Judah and his maccabees book

Judah chapters 39, jonathan chapters 912 and simon chapters 16. The main point of separation between judas maccabaeus and the apostle paul is the atonement. The name means hammer and it was given to them because they were known to beat the seleucid forces in a powerful striking manner. Chapter one after alexander, son of philip the macedonian, who came from the land of kittim, had defeated king darius of the persians and the medes, he succeeded him as king. The author, no doubt, knew that judah was killed the following year, but the continuity of the hasmonean dynasty was not what his story was about. The book of 1 maccabees describes judah s heroism, championing him as one who brought his. He led the maccabean revolt against the seleucid empire 167160 bce the jewish holiday of hanukkah dedication commemorates the restoration of jewish worship at the temple in jerusalem in 164 bce, after judah maccabeus removed all of the statues depicting greek gods and goddesses and purified it. The silent years series are not connected to each other, so you dont need to read the first one prior to judah s wife, though i recommend it as ms. The name maccabee was a personal epithet of judah, and the later generations were not his direct descendants. He died in the hills and his son judah the maccabee took charge of the small rebel group. By the end of the war, simon was the only one of the five sons of mattathias to survive and he ushered in an 80year period of jewish independence in judea, as the land of israel was now called.

For judah, it is involved large sacrifices in hope of a better resurrection and a need to appear noble. The first book of maccabees praises judah s valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made judah a natural choice for the new commander. The first book of maccabees praises judahs valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made judah a natural choice for the new. Maccabees, also spelled machabees, flourished 2nd century bce, palestine, priestly family of jews who organized a successful rebellion against the seleucid ruler antiochus iv and reconsecrated the defiled temple of jerusalem historical context of the maccabees.

Judah reestablished as a theocracy full independence only from 12963 bc. Soon several others began joining the group until they numbered about 200. Virtually all that is known about judah maccabee is contained in the books of the maccabees in the apocrypha and in josephus, largely dependent on this source. Although this is not one of the seven required feasts of the mosaic law spelled out in leviticus 23, this 8day holiday celebrates the. First maccabees written circa 4104 bce and describing the period of 1665 bce is devoted to presenting the maccabean dynasty, from mattathias through his son judah, to jonathan and simon who became high priests and gained political independence. In the early days of the rebellion, judah received a. 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. The name maccabee is often used as a synonym for the entire hasmonean dynasty, but the maccabees proper were judah maccabee and his four brothers.

Hunt brings to life one segment of the silent years of israels history. Judah maccabee was one of the leaders of the jewish guerilla freedom fighters who drove the seleucid greek occupiers out of judea in 9 bce. Verdict a visually appealing book that uses the character of judah maccabee to raise awareness about the importance of vaccines for children. My only complaint is that towards the end all the battles started to blur together and there was a point where. The miraculous story of the courageous maccabees is told through the eyes of judahs wife, who learns that love requires courage.

The books of the maccabees, four books, none of which is in the hebrew bible but all of which appear in some manuscripts of the septuagint. A novel of the maccabees is the second book in the silent years series. Judas maccabaeus frees judah amazing bible timeline with. Together, they embark on a struggle for the survival of the jewish people against the powerful seleucid empire. A series of apocryphal books that are not included in the jewish and protestant canons of the old testament though four of them appear in the greek septuagint, centering mostly around the maccabean revolt 1st maccabees is the story of judah maccabee and his two brothers the hasmoneans as they led judea through the period of the revolt 2nd maccabees focuses mostly on. Dec 04, 2018 in spinoffs from his thesis that appeared in the academic journal zion in1973 and 1974, barkochva distinguished between the period prior to the purification of the temple in 164 b. Together the characters form an interesting, historical narrative.

They do progress chronologically, so reading them in order may help with historical context. A story of the courageous maccabees told through the eyes of judahs wife leah. Shawn kirchner, revoiced for ttbb by kathleen mcguire with james lesui, soloist. The three ethiopian books of meqabyan quite distinct works from the other four books of maccabees, which are canonical in the ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church, also refer to the maccabee martyrs. Judah maccabee was one of the leaders of the jewish guerilla freedom fighters who drove the seleucid greek occupiers out of judea in 9 bce judah was the eldest son of mattathias the son of jochanan, the high priest, who instigated the revolt by killing the greek official nikanor after a pig was slaughtered in the holy temple. The silent years series are not connected to each other, so you dont need to read the first one prior to judahs wife, though i recommend it as ms. A few years ago, i was having dinner with christopher hitchens, who had recently launched an excoriating attack on judah maccabee in his. Mattathias and his sons lived in modein about 25 miles northwest of jerusalem. Books of maccabees encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. The king issues a decree requiring all jews to conform to greek laws, customs, and religion.

He was the third of five sons of mattathias, a hasmonean and a jewish priest. In the second title in her silent years series, following egypts sister, hunt continues to breathe new life into our understanding of the 400 years between the old and new testaments by telling. A little bit of rap, a little bit of gospel, a little bit of humor, and a whole lot of soul. Those hellenistic and hellenizing maccabees and pharisees. Prior to his death in 166 bce, mattathias decreed that judas would assume leadership of the revolt. Later, the name the maccabees was extended to include his whole family, specifically mattathias his father and judas four brothersjohn, simon, eleazar, and jonathan.

Scholars believe that the author was a palestinian jew who was intimately familiar with the events described. After mattathias death about one year later in 166 bce, his son judas maccabee led an army of jewish dissidents to victory over the seleucid dynasty in guerrilla warfare, which at first was directed against hellenizing jews, of whom there were many. Judah and those who remained faithful to him were killed. The maccabees were originally known as the hasmoneans but earned the title of maccabees during their revolt. The exploits of judah maccabee galilee of the nations. Since 3 maccabees also deals with a foreign powers attempt to hellenize the jews, there is some merit to this suggestion. Jan 02, 2020 after his death, maccabeus or maccabee became the family name so his brothers and even his father are referred to as the maccabees also called the hasmoneans, and the revolt is referred to as the maccabean revolt. Mattathias and his five sons fled the city and hid in the surrounding hills. His brothers names were eleazar, simon, jochanan, and jonathan.

Wikimedia commons hanukkah, the jewish festival of lights, celebrates the maccabean revolt 167160 bce, and the narrative that jewish rebel judas maccabeus vanquished the evil greek emperor antiochus and rededicated the temple, at which the miracle of the oil occurred. When the old testament closes, the people of israel have returned from the babylonian exile, and the work of rebuilding has begun. The first of these books states that their father was a benjamite named maccabeus, and that three of the brothers, who are called abya, seela, and fentos, were captured and martyred for leading a guerilla war against antiochus epiphanes. Jews continue struggle to maintain their religion and culture. The book of 1 maccabees in the apocrypha describes vividly some of the atrocities committed to the jewish people under the regime of antiochus iv. He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth.

Dec 01, 2016 judah the maccabee is the central figure of the hanukkah story. The name maccabee was a title of honour given to judas, a son of mattathias and the hero of the jewish wars of independence, 168164 bce. Hellenists attempt to destroy judaism by enforcing greek culture. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download.

Composed by his fatherinlaw, shlomo naftali hertz jonas, who was also put in jail, this short piece bore the seemingly pious title of mitzvot. 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. Ive enjoyed previous books by angela hunt and was excited to have an opportunity to read more. The resistance that judah the hammer and his comrades put forth against their opponents required tenacity, courage, and faith, qualities deserving of our attention and imitation. The second book of the maccabees is not a continuation of the first one, but an account of the same events from a different perspective. Afterwards, he and his five sons fled to the wilderness of judah. The story was focused more around judah and the maccabees than the relationship between leah and judah. Author bio the author of more than 100 published books and with more than 5 million copies of her books sold worldwide, angela hunt is the new york times bestselling author of the note, the. Its name in the septuagint and in the writings of the church fathers eusebius and clement is. The first book of maccabees in order that he might reign over. Judahs wife is the second book in hunts silent years series. The syrian king was set on hellenizing all of his conquered territories and the people therein. The letter from judah maccabee to aristobulus is 2. First maccabees describes the jewish struggle for independence from the tyranny of antiochus epiphanes in 175 b.

Cal poly concert choir performs this award winning contemporary choral hanukkah. After mattathias death about one year later in 166 bce, his son judah maccabee led an army of jewish dissidents to victory over the seleucid dynasty in guerrilla warfare, which at first was directed against hellenized jews, of. Why the maccabees arent in the bible my jewish learning. The name maccabee was a title of honour given to judas, a son of mattathias and the hero of the jewish wars of independence, 168. The original hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the greek translation contained in the septuagint. Wikimedia commons hanukkah, the jewish festival of lights, celebrates the maccabean revolt 167160 bce, and the narrative that jewish rebel judas maccabeus vanquished the evil greek emperor antiochus and rededicated the temple, at which the. Some scholars consider the book to be a kind of introduction to the books of maccabees, and cotton for one has located it first in his five books of maccabees. In megillat antiochus, a posttalmudic and quite spiritless account that was read at the hanukkah festival in the middle ages, mattathias and his grandson, john hyrcanus but not judah are the principal figures.

He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. Alexander the great after alexander son of philip, the macedonian, who came from the land of kittim, had defeated king darius of the persians and the medes, he succeeded him as king. Sep 09, 2011 a few years ago, i was having dinner with christopher hitchens, who had recently launched an excoriating attack on judah maccabee in his book, god is not great hitchens blames judah maccabee for. So judah and his men ended up laying siege to the town until it fell, and they slaughtered all the men there and plundered it and marched through over the dead bodies. The book caught my attention right away and i wanted to keep reading it to find out what happened next. Judah s wife begins in 168 bc, a time when the hellenistic influences of the era were undermining the culture and worship of israel. Judah the maccabee is the central figure of the hanukkah story. The author drew from the history recorded in the apocrypha. His body was taken by his brothers from the battlefield and buried in the family sepulcher in modiin. That and the historical details she included gave an authenticity to the book. His successors prove to be varying degrees of evil. 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. The book of maccabee tells us that many of the jewish fighters were afraid. Judas maccabeus used his troops to fight a guerilla war against the seleucids.

Judah and his maccabees boston gay mens chorus youtube. Judah maccabee and his brothers, and the hellenizer eupolemus. Hanukkah in the book of maccabees galilee of the nations. Each novel is a standalone and can be read independently of each other. Oct 29, 2015 the seleucids were bereft of hope as judah drove the enemy out of the holy city. Judah, his father mattathias, and judahs four brothers are all historical figures as are the greek seleucid conquerors. The novel introduces the reader to judah maccabeus and his family. The story is told through the first person pov of judah and his wife, leah.

It was only during the middle ages, thanks to the hebrew compilation called josippon, composed on the basis. Verdict hunts egypts sister latest series puts a human face on an a momentous event in ancient historythe maccabean revolt of 167160 bceby presenting it from the perspective of judahs wife. Judah maccabee was a jewish priest kohen and a son of the priest mattathias. The miraculous story of the courageous maccabees is told through the eyes of judah s wife, who learns that love requires courage. The books of the maccabees biblical literature britannica. The author opposed the hellenization of the jews and clearly supported and admired the jewish revolutionaries led by judas maccabeus and his brothers. Antiochus epiphanes starts the whole situation in 1st maccabees.

The first book of maccabees in order that he might reign. When i first read one of hunts book esther i was unsure if i wanted to dive into her work because most historical fiction books, the biblical ones, have very. A rebel fighter who turned out to be a military genius, judah took over leadership of the rebellion upon his fathers death, overthrowing the syrian greek army and restoring the temple in jerusalem. Judas maccabeus was a priest who led the revolt against the seleucid empire in israel in the second century bc. When mattathias died, the revolt was led by his son judas, or judah maccabee, as he is often called. Jan 02, 2020 the book of 1 maccabees was written in hebrew and later translated into greek. Published on jan 2, 2019 judah and his maccabees by karen hart, piano acc.

He and his five sons fled to the wilderness of judah. Maccabee had emulated nehemiah in the collection of sacred books. Dec, 2017 even after mattathias died, the rebellion continued under his sons. The rise of the maccabees lions of judea book 1 paperback june 16, 2019. The first book of maccabees i maccabees is historical work extant in greek, covering the period of 40 years from the accession of antiochus epiphanes 175 b. Leah is unhappy with her husbands decision and struggles to understand a god who would foster death and destruction in his wake.

In spinoffs from his thesis that appeared in the academic journal zion in1973 and 1974, barkochva distinguished between the period prior to the purification of the temple in 164 b. When judah and his brothers went to the temple, he saw the destruction and defilement that antiochus caused upon it and was overwhelmed by grief i maccabees 4. But the artist clearly knew his old testament, and although he himself must have been surrounded by holy statuary, he has judah perform this task by tearing down small sculptures obviously intended to. Judas maccabeus, also called judah maccabee, maccabeus also spelled maccabaeus, died 161160 bce, jewish guerrilla leader who defended his country from invasion by the seleucid king antiochus iv epiphanes, preventing the imposition of hellenism upon judaea, and preserving the jewish religion. After mattathiass death in 166 bce, judah assumed leadership of the revolt in accordance with the deathbed disposition of his father. The book of maccabees says merely that the temple had been defiled and that judah cleansed it. Having grown up with a cruel father, leah yearns for a future of peace, safety, and protection. Judah maccabee was one of the leaders of the jewish guerilla freedom fighters who drove the seleucid greek occupiers out of judea in 9 bce judah was the eldest son of mattathias the son of jochanan, the high priest, who instigated the revolt by killing the greek official nikanor after a pig was slaughtered in the holy temple judah and his brothers were fierce fighters, described by the. When she marries judah maccabee a strong and gentle man, she feels she can rest. The women of the family, including judahs wife, leah, are fictitious.