Title: The Maccabees
1The Maccabees
By Brandon Beavers Edgar Velazquez
2Who Were the Maccabees???
- The Maccabees is the name given to The Hasmonean
Family of Matthias and his Five sons. Judah
(Judas Maccabeus), Eleazer, John, Jonathan, and
Simon. - They were responsible for The rebellion of the
Jews against Hellenistic rule, standing up for
their faith, and standing up for their People - The Jews were angry at the fact that Antiochus
IV outlawed the following of biblical
commandments forced to worship stone deities and
forced to eat pork all on pain of torture and
death
3Who were the Maccabees??? cont.
- Antiochus believed the Jewish Religion turned
them into rebels, he was mistaken. Evan though
the Jews rioted against the high priest, Their
religion disapproved of rebellion against the
king. - They could not break the commandments even
though they were being forced to do so by pain of
death yet could not rebel against the king.
Theyre only choice seemed to be Martyrdom
- Mattathias, father of the Hasmonean family, broke
with the belief of peaceful resistance and took
arms against the oppressive Hellenistic rule, AND
the Jews who acquiesced, or complied without
protest. - He was considered sinful, and had Little
support. He died at the command of only a small
gorilla band.
4Judas Maccabeus ( Maccabee )
- He was the third of the Five sons of Matthias.
He, along with his brothers, John, Simon,
Eleazer, and Jonathan - They were Charged with the Continuation of the
rebellion their father had started. - Judas was the military chief
- was able to conduct a hit-and-run Gorilla war
against Antiochuss troops. - Defeated Apollonius and recruits poured into his
army.
- Turned from a Priest to a great Military captain
- Was hailed as a Savior
5- He tried to mold himself after Alexander the
Great. He tried to make a universal Hellenistic
religion
Antiochus IV
Women who had had their children circumcised were
put to death...with their babies hung round their
necks."Â Â Â Â Â - I Maccabees 160, 61
- Began Anti-Jewish Campaign in 167 B.C.
- Abolished the Sabbath day of rest
- Prohibited circumcision
- Erected statues of Zeus and sacrificed pigs in
Jewish Temples - Had anyone Burnt alive for following the rules
or the Torah
Was also considered An Anti-Christby the Jews
6The Five Books of Maccabees
( Maccabees 1 )
Maccabees 1 the first of the five books.
Maccabees 1and 2 are the only two considered by
the church to be canonical (generally accepted).
It describes the war that erupted in Israel in
167 B.C. when a Syrian king, Antiochus IV
Epiphanies, decided to force the Jews to give up
their religion and start worshipping Greek gods.
He killed 40,000 Jews, enslaved 40,000 others,
turned the Jerusalem Temple into a temple for the
Greek god Zeus, and ordered Jews to offer
sacrifices to the Greek deities.
1
7Maccabees 2
- It includes important information on the ark of
the covenant Where it is now, hidden by prophet
Jeremiah, and his impressive specific prophesy
about the end of times - It has a historical information about Antiochus
IV Epiphanies, the type of the type of the
antichrist in the Book of Daniel - a description of the popular Hanukkah, the Feast
of Lights in December, celebrating the
restoration of the Temple
- As is 1 Maccabees,it is a historical narrative
and tells the inspiring story of the Jewish
people fighting for the right to worship God. \ - Was Written in Hebrew
- This is not as it may seem, a continuation of
Maccabees
8Maccabees 3, 4, 5
- Maccabees 3
- Was written in the first century B.C tells of
the struggles of Egyptian Jews under the tyranny
of King Ptolemy IV it is not about the Maccabees.
It is not included in the Catholic nor Protestant
Bibles
Maccabees 4 It was written during the time of
Jesus. It praises the Maccabees for the good they
did for their faith. It is primarily a
philosophical discussion of the primacy of reason
Maccabees 5 This particular book contains a
history of the Jews from 184 B.C. to 86 B.C.
9The Seven Martyr Brothers
- their Story is located in Maccabees 2 ch 7
- Mother and her seven children are tortured and
killed for refusing to eat pork, against Jewish
religion. - The first brother spoke, "What do you intend to
ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die
rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.
Macc. 2 ch72 His tongue hands, and feet were
cut off - When he was utterly helpless, the king
(Antiochus) ordered them to take him to the fire,
still breathing, and to fry him in a pan
Maccabees 2 ch75
- After the first brother had died in this way,
they brought forward the second for their sport.
They tore off the skin of his head with the hair
Macc. 2 ch 77 - The king had the others Tortured and killed in
similar ways. - The mother was then killed after watching all
her children pass all in a hoard fashion.
10Hanukkah
Festival of Lights Jewish Holiday which is
celebrated for eight days starting December 25.
According to Jewish Tradition, The Maccabees
entered the Holy Temple In Judea (modern day
Israel) To find it Overgrown with weeds and
filled with garbage. The Greco-Sumerians had
defiled the Temple. They had also defiled the
sacred oil used to light the Menorah
They only Had enough oil to last 1 day, and it
would take a week to process more Purified oil.
But by some Miraculous event the oil lasted for 8
days enough time to make the oil needed.
A Menorah is a stand placed in Jewish Temples
that is a symbol of the nation of Israel. They
Believe light is not a violent force. And Jews
want to set an example by
Not using force.
11Thank You
We would like to thank to the Following
- http//www.mystae.com/restricted/reflections/messi
ah/maccabees.htm - http//www.usccb.org/nab/bible/1maccabees/intro.h
tm - http//biblia.com/bible/maccabees.htm
- http//judaism.about.com/od/chanukah/a/hanukkahst
ory.htm - www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ jsource/History/Mac
cabees.html - http//www.ccel.org/wwsb/1Maccabees/
- www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/
Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History__Part_29_-_The_Revo
lt_of_the_Maccabees.asp
12Encyclopedia Americana 1998 vol 18 grolier
Incorporated Danbury, Conn BOOK OF MACCABEES
1,2,3,4