Final answer:
Characteristics of Hellenism in conflict with Judaism include different religious practices, forced cultural assimilation, and conflicting philosophical views about the nature of the divine and the world.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conflict Between Hellenism and Judaism
The three characteristics of Hellenism that were in conflict with Judaism can be seen in the following aspects:
- Religious Practices: The polytheistic practices and idolatry of Hellenistic culture clashed with the strict monotheism and iconoclastic nature of Judaism, which prohibits the worship of graven images and deities aside from the one God.
- Cultural Assimilation: Hellenistic rulers often encouraged or enforced the adoption of Greek language, dress, and social customs, conflicting with the Jewish adherence to their own traditions, laws, and separate identity as a people.
- Philosophical Differences: Hellenistic thought, which was heavily influenced by philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, emphasized ideas such as the eternity of the world and the perfection of the deity, which were at odds with Jewish teachings about creation, the transient nature of the world, and the personal, covenantal relationship with a singular God who intervenes in history.
This cultural and religious tension led to significant strife and periods of persecution for the Jewish population within Hellenistic realms, including the famous Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid monarch Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who tried to impose Greek religion on his Jewish subjects.