He attacked Judah. When he did so, he entered the sanctuary of the temple and ransacked it. A couple of years later, one of Antiochus’ captains came and plundered the city, and captured many of the Judeans. Then Antiochus issued a decree saying that everyone in his kingdom, including the Judeans, had to drop their own customs and religions. The Jews faced severe persecution for not accommodating the widely accepted Greek culture and customs.