Hasmonean Revolt was a civil war that foreshadowed tensions between future generations of Jews

That revolt, whose successful consummation is celebrated by Jews today as the festival of Hannukah, was as much a civil war between Jews who adhered strictly to the law and those who were prepared to adopt some, if not all, of the Hellenistic practices prevailing at the time. In that regard, it foreshadowed tensions between future generations of Jews who absolutely refused to assimilate to the surrounding culture, and those who, to a greater or lesser extent, were prepared to do so if only the opportunity presented itself.

Dov S. Zakheim, “The Geopolitics of Scripture,” The American Interest (July/August 2012), 15.

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