when was 2 maccabees written

Author: Unknown Date Written: c. 100 BC Date of Narrative: 180-161 BC 2 Maccabees is unique among biblical books because it is actually a summary of another book. While reading strangely today, such a statement of the author proclaiming how hard they worked was common in ancient prefaces of the era. 1) The afterlife in the Old Testament The earlier books of the Old Testamentas well as the archaeological evidence we haveindicate that the Israelites believed in an afterlife. However, Antiochus was not dead, and he attacks Jerusalem upon his return from Egypt, incorrectly inferring that a full-scale revolt against his rule had taken the town. Antiochus IV Epiphanes died in late 164 BCE. "[86] The epitomist depicts Antiochus as a person in thrall to his emotions, with a similar "great fury" in 9:4, and that the stench of his decaying flesh had repelled even his retainers, leaving him alone. This, then, is how matters turned out with Nicanor, and from that time the city [Jerusalem] has been in the possession of the Hebrews. The letter describes the death of Antiochus while attacking a temple dedicated to the goddess Nanaya in Persia and how God saved Jerusalem by expelling "those who drew themselves up to war". The passages discussing the resurrection here, as well as in the martyrs, has caused some scholars to see 2 Maccabees as a Pharisaic work, or at least influenced by them; other scholars doubt this, however, and suggest that Jewish belief in the resurrection was wider than just the Pharisees. [24][25], Another aspect that comes across as odd to modern readers are the complaints of "sweat and sleepless nights" in composing the epitome in 2:26. and referring to a letter written in 143 b.c. Michele Hernandez In contrast to 1 Maccabees, the style of 2 Maccabees indicates that it was composed in Koine Greek, most likely between 150 and 120 BC in Alexandria (c. 124 BC according to Stephen L. Harris ). [51], "Geron the Athenian" is only mentioned in the book of 2 Maccabees, and the phrasing is somewhat unclear; it could also be read as "the elderly Athenaeus". after 80 BC) is made certain by the fact that the Jews now pay tribute to Rome (2 Macc 8:10,36). Such an invasion is not described in any other source, notably not appearing in 1 Maccabees which is eager to celebrate Judas's victories. They ironically take treasure from those who had come to enslave Jews for money, and distribute the first portion as charity to the mistreated, widows, and orphans before splitting the rest among themselves. Greetings and true peace. Nicanor's body is desecrated and his head is hung from the citadel in Jerusalem. [118], A commander named Timothy appears again in this chapter; per the earlier chapters, scholars disagree on whether this Timothy should be identified as the same as all, some, or none of the other references to a Seleucid official named Timothy. To the extent Antiochus IV worshiped gods other than Zeus, Apollo seems to have been his favorite. However, the writer's endorsement of Razis's action was awkward in the Catholic Church, which both considered the book inspired but also sharply disapproved of direct suicide.[155]. While there is a brief clash at Dessau between Simon's forces and Nicanor's army where Nicanor wins, he is hesitant to immediately resort to renewed war. After he returns to Antioch, Helidorus testifies to the power of God, and wryly suggests that Seleucus IV send some enemy of his to Jerusalem next, as he'll have him back flogged, if alive at all. He intends to attack on the Sabbath, knowing that the Jews will be unprepared to fight then. Another occupying army of Mysians, led by a commander named Apollonius, instigates a slaughter of Jews on the Sabbath when they are abstaining from labor (and presumably combat) via trickery. While it is possible that this statement was merely out of chronological order as describing what would happen when Antiochus arrived to expel Jason, Tcherikover believes this third force was who defeated Jason. 1 Maccabees, Daniel, the Testament of Moses, Josephus, Tacitus, Diodorus), and 2 Maccabees is considered a valuable source of details. Preparing for battle, Judas relates to his troops a dream vision he says he had. On the day that Helidorus and his entourage visit the temple's treasury, a fearful apparition of a horseman wearing golden armor appears. The Jews win the battle and slay 35,000 soldiers, including Nicanor himself. [175] To the extent that 2 Maccabees was intended as a "festal book" to be used as reading material during Nicanor's Day or Hanukkah, the establishment of the festival itself may have been a logical stopping point. The other Maccabees, 5 Maccabees, is also known as the Arabic 2 Maccabees, and was written much later. Timothy's local fortresses are conquered by Judas's men. The mention of Modein is also considered unreliable;[133] it is a famous location as where the Hasmoneans were living at the start of the revolt, but it is on the northwestern side of Jerusalem, while the rest of the account as well as 1 Maccabees suggests that the Seleucids approached from the southern route. The first two chapters are an introduction and not part of the main narrative, which begins in Chapter 3. [81], The basic historicity of what is described is plausible enough: that Antiochus went on a campaign in the east, was involved in the plunder of a temple, became sick, and died. Other Jews, however, were still agitating for more Hellenization. (2 Maccabees being written in around 125 BCpredating Philo by about a century). The books had separate authors. [172] In antiquity, "silent reading" was not common, and readers spoke aloud as they read, even if reading alone.[181]. [116], One minor shift in the narrative suggested by Daniel Schwartz and others is that the story in verses 17-19 of visiting the land of the Tobiads in Ammon would make more sense to chronologically come in between verses 1-9 (fighting in coastal cities) and verses 10-12 (a brief battle and then peace with some Arabs), which makes the geography of the travels line up better. [146], The opening of the chapter describes Demetrius arriving in Tripolis with a "strong force and fleet". [85], Jonathan Goldstein argues that the epitomist adjusted the account to attempt to support the Book of Daniel's prophecy where he could. [32][33], Theologically, the author emphasizes that the inviolability and holiness of the Temple stems from the people and their leaders, a theme seen in earlier Jewish writing as well. [71][72], Verses 30-33 are a story of how soldiers under Timothy (presumably Timothy of Ammon) and Bacchides were killed, along with Timothy's phylarch (literally "tribal leader", although perhaps meaning more a subcommander here). A Jewish traitor named Rhodocus is exposed as a spy and imprisoned. Monthly celebrations of the king's birthday were indeed a Ptolemaic custom, but are less well-attested in the wider Hellenistic world outside the mention here in 2 Maccabees; it is disputed whether this is merely due to evidence being lost or the epitomist erring. According to both Josephus and Acts 23, Sadducees denied resurrection, while Pharisees supported it. This would be the origin of what is now called the festival of Hanukkah, an eight-day celebration of the reclamation of the Temple. (1: . [99] Other scholars disagree that this was meant as an implicit criticism of Simon (and by extension, his descendents that ruled the Hasmonean kingdom) and just see the passage as glorifying Judas. Easton's Bible Dictionary This word does not occur in Scripture. The coastal city of Joppa lures local Jews onto boats, then sink them, killing 200 people. "[6] The year 188 of the Seleucid era (SE) is equivalent to 124123 BCE. The mother encourages her sons to continue to defy Antiochus during this. The letters which introduce 2 Maccabees ostensibly were written from Pal. [153][150] 2 Maccabees also depicts some of its villains as neutral at first who then choose to become evil before being punished by God; both Antiochus IV and Nicanor follow such a story arc. Horrific punishments are imposed on those who refuse. The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth brother are similarly tortured; they are scalped and their limbs cut off before being thrown into the cauldron to burn to death, although not before they declare their devotion to God, declare that Antiochus and his descendents will suffer similarly, and say that God will resurrect them some day. 2 Maccabees is a book of the Catholic Bible which focuses on the Jews' revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes and ends with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 BC by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work. If they existed at all, directly acknowledging these earlier, unsuccessful rebels would be unpalatable for the authors of both books of Maccabees, hence explaining the lack of direct reference to scholars who favor the theory.[48][49]. Timothy retreats to the stronghold of Gazara (Gezer?). As Eupator was only nine years old, it is generally considered that this passage was somehow garbled, whether via a scribal error, miswriting, or the epitomist exaggerating for impact. He captured strategic positions and put to flight not a few of the enemy. [55], The chapter sets up a contrast between Alcimus, who "defiled himself" during times of strife, and Razis, who remained "steadfast" during the earlier period and is now willing to gruesomely martyr himself rather than submit. He flings himself off the tower he is in, lands amidst the mob of soldiers, runs on top of a large rock while bleeding out, and takes his own innards out of his wound to throw at Nicanor's soldiers to ensure his death. Within the total of three days eighty thousand were destroyed, forty thousand in hand-to-hand fighting, and as many were sold into slavery as were killed. The narrative does not make clear whether it is describing the same expedition as in Chapter 11 that also went to Beth-zur, which is curious, as the book features good cross-referencing to earlier events in other places. The work is not a sequel to 1 Maccabees but rather its own independent rendition of . The general assessment is to treat the account here as of events from the second expedition of Lysias described in 1 Maccabees Chapter 6. It then segues into a brief summary of how the troubles began with High Priest Jason (described in Chapter 4), a reminder of how the Jews of Judea called out for aid from the Jews of Egypt in the past, and closes with the encouragement of Hanukkah celebration for diaspora Jews (1:9-1:10a): "And now see that you keep the festival of booths in the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and eighty-eighth year. Menelaus embezzles golden artifacts from the Temple to sell. [18][19] Robert Doran suggests that the concerns in the letter suggest a more settled state of affairs for when it was authored, perhaps during the reign of later Hasmonean kings such as John Hyrcanus or Alexander Jannaeus. Alcimus is appointed High Priest, while Nicanor is given the governorship of Judea. Verses 18-22 also discusses a story of Jews who participate in the Hellenistic world while still safeguarding their faith, another message that would resonate with diaspora Jews.[36]. Surprisingly, the two become friends, and the situation calms in Jerusalem. to Beth-zur, perhaps Rhodocus was passing information on supply routes into Beth-zur to the Seleucids. would have been an impressive feat, even if the claim of precisely 20 enemies killed by each soldier seems more numerological than historical. This differs from 1 Maccabees, which is substantially more dismissive of martyrs, considering them part of the problem. If interpreted as a reference to the letter originally being sent then, it would suggest that the form of 2 Maccabees we have today was arranged in that year or later. New officials are appointed to oversee the city, including an epistates named Philip. [84] De mortibus persecutorum is a famous Christian example of the genre from the 4th century. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin. There are a few differences, however. All Jerusalem prays for deliverance by God. It is a self-contained story and a prelude to the main history of the revolt, but establishes that God protects the Second Temple when his people and their leaders are faithful. The second letter to the Jews of Egypt in Chapter 2 expands on the theology of this re-lighting.[92][93]. Also, 1 Maccabees places the attack on Jerusalem slightly earlier, after Antiochus's first expedition to Egypt in 170/169 BCE rather than after the second expedition in 168 BCE. The section where Antiochus writes a deathbed epistle granting rights to the Jews is considered very unlikely to be historical, as it is exactly what Jews of the era would most want to fabricatea document declaring that their rights and privileges were protected by royal decree. Judas's men thank them and peaceably proceed back to Jerusalem in time for the Festival of Weeks, also known as Pentecost in Greek. Chapter 9 reported that he had already gone into exile in Egypt, but that is more likely to be a case of out-of-order sequencing. However, several of the later documents make more sense for happening after the first expedition. After the festival is finished, the Maccabees fight Gorgias in Idumea, who has an army of 3,000 soldiers and 400 cavalry. The theological intent is to tie Judas's cleansed temple to the original First Temple and establish it as equally legitimate. Onias III accuses Menelaus of the crime, then seeks sanctuary at a Greek shrine in Daphne. A brief passage in 2 Maccabees provides a meaningful explanation for why the festival lasts eight days per se: Jews and righteous Greeks alike petition the king for justice for Andronicus's murder of Onias; Antiochus IV agrees and executes Andronicus on the same spot he killed Onias. Chapter 12 discusses struggles between the Jews and their neighbors in the greater Palestine region. [36] Simon, from Chapter 3, continues his dispute with Onias III; Onias complains to the king about him. The second letter, from 1:10b to 2:18, is purportedly a letter from the gerusia (Council of Elders) of Jerusalem and Judas Maccabeus upon receiving news of the death of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes but before the celebration of the first feast of the Dedication of the Temple (Hanukkah), and thus an earlier letter than the first one. Conscripted Jews in his army complain about the plan. [39], The death of Onias III can be loosely dated to 170 BCE based on archaeological evidence, such as a cuneiform Babylonian kings list that seem to mention the death of the young son of Seleucus IV that Diodorus referenced as the reason of Andronicus's execution in 170 BCE. Another chronology issue is that verses 2-3 seem to indicate that sacrifices had stopped at the temple for a period of two years before Judas reinstated them. [42][43], The history found here largely matches what is described in 1 Maccabees, with two notable departures. He hurriedly moves to make peace with the Jews so that he can return and address the problem, and gives the temple its proper honor. That 2 Maccabees was written subsequently to 1 Maccabees (i.e. [28], The basic historicity of such a tax dispute is uncontested. It opens with a salutation and stylized expressions of good will. 2 Maccabees is saying that the same can be said of man's creation: he was not created of things which God did not create, but, utlimately, from His ex nihilo creation: . It is still considered an important source on the Maccabean Revolt by Jews, Protestants, and secular historians of the period who do not necessarily hold the book as part of a scriptural canon. He is clearly someone possessed of a strong education in both Greek literature and Judaism. With God's aid, he takes the city and slaughters the inhabitants. Presumably this is because the epitomist found the overall success of Bacchides embarrassing and against the theme of the work; according to 1 Maccabees, Bacchides' first expedition was uncontested, and he later killed Judas at Elasa. Since Philo, who died about 40 AD, refers to 2 Macc 4:8-7:42 (Quod omnis probus liber, Works, edition Mangey, II, 459), the book must have been composed before 40 AD. Contents: Introduction -- The content and character of Second Maccabees -- The sources of First Maccabees and the abridged history -- The historical methods of Jason of Cyrene -- When were the histories written and how are they interrelated? [81] Additionally, historians generally agree with the timing implied in 2 Maccabees of Antiochus's death occurring before the cleansing of the temple, which archaeological evidence seems to support, against the chronology given in 1 Maccabees of this happening afterward. [96] It is also possible that both accounts are correct, and the issue is more of 2 Maccabees describing events out-of-order. However, he apparently needed to get confirmation to stay in his role from the new king. The one hundred and sixty-ninth year: i.e., of the Seleucid era, 143 B.C. Onias III says that Jeremiah is praying for all the people of Israel and Jeremiah gives Judas a golden sword. The mention of scythed chariots is also considered unreliable; if the Seleucids even still maintained any and had brought them, they would probably not have been taken into Judea's hilly interior, as they were a weapon that only functioned on flat lowlands such as the coast where they could get to a high enough speed. Chapter 15 is also one of the earliest references to the Jewish festival of Purim. According to 1 Maccabees 13:3142, the nascent Hasmonean state was dealing with the hostile Diodotus Tryphon at the time, and allied with Demetrius II against him. [Lysias] got word that Philip, who had been left in charge of the government, had revolted in Antioch; he was dismayed, called in the Jews, yielded and swore to observe all their rights, settled with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary, and showed generosity to the holy place. Judas then fights a commander named Timothy (possibly Timothy of Ammon?) The altar fire came from heaven to Solomon; Jeremiah hid the Temple items and the fire as a way of ensuring the survival of the Temple for the future in a way beyond the reach of foreign rule during the Babylonian exile; Nehemiah rediscovered it; and now Judas had reignited this same fire reaching all the way back to heaven. Antiochus repents and vows to set Jerusalem free, raise the Jews to the status of Greeks, restore the plundered treasures of the Temple, and to become a Jew himself. The Second Book of the Maccabees If that is what is meant, it goes against 1 Maccabees and Josephus, which seem to indicate that sacrifices were paused for a period of three or three and a half years. [78], The insistence on the importance of the resurrection suggests that the matter may have been a relevant theological dispute in the era. The only reason the rout is not more complete is that it is the day before the Sabbath, and the Jews do not wish to continue their pursuit into the day of rest. Whether the epitomist is claiming there was only one expedition, or if he is claiming that there were two expeditions that both took place after the cleansing of the Temple, there is out-of-order sequencing going on where this passage describes the pre-cleansing campaign despite being placed later, or the epitomist simply made mistakes and conflated separate events across both campaigns into one narrative, is disputed. Upon investigation, it is found that all of the dead soldiers had forbidden idols looted from Jamnia in their tunics (rather than destroying them as they should have), and this was the reason God had allowed them to fall. It depicts the turbulent temple politics of 175168 BCE that saw the succession of Onias III, Jason, and Menelaus as High Priest. When exactly the battles described afterward occurred is unclear, although they seem likely to be part of the Maccabee campaigns of 163 BCE. However, as per the habit of the epitomist, these accounts are bracketed with prayers, and there is a divine intervention. While Athens was not part of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV had spent part of his life in exile there, where he presumably made friends and allies. For 2 Maccabees, martyrs are a way of showing God that Jews are still loyal, and are ready to be reconciled with God. [69], Judas mentions earlier battles in his speech; the allusion to Sennacherib is a reference to the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, mentioned in both 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37. The historian Polybius describes in his Histories how the Roman Senate sought to make the Seleucid government weak and compliant, and Rome encouraging splinter groups with promises fits what is known of Roman foreign policy in the period. Traditional Jews may know that Hanukkah lasts eight days because that miraculous cruse of oil lasted that long. This was likely a way to update the Deuteronomist view of history, which suggested the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked punished; a future resurrection would ensure that the righteous would eventually be properly justified, even if delayed. Nicanor and his troops advanced with trumpets and battle-songs, but Judas and his troops met the enemy in battle with invocations to God and prayers. The people of Jerusalem and of Judea and the Council of Elders and Judas, [42], The author is intent on showing that God is in control of history in his theology. While this does cause Jason's downfalla just reward to the authorit also leads to mass misery as Jews are robbed, enslaved, and killed in the resulting sack of the city. He is struck by divine disease of the entrails after blaspheming a threat to turn Jerusalem into a vast Jewish cemetery. Timothy is found hiding and is slain, as well as two commanders named Chaereas and Apollophanes. It may have been the author choosing a famous Persian city if he knew Antiochus was in Persia without further details, or a scribal error where "Persis" was misread as a city rather than a region. Jonathan A. Goldstein makes an argument that the epilogue suggests that Jason's history indeed went further, as the epitomist declines to say that Jason's history stopped hence his abridgment stopping as well. The Book of Daniel describes the King of the North's end in 11:44-45: "he shall go out with great fury to bring ruin and complete destruction to many. Demetrius would presumably have concentrated most of his forces to oppose Timarchus during this time period, and the narrative itself already recounts that Nicanor was reduced to conscripting local Jews, suggesting that there were not even close to 35,000 Seleucid soldiers at the battle, let alone casualties. [131] No motive is given for the campaign here; according to 1 Maccabees, the Seleucids were trying to relieve a Maccabee siege of the Acra in Jerusalem. The author accuses High Priest Jason of treating lightly the ancestral rights and guarantees of autonomy to the Jews with his innovations, and being impious and unpriestly. While Alcimus clearly did become a Seleucid collaborator, it would make more sense for the government to have picked a Jew in good standing for the role; conversely, Maccabee-friendly sources would have wanted to discredit Alcimus to make his decision to serve the government as the choice of someone already untrustworthy and corrupt. [103], As usual, the depiction of the battle at Beth Zur is not given much credence, and the troop numbers are wildly exaggeratedfeeding such a gigantic group would have been impossible. [163], In Judas's dream he relates to his troops, Jeremiah is said to pray for all the people. It was the name given to the leaders of the national party among the Jews who suffered in the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes, who succeeded to the Syrian throne B.C. As throughout the volume, the casualty counts are considered wildly exaggerated. 175. The epitomist describes the return of the Seleucid forces from Judea as due to political concerns with Philip rather than a military defeat, suggesting he knew about the Seleucid success but did not wish to bring it up; in 1 Maccabees, the Seleucids do retake Jerusalem and tear down the Temple wall, while this account implies the Seleucids never got that far. Given its placement immediately after a statement that Judas sent "whatever was necessary" (supplies?) [51][56], The scene has been compared to the death of Socrates as both being exemplars of Hellenistic ideals of a noble and proper death. Perhaps the best-known explanation is that the word "Maccabee" comprises the initial letters of a verse the Jewish people sang after Gd split the sea: "Mi kamocha ba'eilim Hashem ( ), "Who is like You among the mighty, O Gd ." It is said that this phrase was the Maccabean battle cry, written upon their banners and shields. The scholar Victor Tcherikover is generally credited with raising this idea, on the basis that a mere dispute over which official held the position of High Priest would be unlikely to lead to the havoc described. Some sort of civil disorder is plausible, but this is presumably an "improvement" on the actual incident to emphasize Lysimachus's just punishment by God. [15] Presumably, Egyptian Jews needed convincing, as the feast of Hanukkah was a new invention not described in the Hebrew Bible. "[61] It again emphasizes the view of the epitomist that God controls the world and even the sufferings of Jews are his will, with Antiochus only serving as God's instrument. [104] Daniel R. Schwartz suggests that Chapters 10 and 11 might have come from some secondary source other than Jason of Cyrene's history, explaining why they seemingly duplicate material seen elsewhere. The epitomist describes Antiochus more as enraged and in thrall to his emotions, rather than being cold-blooded in his evil. Other possible readings exist as well, if it is assumed a confused scribe made a transcription error at some point. [91], The somewhat vague account of the re-lighting of the temple fire is likely due to Jewish belief and expectation that the altar fire would be somehow blessed, and should ideally come directly from God himself. Most scholars consider both these accounts are considered less reliable than 2 Maccabees: they are written much later; Josephus appears to contradict and correct his own history of the high priests in his Jewish Antiquities; and Diodorus's account is not strictly contradictory to the version in 2 Maccabees, if Andronicus was executed for multiple accumulated crimes over time and the author of 2 Maccabees chose to emphasize the one he cared about.

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