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80-639: What is known of Alcimus comes from records found in 1 Maccabees ( 1 Maccabees 7:4–50 , 1 Maccabees 9:1–57 ); 2 Maccabees ( 2 Maccabees 14 ); and Josephus 's Antiquities of the Jews Book 12, Chapters 9-11. All of these sources are hostile to Alcimus; no sources from his faction's perspective survived. Alcimus is described as a leader of the Hellenizing faction of Hellenistic Judaism that favored more enthusiastic adoption of Greek practices and less adherence to Jewish law . The office of high priest

160-655: A priestly family who live in Modein . Mattathias calls upon people loyal to the traditions of Israel to oppose the invaders and the Jewish Hellenizers, and his 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 . The other Jews then reason that, when attacked, they must fight even on

240-483: A defeat suffered by other commanders named Joseph and Azariah as because "they did not listen to Judas and his brothers. But they did not belong to the family of those men through whom deliverance was given to Israel." All of this makes clear that God has specifically chosen a new dynasty to rule Judea, the Hasmoneans. While the book holds all the Hasmoneans in high regard, it praises Simon Thassi in particular,

320-803: A list of Jewish colonies scattered elsewhere through the Mediterranean at the time. In the first chapter, Alexander the Great conquers the territory of Judea, and is later succeeded by the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes. After successfully invading the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Antiochus IV captures Jerusalem and removes the sacred objects from the Temple in Jerusalem , slaughtering many Jews. He then imposes

400-425: A man's state could not be concealed in the gymnasium, where men trained and socialized in the nude. However, 1 Maccabees also insists that there were many Jews who sought out or welcomed the introduction of Greek culture . According to the text, some Jewish men even engaged in foreskin restoration in order to pass as fully Greek. The narrative reports that news of the desolation reaches Mattathias and his five sons,

480-570: A peace deal with Judas; 2 Maccabees reports that Alcimus sabotaged the deal by complaining to Demetrius I. Nicanor then attempted to arrest Judas and eventually went into the countryside to fight the Maccabees; he was defeated and killed, however. A third army, under Bacchides again, was dispatched, and Judas was defeated and killed at the Battle of Elasa . Alcimus's position as high priest was reinforced and strong garrisons were left in Jerusalem and

560-598: A predecessor to the philosophy of the Sadducees in later eras. Notably, the author makes no reference to the idea of a bodily resurrection , which the Sadducees opposed. That said, our knowledge of the Sadducees is scant, so it is difficult to know for sure. The book also comes across as dismissive of martyrdom and passive approaches to resistance, seeing such gestures as futile and pointless. Some scholars go even farther than dismissive; Jonathan Goldstein writes that

640-647: A tax and establishes a fortress in Jerusalem. Antiochus then tries to suppress public observance of Jewish laws, in an attempt to secure control over the Jews. In 168 BC, he desecrates the Temple by setting up an " abomination of desolation " (establishing rites of pagan observance in the Temple, or sacrificing an unclean animal on the altar in the Holy of Holies ). Antiochus forbids both circumcision and possession of Jewish scriptures on pain of death. He forbids observance of

720-410: Is Jakum's uncle; Jakum mocks Joezer during his hanging, but then experiences remorse and commits suicide. Due to Jakum's similarity to Jakeimos, some scholars believe it is describing Alcimus, albeit after hundreds of years of the story drifting. In this view, Meshita is Menelaus, who allowed the Temple to be robbed by Antiochus IV and stole from it himself, allegedly. Other midrash indicate that Joezer

800-622: Is also a possibility.   All agree that the book was written before 63 BC, as the author shows great admiration toward Rome and does not know of the Roman general Pompey conquering Jerusalem and reducing the Hasmonean kingdom to a client state of the Roman Republic in that year. He was likely a court historian or equivalent. The author appears to be very familiar with Judea and its geography, but appears less well-informed about

880-692: Is anonymous, but he probably wrote in the newly independent Hasmonean kingdom after the success of the Maccabean Revolt in the late 2nd century BC . 1 Maccabees was probably written in Hebrew originally. However, this original Hebrew has been lost, and the work only survives in translation in Koine Greek contained in the Septuagint , the Greek version of the Jewish scriptures. The Septuagint

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960-705: Is appointed annually to be read in late summer/early autumn. As noted above, if ancient manuscripts of the hypothesized original Hebrew version existed, they have been lost. The Greek text is extant in two of the three oldest codices of the Greek Septuagint : the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus . It is not in the Codex Vaticanus . Pre-modern translations of the work were made in Latin , Syriac , and Armenian . The Latin translation

1040-565: Is not written in colloquial "common" Koine Greek of the 2nd century BC, but rather a more archaic style of Greek consciously imitative of the style of older scriptures. It frequently imitates biblical phraseology and directly cites biblical precedents. The English equivalent would be writing new books in the style of the King James Version of the Bible. It also uses anachronistic terms at times to make explicit parallels between

1120-469: Is primarily prose text, but is interrupted by seven poetic sections, which imitate classical Hebrew poetry. These include four laments and three hymns of praise. Various historical documents are included as well, notably of negotiations and letters with the Roman Republic and Hellenistic Sparta . The vast majority of scholars and bible translations divide the book into four or five sections by

1200-418: Is sometimes useful to identify certain changes made by Lucian of Antioch to the Greek text. With the advent of the printing press that obviated the need for scribes to manually and repeatedly copy such works, 1 Maccabees became more widely available. It was included in standard printed Christian Bibles in the deuterocanon section. A Greek version of the text was printed for the first time in 1514–1517 in

1280-532: Is to some extent the "official" version of history according to the Hasmoneans and from the Maccabean point of view. Bezalel Bar-Kochva praises it as among the better military historiography of the period. He argues that the author was likely an eyewitness to at least some of the battles described given his great accuracy and plausibility in describing terrain and troop movements, and was able to obtain firsthand accounts from others in interviews. He also cites

1360-647: Is unclear as firm dates are not provided, but this scenario is consistent with the known antagonism of the Qumran community to the Hasmonean dynasty. 1 Maccabees 1 Maccabees , also known as the First Book of Maccabees , First Maccabees , and abbreviated as 1 Macc. , is a deuterocanonical book which details the history of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire as well as

1440-620: The Complutensian Polyglot Bible . Werner Kappler  [ de ] published a critical edition of the Greek text in 1936, an eclectic compilation of the various surviving manuscripts and the best construction of the original text. More recent English language versions of the Bible which contain 1 Maccabees include the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Good News Translation (GNT), New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), and

1520-748: The Council of Trent (1546) listed the first two books of Maccabees as canonical. During the Protestant Reformation , the book (along with other books in the Catholic deuterocanon) was classed as biblical apocrypha in Protestantism, material useful for background but not canonical. The 1643 Westminster Confession says that the books "are of no authority in the Church of God, not to be any otherwise approved", for example. The book

1600-604: The Gelasian Decree is correctly associated with it, issued a biblical canon identical with the list given at Trent including the two books of Maccabees. Origen of Alexandria (253), Augustine of Hippo ( c.  397 AD ), Pope Innocent I (405), Synod of Hippo (393), the Council of Carthage (397) , the Council of Carthage (419), the Apostolic Canons , the Council of Florence (1442) and

1680-553: The Knox Bible . Robert Doran (born 1940) Robert Doran (born 1940) is a scholar of religion, particularly early Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism . He held a position of professor of Religion and European Studies at Amherst College in Massachusetts and took emeritus status in 2020. At Amherst, he had the named chair of Samuel Williston Professor of Greek and Hebrew. His areas of research include

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1760-471: The Maccabees ; the book chronicles in detail the successes and setbacks of the rebellion. While Judas is eventually killed in battle, the Maccabees eventually achieve autonomy and then independence for Judea under the leadership of the Hasmonean family. Judas's brother Simon Thassi is declared High Priest by will of the Jewish people. The time period described is from around 170 BC to 134 BC. The author

1840-414: The major branches of Judaism . Some Protestants include the book as biblical apocrypha , material useful for background and edification but that is not canonical. Rabbinic Judaism generally disapproved of the rule of the Hasmonean dynasty, but the book is openly pro-Hasmonean, one of several factors for a lack of enthusiasm for the book within later Judaism. 1 Maccabees is best known for its account of

1920-480: The sabbath and the offering of sacrifices at the Temple. He also requires Jewish leaders to sacrifice to idols. While enforcement may be targeting only Jewish leaders, ordinary Jews were also killed as a warning to others. Hellenization included the construction of gymnasia in Jerusalem. Among other effects, this discouraged the Jewish rite of circumcision even further, which had already been officially forbidden;

2000-458: The 19th century. Eusebius , in his book Church History , quotes Origen of Alexandria who says the title of the work was Sarbēth Sabanaiel , an enigmatic Greek transliteration from a putative Hebrew original title. It is thought that the most likely parts are the Aramaic səpar ("book"), bêt ("house" or "dynasty"), and 'ēl ("God"). Various reconstructions have been proposed for

2080-464: The 1st century AD almost certainly read 1 Maccabees in Greek. He extensively uses the first thirteen chapters of it in Books 12 and 13 of his work Jewish Antiquities , paraphrasing it directly in parts, although supplementing it with other Greek histories such as Nicolaus of Damascus . He may also have consulted it for Book 1 of The Jewish War . It is not known whether Josephus's copy of 1 Maccabees

2160-517: The Hasideans and writing the verse. If that was the intent of the author of 1 Maccabees, it would suggest that Alcimus himself wrote the Psalm himself as a lament, which would rather change the tenor of the verse and offer a more sympathetic portrayal to Alcimus. More favorable sources to Alcimus suggest that the execution of the sixty was unlikely to be for no reason, and the Hasmoneans wished to sway

2240-402: The Hasideans were willing to work with Alcimus at first, why the books of Maccabees discuss Nicanor's attempted negotiations with Judas, and the author's frustration at how "all the troublers of their people rallied to him (Alcimus), overran the land of Judah, and inflicted a great defeat on Israel." While the surviving sources are hostile to Alcimus, it does appear that they grudgingly concede he

2320-548: The Hellenistic era usually adopted dual names, a Greek and a Hebrew one: Alcimus was likely the Greek form of the Hebrew name "Eliakim" and Jakeimos the Greek form of Hebrew "Yakim" The midrashes Genesis Rabbah and Tehillim briefly discuss a figure named "Jakum of Zeroroth" (or "Jakim", "Yakim"). In the story, a man named Joseph Meshita robs a golden artifact from the temple, then is sawed in half. Rabbi Jose ben Joezer

2400-534: The High Priest position from 159–152 BCE is not known. It is possible the position was vacant, or held by some interim priest whose name is lost to history. Eventually, Jonathan Apphus took the position in 152 BCE after securing an alliance with Seleucid royal claimant Alexander Balas . One theory of Alcimus's successor is that it was the Righteous Teacher , a mysterious figure described in

2480-434: The Jews to "gain glory in the sight of the king" (verse 51). Maccabees does not mention the involvement of the mercenaries who are mentioned in other accounts, whereas other accounts do not mention the Jewish involvement. Ultimately the relationship between Jonathan and Demetrius breaks down: Maccabees' opinion is that Demetrius "broke his word about all that he had promised; he became estranged from Jonathan and did not repay

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2560-508: The Jews". Simon fortifies Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 13:10) and secures the reoccupation of Joppa (1 Maccabees 13:11), leading the people in peace and prosperity until he is murdered by agents of Ptolemy , son of Abubus , who had been named governor of the region by the Macedonian Greeks. The period of peace and prosperity is celebrated in a biblical-style poetic passage, the "Eulogy of Simon", which Rappaport considers to be "one of

2640-482: The Jews. Jewish historian Uriel Rappaport asserts that "the majority of scholars today accept the authenticity of this document". After the death of Judas and a period of lawlessness, he is succeeded by his brother Jonathan Apphus , whose battles with the Greek general Bacchides are recounted in chapter 9. Jonathan becomes high priest (1 Maccabees 10:20). Demetrius' death is reported in 1 Maccabees 10:50, and Ptolemy VI Philometor and Alexander Balas , claimant to

2720-464: The Maccabean Revolt. At first, it was used to describe the martyrs described in 2 Maccabees . It later became a title given to the rebels as a whole around the 3rd–5th century AD, hence the Septuagint naming the works as books of the Maccabees. This usage of "Maccabees" as a group-term may have originated in Greek, as no usage of it in Hebrew to refer to the rebels survives from any era earlier than

2800-516: The Maccabees. A similar theological dispute, possibly a continuation, existed in the later Roman era - the Christian gospels describe the curtain of the Temple separating God from common people tearing in two on the day of Jesus's execution , and the Apostle Paul as getting in trouble at the Temple for bringing a Greek inside, suggesting that the matter of who is allowed into what parts of

2880-741: The Qumran Habakkuk Commentary , one of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947. In this theory, the Righteous Teacher, a Zadokite , serves as High Priest for a time before being betrayed by a Wicked Priest (Jonathan) and a "Man of the Lie" and dismissed from his post. The Teacher retreats to Qumran , where he becomes the founder of the Essenes , a sect of Judaism. The truth of the Righteous Teacher's identity

2960-486: The Roman Republic and Sparta. Uriel Rappaport calls it emblematic of Hasmonean politics in general: that the Hasmonean state was an explicitly Jewish one that sought to separate itself from polytheism, yet was pragmatic and sought allies where they could be found. 1 Maccabees is the most extensive source of information on events in Judea from 175 to 135 BC. It has traditionally been considered highly trustworthy, although it

3040-464: The Seleucid throne, enter into an agreement under which Alexander marries Cleopatra Thea , Ptolemy's daughter (1 Maccabees 10:58). The relationship between Jonathan and Demetrius' son and successor, Demetrius II Nicator , is covered in chapter 11: Jonathan provides military support to Demetrius at the latter's request (verse 44), and a successful engagement against a popular revolt at Antioch enables

3120-519: The Seleucid-friendly Hellenizing Jews is unsurprising, as they were enemies in war, but 1 Maccabees extends criticism to internal Jewish opponents of the Hasmoneans as well. In 1 Maccabees, those dissatisfied with the Hasmoneans "hated their nation" as a whole; the Hasmoneans were equated with Judea itself. Jews who complain about Judas's activities "bring to the king an accusation against the people". The book dismisses

3200-678: The Temple would continue to be contested. Alternatively, the meaning could be entirely reversed: that by removing the barrier, non-Zadokite priests, once able to approach the Inner Temple but not past the barrier, could no longer enter at all, making the Inner Temple more exclusive rather than more inclusive. A passage in the Middot tractate of the Talmud might refer to Alcimus as well. Chapter 2, Verse 3 says: "Within it [the Temple Mount]

3280-407: The appointment from new Seleucid king Demetrius I Soter , who had just overthrown young king Antiochus V Eupator and Lysias. Alcimus was of the Hellenizing party, and therefore bitterly opposed by the Maccabees . Alcimus received his appointment as high priest at some point from 163–162 BCE: 2 Maccabees suggests 163 BCE, under the reign of Antiochus V, while 1 Maccabees suggests only after

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3360-477: The arrest and execution of 60 Jews, apparently members of the Hasideans . When Bacchides and his army returned to Antioch, the rebel forces under Judas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee) remained active in the countryside, where they attacked Greek-friendly Jews. Alcimus returned to Demetrius I to ask for more troops to fight the rebels. Demetrius sent another army, led by Nicanor . Nicanor at first attempted to make

3440-421: The author has "considerable contempt for martyrs". For the author, bold military action while living is the proper response to oppression. The author sees the revolt as divinely ordained, but downplays direct divine intervention such as miracles. Rather, the author interprets events as God using the military genius of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers as the instrument to achieve the liberation of Judea. One of

3520-440: The author of 1 Maccabees depicts the problems as due to the external evil of Antiochus IV and his generals, not as a cleansing ordeal that was in some sense divine will. The book draws a sharp contrast between Jews and Gentiles, similar to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah . The persecution of Antiochus IV presumably radicalized the Jews. That said, the author is still proud of forging alliances with others, citing negotiations with

3600-709: The book 2 Maccabees , which he has published several works and commentaries on, as well as Syrian Christianity including the saint Simeon Stylites and the Edessan community. He has also published on the lost works of Hellenistic era Jewish writers and historians such as Aristeas the Exegete , Pseudo-Eupolemus , Cleodemus Malchus , and Pseudo-Hecataeus . He has also served as an editor at Catholic Biblical Quarterly . Doran earned his Doctorate of Theology from Harvard Divinity School where he studied under John Strugnell among others. Doran's wife, Susan Niditch ,

3680-404: The conflict. No angels or miracles come to save the Jews; rather, it is the divinely-approved firm leadership of the Hasmoneans that leads to victory. The book 2 Maccabees , preserved right next to 1 Maccabees in the Septuagint, provides a striking contrast in theology, and the works are often compared. 2 Maccabees interprets the misfortunes of the Jews as God's punishment for their own sins;

3760-465: The era, and the barrier was intended to be between priests and common worshippers. Josephus, elsewhere in Antiquities of the Jews , describes "a wooden lattice around the altar and the sanctuary extending up the barrier" during the time of Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus ; Alcimus's act may have been related to a dispute around a different such barrier that was interpreted in a hostile fashion by

3840-545: The exploits of the Hasmoneans and earlier Jewish heroes; for example, it refers to the coastal region of Palestine as the land of the Philistines , although the Philistines were no longer a relevant cultural grouping in the era. The book is generally classed as a historical book of the Bible. While the main focus is a recounting of history, some consider the book to have merit as literary art as well. The narrative

3920-444: The fact that it makes various "admissions against interest" such as openly describing rebel military defeats, unlike 2 Maccabees which obscures or omits such matters. Jonathan A. Goldstein argues that the book was not imitative of older scriptures merely in linguistic style, but also in content; that is, the author adjusted or invented events to make them fit Biblical parallels better. Pope Damasus I 's Council of Rome in 382, if

4000-469: The favors that Jonathan had done him, but treated him very harshly". Proposed alliances with Rome and with Areus of Sparta are covered in 1 Maccabees 12:1–23. Jonathan's capture in 143 BC, having been double-crossed by Diodotus Tryphon, is recorded in 1 Maccabees 12:48. Simon follows Jonathan as the next Jewish leader "in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan", taking on civil, military and liturgical roles: "great high priest, governor, and leader of

4080-404: The founding and earliest history of the independent Hasmonean kingdom . It describes the promulgation of decrees forbidding traditional Jewish practices by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the formation of a rebellion against him by Mattathias of the Hasmonean family and his five sons. Mattathias's son Judas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee) takes over the revolt and the rebels as a group are called

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4160-442: The holy day. In 165 BC the Temple is freed and reconsecrated, so that ritual sacrifices may begin again. The festival of Hanukkah is instituted by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers to celebrate this event (1 Maccabees 4:59). More wars involving Judas and his brothers Simon and Jonathan are reported in chapters 5, 6 and 7. Chapter 6 reports the last days of Antiochus Epiphanes and the accession of his young son Antiochus V Eupator to

4240-551: The leader of the rebellion: The setting of the book is about a century and a half after the conquest of Judea by the Greeks under Alexander the Great , after Alexander's empire had been divided so that Judea had become part of the Greek Seleucid Empire . It tells how the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to suppress the practice of basic Jewish law , resulting in the Maccabean Revolt. The book covers

4320-545: The martyrs, it correspondingly was not cited or read. During the Crusades , Pope Urban II and other church leaders used 1 Maccabees to justify the concept of holy war against the Muslim kingdoms controlling the holy city of Jerusalem . Admired crusaders such as Baldwin I and Godfrey of Bouillon were explicitly compared to Judas Maccabeus, and material from 1 Maccabees was quoted in regards to their deeds. 1 Maccabees

4400-411: The moderate Hasideans by portraying the executed as innocent moderates rather than Maccabee supporters. Temple architecture was deeply important in the era for its symbolism. The sources do not directly describe Alcimus's motive for pulling down the wall in the Temple, although the book of 1 Maccabees goes so far as to suggest that God struck down and killed Alcimus for the impious act. Taken literally,

4480-424: The most important poetic passages in 1 Maccabees". Simon is succeeded by his son, John, referred to by Josephus as John Hyrcanus . The author propagates "Hasmonean propaganda" in the sense of upholding the righteousness of the Hasmoneans and their just claim to rule the Hasmonean kingdom. The Hasmoneans were not an obvious choice to be rulers; they did not descend from the priestly line of Zadok that had taken

4560-429: The most notable and unusual aspects of the book of 1 Maccabees by absence is the lack of any direct mention of God. Rather, the book refers to "heaven" ( ouranós ) instead, such as Judas saying in a speech that "It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven." Even if "heaven" is merely shorthand for "God in heaven", 1 Maccabees is remarkably secular in its depiction of

4640-479: The office of High Priest for generations at the point of the Maccabean Revolt. The author seeks to promote the view that the Hasmoneans were indeed God's new chosen and would-be rulers in line with heroes of the Hebrew Bible . Various passages call back to Biblical passages such as Joshua's conquests or the battle of David and Goliath and equate the Hasmoneans' deeds with the earlier stories. Antipathy toward

4720-549: The other books of the Maccabees . In the book itself, "Maccabee" is used solely as a personal title for Judah Maccabee (Latinized as Judas Maccabeus ). Judas's Maccabee title is generally tied to the Aramaic word maqqaba ("makebet" in modern Hebrew ), "hammer" or "sledgehammer". It is unknown how he got this epithet ; most presume it was in recognition of his prowess in battle. The word "Maccabees" in plural, however, does not appear to have been used until centuries after

4800-518: The other cities of Judea to maintain Seleucid rule. Alcimus did not long enjoy his triumph, since he died soon after. The authors of the Books of Maccabees say his last act was to order the wall of the temple that divided the Gentiles from the Jews pulled down. His death is recorded in May 159 BCE, the month Sivan in the Hebrew calendar. Josephus writes that Alcimus was "also called Jakeimos." Jews in

4880-425: The overall phrase: The book was probably originally written in Hebrew. Both Origen and Jerome claim to have seen a Hebrew text of 1 Maccabees. The surviving Greek script has Hebraisms and Hebrew idioms. It also seems to have been written in Judea where knowledge of Hebrew was more widespread. If it really was originally written in Greek, then the author was intentionally imitating Hebrew style in Greek. The book

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4960-427: The passage suggests a return to the uncleansed Temple under Menelaus, where Greeks and Jews alike worshipped together. However, a full-scale revival of the syncretic cult Menelaus established does not appear to have taken place; whether that was due to Alcimus's death, or that the wall incident had nothing to do with such a plan, is not clear. Another possibility is that it may have been related to theological dispute of

5040-476: The person who would pass the High Priesthood to his sons and establish the dynasty. In Chapter 2, there is a line from a dying Mattathias who tells his sons to always listen to Simon and that "he shall be your father", seemingly praising him even over Judas. Chapter 14 also features a long panegyric praising Simon as a worthy leader. The school of philosophy seen in 1 Maccabees is often thought to be

5120-507: The recapture of Jerusalem in the year 164 BC and rededication of the Second Temple : the origin behind the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah . The author of 1 Maccabees is anonymous and unknown.  He wrote in the post-independence Hasmonean kingdom, probably during the reign of High Priest John Hyrcanus (reigned ~134–104 BC), with a few scholars suggesting that early in the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (reigned 103–76 BC)

5200-487: The same name. By the time of Alcimus's reign as High Priest, the Maccabees had radicalized into seeking a starker break from Seleucid political control. The author of 1 Maccabees describes any who worked with Alcimus as godless traitors, but it seems that there was a branch of moderates caught in the middle - moderate Hellenists who were happy to work with Alcimus as long as religious protections were guaranteed and Antiochus IV's decrees stayed repealed. This would explain why

5280-410: The throne. In chapter 8, Judas seeks an alliance with the Roman Republic , aiming to remove the Greeks. Verses 23–32 record an agreement between Rome and the nation of the Jews, whereby each party would act as a willing ally of the other and refuse to supply their enemies in time of war, specific warning being given to Demetrius I Soter that this pact would be activated against him if requested by

5360-457: The trip to Antioch in 162 BCE. It is also possible that Alcimus had been made High Priest on some sort of interim arrangement by Lysias in 163 BCE and was confirmed by Demetrius I in 162 BCE. Demetrius sent an army under Bacchides to establish Alcimus in the high priesthood at Jerusalem . The favor with which Alcimus was received by the Jews at Jerusalem on account of his Aaronic descent was soon turned to hate by his cruelties. Alcimus ordered

5440-480: The two accounts. An ossuary discovered in a burial cave by Eleazar Sukenik in the Gophna region has an inscription in Greek that reads "Salōmē, wife (daughter?) of Jakeimos". It is speculated that this ossuary might hold the bones of Alcimus's wife or possibly daughter; it is from the roughly correct era of time and Gophna had many priests, although others wealthy enough to inter their family's bones might have had

5520-620: The weekday readings for the 33rd week in Ordinary Time , in year 1 of the two-year cycle of readings, always in November, and as one of the options available for readings for the dedication of an altar and as one of the suggested readings at a Mass celebrated to honour persecuted Christians . In the Church of England 's lectionary of 1922 in the Book of Common Prayer , 1st Maccabees

5600-431: The whole of the revolt, from 175 to 134 BC, highlighting how the salvation of the Jewish people in this crisis came through Mattathias' family, particularly his sons, Judas Maccabeus, Jonathan Apphus , and Simon Thassi , and Simon's son, John Hyrcanus . The doctrine expressed in the book reflects traditional Jewish teaching, without later doctrines found, for example, in 2 Maccabees . The First Book of Maccabees also gives

5680-422: The wider Hellenistic world. The entire work is generally considered to be a unity composed by a single author on both philological and thematic grounds, although there are occasional short passages sometimes contested as potentially being added at a later date. The title "1 Maccabees" is not the original title of the work. Rather, it comes from the Septuagint , which gave it that title to distinguish it from

5760-522: Was able to rally more allies to his cause than Menelaus had. Alcimus's coalition building, however he managed it, would go on to cause problems for the Maccabees, who would suffer military disaster in 160 BCE and be forced to retreat to the countryside seemingly in defeat. The book of 1 Maccabees quotes Psalm 79 after describing the death of the Hasideans: "The flesh of your faithful ones and their blood / they poured out all around Jerusalem, / and there

5840-530: Was also cited during the 11th–12th century Investiture Controversy concerning whether monarchs had the authority to appoint bishops, or only the Pope. 1 Maccabees includes passages describing the appointment of Jonathan and Simon by Seleucid authorities, so it was generally cited by the side of those who favored royal appointment of bishops. The Roman Catholic Lectionary makes use of texts from 1 Maccabees 1 to 6, along with texts from 2 Maccabees 6 and 7, in

5920-435: Was executed by General Bacchides, suggesting that Alcimus's alliance with Bacchides led to his own family's death, if the identification of the two figures is correct. However, not all scholars are convinced of the connection; Robert Doran argues that the identification of the two Yakims as the same person is "highly speculative and debatable", as Yakim was not a rare name at the time, and the manner of death greatly differs in

6000-616: Was missing the final three chapters, or he simply found a better source for that era of history. 1 Maccabees is only very rarely quoted or referenced by the Church Fathers in the era of early Christianity . When Christians of the Roman Empire discussed the Maccabees, it was usually in reference to the " Maccabean martyrs " described in 2 Maccabees 6 and 2 Maccabees 7 , as they were seen as models and precursors to Christian martyrs . As 1 Maccabees has very little to say about

6080-480: Was never included in the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh and is not canonical in Judaism. Later Jewish leaders thought poorly of the rule of the Hasmonean dynasty for several reasons, and a document so openly celebratory of them was problematic. Even in stories set during the Maccabean period, references to Judas by name were explicitly removed to avoid hero-worship of the Hasmonean line. The Jewish historian Josephus of

6160-476: Was no one to bury them." ( 1 Maccabees 7:16–17 , Psalms 79:2–3 ) The statement introducing it says that he (Alcimus) seized the sixty and killed them, and continues on to say in most translations that it is in accordance with the word that was written in the Psalm. However, Benjamin Scolnic (citing Jonathan A. Goldstein ) argues a more direct translation would be as a continuation of "he" (Alcimus) both seizing

6240-628: Was preserved by early Christians as the basis for the Christian Old Testament . It became part of the deuterocanon in early Christianity. The book is held as canonical scripture today in the Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , and Oriental Orthodox churches (except for the Orthodox Tewahedo ). The book is not part of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and is not considered canonical by Protestant denominations nor in any of

6320-509: Was recently vacant in 163 BCE after despised High Priest Menelaus was executed by Regent Lysias . It is not clear if Menelaus was of the high priestly line, but he most likely was not, which partially explains the troubles his time had. Alcimus was a descendant of the Biblical Aaron , brother of Moses, and possibly himself was in the high-priestly line. Being ambitious for the office of high priest, he traveled to Antioch to secure

6400-637: Was the Soreg [latticed railing], ten handbreadths high. There were thirteen breaches in it, which had been originally made by the kings of Greece, and when they repaired them they enacted that thirteen prostrations should be made facing them." Some interpreters believe that "kings of Greece" refers to the Greek-appointed High Priest Alcimus: that he made 13 ceremonial breaches in the lattice rather than destroying it entirely, which were then ceremonially repaired later. The holder of

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