THE BOOKS OF MACCABEES

1. THE BOOKS OF MACCABEES

2. DEUTEROCANONICAL BOOKS • Tobias • Judith • Sequel of Esther • The wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon) • Wisdom of Joshua son of Sirach • Baroukh • Sequel of the Book of Daniel • Maccabees first and second • Psalm 151,

3. The Books of Maccabees • The Books of Maccabees, though regarded by Jews and Protestants as apocryphal, i.e., not inspired Scripture, because not contained in the Palestinian Canon or in list of books drawn up at the end of the first century A.D., have nevertheless always been accepted by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches as inspired, on the basis of apostolic tradition.

4. Daniel’’s Vision Predicted by the prophet Daniel: 2:32-33 This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Babylonian rule Persian rule Greek rule Roman rule(Christ is born)

5. Perisa/Greece • 1st Verse: • Now it came to pass, after that Alexander the son of Philip the Macedonian, who first reigned in Greece, coming out of the land of Cethim, had overthrown Darius king of the Persians and Medes:

6. Maccabees I and II • 1 and 2 Maccabees are historical narratives and tell the inspiring story of the Jewish people fighting for the right to worship God.

7. 1 Maccabees • First Maccabees was originally written in Hebrew about 100 B.C. •     It begins with the the reign of Antiochus IV in 175 B.C, the rebellion of Mattathias in 167 B.C. and ends with the murder of Simon in 135 B.C. and the reign of his son, John Hyrcanus I in 134 B.C..

8. Antiochus IV Epiphanes • Syrian king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, decided to force the Jews to give up their religion and start worshipping Greek gods.

9. Antiochus IV Epiphanes • He killed 40,000 Jews, enslaved 40,000 others • He desecrates the Temple by setting up an "abomination of desolation" (an idol). • Antiochus forbids both circumcision and possession of Jewish scripture. • Turned the Jerusalem Temple into a temple for the Greek god Zeus, and ordered Jews to offer sacrifices to the Greek deities.  • He also forbids observance of the sabbath and the offering of sacrifices at the Temple.

10. Antichrist • Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a central figure in the Book of Daniel as the type of the Antichrist • Antiochus died in 163 B.C., so his ruling over Israel lasted 3.5 years, the same period of time the Antichrist will reign • Before the Maccabees the resistance to the Antichrist was passive, with prayers and patience • afterwards it was active, with prayers and fighting... always with the trust in the Lord.

11. Maccabee • One Jewish man, Mattathias, his five sons, mainly (Judah, Jonothan, Simon) and grandchildren, who were nicknamed the Maccabee (meaning "the hammerers"), overthrew the Syrians • Mattathias calls forth the people to holy war against the invaders. and his three sons begin a military campaign against them. • There is one complete loss of a thousand Jews (men, women and children) to Antiochus when the Jewish defenders refuse to fight on the Sabbath.

12. 1 Maccabee • In 165 B.C. the Temple is freed and reconsecrated, so that ritual sacrifices may begin again. • The festival of Hanukkah ,the Feast of Lights in December, is instituted by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers to celebrate this event. It is only described in the Bible in the Books of Maccabees. • Overthrew the Syrians, restored the Temple, and ruled Israel themselves until the Romans and Herod took over in 37 B.C

13. 2 Maccabees • 2 Maccabees is a theological jewel:    - The teachings on the resurrection of the just on the last day (2Mac.7:9,11,14,23; 14:46).    - The intercession of the saints in heaven for people living on earth (15:11-16).    - The power of the living to offer prayers and sacrifices for the dead (12:39-46).    - Faith in God (6, 7).    - Judgment of God, rewards and punishment (7)     - God made all things "from nothing" (7:28).

14. 2 Maccabees It gives also 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, of the Great Miracle to come! (chapter 2).

15. 2 Maccabees • Martyrdom of Eleazar (2Mac.6)... Martyrdom of Christians 2Mac.Part 1Martyrdom of the Mother and her 7 Children (2Mac.7)...  Martyrdom of Christians 2Mac.Part 1 • The suffering by Jewish martyrs helps the Jewish cause and helps humanity in general (2Mac.6-7). 2Mac.Part 1 • Resurrection of the just on the last day    - the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life (2Mac.7:9...7:11,14,23, 12:43, 14:46).

16. 2 Maccabees • Punishment of God:    - looked at the king, and said, "Because you have authority among men, mortal though you are, you do what you please. But do not think that God has forsaken our people. Keep on, and see how his mighty power will torture you and your descendants!" (2Mac.7:16-17)... But for you there will be no resurrection to life!" (7:14). • The intercession of the saints in heaven for people living on earth (15:11-16).     - What he saw was this: Onias...  was praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews. (2Mac.15:12).    - "This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God." Jeremiah stretched out his right hand and gave to Judas a golden sword, and as he gave it he addressed him thus: "Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with which you will strike down your adversaries."  (2Mac.15:14-16).

17. Martyrs • To came to pass also, that seven brethren, together with their mother, were apprehended, and compelled by the king to eat swine's flesh against the law, for which end they were tormented with whips and scourges. • But one of them, who was the eldest, said thus: What wouldst thou ask, or learn of us? we are ready to die rather than to transgress the laws of God, received from our fathers. • He commanded to cut out the tongue of him that had spoken first: and the skin of his head being drawn off, to chop off also the extremities of his hands and feet, the rest of his brethren, and his mother, looking on. • And when he was now maimed in all parts, he commanded him, being yet alive, to be brought to the Are, and to be fried in the frying pan: and while he was suffering therein long torments, the rest, together with the mother.

18. Martyrs • So when the first was dead after this manner, they brought the next to make him a, mocking stock: and when they had pulled off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him if he would eat, before he were punished throughout the whole body in every limb. • Now the mother was to be ad above measure, and worthy to be remembered by good men, who beheld seven sons slain in the space of one day, and bore it with a good courage, for the hope that she had in God: • And she bravely exhorted every o of them in her own language, being filled with wisdom: and joining a man's heart to a woman's thought, • She said to them: I know not how you were formed in my womb: for I neither gave you breath, nor soul, nor life, neither did I frame the limbs of every one of you. • But the Creator of the world, that formed the nativity of man, and that found out the origin of all, he will re- store to you again in his mercy, both breath and life, as now you despise your- selves for the sake of his laws

19. Conclusion • 1 Maccabees is a historical Jewel. • 2 Maccabees is a theological Jewel.