In times like these, we all need a word of encouragement. From pastor and best-selling author Max

Lukato comes the Max Lucato encouraging Word podcast with over 40 years of ministry and more than

145 million books sold in 50 languages. Max shares the greatest story ever told, the living

savior who brings hope for a lifetime through rich, biblical insight, heartfelt storytelling.

You'll be reminded that God is always near, always for you, and always in you.

Listen to the Max Lucato encouraging Word podcast, where hope meets your day.

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcast. Thank you for checking out this little teaser of the history of the papacy and church.

Here's a little taste of once coming up soon on the History of the Papacy podcast.

The super strict zealous Maccabians fought against the Hellenization of the Judeans,

but their successors turned around and in some ways were more Hellenized

than the Jews who the Maccabee and revolt were fighting against.

So go figure that.

But to get back to the point of the episode today, the Hasmanians spread their power all over the Levant, specifically in an area

important to our topic of this couple of episodes, the area east of the Jordan River,

the land of the Decapolis, the city, the land of 10 cities, but sometimes 14.

We're getting close to getting into the Decapolis, but there's just one little bit more

to talk about that of Rome.

The situation the Romans found them in was pretty complicated.

The Romans and the Seleucids fought a big war right before the

Maccabian revolt. The Salucids took a big hit from this war. They had to pay Rome a huge

indemnity to pay back for this war, and they lost parts of Anatolia.

The Salucids suffered defeats from the Romans, some defeats from the Ptolemies,

...