What are the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees? | GotQuestions.org But while many non-Jews might be familiar with some of the superficial aspects of the celebration of Hanukkah such as the nine-branched menorah, eating latkes and other fried foods, and spinning the dreidel, the reason for this 8-day celebration may not be as well-known. The Book of Jubilees was composed by ancient Jewsquite possibly around the time of the Maccabean era. The Maccabees: The Jewish Freedom Fighters - Chabad.org The most significant reason for this difference is because the books of Maccabees are not part of the Jewish biblical canon. These are the books of 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan, also known as the Ethiopian Maccabees. 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 lessons we can learn from the faithfulness of the Maccabean martyrs; 5 Maccabees is a wide survey of events from this period of history. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. This paved the way for Jesus to be crucified, as the Saducees wanted him dead, while the Pharisees did not want Jesus to be murdered by a packed court of Saducees. He specializes in the religion and religious texts of ancient Judaism. He then has them all thrown into an arena where they are to be crushed to death by 500 drunken elephants. This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 14:13. Head offices were traditionally in Detroit, but in 1965 they were moved to Southfield, Michigan.[13]. Origen and Cyprian, for example, both understand the story in this way. The Books of the Maccabees | Definition, Contents, & Facts But who exactly are "the Maccabees"? And perhaps most interesting of all, we learn why Jews may have shied away from telling this story when celebrating Hanukkah. At that very moment, God strikes Antiochus with a terrible poop disease that makes him fall out of the chariot and break all of his bones. But the book was preserved in Ethiopicby Ethiopian Christians, and it is that circumstance that justifies its inclusion in the Apocrypha. With the gruesome accounts of these martyrs in 2 Maccabees and 4 Maccabees, it's no wonder "Maccabee" is thought to be the origin of the word "macabre.". Jacobs sons were warned against intermarriage (e.g., chapter 29), and Levi is told explicitly that he will be the ancestor of Israels future priests (chapter 30). The mother was forced to watch each of her seven sons die one by one in front of her, which she suffered stoically and without giving in to the demands of the Gentiles. The organization was not on an actuarially sound basis - no medical exams were required of new members, and assessments of death was 10 cents for each member. Judas then had blameless priests cleanse the Holy Place and erect a new altar of unhewn stones. In quick succession, he wins stunning victories against Syrian generals Apollonius, Seron, Gorgias and Lysias. Christmas Carols: Stories of Your Favorite Christmas Classics. This doesn't even get into the guy in 2 Maccabees chapter 14, who, rather than be taken captive by the Seleucids, stabbed himself with his own sword, jumped out of a window, ripped out his own intestines and threw them at his enemies until he died. The answer might depend on who you are. On his own initiative Simon brought peace and security to Jerusalem. His name was greatly honoured in all Israel and among the Gentiles (I Maccabees 5:63). They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year (2 Maccabess 10:6-8). But what about earlier? Hanukkah celebrates this rededication, including the cruse of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days. Just read and enjoy and draw you own conclusions. Mattathias sparked a revolt among the Jewish people when he murdered a Greek official rather than be forced to make a sacrifice to a pagan god. The Ladies of the Maccabees were the group's female auxiliary. The Hasmonean Kings: Jewish or Hellenistic? When Antiochus Epiphanes died in 164 bce, others administered the kingdom because his son, Antiochus Eupator, was still a minor. And at least 2 Maccabees, which was composed in Greek, would never have been a good candidate for inclusion in a Hebrew edition of the Bible to begin with. Judas was killed in battle after more than five years of leadership. But even the Talmud stops short of telling the full story: Who was Syrian Greek Antiochus? Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian, gives Mattathiass great-grandfather the surname Asamonaios. Explore what the palace architecture and pottery tell us about the delicate balance the Hasmoneans tried to strike when projecting the power, wealth, and authority of their independent state to their Jewish subjects and foreign dignitariesin Eyal Regevs article The Hasmonean Kings: Jewish or Hellenistic?, Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled over the Seleucid Empire, including Judea, in the second century BCE. Then they would blow their trumpets, as in the days of Joshua, and engage the enemy with renewed vigour. Organizational stability remained elusive. When another Jew stepped forward to make the sacrifice, Mattathias killed him on the altar. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! Who are the Maccabees? Who were the Maccabees, and how were they successful in their rebellion against their enemies? The first Maccabees famously rejected Hellenism, but later rulers embraced it. Rather, this is the synagogue in which they would not set foot. Maccabees - Wikipedia The Maccabees were instruments of God for the preservation of the faith, and they frequently are compared with OT heroes. Each of these books holds interest for Christians, but each holds interest for Jewish readers as well. Who were the Maccabees? Although Mattathias dies one year later, his oldest son Judas (Judah) continues the revolt as its new military leader. [14] By 1915 membership had reached 331,756. No wonder the ritual is so popular. Historical context of the Maccabees (1 Macc 2:1-3). And what is to be learned by looking at the Apocrypha in generaland the books of Maccabees in particular? Bibles produced by Protestants do one of two things. From this time forward, the office of the High Priest is by appointment and not necessarily heredity as was commanded by God (Exodus 29:9, 29). For answers to these questions, we must look beyond traditional Jewish sources, to the books 1 and 2 Maccabees, most conveniently found in editions of the Apocrypha. By 1920 the ladies' auxiliary, Ladies of the Maccabees, claimed more than 200,000 members. 1 Maccabees later narrates that the situation was rectified by the rising Maccabees, who ensure that all such boys were duly circumcised (2:46). Miraculously, the oil lasted the whole time, allowing the priests to purify more oil. Around 168 the Jews are ordered to substitute their religious observances with pagan rituals. In other words, the Maccabean revolt was also, as is often the case with rebellions, a civil war. For him, the complete Hellenization of the Jews was simply a step to his ultimate goal: the defeat of the Ptolemies and the conquest of Egypt, which he felt was an essential step to resisting the encroaching might of the new major player on the world stage: the Romans. . What You Need to Know About the Hanukkah Story At this point, Antiochus IV's general Lysias and the new nine-year-old king Antiochus V marched a large army complete with war elephants to end Judah's siege. Continue Reading Like much of Christian interpretation of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha, the Maccabean martyrs were read typologically, prefiguring future Christian martyrs. Both communities find things to learn from the Maccabees., By Jesse Abelman, Curator of Judaica and Hebraica. They were one of the few that provided a safety net along with pleasant social meeting and other gatherings. The answer might depend on who you are. These days its not that hard to come by stand-alone editions of the Apocrypha. These at first refused to fight on the Sabbath and at once lost a thousand lives. Following the rededication of the temple and the death of Antiochus IV, there was a brief period of peace for the Jewish people. By Martin Goodman. With the Khashmonaeans on the throne the Davidic descendants lost their kingship and thus the balance of power was wiped out and the Tzokeans (Saducees) had both kingship and priestly control. 1 Maccabees chapter 2 introduces Mattathias, a priest from the city of Modein, and his five large adult sons: John Gaddi, Simon Thassi, Eleazar Avaran, Jonathan Apphus, and the most famous of all, who actually should have been listed third but is last for dramatic reasons, Judah Maccabee, also known by the Greek version of his name, Judas Maccabeus. Now you may be asking, Remove the marks of circumcision? That may be possiblelook up epispasm and try not to wince. 2 Maccabees, curiously, says nothing about thisdespite its narrative of these years being longer and more detailed on the whole. Why isn't the book of Maccabees included in the Bible? Judah tore down the old altar that had been polluted with unclean blood and built a new one according to ritual law, and he and the priests built new holy vessels and replaced the old lampstand. Mattathias then insisted that all groups of resisters should fight if required on the holy Sabbath. To prove themselves fit to "join in the cause of humanity," the tyros had to undergo an ordeal. Knights of Maccabee When he dies in 166 his son Judas takes over the leadership of the revolt. Judah Maccabee's greatest victory, however, the one at the very heart of the Festival of Hanukkah, came in the autumn of 165 BCE, when he and his forces defeated Antiochus' lieutenant Lysias in a battle south of Jerusalem. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Where is Modiin, hometown of the Maccabees? Roman expansion swept away the last vestige of Edomitic independence . References1906 Jewish Encyclopedia1911 Encyclopedia BritannicaHoly Bible, a Faithful Version. It is at this low point in the forced Hellenization of the Jewsaccording to 1 Maccabees 1:11-15, some Jews even reversed their circumcisions in order to appear more Greekthat a family of heroes rises to the stage. Thus, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. Furthermore, those engaged in extra-hazardous occupations, such as coal miners, electric line men, aeronauts, people engaged in blasting, the manufacture of highly flammable or explosive material and submarine officers were excluded from membership. Figure 1: Dick Vellert, Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabee Brothers and Their Mother, ca. Fortunately, the most central, beloved ritual of this holidaylighting that special lamp with nine candlesis rather amenable to the COVID-19 era. After all no one can ever PROVE the truth.we were not there and to say more is just hopeful speculation. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Or, just as often as not, the books are left out entirely, just as they are from Jewish Bibles. The motto of the Knights of Maccabees was the Latin phrase "Astra Castra Numen Lumen" which means "The stars my camp, the Deity my light". So dont look for these books in the Bible in your next hotel room. I am thoroughly struck by how profound the life of Christ was in the light of the book of 1 and 2 Maccabees. Not only did he ban Sabbath observance, but he also desecrated the Temple. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Explore the evidence and learn more about Alexander Janneus, the great-grandson of Mattathias, in Who Was He? The Torah details numerous laws, covering everything from image prohibitions to dietary restrictions and bathing prescriptions. He falls fatally ill from the news of this loss and dies fully believing his death is divine justice for his mistreatment of the Jews. . After the manner of his time and also of his enemies, he was ready to exterminate all the males of a conquered city. Modiin was the hometown of the Maccabees, the heroes of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid king who ruled over Judea. When did they live? So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. Jonathan managed to increase the glory of Judea and make new alliances with Rome and Sparta, but he was ultimately double-crossed and killed by a treacherous Greek official who feared Jonathan would block his attempt at the Seleucid throne. He had five sons: John, who was called Gaddi; Simon, who was called Thassi; Judas, who was called Maccabeus; Eleazar, who was called Avaran; and Jonathan, who was called Apphus. (1 Maccabees 2:1-2). The history of the Maccabean Revolt is found in 1 and 2 Maccabees and in the writings of Josephus.