Evers Bible Class - A Gentle Ramble through the Bible

           The End Of The Maccabees    The Hasmonean Dynasty After the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Lysias gains control of the Seleucid Empire, at least while Antiochus V is a boy. But Lysias is an interloper with no real claim to the throne. He is challenged by both Demetrius I Soter of the Seleucid line and another pretender to the throne, Alexander Epiphanes (Balas). One thing leads to another, and even the reigning Egyptian Ptolemy gets in on the power struggle. And who’s caught in the middle? The Maccabees, of course.  This class has plenty of intrigue and plot twists, but what it does not have is any theology, so we don't have any questions in the Study Guide. We’ll spend the entire class time getting from where we are in 163 BCE to Herod the Great and the time of Christ. It’s quite a ride. 1&2 Maccabees overlap, so refer to the  Maccabees Chronology  to guide your reading. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More

          Overwhelming Odds And A Miracle    The First Hanukkah Mattathias dies, leaving his son Simon as head of the Hasmonean family and his son Judas Maccabeus as leader of the army--a euphemism for a force of about 6K.  Judas and his men rely on God and shrewd tactics. They fight a classic guerrilla war, consistently outflanking, outmaneuvering, and outsmarting Seleucid forces ten times larger. More fighters join the resistance. Finally, after three years of fighting, they are able to beat back the Seleucids, leaving only a garrison ensconced in the heavily fortified citadel near theTemple. Judas and his men find the Temple in shambles and set about to repair it. Finding only one day’s worth of untainted oil, they begin an eight-day celebration, and the oil burns without ceasing. It’s a miracle, the very first Hanukkah! 1&2 Maccabees overlap, so refer to the  Maccabees Chronology  to guide your reading. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is availabl

         The Persecution Begins    The Abomination That Causes Desolation Things are about to get bad. The High Priest Menelaus goes to Antioch and instigates murder and bribery. He gets caught, but he uses his ill-gotten riches to make the charges roll off his back.  Antiochus IV Epiphanes attacks Egypt and is humiliated by the Romans. Enraged, he vents his anger on Jerusalem. After ransacking the Temple (with the help of the high priest!) and setting up “the abomination that causes desolation,” he returns to Antioch where he begins an aggressive campaign to Hellenize his empire. And that spells disaster for the Jews. Forced to worship the Greek pantheon and desecrate all that is holy to Israel, many Jews forsake their faith rather than face torture and death. But many others would rather be martyred than renounce YHWH.  One family in particular, the Hasmoneans, fight back hard. The father, Mattathias, is a local priest. He has five sons, one of whom is Judas Maccabeus. Judas the Hamm