In the year 142 BCE, after more than 500 years of subjugation, the Jews were again masters of their own fate. Look out for what you might learn about the Judaism of the period from the story. These include four laments and three hymns of praise. The setting of the book is about a century after the conquest of Judea by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, when the country was part of the Greek Seleucid Empire. Hardcover; 9780300159936; Published: Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022; $85.00. His severest condemnation goes, not to the Seleucid politicians, but to the lawless apostates among his own people, adversaries of Judas and his brothers, who are models of faith and loyalty. Book of Daniel. When Mattathias died, the revolt was led by his son Judas, or Judah Maccabee, as he is often called. The Writer gives his final summary. Read more . Omissions? The Greeks recognize him as high priest, but like Judas, he finds himself caught between competing Greek kings who are engaged in their own civil war for control of the Seleucid Empire. But they did not belong to the family of those men through whom deliverance was given to Israel. Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG. The rebellion began under the leadership of the Jewish priest Mattathias after Antiochus sought to stamp out Judaism by forbidding all Jewish practices and desecrating the temple (167 bc). Judas's Maccabee title is generally tied to the Aramaic word maqqaba ("makebet" in modern Hebrew), "hammer" or "sledgehammer", in recognition of his prowess in battle. He was familiar with the traditions and sacred books of his people and had access to much reliable information on their recent history (from 175 to 134 B.C.). (1 Maccabees 2.62-64). for the first and 124 B.C. The book of Tobit tells the story of Tobit and his family, who are living as exiles from Israel after the Assyrian conquest. VERSE 46. and pollute the sanctuary and those who were holy; VERSE 47. that they should build altars, and temples, and shrines for idols, and should sacrifice swines flesh and unclean beasts: VERSE 48. and that they should leave their sons uncircumcised, that they should make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation; VERSE 49. so that they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. The early Seleucid rulers were tolerant of the political and religious cultures of the territories they controlled, but things changed when Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to power, and the scene in Palestine became one of persecution and war. [44] Notably, the author makes no reference to the idea of a bodily resurrection, which the Sadducees opposed. 2:4), the third son of Mattathias, the hero of the war of Jewish independence against Syria. The victory of the Jews over their Greek oppressors loomed large in the popular imagination of the Jews of Jesus day. The revolt is also known by the name Maccabee, after the most renowned of Mattathias's sons . Chapter 2. 1 After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated[ a] King Darius of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. Were there any parts of the book that you disliked or which troubled you? [20] The book is not written in colloquial "common" Koine Greek of the 2nd century BC, but rather a more archaic style of Greek consciously imitative of the style of older scriptures. Hellenization included the construction of gymnasia in Jerusalem. II Maccabees focuses on the Jews' revolt against Antiochus and concludes with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 bce by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work. 2 Maccabees, curiously, says nothing about thisdespite its . This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Books-of-the-Maccabees, The Catholic Encyclopedia - The Books of Machabees. Alternate titles: The Books of the Machabees. It describes the refusal of Mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing Jewish revolt against Syrian hegemony, the political machinations whereby Demetrius II of Syria granted Judaea its independence, and the election of Simon as both high priest and secular ruler of the Judaean Jews. VERSE 1. VERSE 5. At first, it was used to describe the martyrs described in 2 Maccabees. Judas, nicknamed Maccabeus, probably meaning "hammer," continues his military exploits and also seeks an alliance with the Roman Republic to remove the Greeks. It promotes commitment to Gods covenant as the path to prosperity, and the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. The Septuagint was preserved by early Christians as the basis for the Christian Old Testament. CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Chronology. Note: 1 and 2 Maccabees are not included in most Protestant and Jewish Bibles. It was included in standard printed Christian Bibles in the deuterocanon section. 1 and 2 Maccabees are set during the reign of the Seleucid Greek empire (the part of the Greek empire that found its roots in Syria). Though initially hailed as liberators, the Selucid family wasted no time in leaving their mark upon Judea. View all posts by todd. Many Christians base their moral decisions on outcomes. However, the original has been lost and the version which comes down to us is the Septuagint. The following is a brief analysis of 1 Maccabees: (1) 1 Maccabees 1:1-10: An account of the rise of the Seleucid Dynasty. The persecution of Antiochus IV presumably radicalized the Jews. Chapter 16. perhaps even Sadducean, tendency interpenetrates the entire work" (Fischer, 4:441) and the "author of 1 Maccabees identifies unreservedly with the rebels and their leaders." (Efron, 47; Sievers, 2). VERSE 32. Unlike most of the Books of the Maccabees, 1 Maccabees was written in Hebrew and translated into Greek as part of the . It came to pass, after that Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came out of the land of Chittim, and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after he had struck him, that he reigned in his stead, in former time, over Greece. Although 1 Maccabees was originally written in Hebrew (some you can tell from the sentence structure) it exists now only in Greek. VERSE 34. a place of exercise. The rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The name Maccabee probably means "hammer" and was the nickname given in the book to the first leader of the revolt, Judas, third son of Mattathias. 25) gives testimony to the existence of an original Hebrew text. Attempts to discredit the work as essentially fiction have been discounted even by strongly critical scholars today. "Exodus ch. He then calls forth the people to holy war against the Gentiles and their Jewish collaborators. many in Israel were fully resolved. The sacred writers purpose is to build up the morale of the Jews. And he took the spoils of the city, and set it on fire, and pulled down the houses thereof and the walls thereof on every side. However, we believers CANNOT do evil that good may result. Finally, after Matthathias dies, his son Judas succeeds in liberating the Temple precincts and reconsecrating the Temple itself in 165 B.C.E. Protestants and Jews regard it as generally reliable historically, but not a part of holy scripture. It also uses anachronistic terms at times to make explicit parallels between the exploits of the Hasmoneans and earlier Jewish heroes; for example, it refers to the coastal region of Palestine as the land of the Philistines, despite the Philistines no longer being a relevant cultural grouping in the era. The works main religious theme is that the martyrs sufferings vicariously expiated the sins of the entire Jewish people. Series: The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries. 2nd century bc) Priestly family of Jews who organized a successful rebellion against Antiochus IV Epiphanes in Palestine and reconsecrated the defiled Temple of Jerusalem.The rebellion began under the leadership of the Jewish priest Mattathias after Antiochus sought to stamp out Judaism by forbidding all Jewish practices and desecrating the temple (167 bc). 2 Maccabees falls more into theological history, in other words the attempt to reflect on Gods role in the events described. It describes the promulgation of decrees forbidding traditional Jewish practices by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the formation of a rebellion against him by Mattathias of the Hasmonean family and his five sons. [43], While the book holds all the Hasmoneans in high regard, it praises Simon Thassi in particular, the person who would pass the High Priesthood to his sons and establish the dynasty. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Greece. Several theories have emerged regarding the exclusion of 1 from the Jewish biblical canon. He wrote in the post-independence Hasmonean kingdom, probably during the reign of High Priest John Hyrcanus (reigned ~134104 BC), with a few scholars suggesting that early in the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (reigned 10376 BC) is also a possibility. He may well have played some part in it himself in his youth. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. By the end of the war, Simon was the only one of the five sons of Mattathias to survive and he ushered in an 80-year period of Jewish . And it was the chief propaganda instrument of those non-practicing Jews who were trying to introduce Gentile customs into Israel. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them; and she became a habitation of strangers, and she became strange to those who were born in her, and her children forsook her. Corrections? The book is not part of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and is not considered canonical by Protestant denominations nor in any of the major branches of Judaism. And they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary. The contest which he describes is a struggle, not simply between Jew and Gentile, but between those who would uphold the law and those, Jews or Gentiles, who would destroy it. George Leo Haydock. Origen (cited by Eusebius Eccl Hist vi. [32] Ultimately the relationship between Jonathan and Demetrius breaks down: Maccabees' opinion is that Demetrius "broke his word about all that he had promised; he became estranged from Jonathan and did not repay the favors that Jonathan had done him, but treated him very harshly". The two Books of Maccabees contain independent accounts of events (in part identical) that accompanied the attempted suppression of Judaism in Palestine in the second century B.C. Ptolemy, a loyal general of Alexanders, was made satrap of Egypt in 323 when Alexander died, and in 304 he assumed the title of king, annexing Cyprus, Palestine, and the Lebanon. John R. Bartlett argues for somewhere between 11090 BCE. were recognized by the Fathers as inspired, there is an interim stage where souls are purified. 1 and 2 Maccabees reflect on this question in slightly different ways. It frequently imitates biblical phraseology and directly cites biblical precedents. [ a] 2 He had five sons: John, who was called Gaddi; 3 Simon, who was called Thassi; 4 Judas, who was called Maccabeus; 5 Eleazar, who was called Avaran; and Jonathan, who was called . The author propagates "Hasmonean propaganda" in the sense of upholding the righteousness of the Hasmoneans and their just claim to rule the Hasmonean kingdom. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). ISBN links support NWE through referral fees. It gives detailed accounts of the Maccabean revolt led by Judas Maccabeus, as well as the martyrdoms of Eleazar and seven brothers. We will be talking about events that happened in the second century, which took place in Judea located in the Syrian empire. The origin of 2 Maccabees is debated. In 168 BC, he desecrates the Temple by setting up an "abomination of desolation" (establishing rites of pagan observance in the Temple, or sacrificing an unclean animal on the altar in the Holy of Holies). 1 The Simon mentioned above as the informer against the funds and against his country began slandering Onias, insinuating that the latter had been responsible for the assault on Heliodorus and himself had contrived this misfortune. Compare 1 Maccabees 10:65. 2 He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and slaughtered the kings of the earth. VERSE 37. It is a deuterocanonical work in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition, and apocryphal in Protestant tradition. And they did all put diadems upon themselves after that he was dead, and so did their sons after them many years: and they multiplied evils in the earth. 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