dynasty’s ideological and religious ethos. Antiochus decreed that the Jews of Judea cease practicing their religion and become fully cooperating, Hellenistic citizens of the Seleucid Empire. To this end, Antiochus unleashed draconian measures to ensure this “conversion.” The author of 1 Maccabees provides a capsule summary of this “first known religious persecution in history” (Aharoni et al., Atlas, 142): Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should