12. I & II Maccabees

  First Maccabee is 16 chapters originally written in Hebrew and probably called “the Hasmoneans” after Mattathias of the house Hashmon (2:1)  Mattathias began the Jewish revolt with his five sons. The bulk of the book recounts Judah’s war against Antiochus IV the Seleucid ruler who tried to force Hellenism upon the Jews. First Maccabees

  About 104 BC, according to the last two verses of the book about John the high priest (16:23,24)  The work was compiled shortly after the reign of John Hyrcanus I ( BC), the high priest and ruler of Israel. It covers the period from the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175 – 164) to the succession of John Hyrcanus. I Maccabees - Date

  Unknown, probably an orthodox Jew who is familiar with the geography of Judea  The major theme is God’s deliverance during the Jewish wars and the Hasmonean family as the instrument of His deliverance  The primary objective was the rededication of the Temple (4:36-61) 1st Maccabees – Author and themes

  The political circumstances under which this book is written (1:1-64)  The Hasmonean revolt under Mattathias and his son Judah (2-4)  Jonathan succeeds Judah (9)  The emergence of Jewish nation under Simon (13-16) Contents

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  The story begins with two letters from Jerusalem to the Jews in Alexandria, Egypt urging them to celebrate the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. (the feast of Hanukkah) and to resist the pagans. The author then proceeds to summarize the 5-volume work of the Jason of Cyrene concerning the exploits of Judas Maccabeus family. 2nd Maccabees

  Unknown but certainly not the author of first Maccabees. Most probably a Jew from Palestine who summarized the 5volume work of Jason of Cyrene (2:19-32)  It is dated about 124 BC or later. The bulk of Jason’s work spans BC 2 nd Maccabees – Authorship and date

  God takes care of the Jewish people by rewarding those who faithful to the Law and punishing the evil doers  Stories of Jewish martyrs the family of martyrs is celebrated on the 8 th day of Misra 2 nd Maccabees Themes

  In the Eastern orthodox canon 3 rd Maccabees

  In the 2nd century BCE, Judea lay between the Ptolemaic Kingdom based in Egypt and the Seleucid empire based in Syria, kingdoms formed after the death of Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE). Judea had been under Ptolemaic rule, but fell to the Seleucids around 200 BCE. Judea at that time had been affected by the Hellenization begun by Alexander. Some Jews, mainly those of the urban upper class, notably the Tobiad family, wished to dispense with Jewish law and to adopt a Greek lifestyle. The Hasmoneans

  According to the historian Victor Tcherikover, the main motive for the Tobiads' Hellenism was economic and political. The Hellenizing Jews built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, competed in international Greek games, "removed their marks of circumcision and repudiated the holy covenant". The Hasmoneans

  When Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 215–164 BCE), became ruler of the Seleucid Empire in 175 BCE, the High Priest in Jerusalem was Onias III. To Antiochus, the High Priest was merely a local governor within his realm, who could be appointed or dismissed at will, while to orthodox Jews he was divinely appointed. Jason, the brother of Onias, bribed Antiochus to make him High Priest instead. Jason abolished the traditional theocracy and constituted Jerusalem as a Greek polis. Menelaus then bribed Antiochus and was appointed High Priest in place of Jason. Menelaus had Onias assassinated. The Hasmoneans

  Menelaus' brother Lysimachus stole holy vessels from the Temple, causing riots that led to his death. Menelaus was arrested for Onias' murder, and was arraigned before Antiochus, but he bribed his way out of trouble. Jason subsequently drove out Menelaus and became High Priest again. Antiochus pillaged the Temple, attacked Jerusalem and "led captive the women and children". From this point onwards, Antiochus pursued a zealous Hellenizing policy. He made possession of the Torah a capital offense and burned the copies he could find. The Hasmoneans

  ] According to 1 Maccabees, he banned many traditional Jewish religious practices: Jewish sacrifice was forbidden, sabbaths and feasts were banned. Circumcision was outlawed, and mothers who circumcised their babies were killed along with their families. Altars to Greek gods were set up and animals prohibited to Jews were sacrificed on them. The idol of Olympian Zeus was placed on the altar of the Temple. ] The Hasmoneans

  The motives of Antiochus are unclear. He may have been incensed at the overthrow of his appointee, Menelaus, or he may have been responding to an orthodox Jewish revolt that drew on the Temple and the Torah for its strength and encouraged by a group of radical Hellenizers among the Jews. The Hasmoneans