The Historical Background of Hanukkah

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The Historical Background of Hanukkah

• and why we celebrate for 8 days

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(No Transcript)
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The New York Times12/11/09 David Brooks

• Tonight Jewish kids will light the menorah, spin
  their dreidels and get their presents, but
  Hanukkah is the most adult of holidays. It
  commemorates an event in which the good guys did
  horrible things, the bad guys did good things and
  in which everybody is flummoxed by insoluble
  conflicts that remain with us today.

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1 Maccabees ch. 2

• 23 There came a certain Jew in the sight of all
  to sacrifice to the idols upon the altar in the
  city of Modin, according to the king's
  commandment. 24 And Mathathias saw and was
  grieved, and his reins trembled, and his wrath
  was kindled according to the judgment of the law,
  and running upon him he slew him upon the altar.
  25 Moreover the man whom king Antiochus had sent,
  who compelled them to sacrifice, he slew at the
  same time, and pulled down the altar. 26 And
  showed zeal for the law, as Phinees did by Zamri
  the son of Salomi.

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I Maccabees 111

• In those days there appeared in Israel men who
  were breakers of the law, and
• they seduced many people, saying "Let us go and
  make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us
  since we separated from them, many evils have
  come upon us.
• Cf. Jer 4418

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• What is Hellenism?
• Why did Antiochus persecute the Jews?
• Why do we celebrate for 8 days?
• Why do we celebrate on Kislev 25th?
• What can Hanukka mean for us today?

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Babylonians 605 539 BCE
Persians 539 332 BCE
Hellenistic Rule Alexander 332 BCE Ptolemies 301
200 BCE Seleucids 200 142 BCE
Hasmonean Rule 142 63 BCE
Romans 63 BCE 395 CE
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Jeremiahs Prophecy of 70

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Cyrus Cylinder

• Now in the British Museum

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Read this
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Cyrus Cylinder

• 28-33 By his exalted word, all the kings who
  sit upon thrones throughout the world, from the
  Upper Sea to the Lower Sea i.e., from the
  Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, who live
  in the districts far-off, the kings of the West,
  who dwell in tents, all of them, brought their
  heavy tribute before me and in Babylon they
  kissed my feet. From Babylon to Aššur and from
  Susa, Agade, Ešnunna, Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der, as
  far as the region of Gutium, the sacred centers
  on the other side of the Tigris, whose
  sanctuaries had been abandoned for a long time, I
  returned the images of the gods, who had resided
  there i.e., in Babylon, to their places and I
  let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all
  their inhabitants and returned to them their
  dwellings. In addition, at the command of Marduk,
  the great lord, I settled in their habitations,
  in pleasing abodes, the gods of Sumer and Akkad,
  whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the
  gods, had brought into Babylon.
• 34-36 May all the gods whom I settled in their
  sacred centers ask daily of Bêl and Nâbu that my
  days be long and may they intercede for my
  welfare. May they say to Marduk, my lord "As for
  Cyrus, the king who reveres you, and Cambyses,
  his son, lacuna." The people of Babylon blessed
  my kingship, and I settled all the lands in
  peaceful abodes.

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Cyrus Cylinder in British Museum, London
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Replica of Cyrus Cylinder in UN, New York
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A seal from the 6th cent. BCE

• Belonging to Yehoyishma, daughter of
  Sawas-sar-usur. Sawas-sar-usur is a well-known
  neo-Babylonian name that means "Shamash the
  Babylonian sun-god protect the king

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Rebuilding of Temple

• Texts Ezra 1-6, Haggai 1
• People Involved
• Sheshbazzar Yehoyachins son
• Zerubabel Yehoyachins grandson
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Dates
• Commences in Darius Is 2nd year 520
• Finished on Adar 3 of Darius 6th year March
  516

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Important Dates

• 587 BCE Destruction of Bet haMikdash I
• 539 BCE Cyrus destroys Babylonia, decrees that
  Jews can return
• 520-516 BCE Rebuilding of Bet haMikdash II
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  ?????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ????????????
  ????????????, ?????-??????? ??????-?????? ??????
  ??-???? ??????? ?????????.
• 5th century Ezra and Nehemiah
• 332 BCE Alexander the Great conquers Judea and
  Persian Empire

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Babylonians 605 539 BCE
Persians 539 332 BCE
Hellenistic Rule Alexander 332 BCE Ptolemies 301
200 BCE Seleucids 200 142 BCE
Hasmonean Rule 142 63 BCE
Romans 63 BCE 395 CE
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Alexander the Great

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vMQfBinQwPGsfeature
  email

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Alexander the Macedonian
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Unifying the Empire

• Alexander encouraged intermarriages, setting an
  example by marrying a Persian princess himself.
  He placed soldiers from all the provinces in his
  army. He introduced a uniform currency system
  throughout the empire and promoted trade and
  commerce. He encouraged the spread of Greek
  ideas, customs, and laws into Asia. When he heard
  that some of his provincial officials ruled
  unjustly, he replaced them. To receive
  recognition as the supreme ruler, he required the
  provinces to worship him as a god.

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Arrian of Nicomedia on Weddings at Susa

• Then he also celebrated weddings at Susa, both
  his own and those of his Companions. He himself
  married Barsine, the eldest of Darius' daughters,
  and, according to Aristobulus, another girl as
  well, Parysatis, the youngest of the daughters of
  Ochus. He had already married previously Roxane,
  the daughter of Oxyartes of Bactria.
• He gave Drypetis to Hephaestion, she too a
  daughter of Darius and a sister of his own wife
  his intention was that the children of
  Hephaestion should be cousins to his own
  children. To Craterus he gave Amastris daughter
  of Oxyathres, brother of Darius, and to Perdiccas
  the daughter of Atropates, satrap of Media. To
  Ptolemy the bodyguard and to Eumenes the royal
  secretary he gave the daughters of Artabazus,
  Artacama to one and Artonis to the other. To
  Nearchus he gave the daughter of Barsine and
  Mentor, and to Seleucus the daughter of
  Spitamenes of Bactria. Similarly he gave to the
  other Companions the noblest daughters of the
  Persians and Medes, some eighty in all.
• The marriages were celebrated according to
  Persian custom. Chairs were placed for the
  bridegrooms in order, and after the drinks the
  brides came in and sat down, each by the side of
  her groom. They took them by the hand and kissed
  them the king began the ceremony, for all the
  weddings took place together. More than any
  action of Alexander this seemed to show a popular
  and comradely spirit. The bridegrooms after
  receiving their brides led them away, each to his
  own home, and to all Alexander gave a dowry. And
  as for all the Macedonians who had already
  married Asian women, Alexander ordered a list of
  their names to be drawn up they numbered over
  10,000, and Alexander offered them all gifts
  their wedding. 

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(No Transcript)
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High Priests
Sadok
Shimon ha-Sadiq
Jason (Yehoshua) (175-171)
Onias III
Meneleus (171-161)
Jonathan the Hasmonean
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Hellenistic Period

• 332BCE Alexander the Great conquers Palestine
• 323BCE Alexander dies
• Diadochi, Ptolemy in Egypt, Seleucus in Syria
• 301-201BCE Ptolemaic Rule
• Allowed to continue as semiautonomous
• 201BCE Seleucid conquest of Palestine
• 175-171BCE Jason High Priest
• bribes Antiochus IV for high priesthood
• builds gymnasium in Jerusalem which becomes a
  polis Antioch
• 171-162BCE Menelaus High Priest
• Converts temple into pagan shrine, YHVHZeusBaal
  Shamin
• 168BCE Bet haMikdash is looted, Jews are
  massacred
• 167-166 Antiochus IV decrees persecution
• 164 Judah conquers Jerusalem and rededicates the
  Temple

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Why did Antiochus Persecute the Jews?

• He was crazy, nervous, eccentric.
• May have hastened the persecution but not caused
  it.
• He was a Great Hellenizer and unifier
• But only for political ends by making poleis, not
  cultural.
• The Jewish Hellenizers asked for the decrees.
• Decrees result from a civil war.

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Why is Hanukah on Kislev 25?
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Megilat Taanit

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  ????? ?? ?? ??????. ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ???.
• ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????
• ???? ???? ?? ???? ???????, ??????? ?? ??? ???????
  ????? ???????? ???. ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ???.

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Haggai 218

• ???????-??? ?????????, ???-??????? ??????
  ????????? ??????? ????????? ????????????
  ????????????, ?????-??????? ??????-?????? ??????
  ??-???? ??????? ?????????.
• Consider, I pray you, from this day and forward,
  from the four and twentieth day of the ninth
  month, even from the day that the foundation of
  Hashems temple was laid, consider it.

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I Maccabees 1

•   54 Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the
  one hundred forty-fifth year, they erected a
  desolating sacrilege on the altar of burnt
  offering. They also built altars in the
  surrounding towns of Judah, 55and offered incense
  at the doors of the houses and in the
  streets. 56The books of the law that they found
  they tore to pieces and burned with
  fire. 57Anyone found possessing the book of the
  covenant, or anyone who adhered to the law, was
  condemned to death by decree of the king. 58They
  kept using violence against Israel, against those
  who were found month after month in the
  towns. 59On the twenty-fifth day of the month
  they offered sacrifice on the altar that was on
  top of the altar of burnt offering.

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Winter Solstice Holiday

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  ?? ?????, ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ????
  ???? ?????, ???? ???? ???? ????, ??? ????? ??
  ???? ???.

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Winter Solstice

• Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zara 8a
• Our Rabbis taught When Adam saw the day getting
  gradually shorter, he said, Woe is me, perhaps
  because I have sinned, the world around me is
  being darkened and returning to its state of
  chaos and confusion this then is the kind of
  death to which I have been sentenced from
  Heaven! So he began keeping an eight days fast.
  But as he observed the winter solstice and noted
  the day getting increasingly longer, he said,
  This is the world's course, and he set forth to
  keep an eight days festivity. In the following
  year he appointed both as festivals. Now, he
  fixed them for the sake of Heaven, but the
  heathens appointed them for the sake of
  idolatry.

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Why is Hanukah 8 Days?
33
Josephus is in the Dark

• Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 127
• Now Judas celebrated the festival of the
  restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for
  eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures
  thereon but he feasted them upon very rich and
  splendid sacrifices and he honored God, and
  delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they
  were so very glad at the revival of their
  customs, when, after a long time of intermission,
  they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of
  their worship, that they made it a law for their
  posterity, that they should keep a festival, on
  account of the restoration of their temple
  worship, for eight days. And from that time to
  this we celebrate this festival, and call it
  Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this
  liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us and that
  thence was the name given to that festival. Judas
  also rebuilt the walls round about the city, and
  reared towers of great height against the
  incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He
  also fortified the city Bethsura, that it might
  serve as a citadel against any distresses that
  might come from our enemies.

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Lit for Eight Days

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  ???? ????? ????. ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????
  ????? ???? ??????.

35

• What is the reason of Hanukkah? For our Rabbis
  taught On the twenty-fifth of Kislev commence
  the days of Hanukkah, which are eight on which a
  lamentation for the dead and fasting are
  forbidden. For when the Greeks entered the
  Temple, they defiled all the oils therein, and
  when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and
  defeated them, they made search and found only
  one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the
  High Priest, but which contained sufficient for
  one day's lighting only yet a miracle was
  wrought therein and they lit the lamp therewith
  for eight days. The following year these days
  were appointed a Festival with the recital of
  Hallel and thanksgiving.

36
Eight Metal Spits

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  ???? ?? ???? ??? (????? ?' ?"?) ????? ???? ?????
  ???? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???????
  ????? ????,

37

• II Maccabees 212 - Solomon also celebrated the
  feast in the same way for eight days.

38
Like Sukkoth

• II Maccabees 10
• Now Maccabeus and his followers, the Lord leading
  them on, recovered the temple and the city 2.
  they tore down the altars that had been built in
  the public square by the foreigners, and also
  destroyed the sacred precincts. 3. They purified
  the sanctuary, and made another altar of
  sacrifice then, striking fire out of flint, they
  offered sacrifices, after a lapse of two years,
  and they offered incense and lighted lamps and
  set out the bread of the Presence. 
• 4. When they had done this, they fell prostrate
  and implored the Lord that they might never again
  fall into such misfortunes, but that, if they
  should ever sin, they might be disciplined by him
  with forbearance and not be handed over to
  blasphemous and barbarous nations. 5. It happened
  that on the same day on which the sanctuary had
  been profaned by the foreigners, the purification
  of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the
  twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was
  Chislev. 
• 6. They celebrated it for eight days with
  rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of
  booths, remembering how not long before, during
  the festival of booths, they had been wandering
  in the mountains and caves like wild animals. 7.
  Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and
  beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they
  offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had
  given success to the purifying of his own holy
  place. 8. They decreed by public edict, ratified
  by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should
  observe these days every year.  9. Such then was
  the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.

39
???? ??? ?? ?"?

• Our Rabbis taught The precept of Hanukkah
  demands one light for a man and his household
  the zealous kindle a light for each member of
  the household and the extremely zealous, Beth
  Shammai maintain On the first day eight lights
  are lit and thereafter they are gradually
  reduced, but Beth Hillel say On the first day
  one is lit and thereafter they are progressively
  increased. Ulla said In the West Palestine
  two amoraim, R. Jose b. Abin and R. Jose b.
  Zebida, differ therein one maintains, The reason
  of Beth Shammai is that it shall correspond to
  the days still to come, and that of Beth Hillel
  is that it shall correspond to the days that are
  gone but another maintains Beth Shammai's
  reason is that it shall correspond to the
  bullocks of the Festival whilst Beth Hillel's
  reason is that we promote in matters of
  sanctity but do not reduce.

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2 Maccabees 67

• On the monthly celebration of the kings
  birthday, the Jews were taken, under bitter
  constraint, to partake of the sacrifices and
  when a festival of Dionysus was celebrated, they
  were compelled to wear wreaths of ivy and to walk
  in the procession in honor Dionysus.

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Teetotum
42

• The original medieval dice used in Germany by
  gamblers was inscribed with the four letters N,
  G, H, and S, which are the initials
• Nichts (nothing),
• Ganz (all),
• Halb (half), and
• Stellein (put in).
• Encyclopedia Judaica Folklore

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Kedushefy

• Winter Solstice becomes religious day of hope and
  trust in Hashem.
• Celebration of lights becomes symbol of Hashems
  providence even in times of darkness.
• Ivy bands for Dionysis become part of
  rededication celebration.
• European gambling game becomes symbol of
  perseverance.

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Antiochus IV Epiphanes
45
From the Hasmoneans to Roman Revolt
46
  1. Mattathiasben Johanan ? - 165 BCE     Hasmonean Dynasty  
____ _ _______________ _ __________________ _ ________________ _ ______
       
JohananGaddi   4. SimonThassiruled 142-134 BCE   2. JudahMaccabee ? - 160 BCE   EleazarAvaron   3. JonathanApphusruled 160-142 BCE
____ _ ______________ _ __________        
           
Mattathias ?-134 BCE   Judah ?- 134 BCE   5. JohananHyrcanusruled 134-104 BCE        
    ________ _ __________________ _ ________    
           
    6. Aristobulus I(Judah)ruled 104-103 BCE   Antigonus(Matthew) ? - 104 BCE   7. Alexander Jannai(Jonathan)ruled 103-76 BCE 8. SalomeAlexandraruled 76-67 BCE
        __________ _ ________    
             
        10. Hyrcanus II(Jonathan)ruled 63-40 (d. 30) BCE   9. Aristobulus II(Judah)ruled 67-63 (d. 49) BCE    
          _______ ____
        Alexandra ? - 28 BCE Alexander ? - 49 BCE   11. Antigonus(Matthe)ruled 40-37 BCE
        __________    
        Aristobulus III ? - 35 BCE   Mariamne ? - 29 BCE 12. Herod(the Great)ruled 38-4 BCE
            ________ _____
             
            Aristobulus IV ca 31 - 7 BCE   Alexander ca 30 - 7 BCE
Elephant fell on him
47
Judah the Maccabee

• 167-160 BCE
• Led the revolt against the Seleucids
• Purified the Temple in 164 BCE

48
Jonathan

• Ruler 161-143 BCE
• Brother of Judah
• first Hasmonean to be High Priest in 153 BCE

49
Simon

• Ethnarch and High Priest
• 142-135 BCE
• Is granted tax exemption from Demetrius II
• Removes Seleucid garrison in Jerusalem
• Gains total political independence
• Murdered by his son-in-law together with two
  older sons

50
John Hyrcanus

• Ethnarch and High Priest
• Son of Simon
• 134-104 BCE
• Forced the Idumeans to convert (including
  Antipaters father, grandfather of Herod)
• Destroys Samaritan Temple in 128BCE

51

• Coin of John Hyrcanus (135-104 BCE)
• ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???????

52
??? ????Paleo-Hebrew
53
(No Transcript)
54
Double Perutah coin of John Hyrcanus. Pair of
cornucopiae and a crested helmet. Reads
Yehochanan the High Priest and Leader of the
Community of the Jews.
55
Judah Aristobulus I

• King and High Priest
• 104-103BCE
• Son of John Hyrcanus
• First to call himself king
• Imprisons mother and three brothers. Kills
  another brother.
• Married to Salome Alexandra

56

• Coin of Judah Aristobulus
• ????? ???? ????? ???? ???????

57
Alexander Yannai

• King and High Priest
• 103-76 BCE
• Son of Johan Hyrcanus
• Married Salome Alexandra, his brothers widow
• Practiced Sadduecean law and was pelted by
  Etrogim. Kills 6,000 Jews in retaliations.
• Killed 50,000 in civil war.
• Crucified 800 Pharisees
• Advises his wife before dying to yield to the
  Pharisees!

58
Alexander Yannai"?????? ???? ????? ???? ???????"
59

• Sun wheel, ?????? ????
• Anchor, King Alexander in Greek

60

• Flower and Anchor with King Yannai
• Restamped with Yonatan the High Priest and the
  Community of the Jews
• Went back to original type

61
Salome Alexandra Sons

• Salome is queen of Judea 76-67 BCE
• Her two sons Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II fight
  over the crown. Both appeal for help from the
  Romans.
• Pompey imprisons Aristobulus II and makes
  Hyrcanus II high priest in 63BCE.
• Hyrcanus serves 63-40BCE
• Antignos serves 40-37BCE
• Herod marries Mariamne, granddaughter of Hyrcanus
  and Aristobulus.

62
Hasmonean Conquests
63
  1. Mattathiasben Johanan ? - 165 BCE        Hasmonean Dynasy
____ _ _______________ _ __________________ _ ________________ _ ______
       
JohananGaddi   4. SimonThassiruled 142-134 BCE   2. JudahMaccabee ? - 160 BCE   EleazarAvaron   3. JonathanApphusruled 160-142 BCE
____ _ ______________ _ __________        
           
Mattathias ?-134 BCE   Judah ?- 134 BCE   5. JohananHyrcanusruled 134-104 BCE        
    ________ _ __________________ _ ________    
           
    6. Aristobulus I(Judah)ruled 104-103 BCE   Antigonus(Matthew) ? - 104 BCE   7. Alexander Jannai(Jonathan)ruled 103-76 BCE 8. SalomeAlexandraruled 76-67 BCE
        __________ _ ________    
             
        10. Hyrcanus II(Jonathan)ruled 63-40 (d. 30) BCE   9. Aristobulus II(Judah)ruled 67-63 (d. 49) BCE    
          _______ ____
        Alexandra ? - 28 BCE Alexander ? - 49 BCE   11. Antigonus(Matityahu)ruled 40-37 BCE
        __________    
        Aristobulus III ? - 35 BCE   Mariamne ? - 29 BCE 12. Herod(the Great)ruled 38-4 BCE
            ________ _____
             
            Aristobulus IV ca 31 - 7 BCE   Alexander ca 30 - 7 BCE
64

• Coin of Mattathias Antigonus (40-37BCE) with
  Menorah and Shulhan

65
Pompey
66
Josephus on Pompey

• No small enormities were committed about the
  temple itself, which, in former ages, had been
  inaccessible, and seen by none for Pompey went
  into it, and not a few of those that were with
  him also, and saw all that which it was unlawful
  for any other men to see but only for the high
  priests.
• There were in that temple the golden table, the
  holy candlestick, and the pouring vessels, and a
  great quantity of spices and besides these there
  were among the treasures two thousand talents of
  sacred money yet did Pompey touch nothing of all
  this, on account of his regard to religion and
  in this point also he acted in a manner that was
  worthy of his virtue.
• The next day he gave order to those that had the
  charge of the temple to cleanse it, and to bring
  what offerings the law required to God and
  restored the high priesthood to Hyrcanus, both
  because he had been useful to him in other
  respects, and because he hindered the Jews in the
  country from giving Aristobulus any assistance in
  his war against him
• Antiquities 14.4

67
Pompey Enters the Holy of Holies

• The first Roman to subdue the Jews and set foot
  into their Temple by right of conquest was Gnaeus
  Pompey thereafter it was a matter of common
  knowledge that there were no representations of
  the gods within, but that the place was empty and
  the secret shrine contained nothing.
• Tacitus Histories 5.11-12