History of the Middle East

1 . In the chapter In the Gymnasium , the Jews of Makor suffer terrible persecution for their faith - who launches this persecution how and why does it begin , how does the persecution become extreme , and how do the Jews react to this growing level of persecution describe your answer in detail

Although the Greeks claimed that they would live peacefully with the Jews without forcing them to relinquish their own religion , little by little , this ideal existence began to crumble . First , Antiochus IV decided that he was a divinity incarnate and demanded that

all Greeks worship his statue which was known as Antiochus Epiphanes . Later , Jews were asked to worship him four times a year . Then Antiochus Epiphanes decreed that the Jews cease circumcising their children because .the human body is a temple which must never be profaned or altered (380 . Here , the Jews refused knowing that circumcision was a covenant with YHWH . Next , they were forced to sacrifice a swine , a forbidden animal . At this point , the Greeks had pushed too far . One man refused and was tortured and killed . A mother and father who circumcised their son were also tortured and killed . The war ' had begun due to the ego of Antiochus

However , Antiochus was not the only one to whom blame can be directed Tarphon allowed the changes to occur gradually , and he convince the Jewish leader , Jehubabel , to put up with the slight changes while he tried to convince the emperor to back off . After the execution of the first old man , Tarphon has a chance to appeal to the emperor and goes so far as to write a report , but he ultimately fails to send it . Thus It was partly due to the misguided efforts of this good man that the Jews of Makor had stumbled into the trap as they did (384 . In trying to help them he actually put off the inevitable

The persecution becomes extreme when the Jews are forced to stop circumcising their sons , an from YHWH , kiss the statue and place a hand on the sacrificial swine . Even watching the old man whipped and skinned does not keep the fathers from wanting their sons circumcised Jehubabel performs two such circumcisions , before realizing that the Jews were no longer safe in Makor . The Jews organize a plan to live in the swamps and band with other Jews to rise up against the Greek oppression . Ironically , this is what Tarphon had tried to avoid

2 . Read the following statement carefully : Even though Jehubabel was Menelaus ' biological father , Tarphon was more of a real father to Menelaus and Tarphon cared much more about Menelaus than Jehubabel did ' Would you agree or disagree with this statement , and why ? Support your answer by describing two specific episodes from this chapter

A boy looks up to his father and yearns to be like him . This close relationship grows from respect and adoration . Menelaus has more respect for Tarphon and therefore considers him more of...