Topical Bible: Books Of Maccabees

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Books of Maccabees are a collection of ancient Jewish writings that detail the history and struggles of the Jewish people during the second century BCE, particularly focusing on the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. These texts are not part of the Hebrew Bible but are included in the Septuagint and are considered deuterocanonical by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. They are generally regarded as apocryphal by most Protestant traditions.

1 Maccabees

1 Maccabees is a historical account that covers the period from the rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the death of Simon Maccabeus. It is written in a sober, historical style and is considered a valuable source for understanding the Jewish resistance against Hellenistic influence and the fight for religious freedom. The book begins with the conquests of Alexander the Great and the subsequent division of his empire, leading to the oppressive reign of Antiochus IV, who sought to impose Greek culture and religion upon the Jewish people.

The narrative highlights the leadership of Mattathias and his sons, particularly Judas Maccabeus, who led the Jewish revolt. The text details the battles, strategies, and political maneuvers that resulted in the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, an event commemorated by the festival of Hanukkah. The book emphasizes themes of faith, perseverance, and divine intervention, portraying the Maccabees as pious warriors defending their faith and traditions.

2 Maccabees

2 Maccabees is not a direct continuation of 1 Maccabees but rather a parallel account that focuses on the same historical period. It is more theological and interpretive, emphasizing the religious and moral lessons to be drawn from the events. The book begins with two letters to the Jews in Egypt, encouraging them to observe the festival of Hanukkah.

The narrative then recounts the persecution of the Jews under Antiochus IV, the martyrdom of Eleazar and the seven brothers, and the miraculous events that accompanied the Maccabean Revolt. The text highlights the themes of martyrdom, the resurrection of the dead, and the intercession of the saints. It underscores the importance of fidelity to the Law and the belief in divine justice.

3 Maccabees

3 Maccabees, despite its name, does not deal with the Maccabean Revolt but rather with an earlier period of Jewish history under Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. The book recounts the account of the Jewish community in Alexandria facing persecution under Ptolemy IV Philopator. It describes how the king, angered by his inability to enter the Temple in Jerusalem, orders the mass execution of the Jews in Egypt.

The narrative is marked by divine intervention, as God miraculously delivers the Jews from their plight. The book emphasizes themes of faithfulness, divine protection, and the power of prayer. It serves as a testament to God's enduring covenant with His people, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

4 Maccabees

4 Maccabees is a philosophical treatise that explores the concept of reason over passion, using the martyrdoms described in 2 Maccabees as illustrative examples. The text argues that devout reason can govern the passions and that the Jewish martyrs exemplified this principle through their steadfast adherence to the Law, even unto death.

The book is structured as a series of discourses that extol the virtues of self-control, courage, and piety. It serves as a reflection on the nature of true wisdom and the moral strength required to remain faithful to God's commandments. The narrative reinforces the belief in the resurrection and the eternal reward for those who remain steadfast in their faith.

Significance and Influence

The Books of Maccabees hold significant historical and religious importance. They provide insight into the Jewish struggle for religious freedom and identity during a time of cultural and political upheaval. The accounts of heroism and faithfulness have inspired generations of believers and have been influential in shaping Jewish and Christian thought on issues of persecution, martyrdom, and divine providence.

While not included in the Protestant canon, the themes and historical accounts found in the Books of Maccabees continue to resonate within the broader Judeo-Christian tradition, offering lessons on the power of faith and the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Books Of Maccabees

Four books which bear the common title of "Maccabees" are found in some MSS. of the LXX. Two of these were included in the early current Latin versions of the Bible, and thence passed into the Vulgate. As forming part of the Vulgate they were received as canonical by the Council of Trent, and retained among the Apocrypha by the reformed churches. The two other books obtained no such wide circulation and have only a secondary connection with the Maccabaean history.

THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES contains a history of the patriotic struggle of the Jews in resisting the oppressions of the Syrian kings, from the first resistance of Mattathias to the settled sovereignty and death of Simon, a period of thirty-three years--B.C. 168-135. The great subject of the book begins with the enumeration of the Maccabaean family, ch, 2:1-5, which is followed by an account of the part which the aged Mattathias took in rousing and guiding the spirit of his countrymen. ch. 2:6-70. The remainder of the narrative is occupied with the exploits of Mattathias' five sons. The great marks of trustworthiness are everywhere conspicuous. Victory and failure end despondency are, on the whole, chronicled with the same candor. There is no attempt to bring into open display the working of Providence. The testimony of antiquity leaves no doubt that the book was first written in Hebrew. Its whole structure points to Palestine as the place of its composition. There is, however, considerable doubt as to its date. Perhaps we may place it between B.C. 120-100. The date and person of the Greek translator are wholly undetermined.
THE SECOND BOOK OF MACCABEES. --The history of the second book of Maccabees begins some years earlier than that of the first book. and closes with the victory of Judas Maccabaeus over Nicanor. It thus embraces a period of twenty years, from B.C. 180 to B.C. 161. The writer himself distinctly indicates the source of his narrative--the five books of Jason of Cyrene, ch. 2:23, of which he designed to furnish a short and agreeable epitome for the benefit of those who would be deterred from studying the larger work. Of Jason himself nothing more is known than may be gleaned from this mention of him. The second book of Maccabcees is not nearly so trustworthy as the first. In the second book the groundwork of facts is true, but the dress in which the facts are presented is due in part at least to the narrator. The latter half of the book, chs. 8-15, is to be regarded as a series of special incidents from the life of Judas, illustrating the providential interference of God in behalf of his people, true in substance, but embellished in form.
THE THIRD BOOK OF MACCABEES contains the history of events which preceded the great Maccabaean struggle beginning with B.C. 217.
THE FOURTH BOOK OF MACCABEES contains a rhetorical narrative of the martyrdom of Eleazar and of the "Maccabaean family," following in the main the same outline as 2 Macc.

Library

About Esdras and the Books of the Maccabees.
... Book XVIII. Chapter 36."About Esdras and the Books of the Maccabees. After
these three prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 36 about esdras and the.htm

The Canonical Books.
... neither with the order of the preceding books nor with one another, such as Job,
and Tobias, and Esther, and Judith, and the two books of Maccabees, and the ...
/.../on christian doctrine in four books /chapter 8 the canonical books.htm

Books not Included in the Hebrew Canon.
... 7. BOOKS OF MACCABEES (Makkabaion a', b', g', d', Machabaeorum libri; ta
Makkabaika, Hippol. in Daniel 4:3; Orig. ap. Eus. HE vi.25). ...
/.../chapter iii books not included.htm

The Manner in which Josephus Mentions the Divine Books.
... because it contains an account of the struggles of those Hebrews who contended manfully
for the true religion, as is related in the books called Maccabees. ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter x the manner in which.htm

Now the Whole Canon of Scripture on which we Say this Judgment is ...
... neither with the order of the preceding books nor with one another, such as Job,
and Tobias, and Esther, and Judith, and the two books of Maccabees, and the ...
/.../augustine/on christian doctrine in four books/chapter 13 now the whole.htm

Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.
... X. THE BOOKS OF THE MACCABEES. 22. ... 23. The first book of the Maccabees. This
is one of the most important of all the apocryphal books. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/appendix the apocryphal books of.htm

But it Should be Known that There are Also Other Books which Our ...
... of the writing. To the same class belong the Book of Tobit, and the Book of
Judith, and the Books of the Maccabees. In the New Testament ...
/.../38 but it should be.htm

The Bible Canon from the Fourth Century to the Reformation.
... The list of the canonical Scripture given includes, besides the Palestinian one,
Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Tobit, Judith, and the two books of Maccabees. ...
/.../davidson/the canon of the bible/chapter vii the bible canon.htm

The Maccabees.
... THE MACCABEES. ... Some of these holy books, which had been defiled by paintings of the
heathen idols, were destroyed, by order of Mattathias, after the writing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xviii the maccabees.htm

The Samaritan and Alexandrian Canons.
... Baruch succeeds Jeremiah; Daniel is followed by Susanna and other productions of
the same class; and the whole closes with the three books of Maccabees. ...
/.../davidson/the canon of the bible/chapter iii the samaritan and.htm