Bible - Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha - Books of Maccabees
MACCABEE BOOKS (I, II, III, IV), four apocryphal works (see Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha) of various origins, included in the Septuagint and united by the common theme of the resistance of the Jews to the persecution of the Hellenistic kings; only the first two books are devoted to the Maccabean revolt itself (see Hasmoneans).
The First Book of Maccabees is a historical work covering the events from the accession to the throne of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175 BC) to the death of Shim‘on the Hasmonean (135 BC) and the accession to power of his son John Hyrcanus I. The book is the main, and in some cases the only historical source for this period. After a short introduction devoted to the conquests of Alexander the Great, the author moves on to the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes and the activities of the Jewish Hellenizers, analyzes the reasons that led to the uprising, and sets out its history in detail. The name of the author is unknown, but there is every reason to believe that he was an eyewitness to the events described. The presentation is highly objective, although it is clear that the author's sympathies are with the Hasmoneans, whom he views as God's chosen deliverers of Israel (5:62). In his religious views, the author apparently belongs to the circles of the Pharisees.
The book makes extensive use of documentary (including letters from the official archive) and literary sources. I Maccabees was written in Biblical Hebrew, but the original version was apparently lost at a very early period (it was not until the 11th century that a back-translation from Greek into Hebrew was made). In its style, I Maccabees is close to the historical books of the Bible. Like the book of Jehovah bin Nuna andthe book of Judges of Israel, it contains numerous poetic insertions (lamentation Matthiasxy— 2:7–13; prayers—3:18–22; 4:30–33; 7:41–42; hymn—14:8–15). At the same time, the influence of the style of the book Ezra andNehemiah, which is reflected, first of all, in the citation of historical documents.
The second book is an abridged version of a historical work in five books in Greek, written by Jason of Cyrene (2:23–28), apparently a contemporary of the events described (see Historiography. The Second Temple Period). After a lengthy introduction devoted to the activities of the Hellenizers, which served as the immediate cause of the uprising, comes the history of the wars of Iehuda Maccabee up to his victory over the forces of Nicanor. II Maccabees is written in the traditions of the Hellenistic historical genre: the style is distinguished by rich ornamentation, the narrative is characterized by rhetorical devices, dramatization and pathos, a significant place is occupied by stories of miraculous events and the intervention of Providence. The book has a pronounced propaganda focus. The author's main idea is that Israel's suffering is a divine punishment for sins and is intended to purify the people and warn them in the future. For the first time, Judaism is presented as the antithesis of Hellenism (2:21; 8:1; 14:38), and the Greeks as barbarians indulging in robbery and plunder (4:8, 23, 32, 42; 5:16). The strength of the Jews lies in the fulfillment of the commandments (primarily in the observance of Saturday; 6:11; 8:26; 12–38) and in their readiness to sacrifice themselves in the name of faith (6:18 et seq.; 7). In his views, the author is close to the Pharisees.
The Third Book of Maccabees, written in Greek, apparently in 1nbsp;century BC, contains a legend intended to explain the existence of a summer festival among the Egyptian Jews, reminiscent of Purim. The Book of III Maccabees tells how Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–204 BC) wished to enter the Jerusalem Temple, but God, having heard the prayer of the high priest, prevented this. The angry king decides to vent his anger on the Alexandrian Jews, in particular, ordering them, under pain of death, to undergo initiation into the cult of Dionysus. Most of the Jews of Alexandria refused to serve the pagan god, for which the king decided to kill all the Jews of Egypt. Elephants were released on the Jews, driven from all over the country to the Alexandrian hippodrome, and they were given wine to drink, but God turned them against the king's soldiers. The king repents and throws a celebration in honor of the miraculous salvation of the Egyptian Jews. The events as described in III Maccabees are historically implausible, the legend itself shows direct influence from the book of Esther, and the historical facts mentioned are borrowed from various sources (the story of the elephants is told by Josephus Flavius in his work Against Apion 2:53–55, but refers to another king from the Ptolemaic dynasty; the king's attempt to enter the Temple is mentioned in II Maccabees, 3).
The fourth book is a philosophical sermon, apparently composed in the 1st century CE, on the theme "pious reason conquers the affects." After an introductory discussion in the Stoic spirit on the nature of reason and the types of affects and a consideration of historical examples of the ability of reason to control them, the author moves on to examples from "our day" - the martyrdom of the victims of the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. IV Maccabees is a first-class example of writing in the style of the "Asian" school and the only significant surviving example of Greek rhetoric in Jewish literature. Another distinctive feature is the interweaving of Greek philosophy and traditional Jewish motifs. Moral conflicts are illustrated by biblical examples, and biblical laws are presented as practical means of Stoic self-education and classified according to the cardinal virtues they help to develop. As a result, the place of the Stoic sage is taken by a God-fearing man, and heroism is interpreted as fortitude in suffering, which represents the victory of reason over passions and, in the final perspective, the overthrow of the tyrant's power. The motivation for martyrdom is fidelity to the laws of God, who will reward the martyr and condemn the godless king to eternal punishment. The sermon was certainly intended for public delivery, perhaps on a memorial day for the victims of anti-Jewish persecution.
The books of the Maccabees were canonized by the Christian church along with the entire Septuagint, but Protestant churches excluded them from the canonical Bible. The books of the Maccabees have influenced the Christian concept of martyrdom, which, however, differs fundamentally from the Jewish concept in that martyrdom as such is not an object of aspiration.