Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GinoLR, post: 8146851, member: 128351&quot;]On the way back to Antioch, the poor Antiochus had an emergency: find money, huge amounts of money, to pay his soldiers who were all mercenaries. Obviously he had intended to plunder Alexandria and pay his men with the booty, but he had to change his plans... The only solution was a hold-up, and in this period the banks were temples. There was a famous temple not far from his way of retreat: the Temple of Jerusalem! So, he made a detour and emptied the holy place... The 1st Book of the Maccabées tells the story:</p><p><i>20 And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, </i></p><p><i>&nbsp;21 And entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof, </i></p><p><i>&nbsp;22 And the table of the shewbread, and the pouring vessels, and the vials. and the censers of gold, and the veil, and the crown, and the golden ornaments that were before the temple, all which he pulled off. </i></p><p><i>&nbsp;23 He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden treasures which he found. </i></p><p><i>&nbsp;24 And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly</i>. </p><p>Bad idea... Soon after the Jews will revolt against him and create an independent kingdom of their own, the first Jewish state in history. And they will send ambassadors to Rome, asking for an alliance treaty between Rome and the Jewish Kingdom, which they obtained, so their security would be guaranteed against a Seleucid come-back...[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in