The Books of the Maccabees
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What are the Books of the Maccabees?
The Books of the Maccabees are four books, though only the first two are canonical to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. The First Book of Maccabees recounts the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes, the rededication of the Temple by Judas Maccabeus, and the establishment of an independent Maccabean state. The Second Book of Maccabees focuses on the same revolt and concludes with Judas Maccabeus's victory over the Syrian general Nicanor. Written in Greek, it also provides accounts of martyrdom and supports doctrines of angels and the resurrection of the flesh.
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Why were the Books of the Maccabees written?
The Books of the Maccabees recount the Maccabean revolt against Seleucid rule in the 2nd century BCE.
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I Maccabees presents a historical account of political, military, and diplomatic events from the relationship between Judaea and Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria (reigned 175–164/163 BCE) to the death (135/134 BCE) of Simon Maccabeus. Likely written by the Hasmonean court historian during the high priesthood (135/134–104 BCE) of John Hyrcanus I, it describes the Jewish revolt against Syrian hegemony and the election of Simon as high priest and secular ruler.
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II Maccabees describes the persecutions under Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabean wars until Judas Maccabeus' victory over Nicanor in 161 BCE. The author condensed the five-volume history of Jason of Cyrene into one book.
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IV Maccabees combines history and philosophy, reflecting the views of the Greek Stoics. The book emphasizes the expiatory force of martyrdom.
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Who were the Maccabees, and what did they do?
The Maccabees, a Jewish priestly family in 2nd-century BCE Palestine, led a successful revolt against Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV, who had desecrated the Temple of Jerusalem.
After Antiochus's death, Judas Maccabeus led the Jews to victory over the Syrian Greeks, purifying and rededicating the Temple. This rededication is commemorated by the annual Hanukkah festival. The Maccabean revolt ultimately led to an independent state under the Hasmonean dynasty.
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How many Books of the Maccabees are there, and what do they describe?
There are four Books of the Maccabees, though none are in the Hebrew Bible. The first two books are accepted as canonical scripture in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy and are included in the Protestant Apocrypha.
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I Maccabees tells of the persecution of the Jews in Palestine, the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple, and the Maccabean revolt against the Syrian Greeks under Antiochus Epiphanes (died 164/163 BCE). It also recounts the victorious wars led by Judas Maccabeus and the subsequent leadership of his brothers, Jonathan and Simon, leading to an independent Maccabean state.
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II Maccabees describes the same period as I Maccabees, but focuses on the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabean wars until Judas Maccabeus' victory in 161 BCE. It also contains letters to the Jews of Egypt regarding the rededication of the Temple.
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III Maccabees is a legend about the oppression of Egyptian Jews during the reign of Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–203 BCE) and their miraculous deliverance.
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IV Maccabees combines history and philosophy, arguing for the supremacy of "Inspired Reason" over the passions, using the martyrdom of Eleazar and the seven brothers as examples.
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Why are the Books of the Maccabees included in some Bibles but not in others?
The Books of Maccabees are included in some Bibles but not others due to differing views on the biblical canon. The first two books are part of canonical scripture in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, making them canonical for Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, and are included in the Protestant Apocrypha.
During the Protestant Reformation, reformers called for the removal of deuterocanonical books from the scriptures. Consequently, Protestant Bibles often exclude the Books of Maccabees, while Catholic Bibles include them as part of the Old Testament canon.
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How do the Books of the Maccabees influence Jewish and Christian traditions today?
The Books of Maccabees, particularly I and II Maccabees, influence Jewish and Christian traditions by recounting the Maccabean revolt against Seleucid oppression and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
In Judaism, these books are the historical basis for Hanukkah, the annual Festival of Dedication, which celebrates the Maccabean victory and the miracle of the Temple oil. Though not part of the Jewish canon, they provide historical context and inspiration for the holiday.
In Christianity, I and II Maccabees are part of the deuterocanonical scripture for Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox denominations, offering historical and theological insights. The books explore themes of martyrdom and faith, influencing Christian understandings of suffering and expiation.
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The Books of the Maccabees, four books, none of which is in the Hebrew Bible but all of which appear in some manuscripts of the Septuagint. The first two books only are part of canonical scripture in the Septuagint and the Vulgate (hence are canonical to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy) and are included in the Protestant Apocrypha.
The First Book of the Maccabees
I Maccabees presents a historical account of political, military, and diplomatic events from the time of Judaea’s relationship with Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria (reigned 175–164/163 bce) to the death (135/134 bce) of Simon Maccabeus, high priest in Jerusalem. It describes the refusal of Mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing Jewish revolt against Syrian hegemony, the political machinations whereby Demetrius II of Syria granted Judaea its independence, and the election of Simon as both high priest and secular ruler of the Judaean Jews.
I Maccabees is the only contemporary source for the civil wars in Judaea, and the only surviving one for Judaean-Syrian relations after the reign of Antiochus IV. 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.
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The author of I Maccabees, likely the Hasmonean court historian, wrote his history during the high priesthood (135/134–104 bce) of John Hyrcanus I, son and successor of Simon.
The Second Book of the Maccabees
II Maccabees focuses on the Jews’ revolt against Antiochus and concludes with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 bce by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work. In general, its chronology coheres with that of I Maccabees. An unknown editor, the “Epitomist,” used the factual notes of a historian, Jason of Cyrene, to write this historical polemic. Its vocabulary and style indicate a Greek original.
The Third Book of the Maccabees
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. It purports to be a historical account of the repression and miraculous salvation of Egyptian Jewry during the reign (221–205 bce) of Ptolemy IV Philopator. Ptolemy supposedly threatened the Jews with loss of citizenship after Palestinian Jews refused to permit him to enter the sanctuary of the Temple of Jerusalem. He relented after angels intervened on behalf of the Jews.
The Fourth Book of the Maccabees
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. It possibly was written during the reign of the Roman emperor Caligula (37–41 ce). Throughout the early Christian period, IV Maccabees was wrongly attributed to Josephus.
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The work’s main religious theme is that the martyr’s sufferings vicariously expiated the sins of the entire Jewish people.
The Maccabees books were preserved only by the Christian church. St. Augustine wrote in The City of God that they were preserved for their accounts of the martyrs. This suggests that in antiquity, IV Maccabees, dealing almost exclusively with martyrdom, may have been the most highly regarded.