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 general, its chronology coheres with that of i maccabees. All the events of the second century bce are important only insofar as they involve the temple in jerusalem. The book gives two different accounts of the death of antiochus 1. Traditionally the name has come to be extended to the brothers of judas, his supporters. Third, the catholic teaching regarding purgatory comes from 2 maccabees 12. The name 3 maccabees, though occurring in the oldest manuscripts and vss, is quite unsuitable, because the book refers to events which antedate the maccabean age by about half a century, and also to events in which the maccabees took no part. The book of 1 maccabees, chapter 7 offers free online access to. I maccabees presents a historical account of political, military, and diplomatic events from the time of judaeas relationship with antiochus iv epiphanes of syria reigned 175164163 bc to the death 54 bc of simon maccabeus, high priest in jerusalem.
Ii maccabees focuses on the jews revolt against antiochus and concludes with the defeat of the syrian general nicanor in 161 bc by judas maccabeus, the hero of the work. The first book of the maccabees books of, 35 isbe maccabees, books of, 35 iii. Indeed, so distinct are these two works that one must not label the epitome the second book of maccabees, as if it were a continuation of 1 maccabees. Chapters 37 of 2 maccabees furnishes the basic material for the second part of the book. This second book of machabees is not a continuation of the history contained in the first. The author created an abridged version of a five volume account written by jason of cyrene, whose works have also been otherwise lost to history. The first book, although written from a biased perspective, does not directly mention god or divine intervention. Lori arsenault the book of 2 machabees more commonly rendered 2 maccabees is an abridgement of another work, now lost, which describes the events surrounding the defeat of antiochus iv epiphanes and the rededication of the jewish temple in the 2nd century bce. So, i have been reading the book of maccabees and for the life of me, i cannot understand why it isnt included in our bible. It is really nothing more than a clumsy compilation from 1 and 2 maccabees and josephus except 5 macc 12, which is the only original part, and this teems with errors of various kinds. Maccabees, books of, 35 international standard bible. Maccabees, second book of ii maccabees, known in greek as.
The major part of the book recounts three attacks on the temple. Ii maccabees, chapter 1 1 the jewish brethren in jerusalem and those in the land of judea, to their jewish brethren in egypt, greeting, and good peace. The books of the maccabees are books concerned with the maccabees, the leaders of the jewish rebellion against the seleucid dynasty and related subjects the term mostly refers to two deuterocanonical books contained in various canons of the bible. The book of 2 maccabees consists of a greek synopsis of a fivevolume history of the maccabean revolt written by jason of cyrene. It was this title which gave the title to the other books of the apocrypha bearing the same name. Back to the main page back to the holy bible the second book of maccabees also known as the the second book of machabees chapter 1 1. It is an abridgment of a larger work of five books written by a jason of cyrene who is otherwise unknown see 2.
The book of 4 maccabees is a philosophic discourse extoling the supremacy of pious reason over passion. May god be gracious to you, and remember his covenant that he made with abraham, and isaac, and jacob, his faithful servants. The martyrdom of eleazar 6, the execution of the seven sons and their mother at the hands of antiochus iv epiphanes 7 and the gruesome death of razis 14 are especially memorable. 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. The second book of maccabees, also known as the second. It describes the refusal of mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing jewish revolt. The vigorous reaction to this attempt established for a time the religious and political independence of. The books of the maccabees biblical literature britannica.
The second book has a more theological slant, advancing several. The third book of the maccabees iii maccabees, chapter 1 1 when philopator learned from those who returned that the regions which he had controlled had been seized by antiochus, he gave orders to all his forces, both infantry and cavalry, took with him his sister arsinoe, and marched out to the region near raphia, where antiochuss supporters. Removed from the bible by the protestant church in the 1800s king james. It presents a revised version of the historical events. May he give you all a heart to worship him and to do his will with a strong heart and a willing spirit. Why the maccabees arent in the bible my jewish learning. The book of 1 maccabees, chapter 7 we hope that you find the content of the book of 1 maccabees, chapter 7 from the douay rheims version of the catholic bible helpful to your bible studies and for references which allow you to read the books and individual verses of this chapter. After the prologue, the first section of 4 maccabees sets forth the philosophical thesis, and the second section illustrates the points made using examples drawn from the maccabees principally, the martyrdom of eleazer and the maccabean. 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. I am thoroughly struck by how profound the life of christ was in the light of the book of 1 and 2 maccabees. The fourth book of the maccabees, so called, is a semiphilosophic discourse, or sermon, on the supremacy of the pious reason ch.
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. In contrast to first maccabees, the book of second maccabees is a summary of a history written originally in greek for diaspora hellenistic jews living in the greekspeaking area in egypt. Librivox recording of 2 maccabees by douayrheims version drv. Books of maccabees encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Besides the letters in the first chapter, we find a few official letters in ch. The second book of maccabees was written later in greek by an unidentified greek author. It came to pass also, that seven brethren, together with their mother, were apprehended, and compelled by the king to eat swines flesh against the law, for which end they were tormented with whips and scourges.
May god do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with abraham and isaac and jacob, his faithful servants. First and second maccabees new collegeville bible commentary. A theological treatise such as 2 maccabees differed widely from the unadorned, factual approach found in 1 maccabees. The jews to whom the book was addressed were both loyal to their nation and its new hasmonean state and yet faithful subjects of the kingdoms of the greek dynasty of ptolemies in egypt. Reading the books of the apocrypha in a similar audio bible style. Why isnt the book of maccabees included in the bible.
The second book of maccabees mmmmm introduction the book opens with, two brief compositions in epistolary form. To the brethren the jews that are i throughout egypt, the brethren, the jews that are in jerusalem, and in the land of judea, send health, and good peace. The jewish brethren in jerusalem and those in the land of judea, to their jewish brethren in egypt, greeting, and good peace. Next chapter of 1 maccabees the book of 1 maccabees, chapter 6 we hope that you find the content of the book of 1 maccabees, chapter 6 from the douay rheims version of the catholic bible helpful to your bible studies and for references which allow you to. The books of the maccabees quotes showing 12 of 2 and they cut in pieces, and burnt with fire the books of the law of god.
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