Are today's American Tea Party patriots anything like the Jewish Maccabees of ancient times? The Jewish eight-day holiday of Hanukah began Friday night. The holiday marks the successful BCE revolt of the Jews of Judea over their Greco-Syrian occupiers. For many years, the Jews of Judea were resigned to their fate and accepted the presence of their conquerors. With the passage of time, however, the Greco-Syrian occupiers began to force their pagan ways upon the Jews and prohibit Jewish religious practices.  The loss of rights proved too much to bear for many Jews and a grassroots opposition movement began, led by Jewish patriots called Maccabees (hammers), and their leader, Judah the Maccabee. Hopelessly outnumbered, these Maccabee warriors miraculously overcame the intruders through a hard-fought bloody revolt. After their victory, the Jewish Holy Temple, which had been defiled by the pagan worshipping Greeks, was cleansed and rededicated. Hanukah means...(Read Full Post)