Chapter 4 - Maccabees PDF

MACCABEES Lesson 4  Lesson Objectives To learn about the history of the rise and fall of the Maccabees.  Introduction You have learned that with the death of King Solomon, kingdom of Israel was divided into two. King Solomon reigned in the 10th...

MACCABEES Lesson 4  Lesson Objectives To learn about the history of the rise and fall of the Maccabees.  Introduction You have learned that with the death of King Solomon, kingdom of Israel was divided into two. King Solomon reigned in the 10th century BC. During the period of 10 centuries between Solomon’s death and the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) the Jews remained as a free and united nation only for about 100 years during the time of the Maccabees. The era of the prophets were ended by the end of the prophecy of Malachi in 444 B.C. There after John the Baptist appeared as prophet in 26 A.D. The 400 years in between these are days of affliction for the Israelites. They were subdued by Greeks and Persians. With the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek emperor, his kingdom was divided between his army chiefs. Seleucus I, called Nicator received the vast area consisting of Syria and Judea. ( 175 B.C.). In 63 B.C. the Roman General Pompey defeated the Greeks. As a result the Israelites came under the Romans. At the time of the birth of Jesus, Judea was under the Roman rule.  The Maccabees Maccabees stood up to preserve true faith when the Jews were under Greek rule. An old priest named Mattathias lived in Modein about 27 Km. north west of Jerusalem. He had five sons- John, Simon, Judas , Eleazer and Jonathan. When Antiochus Epiphanes became King of Judea he persecuted the Jews, and carried away all the valuables from the Temple. He had plundered the Temple and stopped sacrifices in the name of Lord. He installed an idol of jupiter, a greek god at the most holy place of the Lord, He set fire to the holy book of Jews and stopped the circumcision and Sabbath practices. He forced Jews to make sacrifices of swine to idols. He put to the death of the jews who did not obey his orders.  Judas Maccabees An officer from the king Epiphanes arrived Modein and installed an idol there. He compelled Mattathias to sacrifice to the idol. He refused and killed the officer. Knowing that its consequences would be devastating, he fled to the mountains with his sons and stayed there in dens and started the revolt against the government. Faithful Jews also joined them. Thus in 167 B.C. Maccabees revolution started. The group elected Judas, the third son of Mattathias as their leader. He accepted the name ‘Maccabees’, meaning ‘hammer’. After the prolonged struggle of five years, the revolutionaries captured Jerusalem. They purified the Temple and rededicated the Temple for the regular worship of God. In commemoration of this rededication of the Temple, a festival was conducted every year. This is the festival of Dedication mentioned in the gospel (John 20:22). In honour of Judas Maccabees, their family line was called Maccabees.  The death of 1st generation of Maccabees After giving valiant leadership for six years, Judas Maccabees was killed in a battle at Elasa. Then his younger brother Jonathan took up leadership. He reigned for 18 years and in 142 B.C, he was treacherously killed at Ptolemias. After the death of Jonathan, his elder brother Simon became the leader. In 134 B.C. he was also killed in by his son in -law , Ptolemy. Eleazar and John, the other two sons of Mattathias were killed in an earlier battle. With this death the first generation of Maccabees came to an end.  2nd generation of Maccabees After the death of Simon, his son John Hyrcanus reigned as high priest for 30 years. He died in 104 B.C at an old age. During his reign Judea had annexed all its territories and the country prospered. When John Hyrcanus died, his eldest son Aristobulus became high priest. After a year, he died and his youngest brother Alexander Janneus became ruler. He ruled for 27 years. During this period, the Pharisees and Sadducees quarreled each other and it led to a civil war in the country. In 76.B.C., Alexander Janneus died. After his death, his wife Salomi Alexander took over the reign and ruled for 9 years. When she died in 67 B.C., her two children Hyrcanus II and Aristoblus II both put up their claims to the throne.  2nd generation of Maccabees At first Hyrcanus II succeeded and he became ruler. After about 3 month, Aristobulus usurped to throne. Hyrcanus sought the help of the Arabs and sent one of his aids, Antipator, an Edomite to negotiate with Arabs. (Herod who was son of this Antipator ruled Judea at the time of the birth of Jesus). While these two brothers fought each other for the title, Pompey, a Roman General reached Damascus on his journey in BC 63. Both the brothers sought the help from Pompey. Instead of helping them, he defeated both of them and took over possession of Jerusalem. Thus, the rule of Maccabees which lasted for about a century came to an end. A family which fought to establish true faith and restore the Temple was shattered by their own descendants who fought among themselves for power. In 63 B.C the Romans took over Judea and the Jews lost their freedom.