However, this original Hebrew has been lost, and the work only survives in translation in Koine Greek contained in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Jewish scriptures. Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. That is, his heart became proud and arrogant (NAB translation). Thus, for example, in 2 Maccabees 12:43 there is Judas act of faith in the resurrection and salvation of his fallen soldiers, but he realizes that they must atone for their sins in the next life, and he wishes to help them in this and asks for prayers from the living. It tells how the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to suppress the practice of basic Jewish religious law, resulting in the Hasmonean revolt against Seleucid rule. After successfully invading the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Antiochus IV captures Jerusalem and removes the sacred objects from the Temple in Jerusalem, slaughtering many Jews. Antiochus captures Egypt. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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). In the first chapter, Alexander the Great conquers the territory of Judea, and is later succeeded by the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Grimm indicates the time span for when the book could have been written to be from 105-64 b.c.e. 1 After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeateda King Darius of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. Antiochus makes Judaism illegal. That is, about 176 BC. If you like what I write, become my partner by donating. 13-16). Eusebius, in his book Church History, quotes Origen of Alexandria who says the original title of the work was Sarbth Sarbanael,[note 3] an enigmatic Greek transliteration from a putative Hebrew original title. He relented after angels intervened on behalf of the Jews. He then imposes a tax and establishes a fortress in Jerusalem. In general, its chronology coheres with that of I Maccabees. came there forth out of Israel. Many Jews adopt a policy of accommodation with him in the interest of maintaining peace with the Gentiles, and others openly embrace the Hellenistic culture he introduces. 1 Maccabees . 1 Maccabees is a deuterocanonical book written by a Jewish author and included in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canons of the Bible. From Alexander to Antiochus. The Greek text is extant in two of the three oldest codices of the Greek Septuagint: the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus. Origen (cited by Eusebius Eccl Hist vi. 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. [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. VERSE 16. According to the first book of Maccabees, one of the Hellenistic kings defiled the temple, forbade circumcision, and even set up altars to his gods. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The works main religious theme is that the martyrs sufferings vicariously expiated the sins of the entire Jewish people. [49]He argues that the author was likely an eyewitness to at least some of the battles described given his great accuracy and plausibility in describing terrain and troop movements, and was able to obtain firsthand accounts from others in interviews. Simon follows Jonathan as the next Jewish leader "in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan",[34] taking on civil, military and liturgical roles: "great high priest, governor, and leader of the Jews". The name Maccabee, probably meaning "hammer," is actually applied in the Books of Maccabees to only one man, Judas, third son of the priest Mattathias and first leader of the revolt against the Seleucid kings who persecuted the Jews (1 Mc 2:4, 66; 2 Mc 8:5, 16; 10:1, 16).Traditionally the name has come to be extended to the brothers of Judas, his supporters . Compare 1 Maccabees 10:65. Mattathias and His Sons. Uriel Rappaport calls it emblematic of Hasmonean politics in general: that the Hasmonean state was an explicitly Jewish one that sought to separate itself from polytheism, yet was pragmatic and sought allies where they could be found.[9]. That is, a gymnasium. The author was an enthusiastic a supporter of the Maccabees who shows little sympathy with either their Jewish or Greek opponents. Reflect on whether you think that Mattathias and his sons were right to rebel against their Greek oppressors.We are challenged about how we should behave towards our enemies and how we should act as Gods agents, wherever we live in the world. 2 Samuel. Their faith in the resurrection, which they explicitly assert (v. 11), gives them the courage to undergo terrible sufferings to keep the holy Law of God, sufferings in which they are also supported by their mothers faith. [63], The Jewish historian Josephus of the 1st century AD almost certainly read 1 Maccabees. Aristobulus I, the son of John Hyrcanus, was the first to add the title of king to that of chief priest. [35] Simon fortifies Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 13:10) and secures the reoccupation of Joppa (1 Maccabees 13:11), leading the people in peace and prosperity until he is murdered by agents of Ptolemy, son of Abubus, who had been named governor of the region by the Macedonian Greeks. Probably written about 100 B.C.E., the book was included as scripture in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and later included in Christian scripture until the Protestant Reformation, when the apocrypha of the Old Testament were generally rejected by Protestants. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It also asserts the resurrection of the just and tells us what we need to know about the fate of the unjust (7:9, 14,23,29; 14:46). Chapter 6 reports the last days of Antiochus Epiphanes and the accession of his young son Antiochus V Eupator to the throne. 20 And now we have . He plays one faction off against the other, obtaining various benefits for the Jews in exchange for his military support. 504 Pages, 6.12 x 9.25 in, 2 b-w illus. 1 Maccabees 1:54. 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 . Alexandra was succeeded by another son, Aristobulus II. It is not permitted to do evil that good may result. The name Maccabee, probably meaning hammer, is actually applied in the Books of Maccabees to only one man, Judas, third son of the priest Mattathias and first leader of the revolt against the Seleucid kings who persecuted the Jews (1Mc 2:4, 66; 2Mc 8:5, 16; 10:1, 16). The book of 1 Maccabees is the most thorough account of the deeds of the sons of Mattathias and the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire; 2 Maccabees is a more sensationalized account that focuses on a briefer period of time and adds cool stuff like flying ghost armies; 4 Maccabees is a homily rather than a narrative, focusing on the . That is, about 168 BC. VERSE 8. The Writer gives his final summary. [50] He also cites the fact that it makes various "admissions against interest" such as openly describing rebel military defeats, unlike 2 Maccabees which obscures or omits such matters. These two books tell you a lot about Jewish self-definition in the second and first century bc. An unknown editor, the "Epitomist," used the factual notes of a historian . Many Christians base their moral decisions on outcomes. Antiochus forbids both circumcision and possession of Jewish scriptures on pain of death. On his journey, the son Tobias meets Sarah, who is afflicted by a demon. In either case, only the Greek text has survived, and this only through its inclusion in the Christian canon. Gentile forces still hold a fortress in Jerusalem, however, as well as many towns in Judea and Galilee. 2:4), the third son of Mattathias, the hero of the war of Jewish independence against Syria. VERSE 37. For more details about the Maccabees family and battles with the Greeks, please read 1 Maccabees. ; and the Seleucids, who took over large parts of the Middle East and moved into Palestine in 200 B.C. The author propagates "Hasmonean propaganda" in the sense of upholding the righteousness of the Hasmoneans and their just claim to rule the Hasmonean kingdom. The other Jews then reason that, when attacked, they must fight even on the holy day. The big question from this period is the question of self-definition. And they put there a sinful nation, transgressors of the law, and they strengthened themselves therein. VERSE 22. and the table of the show bread, and the cups to pour withal, and the bowls, and the golden censers, and the veil, and the crowns, and the adorning of gold which was on the face of the temple, and he scaled it all off. Later Jewish leaders thought poorly of the rule of the Hasmonean dynasty for several reasons, and a document so openly celebratory of them was problematic. This usage of "Maccabees" as a group-term may have originated in Greek, as no usage of it in Hebrew to refer to the rebels survives from any era earlier than the 19th century.[10]. a place of exercise. All this shows that these inspired books are well worth prayerful reading, particularly the second, which provides us with many edifying examples especially the humility which leads its protagonists to trust in God, their fortitude in defending their faith, their patience in dealing with obstacles to observance of the Law, and their deep piety, as shown in their prayer for their dead comrades. The book covers the whole of the revolt, from 175 to 134 BC, highlighting how the salvation of the Jewish people in this crisis came through Mattathias' family, particularly his sons, Judas Maccabeus, Jonathan Apphus, and Simon Thassi, and Simon's son, John Hyrcanus. Protestants and Jews regard it as generally reliable historically, but not a part of holy scripture. He interprets the Maccabean victory not as a miraculous intervention by God, but rather as God's using the instrument of the military genius of the Maccabees to achieve his divine ends. 2 Maccabees, curiously, says nothing about thisdespite its . 4:59). 1 Maccabees, also known as the First Book of Maccabees, First Maccabees, and abbreviated as 1 Macc., is a deuterocanonical book which details the history of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire as well as the founding and earliest history of the independent Hasmonean kingdom.It describes the promulgation of decrees forbidding traditional Jewish practices by King Antiochus IV . 01793 418222. Were there any parts of the book that you disliked or which troubled you? Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. That is, men of Israel came forth. In those days rose up Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem; and he lived at Modin. When Mattathias died (c. 166 bc), his son Judas Maccabaeus recaptured Jerusalem and reconsecrated the temple, an event celebrated in the holiday Hanukkah. We will be talking about events that happened in the second century, which took place in Judea located in the Syrian empire. Friend. VERSE 34. First Maccabees gives a detailed account of the struggle in Palestine over a period of fifty years, from the time Antiochus IV Epiphanes came to the throne up to the death of Simon, the last of the Maccabee brothers (134 B.C.). And he called his servants, which were honorable, which had been brought up with him from his youth, and he divided to them his kingdom, while he was yet alive. It has traditionally been considered highly trustworthy, although it is to some extent the "official" version of history according to the Hasmoneans and from the Maccabean point of view. In Chapter 2, there is a line from a dying Mattathias who tells his sons to always listen to Simon and that "he shall be your father", seemingly praising him even over Judas. The festival of Hanukkah is instituted by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers to celebrate this event (1 Maccabees 4:59). But he also wants to show that Gods purpose in permitting persecution is to discipline the Jews in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterwards when our sins have reached their height (6:12-17). 1 Maccabees follows this story until the death of Simon (the third son of Mattathias to rule over Israel) at the hands of the some Egyptian Greeks (from about 175-134 bc). He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. He even attempts to force Jewish leaders to sacrifice to pagan idols. According to 1 Maccabees, there were some early groups of Jewish rebels who refused to fight on the Sabbath, and perished accordingly (1 Maccabees 2:29-38) until the Maccabean patriarch Mattathias decided to change the law and permit defensive warfare on the Sabbath (2:39-41). And they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary. The doctrine expressed in the book reflects traditional Jewish teaching, without later doctrines found, for example, in 2 Maccabees. From the time of Alexander onward Greek culture spread throughout the Middle East. Another is that, while they were included by the Jews of Alexandria in the Septuagint, they may not have gained much popularity in Jerusalem. Maccabees , (fl. Modin. VERSE 29. VERSE 9. 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. 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