WHO DEFILED THE SECOND TEMPLE?

The Books of Maccabees, not found in the Dead Sea Scrolls make the claim Greece defiled the Temple. That is a lie!

Greece Did NOT Defile the Temple

From the account of the Temple Priests which appears within their commentaries of prophetic interpretation of events that had already occurred in their time, they record that Greece did not defile the Temple nor even attack Yahudaea with their military. This is consistent with Greek history that does not mention this Maccabees account which is not history, nor Bible. This is a major problem for modern Judaism which has only this claim to link it to their being Hebrews. They are not.

“Whither the lion goes, there is the lion’s cub, [with none to disturb it] (ii, 11b).

[Interpreted, this concerns Deme]trius king of Greece who sought, on the counsel of those who seek smooth things, to enter Jerusalem. [But Elohim did not permit the city to be delivered] into the hands of the kings of Greece, from the time of Antiochus until the coming of the rulers of the Kittim. But then she shall be trampled under their feet...”

–COMMENTARY ON NAHUM, p. 505 [22]

Thus, from the time of Demetrius to the time of Antiochus I including the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and until the time of the Kittim takeover which is the Roman Empire, Yahudaea was not subdued with Greece’s military. Even Alexander the Great was welcomed in a peaceful takeover not military conquest especially in the Temple where he even burnt the sacrifice of the Temple. Greece wanted the tax revenues and Israel agreed to that in all accounts, even Josephus, Tacitus, Origen and others agree on that. However, who trampled Yahudaea? Who defiled the Temple? This community did not keep that a secret...

“[For the violence done to Lebanon shall overwhelm you, and the destruction of the beasts] X II shall terrify you, because of the blood of men and the violence done to the land, the city, and all its inhabitants (ii, 17). Interpreted, this saying concerns the Wicked Priest, inasmuch as he shall be paid the reward which he himself tendered to the Poor. For Lebanon is the Council of the Community; and the beasts are the simple of Judah who keep the Law. As he himself plotted the destruction of the Poor, so will Elohim condemn him to destruction. And as for that which He said, Because of the blood of the city and the violence done to the land: interpreted, the city is Jerusalem where the Wicked Priest committed abominable deeds and defiled the Temple of Elohim. The violence done to the land: these are the cities of Judah where he robbed the Poor of their possessions.” –COMMENTARY ON HABAKKUK, p. 515 [22]

The Wicked Priest is not one man but the Hasmoneans including their priests, the Pharisees and new Sanhedrin that were new to Jerusalem and neither faction ever mentioned in the entire Old Testament as they did not exist in Jerusalem until installed by the Hasmoneans around 165 B.C. These exiled the Aaronic, Levite Temple Priest leadership of antiquity to Qumran replacing them with a new unbiblical order in Jerusalem. That is the defiling of the Temple, not Greece. They conquered as they maintained control of it and changed the religion to their Samaritan infusion of Persian basis with attempted worship of YHWH that He rejected then and rejects now. This is clear, indisputable and actual history from the First Century ignored and untold by the church generally as they maintain willing ignorance as 2 Peter 3 warned. Who do they listen to? The very ones who defiled the Temple.

*Excerpts from “The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English” by Geza Vermes [22].

One will notice multiple injections from Vermes, and many scholars since, of the Maccabees’ story as fact when these very writings of this community condemn the Hasmonean Revolt as the defiling of the Temple. That is dishonest and fraudulent!