And thus, when the Jews were on the verge of being wiped out as a nation
forever, there arose in their midst a family of heroes, who were
destined to free their people from their cruel oppressors, and again
establish their independence.
In Modin, a small town in Judea, there lived an old man by the name of
Mattathias. He was the head of the priestly family of Hasmoneans named
after Hasmoneus, his great grand-father. Mattathias was the father of
five grown-up sons, Jochanan, Simon, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan. He
saw how the holy city was delivered into the hands of strangers, how the
temple was robbed of its treasures and profaned by the Syrians, how men,
women, and children were being killed for observing the Jewish laws, and
he mourned for Israel. He was accustomed to say to his sons that it were
far better to sacrifice their lives for their religion than to submit to
such cruel treatment at the hands of the Syrians.
When the royal officer came to Modin to enforce the commands of the
King, he requested Mattathias, who was the oldest of the community, to
make the first sacrifice to the Greek gods. He indignantly refused,
saying that though every one else were to yield, yet he would rather die
than forsake his religion. He then commanded his sons to follow his
example. When a cowardly apostate stepped forward to offer the
sacrifice, Mattathias could not restrain himself, and killed both the
Jew and the officer.