-minded, this meant that adherence to the literal word literally paid off in this world, that God rewarded resistance and gave power to the believers. (Sound familiar in this day?)</p>
<p>The Jews revolted against Rome because they were deluded by history into thinking that God was on their side versus the Roman Empire. They took minor success - defeating local garrisons - as a sign that God was indeed with them. In the 66AD revolt, the fundamentalists fought with and coerced moderates into joining. In the 135 revolt, Bar Kochba was acclaimed by at least some as a if not the messiah. “God is on our side. We must do what God has proclaimed because God will defend us. God will only abandon us if we are weak and compromise.” If there is any lesson from history, it is that this kind of thinking is delusional. </p>
<p>So if the Maccabees had lost, then what? Judaism would have continued with some adherents being more devout than others, just as it is now and just as it certainly was then. Judaism may have spread more as it became less cultish. The Roman Empire would not have become the enemy. Judaea would not have been destroyed and the Jews scattered to the winds. Without the enmity to and from Rome, Christianity may not have gained ground or at least, without the Christians needing to distance themselves from the rebellious Jews, there might have been a more humane co-existence. In human terms, millions of people would not have died horrible deaths.</p>
<p>This is why I’ll light candles on Chanukah but don’t “celebrate” it. Chanukah became the biggest disaster in the ancient history of Judaism and the Jewish people. It lead messianic fools to believe they could overthrow reality - just as we see that in Al-Qaeda and others today. It lead to nothing but intolerance, death and destruction.</p>