God of the sea

An examination of the books of the Maccabees, Josephus, the Addenda to the Book of Esther, the Mishnah, the Tosefta, and the Talmud reveals a surprising picture: the story of salvation itself is hardly discussed, while the customs of the holiday, the feast, the procession, and the community occupy the center of attention.

The article re-examines the identity of Papa bar Netzer, rejects the identification with Odintus of Palmyra, and suggests that the destruction of Nehardea in the third century CE was the result of a Palmyra invasion motivated by economic and competitive motives.