These at first refused to fight on the Sabbath and at once lost a thousand lives. he plunders Jerusalem's Temple. He then enters Jerusalem in 164 B.C. At the height of their power, the Maccabees ruled over a substantial territoryfrom Judea to Galilee. 11, p. 4114) Notice that the fulfillment extends down to our day. It concludes with the defeat of the Seleucid Empire general Nicanor in 161 BC by Judas Maccabeus, the leader of the Maccabees. The Supreme Tent was then revived, again, in September 1883. [8] By the 1970s the local groups were called "Subordinate Units". . The story of Hanukkah is a complex one, involving internal Judean conflict that eventually resulted in Antiochus IV forbidding many Jewish religious practices and taking over the Jerusalem temple, desecrating it. Yea, it appears that they walk among us. He would pause in his guerrilla tactics to assemble his men to watch and pray and to read the Torah (the divinely revealed Law of Moses) together. Fortunately, the most central, beloved ritual of this holidaylighting that special lamp with nine candlesis rather amenable to the COVID-19 era. Ptolemy secured control of Egypt and the Land of Israel. This "miracle" is commemorated yearly in the Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah. It is during the reign of Antiochus IV that the Maccabees rose to prominence. Although the text of Maccabees views Judah as a liberator whose zealotry was necessary to preserve the Torah and the Jewish people, later rabbinic commentators frowned . 1 and 2 Maccabees are considered canon for Catholic and Orthodox churches; 3 Maccabees is only Orthodox; 4 Maccabees only Ethiopian Orthodox; anything else is fully apocryphal. Why did he crack down on Jerusalems Temple? Figure 3: Image of the Maccabees from the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Menorah, Jerusalem. The Apocrypha includes an expanded form of the Book of Estherwith artful prayers and disturbing dreams highlighting the drama. He came to Judea himself, killed thousands of people, and eventually straight up outlawed Judaism. On the morning of the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, a proper sacrifice was offered at the temple for the first time in years. THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES. Jim, When he dies in 166 his son Judas takes over the leadership of the revolt. The word "Maccabee" is traditionally understood to mean "hammer," which the Jewish Virtual Library explains refers to the hammer-like blows he dealt their enemies. He is followed by Alexander Jannaeus, John Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II and John Hyrcanus II again. The guerrilla war that followed was as much a civil war as a war of national resistance. When traditional Jews commemorate the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, the biblical Book of Lamentations is sorrowfully intoned. 1:48), following the orders of these radical Jews who opposed Jewish traditional practices (cf. In the effort of encouraging all Jews (even those who had taken the losing side) to celebrate the new festival, lapses in historical memory may have served a use. Antiochus's promulgation of decrees against the practice of Judaism led in 167 bce to the successful revolt of the priest Mattathias (died 166 bce) and his five sonsthe Maccabees (Hasmoneans; see also Hasmonean dynasty ). In outlook he was worldly, agnostic, and urbane, utterly unlike his grandfather. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil (1 Maccabees 1:1115). King Alexander Balas (also known as Alexander Epiphanes), now in control, made peace with Jonathan, calling him his friend. In 153 or 152 bce he elected Jonathan as high priest in Jerusalem. And the Jewish Annotated Apocrypha has also included the Book of Jubilees. Simon is considered the founding ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty that will govern Israel until 37 B.C. These are the books of 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan, also known as the Ethiopian Maccabees. By Eyal Regev, Bible History Daily, May 9, 2021 According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the early victories of Judah Maccabee were not in open battle, but rather in surprise night raids against villages and border towns in order to destroy the pagan altars and drive out the Seleucids and their sympathizers. When King Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the Temple and forbade circumcision and Sabbath observance, the . 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. Chapter 6, however, returns to Antiochus himself, still making a futile attempt to plunder cities in Persia to fund his campaign against the Romans. Judas then had blameless priests cleanse the Holy Place and erect a new altar of unhewn stones. Excavations conducted at Umm el-Umdan within the modern Israeli city of Modiin have uncovered evidence of an ancient Jewish village. The books of 2 Meqabyan and 3 Meqabyan are weirder, but also shorter. The name Maccabeus was first applied to Judas, one of the sons of Mattathias generally called in English the Maccabees, a celebrated family who defended Jewish rights and customs in the 2nd century B.C.E. One final collection of Maccabean stories are collected in the biblical canon of Ethiopian Jews and Christians. . For some time, Antiochus III left the Jews to relative autonomy, but he eventually decided that the Jews should assimilate to his Greek way of life, and so a campaign of Hellenization was begun. Knights of the Maccabees was a fraternal organization formed in 1878 in London, Ontario, Canada. Public domain. This makes a great deal of sense, especially when we recall that Solomons temple was dedicated on Sukkot (1 Kings 8:12). The Seleucids, one of the four spawning empires, took over the portion in which Israel resided as a part of their Hellenistic empire. He will be the last of a line of Maccabees to serve as both a ruler and High Priest. What was at Umm el-Umdan during the time of the Maccabees and the Maccabean revolt? The Maccabees Are the Heroes of Chanukah The Maccabees were Jewish fighters who led the revolt against the Syrian Greek ruling class, who had suppressed Jewish religion in an effort to spread their Hellenistic customs and idolatrous beliefs. as the initial letters of Mi Khamokha, Ba-'elim Jehovah! Just as in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbor towns, Jehovah has said, no man will dwell there. (Jeremiahs recording of prophecies was completed by 580 B.C.E.) This triggered the Maccabean Revolt. In December 164 bce, three years after Antiochus had defiled it, Judas recaptured Jerusalem, all except the Acra. The account in 1 Maccabees 4:36-61 tells that when Judah and his brothers arrived at the temple, they found the altar profaned, the gates burned, and the sanctuary empty and overgrown with weeds. John Hyrcanus II is restored in 63 B.C., by the Romans, to the office of High Priest. And what is to be learned by looking at the Apocrypha in generaland the books of Maccabees in particular? 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 Apocrypha consists of books composed by ancient Jews but preserved in early Christian Bibles. The answer might depend on who you are. References1906 Jewish Encyclopedia1911 Encyclopedia BritannicaHoly Bible, a Faithful Version. It has been conjectured that one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness . A brief passage in 2 Maccabees provides a meaningful explanation for why the festival lasts eight days per se: They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before, during the festival of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals. This group eventually merged with the Highland Nobles in 1911. To prove themselves fit to "join in the cause of humanity," the tyros had to undergo an ordeal. It ran from the evening of December 18 until sunset on December 25eight days. As such, Antiochus took the assimilation of the Jews very seriously. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. These days its not that hard to come by stand-alone editions of the Apocrypha. For the church fathers, the Maccabees became significant as a paradigm for Christian martyrdom. Mattathias then insisted that all groups of resisters should fight if required on the holy Sabbath. Lucas van Leyden, Joshua, David, Judas Maccabees, 1515/1517, woodcut, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.5706. Roman expansion swept away the last vestige of Edomitic independence . The Roman Senate, in 40 B.C., declares Herod the Great the new "King of the Jews" over Judea. After the death of Mattathias (c. 166 bce), Judas Maccabeus, the third son, became the leader of the resistance movement. It is important to note that the ancient rabbis both approved of the miracle of Khanuka, for obvious reasons, and disapproved of its consequences. According to the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, zeal for the Jewish religion drove this revolt, and the familiar holiday Hanukkah celebrates the purification of the Jerusalem Temple under their leadership. When Antiochus heard of this rebellion, any last shred of leniency he had shown the Jews was eliminated. If you're familiar at all with the holiday of Hanukkah, the account of Judah Maccabee's restoration of the temple might have had you scratching your head and asking, "But what about the miracle of the oil? Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Biblical Archaeology Society Online Archive, The Hasmonean Kings: Jewish or Hellenistic?, Antiochus EpiphanesThe Bibles Most Notoriously Forgotten Villain, Hanukkah, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and the Apocrypha, Who Was He? In 160 B.C., Judas Maccabee dies in battle. Whether you are Jewish or not, whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, if you choose to explore the Apocrypha around Hanukkah time, 1 and 2 Maccabees is a perfect place to start. On the other hand, counterbalancing this arrangement, a king had to be a descendant of David but had no priestly control. The Acra was still in enemy hands, and Jonathan sought to wall it off from the city. In Origens Exhortation to Martyrs, they are the prime biblical example of proper martyrdom. Lysias, the Syrian general, was now the real power. Following this, the Jews and the Seleucids reached a peace accord in which the Jews were granted total religious freedom in exchange for living by Seleucid law. Every year, Jewish families the world over celebrate the festival of Hanukkah. Henceforth, once Sukkot will be celebrated properly again in its own right, then Hanukkah takes on a life of its own as a new eight-day festival, also celebrated annually. The Book of Jubilees was composed by ancient Jewsquite possibly around the time of the Maccabean era. Monumental Tombs from Maussollos to the Maccabees: Heroes of Hanukkah Open Era of Jewish Display Tombs, Inscription Reveals Roots of Maccabean Revolt. The author seems to not know that God appointed the Levites as High-Priests and the usurpation by the Maccabees is why their religious zealot takeover of the priesthood ultimately failed to please God. The book of 1 Meqabyan tells of a man from the Judean tribe of Benjamin called Meqabis, who, together with his three sons Abya, Seelah, and Pantos, refuses to worship the idols of the cruel king Tseerutsaydan. Judah, because of his ferocity, zeal and heroism in battle, earns the nickname Maccabaeus (Maccabee) or "hammer.". The Book of 1 Maccabees tells the story of their rise, while archaeology places the story within a larger historical and political context. Upon Simon's murder by a son-in-law, his son John Hyrcanus I replaces him in the priestly office. No one responded to the first comment, except in flippancy. Posted May 30, 2016 So, I have been reading the book of Maccabees and for the life of me, I cannot understand why it isn't included in our Bible. Antiochus, in about 167, orders a pagan altar be set up inside the Temple and unclean meat offered on it (a shadow of the prophetic "abomination of desolation" referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24:15). For early Christians, Greek was no object: The Gospels were in Greek, too. At the Supreme Tent in July 1881 the Michigan delegates obtained an amendment to allow individual Great Camps to establish their own beneficiary programs, anticipating that the national organization would become defunct. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Share Watch on Depiction of the Maccabees at the Or Torah Synagogue in Acre, Israel. The Hebrew word for this act, Hanukkah (Dedication), is the name still used for the Jewish eight-day Festival of Lights that commemorates the event, which begins on Kislev 25 in the Jewish religious year. 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). 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. Have excavations conducted within the modern Israeli city of Modiin20 miles northwest of Jerusalemfinally exposed the Jewish village that the Maccabees called home? Though the story of the woman and her seven sons is recounted in the Babylonian Talmud, it has been transposed from the period of Seleucid persecution to a later period of Roman persecution, with the evil king generically named Caesar rather than Antiochus. a Jewish priest named Mattathias, along with his five sons, begins a revolt against the Seleucid Empire and its king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This dynasty would last for just over 100 years before being overtaken by the Herodian dynasty, which ended the independent Judea by making it a client state of the Roman Empire. However, by 1978 membership was down to about 10,000[7] There were 3,500 members in the US and Canada in 1994. Their palaces, excavated in Jericho, reveal a great deal about how they lived. The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom1998 Subheadings Similar Material The Tidal Wave of Hellenism The Temple Reclaimed Who Were the Maccabees? Or, just as often as not, the books are left out entirely, just as they are from Jewish Bibles. Everyone passing along by her will stare in astonishment and whistle on account of all her plagues. Haaretz | World News The Revolt of the Maccabees: The True Story Behind Hanukkah The ancient Israelites, led by Judas Maccabeus, did vanquish the oppressor Antiochus - but Greek rule would only be shaken off 20 years later under Judas' younger brother. 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. In 167 B.C. John Hyrcanus, Maccaban leader, extended the kingdom of Judah to include the w. part of Edomitic lands. Required fields are marked *. Judas was killed in battle after more than five years of leadership. Public domain. Around 168 the Jews are ordered to substitute their religious observances with pagan rituals. John Hyrcanuss reign marked a turning point in the history of the Maccabees. Your email address will not be published. When did they live? In other words, the Maccabean revolt was also, as is often the case with rebellions, a civil war. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. I havent seen the Jewish Virtual Library, but Id say the Bible and the First Book of the Maccabees are credible sources that say otherwise and have been with us for a much longer period of time. [8], https://archive.org/stream/polkmanchesterne00polk/polkmanchesterne00polk_djvu.txt. More than Hanukkah heroes, the Maccabees were a family of Jewish priests who overthrew Seleucid rule and established an independent Jewish dynasty in the Holy Land during the second and first centuries BCE. Catholic Bibles and Greek Orthodox Bibles include these books down to this day, interfiled among other biblical books. A second group of brothersYihuda, Meqabis, and Mebikyasare introduced later in the book and lead a revolt against the tyrannical king Akrandis of Midian. Antiochus, king of the Selecuids, soon after his Hellenizing campaign begins, outlaws Jewish religious practices. Tseerutsaydan tries to dispose of their bodies, but is miraculously prevented from doing so, and the ghosts of the Meqabyans taunt him about the uselessness of his idols. To begin their story with Mattityahu's killing the idol-worshipper is akin to starting the story of the Six-Day War with Israel's attack in June 1967. So according to this source, Hanukkah began as a belated celebration of the fall festival of booths (Sukkot). Gustave Lassalle-Bordes/Wikimedia Commons, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld/Wikimedia Commons, as the Orthodox Church in America explains. Jonathan, his brother, succeeded him as general. According to the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, zeal for the Jewish religion drove this revolt, and the familiar holiday Hanukkah . Tradition states that when the Maccabees retook Jerusalem's temple it had only a single day's worth of oil for the Temple's menorah. Degree of Friendship - In the Degree of Friendship, the Commander takes the part of Mattathias, the Lt. He remained as high priest in Jerusalem until his death in 104 bce. Tearing his clothes in mourning at the sight of this holy place in ruins, Judah sent men to fight the Greek forces at the citadel of Jerusalem while he and some priests purified the temple. Additionally, a lot of rabbis simply didn't care for the Hasmonean dynasty established by Judah and his brothers. If the thinking had been otherwisefor the reason suggested above or for some other reasonthen all the more theres every reason to exclude these books. The Greeks were an empire, a world power; the Jews were a band of upstarts. 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). Hanukkah celebrates the success of the revolt led by the priestly family of Mattathias and his sons, including Judah Maccabee, against Antiochus. Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 14:13, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Royal & SunAlliance Announces the Sale of its US Life Operations to Swiss Re Life & Health", "Reassure America Life Insurance Company", http://mill-valley.freemasonry.biz/marin_knights_maccabees.htm, Home Page for a revived version of the order, History of the Knights in Marin County, California, Phoenixmasonry page on Knights of the Maccabees, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knights_of_the_Maccabees&oldid=1139914785. His was a long and disturbed reign, but he consolidated and extended Jewish control, bringing Samaria into subjection and even forcing the Idumaeans (the descendants of the ancient Edomites who lived southeast of the Dead Sea) to accept Judaism. Antigonus II is executed. Judas was a savior of Israel . Textual and archaeological sources point to a particular time when Torah observance became widespread. The word has been variously derived (e.g. After the manner of his time and also of his enemies, he was ready to exterminate all the males of a conquered city. Why is it that a Jewish tradition that thrives on reciting stories stops short of retelling this one? This created a brief schism with the Canadian group seceding under a man named McLaughlin. The first convention was held on August 7, 1878. Explore the evidence and learn more about Alexander Janneus, the great-grandson of Mattathias, in Who Was He? In 167 B.C. Initially, Antiochus paid little attention to the Jewish revolt, underestimating their strength of will. First, once we get the fuller story, we can appreciate why ancient Jews shied away from reciting these books or even otherwise elaborating on the details of the revolt when celebrating Hanukkah. and has the pagan altar erected by the Seleucids removed from the temple. Their religious failure brought about the circumstances for the appearance of the Messiah who was rejected by the unclean high-priest. Many joined them there, especially the Hasideans, a pious and strict group deeply concerned for the Law of Moses. This change in the rules of kingship did not sit well with the scholars because previously there was a balance of power. Even more, we learn a great deal about the events leading to the establishment of the new festival. After all no one can ever PROVE the truth.we were not there and to say more is just hopeful speculation. The term Maccabee (Maccabeus), which originated with Mattahias' son Judah, is frequently applied to his four brothers. But what about earlier? Join the BAS Library today. The Maccabees were instruments of God for the preservation of the faith, and they frequently are compared with OT heroes. 2 Maccabees, also known as the Second Book of Maccabees, Second Maccabees, and abbreviated as 2 Macc., is a deuterocanonical book which recounts the persecution of Jews under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt against him. However, after a series of divine interventions including angels coming down and terrifying the elephants, Ptolemy gives up his anger and honors the Jews instead. Where the Heroes of the Maccabean Revolt Lie. There are, of course, other reasons too why ancient Jews may have rejected these books: Perhaps the books (and the holiday) were perceived to be too recent. He was the second Hasmonean high priest. Only a local official named Apollonius bothered to even go out to face the Maccabean army; Judah's forces destroyed them and Judah carried Apollonius' sword for the rest of his life. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, despite having lesser numbers, Judah's forces once again used strategy to defeat the more powerful Greek army and force their retreat to the Seleucid capital of Antioch. However, certain factions of Hellenized Jews rankled under the leadership of Judah and sought sympathy from the next Seleucid king, Demetrius I. The Meqabyans elude capture by the cruel king only to give themselves up when he threatens to destroy the city. The candidate received instruction in the nature of friendship. In some instances, the books are separated out from both the Old Testament and the New Testament into an appendixthe Apocrypha. Figure 1: Dick Vellert, Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabee Brothers and Their Mother, ca. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is a minor one when compared to high holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but it has gained significant prominence in mainstream culture thanks to its proximity to Christmas, arguably the most dominant holiday in the culturally Christian European-American year. 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. Also, no one who was involved in the liquor trade or an alcoholic was admitted. However, there was only sufficient pure oil to light the temple candelabrum for one day; it would take eight days to procure more oil. Join today. 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. They also had a permanent headquarters in Port Huron, which had opened in 1892. He pushed Hellenistic culture and pagan worship on his subjects.
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