Convinced he is a god, Seleucid Emperor Antiochus Epiphanes IV is on a mission to strengthen his empire against his enemy, the Roman Republic. He is determined that all subjects obey his edicts of Hellenization, which include loyal worship to the Greek pantheon, in an effort to unify the people. Among the subjects of Antiochus vast kingdom, the only people to reject these decrees are the insignificant Jews of Judea. Their refusal is a matter of faith in the one true God.
The year is 167 B.C. and the day is the 25th of Kislev. The Temple has been desecrated. Blood has been spilled. Women with...