Judah and his wife, leah share their story of fighting for the freedom of. The first book of maccabees praises judahs valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made judah a natural choice for the new. Judah the maccabee is the central figure of the hanukkah story. She knocks over his block tower, spits out her food, and follows him around. The rebellions leader was judas maccabee, and from his family and its success sprang a dynasty that ruled judah for the century before the arrival of herod the great. Judah and his followers purged the temple precinct of all remnants of the foreign gods and their sacrifices. His body was taken by his brothers from the battlefield and buried in the family sepulcher in modiin. Judah maccabee was a jewish priest kohen and a son of the priest mattathias.
The name maccabee was a personal epithet of judah, and the later generations were not his direct descendants. His mother sima cohen kobby,was a nurse and a house maker,while his father judah maccabee kobby, was a merchant marine and a restaurant owner. Still the greeks are here, still we yield in fear, cringe and cower. 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. 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. It is an abridgment of a larger work of five books. Judah was called maccabee, a word composed of the initial letters of the four hebrew words mi kamocha baeilim hashem, who is like you, o g. He was the third of five sons of mattathias, a hasmonean and a jewish priest. A novel of the maccabees the silent years hunt, angela on. Then in the month of kislev december 164 bce, after antiochuss death, judah and the rebels entered jerusalem, where the temple was in ruins. When mattathias died, the revolt was led by his son judas, or judah maccabee, as he is often called.
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. Even if judah had been trying to save joseph, the classical rabbinical sources still regard him negatively for it. The reality is, however, that purgatory is not even found in the apocryphal books, nor would it be a biblical teaching even if it was. Theres no greater gift one can give their children than the gift of a vaccination. I enjoyed the story of leah and judah but was disappointed that it did not follow jewish tradition. The author drew from the history recorded in the apocrypha. The nickname maccabeus probably meant the hammerer. Nov 26, 20 judah the maccabees battle plan is still studied in military colleges all over the world, including west point and sandhurst. Following their initial victories, the jews retook jerusalem and its holy temple.
By the candles light kindled here tonight, do i vow to fight for the truth. His brothers names were eleazar, simon, jochanan, and jonathan. I have been teaching second grade, religious school, for the last 8 years in a secondary education program at my temple in raleigh, nc. Judas maccabeus led the jewish people in recapturing their temple from syrian occupying forces in 164 b. Jan 02, 2020 the first book portrays the effort by the jews to regain their cultural and religious independence from antiochus iv epiphanes after his desecration of the jewish temple. 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. Dec 01, 2016 judah the maccabee is the central figure of the hanukkah story. Judah maccabee or judas maccabeus, also spelled machabeus, or maccabaeus, hebrew. On the prowl for the real judah and the rest of the maccabees.
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 events behind the festival of hanukkah are found in the apocryphal book of 1 maccabees. 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. First book of maccabees, pt 1 of 3, new american bible duration. The books of the maccabees biblical literature britannica. Yahweh continues by promising that he will make the flock of the house of judah as his royal horse in the.
The maccabee victory affected the government of judah because in. Judah maccabee formally judas maccabeus is a prominent figure in the old testament, and has been referenced or appeared in a variety of different sesame street related productions. What events led up to the revolt by judas maccabeus and his followers. Books of the maccabees, the ancient jewish works in which the events of the maccabean revolt are recorded.
Jews continue struggle to maintain their religion and culture. The syrian king was set on hellenizing all of his conquered territories and the people therein. After mattathiass death in 166 bce, judah assumed leadership of the revolt in accordance with the deathbed wishes of his father. The name maccabee was also extended to the other members of the family who took part in the revolt 1 maccabeus 2. Maccabees, second book ofmaccabees, second book of ii maccabees, known in greek as. The first book of maccabees praises judahs valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made judah a natural choice for the new commander. Judah the hammer maccabee took the leadership and repeatedly defeated the syrians, establishing himself as a worthy successor and a respected military leader. In judah maccabee goes to the doctor, ann koffsky has written an adorable book about an important topic. His fighting, wrestling and cooking skills are all legendary. After all, judah maccabee and his followers are the central heroes of the chanukah story, and generations of.
Seeking peace and safety after a hard childhood, leah marries judah maccabee, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life leah believes she can rest easily. San francisco gay mens chorus with karen hart youtube. Antiochus sent his general apolonius to wipe out judah and his followers, the maccabees. Judah maccabee is a champion of the nexus universe, a hunter of evildoers and close friend to nexus himself. The story is told through the first person pov of judah and his wife, leah. Judah s father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his life. The book of 1 maccabees was written in hebrew and later translated into greek. 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. Chanukah, the annual jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the jerusalem. Verdict a visually appealing book that uses the character of judah maccabee to raise awareness about the importance of vaccines for children. When the old testament closes, the people of israel have returned from the babylonian exile, and the work of rebuilding has begun. And the king sent letters by messengers to jerusalem and the towns of judah. He led the maccabean revolt against the seleucid empire 167160 bce.
But before dying, he commands his son to pick up his sword and continue the fightor bear responsibility for the obliteration of the land of judah. 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. Since 3 maccabees also deals with a foreign powers attempt to hellenize the jews, there is some merit to this suggestion. Scholars believe that the author was a palestinian jew who was intimately familiar with the events described. 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. He and his five sons fled to the wilderness of judah. Roman catholics often claim that the ancient jewish historical book of 2 maccabees which they wrongly consider to be scripture teaches purgatory. Shawn kirchner, revoiced for ttbb by kathleen mcguire with james lesui, soloist.
The author opposed the hellenization of the jews and clearly supported and admired the jewish revolutionaries led by judas maccabeus and his brothers. We will be talking about events that happened in the second century, which took place in judea located in the syrian empire. Maccabees, second book of ii maccabees, known in greek as. Why the maccabees arent in the bible my jewish learning. Mattathias and his sons lived in modein about 25 miles northwest of jerusalem. The author of 1 maccabees was a keen supporter of that dynasty, and saw their early rulers as made in the mould of the early kings of israel.
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 second temple in jerusalem in 164 bce. That and the historical details she included gave an authenticity to the book. The jewish struggle against the seleucids, which was published by cambridge in 1989. How did the maccabee victory affect the government of judah.
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. Judah maccabee or judas maccabeus, also spelled machabeus, or maccab. Judah s wife is an interesting retelling of the maccabees from the apocrapha. On the first night of hanukkah, bubbe gives judah a maccabee shield and teaches him about another judah who lived a long time ago and protected the jewish people.
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. Hanukkah in the book of maccabees galilee of the nations. These books include within them the earliest references. Maccabee led the a eponymous revolt against the seleucid empire, and hanukkah honors his removal of a pagan statuary from a temple in jerusalem, in 165 bce. The books that tell the hanukkah tale didnt make it into the hebrew bible but they are in the catholic one. Judas is also sometimes called judah maccabee the maccabees, also known as hasmoneans, included mattathias and several generations of descendants, starting with judas and his brothers, john, simon, eleazar and jonathan. At the age of fourteen, ben packed his bags and went into a boarding school for the next four years. Source for information on maccabees, second book of. 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. Judah s father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his. Judah reestablished as a theocracy full independence only from 12963 bc. 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 judah maccabees. From the triumph of judas maccabeus by peter paul rubens, 1635.
But the land is ruled by antiochus iv, descended from one of alexander the greats generals, and when he issues a decree that all jews are to conform to syrian laws upon pain of death, devout jews risk everything to follow. Books of maccabees encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Judas maccabeus was a priest who led the revolt against the seleucid empire in israel in the second century bc. Judah maccabee, make my people free that their eyes may see israels power. It is now frequently observed by scholars that the triumphal entry of jesus into jerusalem, with its procession of palms and laudatory praise, echoes the entry of the maccabees into jerusalem following their triumph over the seleucids.
The book of 2 maccabees consists of a greek synopsis of a fivevolume history of the maccabean revolt written by jason of cyrene. 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. Judah, the third son of mattathias the hasmonean, assumed leadership of the revolt against antiochus epiphanes in accordance with the deathbed disposition of his father. Though initially hailed as liberators, the selucid family wasted no time in leaving their mark upon judea. The story of hanukkah discover first fruits of zion. Judah maccabee lived during the silent years, the 400 year period between the old and new testaments. Hellenists attempt to destroy judaism by enforcing greek culture. In waging warfare, he said, their leader should be judah the strong. 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. The author of more than 100 published books and with more than 5 million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her selection of the celebration chanukah is not accidental, as it is the holiday of survival. The book does not contain, however, any further discussion of jonass chief grievance.
Judah and his maccabees boston gay mens chorus youtube. Dec 04, 2018 from this volume one can learn a lot about the way the new yishuv fought to defend itself against its adversaries and how benyehuda and his fatherinlaw succeeded in escaping their clutches. Judah and those who remained faithful to him were killed. Judah maccabee, one of the great warriors of history, who laid the foundation of the future hasmonean state.
C, after the maccabees had won,rome conquered judah and. 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. 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. Composed by his fatherinlaw, shlomo naftali hertz jonas, who was also put in jail, this short piece bore the seemingly pious title of mitzvot.
But the land is ruled by antiochus iv, descended from one of alexander the greats generals, and when he issues a decree that all jews are to conform to syrian laws upon pain of death, devout jews risk everything to follow the law of moses. He led the maccabean revolt against the seleucid empire 167160 bce and is acclaimed as one of the greatest warriors in jewish history alongside joshua, gideon and david. 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. One explanation of the names origins is that it derives from the aramaic maqqa, the hammer, in recognition of judah s ferocity in. Barkochvas hebrew book on the maccabees, published in1981, served as the basis for his judas maccabaeus. 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 novel introduces the reader to judah maccabeus and his family. 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.
For the lay reader who wants to know the truth about judah maccabee, it might not be the best place to startgiven its scholarly naturebut theres certainly no better place to go. That and a couple of odd scenes youll know them when you read them were the only. In the city of angels ben maccabee is an americanisraeli actor who was born in haifa, israel. 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.
There are not a lot of jewish childrens books that present the history of hanukkah in such an eloquent, powerful way. While researching jewish childrens books with an element of poetry and rhyme, i stumbled across this book called, maccabee. Koffsky finds herself in the middle of a heated and less than civil online debate after she wrote a hanukkah. One explanation of the names origins is that it derives from the aramaic maqqa. Published on jan 2, 2019 judah and his maccabees by karen hart, piano acc. The two were at odds for most of the book, a fact that my book club felt was more a product of a 21st century understanding than would have been true during their own time period. Despite the odds, judah maccabee and his passionate band of freedomfighters triumphed over the massive seleucid army of antiochus epiphanes.