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Podcast: Sacrilegious Discourse - Bible Study for Atheists
Episode: 1 Maccabees Intro: Bible Study by Atheists
Description: Forget talking snakes and magical arksâFirst Maccabees is an actual history book, and the hosts are weirdly excited about that. In this episode, they crack open the world between the Old and New Testaments: Greek rule over Judea, Antiochus IV Epiphanes nicknaming himself âGod made visible,â bans on circumcision, Torah, and Sabbath, and the brutal attempt to erase Jewish identity. Out of that mess comes a priestly familyâthe Hasmoneans, a.k.a. the Maccabeesâwho basically say âabsolutely notâ and launch a guerrilla revolt that eventually gives us Hanukkah.The hosts dig into why First Maccabee...