The King next issued a decree forbidding the Jews to follow their
religion and their customs, and ordering them to adopt the Greek faith.
The keeping of the Sabbath and the reading of the Law was prohibited on
pain of death. Copies of the Scriptures were written upon with the blood
of swine, torn into pieces, or burnt. Altars were set up all over the
country, and unclean animals sacrificed on them. The Jews were forced to
profane the Sabbath and to eat the flesh of swine. The Temple in
Jerusalem was dedicated to Jupiter Olympus, whose statue was erected on
the altar of burnt offerings, and sacrifices made to it. In order to
escape this terrible persecution, many Jews fled from the holy city to
the mountains. The once beautiful Jerusalem, in which the Jewish people
had for so many years enjoyed happiness and peace, was now laid waste
like a wilderness and became an abode for strangers.