Also included is the Wisdom of Sirach, an extended collection of wise sayings (longer than Proverbs and Ecclesiastes combined), which concludes with a particularly rich poetic praise of biblical heroes: a readable, teachable 12-chapter tour of Israelite valor. Please review their Privacy Policy as it may differ from ours. By Martin Goodman. This approach may help us understand the related fact that the books of the Maccabees are not in the canon. Historical context of the Maccabees the name Iduma [Edom] disappeared from history. (The New Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia, 1952, Vol. He died by treachery and was succeeded by his brother Simon, a man of character and prudence as well as a born leader who had quietly and loyally served under his other brothers. No wonder the ritual is so popular. The lesson derived from his example was that of genuine patriotism and inculcated the duty to uphold and defend the rights of liberty and conscience when they are threatened by irresponsible power in any form. Even when not read in this way, the characters of 2 Maccabees 7 were understood as role models for Christian martyrs. For the church fathers, the Maccabees became significant as a paradigm for Christian martyrdom. But in a number of Christian traditions, the Maccabees frequently refers to a particular woman and her seven sons, whose martyrdom in the face of Antiochuss persecution appears in 2 Maccabees 7. What was at Umm el-Umdan during the time of the Maccabees and the Maccabean revolt? Judah lies in the basement of the Church of St. Peter in Chains in Rome, According to the First Book of the Maccabees, Mattathias and his sons were Priests. Despite their differences, 1 and 2 Maccabees agree on one fundamental point that is usually glossed over or not mentioned at all in traditional Jewish retellings of the Hanukkah story: The Maccabees fought not only against foreign oppressorsespecially the Seleucid king Antiochus IVbut also against Jewish assimilationists who were aligned with Antiochus. . I am thoroughly struck by how profound the life of Christ was in the light of the book of 1 and 2 Maccabees. The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom1998 Subheadings Similar Material The Tidal Wave of Hellenism The Temple Reclaimed Who Were the Maccabees? 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 ). 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. They were zealots, after all. Worst of all, however, Antiochus desecrated the holy Jewish temple in Jerusalem by placing a statue of Zeus on the altar and sacrificing a pigthe prototypical unclean animalthere before despoiling it of all its sacred vessels, gold and silver, and the seven-branched golden menorah that was the symbol of the temple. After defeating this renewed wave of hostile forces, including most notably the king's general Nicanor, Judah establishes an alliance with the burgeoning Roman state. The answer might depend on who you are. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty and ruled Judea for more than a century. There were a few reasons, actually. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Lysias, the Syrian general, was now the real power. that guy http://is.gd/VFFoqR. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. 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). Additionally, a lot of rabbis simply didn't care for the Hasmonean dynasty established by Judah and his brothers. A group of business men in Michigan, where the order had a number of members, endeavored to put the Maccabees on a sound financial basis. Ptolemy secured control of Egypt and the Land of Israel. Antiochus, king of the Selecuids, soon after his Hellenizing campaign begins, outlaws Jewish religious practices. Monumental Tombs from Maussollos to the Maccabees: Heroes of Hanukkah Open Era of Jewish Display Tombs. Many joined them there, especially the Hasideans, a pious and strict group deeply concerned for the Law of Moses. After Alexander the Great's life cut off short, four generals divided his land into four territories. Yet when the Hanukkah lights are lit, there is no formal telling of the story. The_Patriot21 Posted May 30, 2016 because its message is contradicting to Biblical texts. Rare DSS Text Mentions King Jonathan., Under the Influence: Hellenism in Ancient Jewish Life.. For one thing, there aren't even any Maccabees in it. It is filled with prophecies reflecting detailed knowledge of the futuresomething impossible for humans. When Antiochus heard of this rebellion, any last shred of leniency he had shown the Jews was eliminated. Art by Rivka Korf Studio 1. Art by Yitzchok Schmukler At the heart of the Chanukah story is the heroism of the Maccabees. The Ladies of the Maccabees were the group's female auxiliary. Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. When Antiochus Epiphanes died in 164 bce, others administered the kingdom because his son, Antiochus Eupator, was still a minor. For instance, in Jubilees, Noah is told how the calendar is supposed to work, and the described calendar includes a year of 364 days (52 weeks; see Jubilees 6). 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. As the Jewish Encyclopedia explains, the family is more rightly known as the Hasmoneans, but they and their descendants are popularly remembered as the Maccabees due to the prominence of Judah as a leading figure. The Maccabees were instruments of God for the preservation of the faith, and they frequently are compared with OT heroes. The traditional Jewish explanation is that Maccabee ( Hebrew: Machabi) is an acronym for the Torah verse that was the battle-cry of the Maccabees, "M i ch amocha ba'elim Y HWH ", "Who is like You among the heavenly powers, Lord!", [7] [8] as well as an acronym for "M atityahu ha K ohen ben Yochanan " (Matthias the priest, son of John). These hints may be telling, but we must turn to 2 Maccabees 10 for the surest confirmation of this sound explanation for the eight-day length of the Festival of Lights. Some of his activities are in accord with what today would be called the rules for holy war as found scattered in sections of Deuteronomy and as developed in great detail in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, written within the century following Judas and now titled The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. The oldest son of Hyrcanus, Aristobulus I, then succeeds his father as High Priest. Have excavations uncovered the hometown of the Maccabees, heroes of Hanukkahs Maccabean revolt? And the Jewish Annotated Apocrypha has also included the Book of Jubilees. . Hellenism threatened to obliterate the identity of the Jewish people. John in spirit had become a Sadducee, an upper-class conservative who accepted only the Written Law as divinely revealed and authoritative. While this Early Hellenistic building influenced the location and shape of the two synagogues built atop it in subsequent centuries, the excavators believe that there is not enough information at the time to conclude that the Early Hellenistic building was also a synagogue. 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. Heres another possibility: In the Jewish Annotated Apocrypha, Daniel Schwartz suggests that 1 Maccabees 1:15 may mean that Jews then abstained from circumcising their sons (cf. (August 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) The KOTM Temple in Pendleton, Oregon was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The first convention was held on August 7, 1878. In 135/134 bce he was assassinated. In the society's early years it also provided other final-expense related benefits such as society cemeteries. Let me explain. But what about earlier? 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 2:4, 66; 2 Mc 8:5, 16; 10:1, 16).Traditionally the name has come to be extended to the brothers of Judas, his supporters . Their palaces, excavated in Jericho, reveal a great deal about how they lived. The home of Mattathias, a priest in the village of Modiim (now Modiin), 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Jerusalem, quickly became the centre of resistance. See the varied Jewish responses to Hellenism in Martin Goodmans article Under the Influence: Hellenism in Ancient Jewish Life.. 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. 1:61). According to the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, zeal for the Jewish religion drove this revolt, and the familiar holiday Hanukkah . 2 Maccabees chapter 9 says that the news of Lysias' defeat enraged Antiochus so much that he told his charioteer to drive him to Judea without stopping, swearing "When I get there I will make Jerusalem a cemetery of Jews." For more evidence confirming Umm el-Umdans Jewish identity in antiquity as well as a discussion of the linguistic relationship between the Hebrew name Modiin and the Arabic name Umm el-Umdan, see Modiin: Hometown of the Maccabees by Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah and Alexander Onn in the March/April 2014 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. A committee was appointed, chaired by Boynton, to draft a new constitution acceptable to both factions, and this was agreed to in February 1881. These Seleucid commanders led 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry against the Maccabeans, an army so large that the Greeks had already lined up deals to sell Jewish prisoners as slaves in anticipation of their victory. Edited by Lawrence M. Wills, and by Jonathan Klawans, the author of this post. 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. Explore the evidence and learn more about Alexander Janneus, the great-grandson of Mattathias, in Who Was He? The entire period of the influence of the Maccabees, on Judea and the Jews, lasts roughly 130 years (167 to 37 B.C.). Judea was no exception. What was the reason for the addition of the story of the miraculous oil that burned eight times longer than it should have? This makes a great deal of sense, especially when we recall that Solomons temple was dedicated on Sukkot (1 Kings 8:12). The answer might depend on who you are. The woman with seven sons was a Jewish martyr described in 2 Maccabees 7 and other sources, who had seven sons that were arrested (along with her) by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who forced them to prove their respect to him by consuming pig meat. The officers were trying to force Mattathias, his five sons, and their neighbors to perform sacrifices to their gods. Roman expansion swept away the last vestige of Edomitic independence . Mattathias rejects the new worship and begins a revolt. Hershel Shanks, Inscription Reveals Roots of Maccabean Revolt, Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 2008. Jonathan Klawans is Professor of Religion at Boston University. That is how the Idumaean king Herod of Jesus day was a Jew by religion. 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. The Book of 1 Maccabees tells the story of their rise, while archaeology places the story within a larger historical and political context. Excavations conducted in the past decade at Umm el-Umdan (Arabic for Mother of Columns) by authors Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah and Alexander Onn (recently deceased) revealed a previously unknown synagoguefeaturing eight imposing columnslikely built during the reign of King Herod. Seleucus grabbed Syria and Asia Minor, and Antigonus took Greece. It is during the reign of Antiochus IV that the Maccabees rose to prominence. After the death of Mattathias (c. 166 bce ), Judas Maccabeus, the third son, became the leader of the resistance movement. The Syrians, in the war against him, fastened wooden towers on elephants backs, and each beast then charged into battle with a thousand armoured warriors surrounding it. 2 Maccabees, curiously, says nothing about thisdespite its . We do not control the content of the site you are about to visit. From this title comes the name Hasmonean that was applied to the dynasty that descended from the Maccabees in the following century. The Apocrypha includes an expanded form of the Book of Estherwith artful prayers and disturbing dreams highlighting the drama. Now you may be asking, Remove the marks of circumcision? That may be possiblelook up epispasm and try not to wince. Jonathan, his brother, succeeded him as general. Jews continue to celebrate the Hasmoneans victory every year on Hanukkah, despite the absence of the books of Maccabees from the Jewish Bible. Had ancient Jews wanted to recite a story of Hanukkah during the festival, perhaps one or another of these booksor some othermight have made it into the canon. Why must people always want to prove the other guy wrong and maintain they are right? To this end a "grand review" was held in Buffalo, New York in 1880 to reorganize the society, drawing up a new constitution and laws. [] #1. http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/modiin-whe… []. The Maccabees were a band of Jewish freedom fighters who freed Judea from the Syrian-Greek occupiers during the Second Temple period. 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. This story tells that when the temple was recaptured from Antiochus IV after the Hasmonean victory, it was to be rededicated to the worship of God. It ran from the evening of December 18 until sunset on December 25eight days. The narrative of 3 Maccabees takes place in Egypt decades before the Maccabean revolt in Judea. 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? However, as the Jewish Encyclopedia explains, they soon experienced attacks from neighboring tribes who didn't like seeing the increase in Jewish power. The brothers are tortured, burned in a fire pit, and go to Heaven. As such, Antiochus took the assimilation of the Jews very seriously. The history of the Maccabean Revolt is found in 1 and 2 Maccabees and in the writings of Josephus. Yea, it appears that they walk among us. In outlook he was worldly, agnostic, and urbane, utterly unlike his grandfather. Unlike 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, 1 and 2 Maccabees are not a single book cut in half, but two independent books that tell overlapping but nevertheless distinct and differing accounts of the same overall story (somewhat like establishing the story of Jesus using the Gospels of Mark and John). While excluded and forgotten by Jews, these booksalong with many otherswere preserved, thankfully, by Christians. Also, no one who was involved in the liquor trade or an alcoholic was admitted. Maybe with this information we can come to understand two things at once. Monumental Tombs from Maussollos to the Maccabees,, Inscription Reveals Roots of Maccabean Revolt,, Jerusalem Archaeology: Exposing the Biblical City, The Palace of the Kings of Israelin the Bible and Archaeology, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=maccabaeus, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/modiin-whe…, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament. Directly beneath the Herodian synagogue lies a smaller synagogue constructed during the Hasmonean period, and beneath this was a structure securely dated to the end of the third or beginning of the second century B.C.E. . Mattathias's story is related in the deuterocanonical book of 1 Maccabees. After the death of Mattathias (c. 166 bce), Judas Maccabeus, the third son, became the leader of the resistance movement. When Jews celebrate the festival of Purim, commemorating Queen Esthers thwarting of an evil plot against the Jews of Persia, Jews gather in synagogues and joyfully read the biblical Book of Esther, which details the events being celebrated. When Jews celebrate Passover, in commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt, the home ritual is based on the Passover Haggadah, which retells the story of the Israelites liberation from slavery. Additionally, even though Judah had no sons, the term is also used for the descendants of his brother Simon Thassi (Maccabeus). The Maccabees were most definitely fighting for religious freedom. Figure 1: Dick Vellert, Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabee Brothers and Their Mother, ca. Originally written by Jews, these books were only transmitted by Christians in Greek as a part of the Old Testament Apocrypha for much of history. Heres what 1 Maccabees has to say about events in Judea, early in Antiochuss reign, and before Antiochus trained his eye on what was happening in Jerusalem: In those days certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us, for since we separated from them many disasters have come upon us. This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king, who authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. The word has been variously derived (e.g. The Book of Jubilees was composed by ancient Jewsquite possibly around the time of the Maccabean era. by Judas Maccabus, and in 109 B.C. A second group of brothersYihuda, Meqabis, and Mebikyasare introduced later in the book and lead a revolt against the tyrannical king Akrandis of Midian. And how dramatic it is: Just as the nights are starting earlier and earlier, and just as it is getting colder and colder, Jewish families gather in their own homes, light candles, and watch them burn in commemoration of extraordinary events that occurred long ago. They based their name, ceremonies and rituals on the Maccabees, a group of Jewish rebels against the Seleucid Empire whose exploits are described in the Books of the Maccabees, considered part of the Biblical canon in Catholicism, but apocryphal in Judaism and Protestant Christianity. Where the Heroes of the Maccabean Revolt Lie. In the Jewish tradition, the sobriquet Maccabee always refers to Judah Maccabee and his brothers, the leaders of the rebellion against Antiochus IV. Organizational stability remained elusive. Second, both 1 and 2 Maccabees highlight something that traditional Jewish retellings (informal and formal) leave out: The rise of the Maccabees was also in response to Jewish efforts to accommodate to Greek rule by challenging traditional Jewish practices. 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. Continue Reading This is the act that the Festival of Hanukkah commemorates. Lucas van Leyden, Joshua, David, Judas Maccabees, 1515/1517, woodcut, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.5706. Textual and archaeological sources point to a particular time when Torah observance became widespread. The newly discovered synagogue is not where the Maccabees prayed. (PikiWiki Israel) Everyone passing along by her will stare in astonishment and whistle on account of all her plagues. 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. 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. Just read and enjoy and draw you own conclusions. 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. However, as the Orthodox Church in America explains, these Maccabees aren't Judah, Jonathan, or Simon, but rather a number of Jews who died during Seleucid persecution during the Maccabean era. Modiin is famous as the hometown of the Maccabees. Secondly, following the destruction of the temple by the Romans and the deadly consequences of a later revolt had made the Jewish people wary about bragging about past military victories over the Gentiles. On the other hand, counterbalancing this arrangement, a king had to be a descendant of David but had no priestly control. The Book of Tobit tells a charming tale of a long-suffering righteous man securing, at long last, a happy marriage for his son to a woman too-often promised to the wrong man. BAR, March/April 2014 Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Modiin was the hometown of the Maccabees, the heroes of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid king who ruled over Judea. The Hebrew originals are lost and were generally not read by Jews. A version of this post first appeared in Bible History Daily in December, 2020, Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? 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". While we will never know for sure why Jews excluded these books and why Christians preserved them, the good news is that we have these books today. In the November/December 2008 issue of BAR, Andrea M. Berlin and Geoffrey B. Waywell describe the Maccabean revolt: The [Maccabean revolt was] led by Mattathiass eldest son, Judas, known as the Hammer because of his military prowess. Mattathias's death-dealing zeal for the law paralleled Phinehas's slaughter of Zimri in Numbers 25:10-15 (2:26). What momentous impact did they have in the history of Judea and the Jews? As My Jewish Learning explains, the story of the miracle of the oil, so central to the modern celebration of Hanukkah with its 9-branched menorah and abundance of oily fried foods, didn't arise until centuries after the institution of the celebration. At the height of their power, the Maccabees ruled over a substantial territoryfrom Judea to Galilee. As the Jewish Encyclopedia explains, following the assassination of Simon by his son-in-law, his third son, John Hyrcanus, became the first in a line of priest-kings ruling an independent Judea in what would come to be known as the Hasmonean dynasty. List of books The Books of the Maccabees refers to a series of deuterocanonical books which are contained in various canons of the Bible : 1 Maccabees, originally written in Hebrew and only surviving in a Greek translation, it contains an account of the history of the Maccabees from 175 BC until 134 BC. [1] 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. 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. [1], The Knights of the Maccabees was founded in London, Ontario by members of the Order of the Foresters. Photo: Skyview. Read Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah and Alexander Onns coauthored article on excavations near the Western Wall in Jerusalem and explore the latest finds in the Biblical worlds most vibrant city in the free eBook Jerusalem Archaeology: Exposing the Biblical City. 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. To prove themselves fit to "join in the cause of humanity," the tyros had to undergo an ordeal. In the 1st century B.C. Hellenism brought with it new artistic styles, architectural forms, and literary genres that helped give new expression to traditional forms of Jewish identity and culture. References1906 Jewish Encyclopedia1911 Encyclopedia BritannicaHoly Bible, a Faithful Version. 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. They were seen as usurpers of both the role of the high priest and of king, as the Hasmoneans were not part of either of those hereditary lines. Each men's local chapter of the Maccabees was known as a Mutual Tent. The Talmud has a bit more to sayincluding the famous story of the small, miraculous cruse of oil that lasted a full eight days. He served as a priest during a tumultuous time when an aggressive campaign was launched in order to Hellenize (bring the Greek culture into) Judea. For the Jewish community, Hanukkah just ended. Judas then had blameless priests cleanse the Holy Place and erect a new altar of unhewn stones. By the time of Alexander the Great's sudden death in 323 BCE, he had conquered most of the known world, with his Hellenistic empire stretching from the Ionian Sea to northern India. 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.