This title, which was originally the surname of judas, one of the sons of mattathias, was afterward extended to the heroic family of which he was one of the noblest representatives. These books are not part of the tanakh hebrew bible which came from the jewish canon. With the accession of this king, the book ends rather abruptly. John hyrcanus, a third son, escaped and assumed control of the government 16.
The vigorous reaction to this attempt established for a time the religious and political independence of the jews. Ive enjoyed previous books by angela hunt and was excited to have an opportunity to read more. He led the maccabean revolt against the seleucid empire 167160 bce. Most protestant churches and denominations do not consider any of the five maccabees books to be canon, or part of the inspired word of god. The first and second books of maccabees contain the most detailed accounts of the battles of judah maccabee and his brothers for the liberation of judea from foreign domination. In the broader sense the term hasmonean refers to the whole maccabean family. Yehudah, shimon, yochanan, yonasan, and elazar i maccabees has the same names, but in rearranged order. Protestants, jews, and some others regard it as generally reliable historically, but not a part of scripture. By the end of the war, simon was the only one of the five sons of mattathias to survive and he ushered in an 80year period of jewish independence in judea, as the land of israel was now called. We know the details of the jewish fight against the greeks and hellenism from the two books of the maccabees as well as the writings of the jewish historian josephus. Son frere simon maccabee conduit une expedition jusque sous les murs. Mattathias ben johanan died 165 bce was a kohen jewish priest whose role in the religiondriven maccabean revolt against the greek seleucid empire is related in the books of the maccabees. Books of maccabees encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Why isnt the book of maccabees included in the bible.
A conqueror of overweening pride, as he is described in the book of daniel in. Why the maccabees arent in the bible my jewish learning. Mattathias is accorded a central role in the story of hanukkah and, as a result. Mattathias is accorded a central role in the story of chanukah and, as a result, is named in the al hanissim prayer jews add to grace after meals and the amidah during the. After a brief preface summarizing alexanders conquests, death, and successors, the author begins his story with antiochus epiphanes invasion of egypt and subsequent desecration of the temple, and. The first of these books states that their father was a benjamite named maccabeus, and that three of the brothers, who are called abya, seela, and. Dec 16, 2014 according to 1 maccabees, a historical work written in greek and considered sacred by the catholic church, but not by protestant or jewish authorities, maccabeus was the surname of judah, the third son of the priest mattathias. The books of 1 and 2 maccabees are included in the deuterocanonical books used by the roman catholic church, the orthodox church, and the anglican church. A troop of five loyal brothers, lean, bronzed, and bearded, and their aged but still vivacious father, swords on their hips, spears in their hands, taking down an entire army of enemy soldiers piece by. The name maccabee was a title of honour given to judas, a son of mattathias and the hero of the jewish wars of independence, 168. These accounts of the maccabean revolt, by which the sons of mattathias.
Asmonaeans or hasmonaeans is the proper name of the family, which is derived from cashmon, great grandfather of mattathias. Schwartzs book rectifies this situation and will prove to be the work that all. The books that tell the hanukkah tale didnt make it into the hebrew bible but they are in the catholic one. First and second maccabees new collegeville bible commentary.
I maccabees was originally written in hebrew as an official court history for the hasmonean dynasty. Book 12 of 21 in the new collegeville bible commentary. The silent years series are not connected to each other, so you dont need to read the first one prior to judahs wife, though i recommend it as ms. The aramaicsounding cognomens, which have not been fully explained, were probably given them by their father, with reference to contemporary events or to. He was a son of johanan, grandson of simeon, the hasmonean, and greatgrandson of asmon or hasmonaeus, a levite.
Maccabees, books of, 12 international standard bible. Apr 09, 2014 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. The revolt of the maccabees the jewish revolt against the greeks sets a precedent in human history it becomes the worlds first religious war. Here are our bitesized pieces of the first book of maccabees. It is included in the catholic and eastern orthodox canons. This revolt of the jews sets a precedent in human history. Originally the designation maccabeus jerome, machab. Il est le troisieme fils du pretre juif mattathias auquel il succede en 166 av. It was mattathias s son judas who was called maccabeus 1 mac 2. These books include within them the earliest references. The story is told in the two books of the maccabees in the apocrypha. Its name in the septuagint and in the writings of the church fathers eusebius and clement is. The al hanisim prayer, added into the amidah and grace after meals on chanukah, refers to the story of the maccabees and to mattathias by name. Mattathias, jewish priest and landowner of modein, near jerusalem, who in 167 defied the decree of antiochus iv epiphanes of syria to hellenize the jews.
Maccabees, also spelled machabees, flourished 2nd century bce, palestine, priestly family of jews who organized a successful rebellion against the seleucid ruler antiochus iv and reconsecrated the defiled temple of jerusalem historical context of the maccabees. They are named because they all relate somehow to the maccabean revolt against seleucid rule. Simon and his sons were victorious over antiochus, but an army officer named ptolemy assassinated simon along with mattathias and judas, two of his sons. Mattathias had five sons according to this account, each with their own last name. First maccabees written circa 4104 bce and describing the period of 1665 bce is devoted to presenting the maccabean dynasty, from mattathias through his son judah, to jonathan and simon who became high priests and gained political independence.
The book is held as canonical scripture by the catholic, orthodox, and oriental orthodox. The three ethiopian books of meqabyan quite distinct works from the other four books of maccabees, which are canonical in the ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church, also refer to the maccabee martyrs. Both books are part of the canon of scripture in the greek orthodox, roman catholic, coptic, and russian orthodox churches, but they are not recognized as canon by protestants and jews. The first book of maccabees and josephus enumerate the sons of mattathias as follows.
Youve probably been hearing about the maccabees since you were kid, and if youre like me, theres a good chance that the way you imagined them in preschool is how you still picture them. Outline of the first book of maccabees explore the faith. These books include within them the earliest references to the story of hanukkah and the rededication of the temple, in addition to the famous story of the mother and her seven sons. This family and their descendants are more properly known as the hasmoneans.
The first book of the maccabees sons after them many years, and evils were multiplied in the earth. A novel of the maccabees is the second book in the silent years series. Maccabees, the family nickname of the jewish dynasty that ruled judea from the time of the maccabean revolt 167 b. Hasmoneans maccabees resources american bible society. Much more wellknown than 3 and 4 maccabees are 1 and 2 maccabees. The term mostly refers to two deuterocanonical books contained in various canons of the bible. The books of the maccabees are books concerned with the maccabees, the leaders of the jewish rebellion against the seleucid dynasty, or related subjects. When mattathias died, the revolt was led by his son judas, or judah maccabee, as he is often called. The books of 1 and 2 maccabees are early jewish writings detailing the history of the jews in the first century bc. The maccabees page 1 the maccabees hasmoneans hasmoneans haz. The books of the maccabees were both written in the first century bce. 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.
The second book has a more theological slant, advancing several. That 1 maccabees was used largely in the early christian church is proved by the numerous. Judah maccabee was a jewish priest kohen and a son of the priest mattathias. The first book of maccabees i maccabees is historical work extant in greek, covering the period of 40 years from the accession of antiochus epiphanes 175 b. Introducing mattathias 1 maccabees continue reading outline of the. John gaddis or caddis johanan gadi, simon thassi, judas maccabeus, eleazar avaran, and jonathan apphus. The other maccabees, 5 maccabees, is also known as the arabic 2 maccabees, and was written much later.
A series of books relating events centering around judas maccabeus and other heroes in the jewish struggle for religious and political freedom. The maccabean story is preserved in the books of the first and second maccabees, which describe in detail the rededication of the temple in jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah. The son of mattathias, an aged priest who took to the mountains in rebellion when. Ii maccabees was originally written in greek and based on earlier work written by jason of cyrene. The first book, although written from a biased perspective, does not directly mention god or divine intervention. Books of the maccabees kindle edition by douay rheims. As recounted by herodotus in book iv of his history, the scythians retreated. The original hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the greek translation contained in the septuagint. First maccabees written circa 4104 bce and describing the period of 1665 bce is devoted to presenting the maccabean dynasty, from mattathias through his son judah, to jonathan and simon who became high priests and gained political independence first maccabees was written in hebrew though it is only preserved today in greek for a judean audience in a biblical style that emphasizes. The first book of the maccabees mattathias 1 maccabees continue reading outline of the. 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. It is listed as canon in the georgian orthodox bible. While 2 maccabees is a lengthy and detailed report of the seleucid persecution of jerusalem and judea, its martyrology is less than two chapters. Dec 29, 2016 the story of the maccabees can be found in the deuterocanonical books of 1 maccabees and 2 maccabees, in josephus, and in talmudic references shabbat 21b, shabbat 23a related to the candles.
The name maccabee was a title of honour given to judas, a son of mattathias and the hero of the jewish wars of independence, 168164. The vigorous reaction to this attempt established for a time the religious and political independence of. According to 1 maccabees, a historical work written in greek and considered sacred by the catholic church, but not by protestant or jewish authorities, maccabeus was the surname of judah, the third son of the priest mattathias. The name maccabee was a title of honour given to judas, a son of mattathias. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. Jan 02, 2020 the book of 2 maccabees consists of a greek synopsis of a fivevolume history of the maccabean revolt written by jason of cyrene. Mattathias and his five sons rose up against these actions and fought for jewish liberation of judea. Robert dorans commentary on 2 maccabees explores the interplay. Maccabees, priestly family of jews who organized a successful rebellion against the seleucid ruler antiochus iv and reconsecrated the defiled temple of jerusalem. Judas maccabeus, also called judah maccabee, maccabeus also spelled. It also gives their respective nicknames or cognomens.
Mattathias leveled the altar and fled to the hills with his sons. Mattathias sons can to be known as the maccabees, which comes from the root of the hebrew word for hammer since the band of insurgents were said to strike hammerlike blows against their enemies. The books of maccabees are ancient books, some of which are accepted by some christians as biblical. The supernaturalism of the book is to romanists a recommendation. The book of 5 maccabees is also known as the arabic 2 maccabees and was written much later in. 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.
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