The Ten Minute Bible Hour Podcast PLMN012 - Truly Wicked Kings and Priests Finally Overplay Their Hands
Nov 4, 2025
Dive into a fascinating tale where heroes and villains blur, revealing corruption in intertestamental Jewish leadership. Discover how Antiochus IV's alliance with local rulers fueled chaos and greed, as figures like Jason and Menelaus commodified the high priesthood. Explore the public outrage over massive tributes to Antiochus and the ensuing persecution of pious Jews, setting the stage for the Maccabean Revolt. This thrilling narrative uncovers the heavy price of corruption and the spark that ignited a revolution.
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Topsy-Turvy Storytelling Resonates
- Wicked reframes familiar roles so the celebrated figure can be revealed as corrupt while the demonized one becomes sympathetic.
- Matt Whitman argues this topsy-turvy motif resonated as the internet exposed institutional rot in the early 2000s.
Both Priest And King Became Corrupt
- Intertestamental Israel faced two noble offices: high priest and king, both intended as shepherding roles.
- Matt Whitman points out both offices became corrupted, creating a crisis of leadership and trust.
Jason Buys The High Priesthood
- Matt narrates how Jason bought the high priesthood, likening it to simony and moral cheapening of the office.
- This purchase set off Greekifying reforms in Jerusalem that enraged many Jews.
