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First Maccabees recounts how those doughty defenders of God’s People,
Mattathias and his five sons, delivered Israel from Antiochus IV and
the “renegade Jews” resulting in political freedom for the first time
in four centuries. The author, whose name has not been preserved,
gives us with a carefully crafted history showing Judas and his
brothers to be the divinely appointed agents of salvation for Israel.
The ideology of 1 Maccabees would shape Jewish nationalism and
messianic hopes for the next three centuries. The love and respect
for Judas is seen when he passes in these words, “How the mighty is
fallen, the savior of Israel!”
Introductory Matters
First Maccabees was written shortly after 134 BC in the Hebrew
language. The book, however, survives in Greek, Syriac, Old Latin and
Armenian translations. The early church father, Origen, seems to have
known the book in its Hebrew version (cf. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical
Histories, 6.25) but was known as “The Book of the House of the
Hasmoneans” or “The Book of the House of the Princes of God.”
The story of 1 Maccabees divides neatly into three main parts: The
Crises and Mattathias response to it (1.1-2.70), the exploits of Judas
(3.1-9.22), and the exploits of Jonathan and Simon (9.23-12.53;
13.1-16.24).
Luther on First Maccabees
We have seen that Luther, though rejecting the canonical status of
Apocryphal books, held most of these books in very high regard.
Likewise, 1 Maccabees was a great book in Luther’s eyes. He
translated the book for his German Bible in 1533, here are a few words
from his Preface to the First Book of Maccabees:
This is another book not to be found in the Hebrew Bible. Yet its
words and speech adhere to the same style as the other books of
sacred scripture. This book would not have been unworthy of a place
among them, because it is very necessary and helpful for an
understanding of chapter 11 of the prophet Daniel. For the
fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the chapter, about the
abomination and misfortune which was going to befall the people of
Israel, is here described – namely, Antiochus Epiphanes – and in
much the same way that Daniel [11.29-35] speaks of it . . . This
[among other reasons] is why the book is good for us Christians to
read and to know. (Luther’s Works, vol. 35, pp. 350-352).
The Crises of the Maccabees
The “crises” of Maccabees was that of Hellenization. God’s People had
existed peacefully under other Greek rulers like Alexander and the
Ptolemies of Egypt. However, there arose a “sinful root”
(1.10) known in 1 Maccabees as Antiochus Epiphanes the ruler of the
Seleucid Empire. As the author of 1 Maccabees makes clear the
problem is not only Antiochus but renegade Jews who wish to undermine
the law of God:
In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled
many saying, 'Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round
about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon
us.’ This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went
to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the
Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to
Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned
the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold
themselves to do evil (1.11-15, RSV).
Soon things went from bad to worse. Antiochus invaded Egypt defeating
their armies and for good measure decided to “enter the sanctuary”
and loot the temple (1.21-24). He soon stationed troops in the city
and began a zealous program of converting the Jews to enlightened
paganism. He demanded that “alters and sacred precincts and
shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals and to leave
their sons uncircumcised” (1.47-48). The Torah was confiscated
and burned. In a very moving passage we read about the courageous
faith of certain Jewish women,
According to the decree, they put to death the women who had
their children circumcised, and their families and those who
circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers’
necks. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their
hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than be
defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
And very great wrath came upon Israel (1.60-64).
The Maccabaean Response
The revolt against the Seleucid king began in a small town named
Modein. The king’s representative set up an alter and called the
people to come and sacrifice on it. Mattathias’ was encouraged to take
the lead in this activity but refused.
Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey
him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, everyone of them
abandoning the religion of their ancestors, I and my sons and my
brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors
(2.19b-20).
However, when a “lawless” Jew stepped forward to comply, Mattathias
killed him and the king’s men. The author explicitly links the
“burning” zeal of Mattathias to that of Phinehas (2.26, cf. Numbers
25.6-15). Mattathias soon dies and leadership passes to his son
Judas.
One of the moving testimonies to the faith of Judas comes in chapter 3
when he has to face the massively superior force of Seron, commander
of the Seleucid army. His men
are faint with fear. Judas exhorts his troops with a faith building
speech,
It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of
Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It
is not on the size of the army that victory depends, but strength
comes from Heaven. They come against us in great insolence and
lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to
despoil us; but we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself
will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them.
(3.18-22).
The “Abomination of Desolation”
One of the major issues in 1 Maccabees relates to Daniel 11.31.
Following the decree of Antiochus a series of provocative acts were
made against the faith of Israel: the desecration of the alter of
burnt offering outside the temple; the building of alters through-out
Judea; the destruction of the books of Torah; and finally, the
ultimate, the offering of illegal sacrifice “on the alter which was
upon the alter of burnt offering (1.54-59). The dates of the 15th and
25th of Kislev in 168 B.C. are clearly remembered as the ultimate
sacrilege.
First Maccabees speaks of the erection of a bdelugma eremoseos,
a “desolating sacrilege” or “abomination of desolation” upon the alter
of burnt offering (cf. Daniel 11.31 and a variants of the phrase in
8.13; 9.27; 12.11). This phrase is picked up in the New Testament in
Mark 13.14 and Matthew 24.15. The question is what does the phrase
mean to our author? Most scholars think it refers to a derogatory
parody of the Syrian god, Ba’al Samen (“Lord of Heaven”). This god of
heaven is then related to Zeus Olympios (cf. 2 Macc. 6.1) in whose
name the temple was rededicated. Thus Antiochus wants the Jews to
worship an alternative god with unclean sacrifices (for more details
see John R. Bartlett, 1 Maccabees in the Guides to Apocrypha
and Pseudepigrapha Series, pp. 64-65).
Influence of 1 Maccabees
First Maccabees is an invaluable work for understanding the social
situation of Jesus and his early disciples. The Maccabees shaped the
political ideology that would fuel messianic movements in Judaism for
centuries. The beliefs that God would grant victories in the face of
overwhelming odds would motivate all the would be liberators of Israel
in the Roman period.
The model of a military messiah comes shining through the pages of the
NT. For example John and James are portrayed as regarding their
association with Jesus as a chance to gain temporal power after a
revolution (Mark 10.35-45). The messiah figure of Judas Maccabeus
certainly is in their minds. In the trial of Jesus, the Jewish and
Roman accusers assume a connection between messianic claims and
political subversion. In Acts 1.6 the disciples are still searching
for a (seemingly) political restoration of the kingdom of Israel.
First Maccabees equates “zeal for the law” with violent action against
renegade or apostate Jews (as well as Gentiles). This notion
permeates the Zealots and Sicarii assaults on Jewish collaborators,
and it also sheds considerable light on Paul’s own zeal to destroy
those whom he imagined to be apostates.
The continuing influence of 1 Maccabees is seen in the celebration of
Hanukkah. The rabbis were quite familiar with the story of Maccabees
and we have seen that Josephus used 1 Maccabees 1-13 in writing his
history of the Jews. The book enjoyed popularity in the early church
as well. But as we will see 2 Maccabees left a larger impression
because of its glorification of martyrdom.
Questions to Reflect On
1) What surprised you about 1 Maccabees?
2) Did you hear any “echoes” from the New Testament? Any light shed
on issues or passages?
3) Did you find anything in 1 Maccabees “edifying”? Did anything
encourage your walk with God?
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