Hanukkah is one of the best known Jewish holidays. Non-Jews often think of it as the "Jewish Christmas", but few know the history and significance of the holiday. In the year 175 BC Antiochus Epiphanes (Antiochus IV) murdered his brother and seized the Seleucid Empire’s throne. A fierce advocate of Greek culture, including its worship of many gods and goddesses, Antiochus viewed the Jewish religion to be barbaric and incompatible with “civilized” Hellenic society. Epiphanes