As a surname it was also applied to his brothers and, by extension, to the seven martyred brothers (2 Macc.7). the hundred and forty and third year. [21][22] The English equivalent would be writing new books in the style of the King James Version. The Writer gives his final summary. [28] Verses 2332 record an agreement between Rome and the nation of the Jews, whereby each party would act as a willing ally of the other and refuse to supply their enemies in time of war, specific warning being given to Demetrius I Soter that this pact would be activated against him if requested by the Jews. 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. The Hasmoneans were not an obvious choice to be rulers; they did not descend from the priestly line of Zadok that had taken the office of High Priest for generations at the point of the Maccabean Revolt. The people, in turn, must worship the Lord alone and observe exactly the precepts of the law given to them. Reading time: Around 4 hours for both books or 2 hours for one. 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). In 285 he abdicated in favor of his son Ptolemy II, who became involved in a struggle with the Seleucid kings. VERSE 28. 2 Maccabees, curiously, says nothing about thisdespite its . The book covers the whole of the revolt, from 175 to 134 B.C.E., emphasizing how the salvation of the Jewish people in this crisis came through the family of a zealous priest named Mattathias, particularly his sons, Judas Maccabeus, Jonathan, and Simon, and his grandson, John Hyrcanus. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. An unknown editor, the "Epitomist," used the factual notes of a historian . 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]. Registered charity 232759. [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. IV Maccabees has scanty historical information and belongs to the Maccabees series only because it deals with the beginning of the persecution of Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her Sabbaths into reproach, her honor into contempt. The Maccabees formed the Hasmonean dynasty. 1:7 So Alexander reigned twelves years, and then died. He bans the observance of the sabbath and the offering of sacrifices at the Temple. [47] No angels or miracles come to save the Jews; rather, it is the divinely-approved firm leadership of the Hasmoneans that leads to victory.[9]. [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. VERSE 1. 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. Mattathias and His Sons. 62 Do not fear the words of sinners, for their splendour will turn into dung and worms. [23] Various historical documents are included as well, notably of negotiations and letters with the Roman Republic and Hellenistic Sparta. put to shame and fled. 1 and 2 Maccabees are stories that reflect on oppression and resistance. 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. The Maccabees books were preserved only by the Christian church. 64 My children, be courageous and grow strong in the law, for by it you will gain honour. 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. 1 After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated King Darius of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. As a surname it was also applied to his brothers and, by extension . (He had previously become king of Greece.) III Maccabees has no relation to the other three books of Maccabees, all of which deal with the revolt of Judaea against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Other texts lay stress on the intercession of the saints and the value of prayers for the dead (12:43-46), which are the basis of the dogma of the communion of saints. a place of exercise. The [] In either case, only the Greek text has survived, and this only through its inclusion in the Christian canon. These translations have no copyright restrictions. That is, each nation should abandon its religious customs. 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). Luckily, when a skateboard courier called Y.T. 1 Maccabees . . 1 and 2 Maccabees tell the same story in two different ways. View all posts by todd. That is, men of Israel came forth. However, after successfully invading the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, Antiochus IV enters Jerusalem and removes the sacred objects from the Temple. The Maccabees then ruled over Israel, first as High Priests and then as High Priests and Princes of Israel. The doctrine expressed in the book is the customary belief of Israel, without the new developments which appear in 2Maccabees and Daniel. VERSE 21. and entered presumptuously into the sanctuary, and took the golden altar, and the candlestick of the light, and all that pertained thereto. One of the most notable and unusual aspects of the book of 1 Maccabees by absence is the lack of any direct mention of God. And they stored up arms and food, and gathering together the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there, and they became a sore snare: VERSE 36. and it became a place to lie in wait in against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel continually. It is not in the Codex Vaticanus. Traditionally the name has come to be extended to the brothers of Judas, his supporters, and even to other Jewish heroes of the period, such as the seven brothers (2Mc 7). As noted above, if ancient manuscripts of the hypothesized original Hebrew version existed, they have been lost. They are in the Public Domain. They establish a gymnasium, where men socialized in the nude. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article There is one complete loss of a thousand Jews (men, women, and children) to Antiochus when the Jewish defenders refuse to fight on the Sabbath. The persecution of Antiochus IV presumably radicalized the Jews. Omissions? 2 Maccabees, instead of covering later years, shines a microscope on the first fifteen years of the same period, drawing its own lessons (which I . [19], The book was probably originally written in Hebrew. It tells the story of how the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to suppress Temple worship and to destroy the practice of Jewish law. He reports the calamities the Jewish people experience on account of their sins, while also stressing the role played by God in his providence, who watches over them as he promised he would (cf. The Septuagint was preserved by early Christians as the basis for the Christian Old Testament. The Second Book of the Maccabees. British and Foreign Bible Society operates in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.We also work with a network of local Bible Societies around the world. 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. Antiochus makes Judaism illegal. The writer compares their virtues and their exploits with those of Israel's ancient . VERSE 31. each should forsake his own laws. As far as the dates of composition are concerned, these can be taken as approximately 100 B.C. In the book itself, "Maccabee" is used solely as a personal title for Judah Maccabee (Latinized as Judas Maccabeus). 1 Maccabees is the most extensive source of information on events in Judea from 175 to 135. That is, about 168 BC. [7][4] He was likely a court historian or equivalent. Simon is succeeded by his third son, John Hyrcanus, whose two elder brothers, Mattathias and Judah, had been murdered, together with their father. 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. And they led captive the women and the children, and the cattle they took in possession. This was a village twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem. Simon is succeeded by his son, John, referred to by Josephus as John Hyrcanus. That is, he spoke deceitfully. Instead, we have an early, pre-Christian, Greek translation full of Hebrew idioms. 3 He advanced to the ends of the earth and . 2 Maccabees falls more into theological history, in other words the attempt to reflect on Gods role in the events described. He extensively uses the first thirteen chapters of it in Books 12 and 13 of his work Jewish Antiquities, paraphrasing it directly in parts, although supplementing it with other Greek histories such as Nicolaus of Damascus. And after two full years the king sent a chief collector of tribute to the cities of Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a great multitude. (2) 1 Maccabees 1:11-16:24: History of the Jews from 175 to 135 BC. This text explicitly states that there is an interim stage where souls are purified and that they can be helped by suffrages offered by the living. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The First Book of Maccabees also gives a list of Jewish colonies scattered elsewhere through the Mediterranean at the time.[25]. The writer compares their virtues and their exploits with those of Israels ancient heroes, the Judges, Samuel, and David. It aims at bringing out even more strongly the religious lessons of the time, and the story is written more like a sermon than a history. 1 Maccabees 10, Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, One of over 125 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary was originally compiled by priest and biblical scholar Rev. 12:1-23). Purpose of The Book of 1 Maccabees: The purpose in writing 1 Maccabees Book is to record the deliverance of Israel that God worked through the family of Mattathias (5:62) - especially through his three sons, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon, and his grandson, John Hyrcanus. Given its exactness of dates, places and documents and its enthusiasm for the Jewish cause, 1 Maccabees must have been written by a Palestinian Jew who witnessed the events he describes; the author of 2 Maccabees was more likely an Alexandrian Jew and a Pharisee, given what he has to say about resurrection. He forbids observance of the sabbath and the offering of sacrifices at the Temple. In the first chapter, Alexander the Great conquers the territory of Judea, and is later succeeded by the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Aristobulus I, the son of John Hyrcanus, was the first to add the title of king to that of chief priest. More recent English language versions of the Bible which contain 1 Maccabees include the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Good News Translation (GNT), New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE). If it really was originally written in Greek, then the author was intentionally imitating Hebrew style in Greek. The historical integrity of the book, which was compiled from official written sources, oral tradition, and eyewitness reporting, is attested to by the absence of almost all of the conventions of the Hellenistic rhetorical school of historiography and by its uncritical use by the later Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Related to this is the issue that including 1 Maccabees in the canon may have given legitimacy to other texts in the Septuagint that were more problematic for the rabbis. [43] Rather, the author interprets events as God using the military genius of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers as the instrument to achieve the liberation of Judea. 2 Maccabees is harder to date but many scholars locate it in the early first century bc. The festival of Hanukkah is instituted by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers to celebrate this event (1 Maccabees 4:59). came there forth out of Israel. VERSE 40. he spoke words in subtlety. 2 Samuel. 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. VERSE 32. 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. Pre-modern translations of the work were made in Latin, Syriac, and Armenian. These include four laments and three hymns of praise. Christian tradition venerates these seven brothers as martyrs, and churches were dedicated to them in Antioch, Rome, Lyons, and Vienne. And they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary. After his death in battle c. 161 B.C.E., his brother Jonathan succeeds him. he shall die. 1 Maccabees covers this entire 40-year period. Were there any parts of the book that you particularly liked or which inspired you? 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. his heart was lifted up. 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