Hellenistic Period

Maccabean Revolt
During this period in Judea, social tensions heightened — between the Hellenizers, who introduced Greek
ideas and customs, and those traditionally inclined Jews who opposed Greek influence,
between the sophisticated cities and the conservative villages, between urban aristocrats
and rural farmers,and between rich and poor. Many Jews found their faith and the continuity
of their world threatened by these Greek intrusions. The book of Ecclesiastes, with its theological
skepticism and occasional praise of reckless hedonism, is an example
of the profound effect this new culture had on traditional religious commitment.