Revolt of the Maccabees. Judea under the Hasmoneans and the religious disintegration of the people of Israel War of the Maccabees

On August 14, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy Maccabee martyrs. What do we know about them?

1. Maccabees - Old Testament martyrs

The seven holy Maccabean martyrs: Abim, Antoninus, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusevo, Adim and Marcellus, as well as their mother Solomonia and teacher Eleazar, suffered in 166 BC. e. from the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus Epiphanes, pursuing a policy of Hellenization of the population, introduced Greek pagan customs in Jerusalem and all of Judea. He desecrated the Temple of Jerusalem by placing in it a statue of Olympian Zeus, to whose worship he forced the Jews.

The ninety-year-old elder, the teacher of the law Eleazar, who was judged for his adherence to the Mosaic Law, with firmness went to torture and died in Jerusalem. The same courage was shown by the disciples of Saint Eleazar: the seven Maccabee brothers and their mother Solomonia. They, fearlessly recognizing themselves as followers of the True God, refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods.

The eldest of the boys, who was the first to give an answer to the king on behalf of all seven brothers, was given over to terrible torture in front of the other brothers and their mother; the other five brothers, one after another, suffered the same torment. There is a seventh brother left, the youngest. Antiochus proposed to Saint Solomonia to persuade him to renounce, so that she could have at least his last son, but the courageous mother strengthened him in the confession of the True God. The boy endured the torment just as firmly as his older brothers.

After the death of all the children, Saint Solomonia, standing over their bodies, raised her hands with a grateful prayer to God and died.

2. The death of the Maccabean martyrs brought earthly fruits

The feat of the holy seven Maccabean brothers inspired the priest Mattathias and his sons, who rebelled against Antiochus Epiphanes, which lasted from 166 to 160 BC. e. and, having won the victory, they cleansed the Jerusalem Temple of idols.

3. If it is necessary to identify the heavenly patrons of the partisans, they will most likely turn out to be the holy brothers Maccabees

The Maccabean war against the invaders was a guerrilla war. The beginning of the uprising was the murder of Mattathias a Jew who made a sacrifice on an altar built by the Greeks. After this, Mattathias and his family fled to the mountains and soon united and led the rebel groups that had previously operated in Judea and Southern Samaria. Priest Mattathias, who stood at the head of the rebels, interfered with the activities of the royal administration, raided neighboring areas, destroying altars, punishing apostates from the faith of their ancestors and Jews loyal to the new policy.

Soon Mattathias died, and the rebels were led by his son Judah.

4. There were more than seven Maccabees

Initially, this nickname was given to Judas Maccabee from the Hasmonean dynasty, who led the uprising against the yoke of the Syrian Greeks. Later it began to be applied to the other sons of Mattathias, a Jewish priest from the family of Joarib: John, Simon, Eleazar and Jonathan, who also took an active part in the uprising. Then it was extended to all defenders and confessors of the faith during the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes.

5. The Jews also established a celebration in honor of these events

An important result of the uprising under the leadership of the Hasmoneans is considered to be the creation of an independent Jewish state centered in Jerusalem and the restoration of temple worship. In honor of this event, an eight-day holiday called Hanukkah (Hebrew “sanctification”) was established. The Hasmonean dynasty ruled Judea (first under Syrian control, then independently) for almost 120 years (from 152 to 37 BC).

6. All these events are described in the Bible

If you have a Protestant edition of the Holy Scriptures, you will not find them there. The martyrdom of the seven Maccabean brothers and the Maccabean revolt are described in the Books of Maccabees. They belong to the deuterocanonical ones, i.e. books of the Old Testament, the Hebrew text for which was not known in the first centuries of our era, but they were included in the Septuagint.

The First Book of Maccabees consists of 16 chapters, where, after a brief mention of the conquests of Alexander the Great and the collapse of his empire, it tells about the terrible persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes against the Jews who strictly observed their religion, which ultimately caused an uprising under the leadership of the priest Mattathias, and then his sons Judas, Jonathan and Simon. The narrative ends with a general note about the merits of Simon's son and successor, John.

The text of the Second Book of Maccabees is not a continuation of the First, but only an addition to it. If the first book of Maccabees is an almost documentary narrative, then the second book is replete with dramatic episodes, dialogues, descriptions of miracles that occurred during the expulsion of the Seleucids and Hellenists from Judea and the formation of the independent kingdom of the Maccabees. The martyrdom of the seven brothers whose memory we celebrate today is described in the Second Book of Maccabees (6:18 – 7:42).

7. The third book of Maccabees is about something completely different

The third book of Maccabees has nothing in common with the first two books, since the events described in it refer to a different time and place: we are talking about the persecution of Palestinian Jews during the time of the Egyptian king Ptolemy IV Philopator. It consists of seven chapters.

The Fourth Book of Maccabees refers to the apocrypha - works of late Jewish and early Christian literature that were not included in the biblical canon and contained gross distortion of historical facts and/or non-Christian ideas. However, you will not find this book in any edition of the Bible.

9. The consecration of the poppy has nothing to do with the Maccabees

The word “Maccabee” comes from the Aramaic “makkaba” - “hammer” (as a weapon against enemies), and is also associated with the Hebrew “makkevet”, which has the same meaning. This word is simply consonant with the Russian “winnow poppy,” but in the popular consciousness the memory of the Maccabean martyrs is firmly associated with the consecration of poppy seeds and the preparation of dishes from it.

However, let us not rush to condemn our “semi-pagan” ancestors. It is unknown whether people would even know about the existence of the holy brothers if not for this tradition. Plus, well-prepared dishes with poppy seeds are simply delicious. But drivers should not forget that for some time after using them, an opiate test may show that you are under the influence of drugs.

10. The holy brothers, the famous actor and the photographer of the Orthodoxy and the World portal have something in common

From the word “Maccabee” the surnames Maccabees, Makoveychuk, Makovetsky and others were formed.

The period of the Maccabees and Hasmoneans (from 152 to 37 BC) is a period in the history of Eretz Israel when the rule of the Seleucid Greeks was overthrown, liberated and the Hasmonean dynasty ruled independent Judea for almost 120 years.

It was the Hasmoneans who brought new invaders to Judea. The Romans were invited to Judea to participate in a civil war that broke out between supporters of the two Hasmonean brothers who did not share the throne.

This intervention resulted in the occupation of Jerusalem, and subsequently the loss of Jewish statehood for 2000 years.

The end of the Hasmonean dynasty was tragic. One of the slaves who served at the royal palace staged a coup - and he himself became king, founded a new dynasty, destroying all the descendants of the Hasmoneans.

His name was . And he came from those very Edomites whom the Hasmoneans forcibly converted to Judaism.

Hasmonean Dynasty (152 - 37 BC)

Leaders of the revolt against the Greeks, high priests, ethnarchs and kings of Judea. Capital: Jerusalem.

Photo gallery

(continuation)

2. Maccabees

(about the religious persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, which became the cause of the Maccabean uprising, see the article “Judea in the Hellenistic Age”)

Priest Mattathias and Judas Maccabee

Among those faithful to God who fled from Jerusalem was the priest Mattathias, who came from a noble Hasmonean family. He and his five sons retired to Modaim, a small city west of Jerusalem. The city authorities ordered the sacrifice to be made on a pagan altar; he firmly refused; when another Jew approached to offer a sacrifice, Mattathias killed him, destroyed the altar and fled with his sons into the desert, calling on all the faithful to follow him. Soon many people gathered to see him. But on Saturday, when the Jews, according to the commandment of the law, could not fight, the Syrians attacked them and killed up to a thousand people. At the suggestion of their leader, who had risen in spirit above the letter of the law, his surviving companions decided to defend their lives on the Sabbath day. Soon the uprising spread throughout Judea: the people destroyed pagan altars, and in many places drove out those who apostatized from the faith. The number of God's soldiers increased every day. After the death of Mattathias, their leader became the third of his sons, Judas, called Maccabee (“hammer”), a man inspired by firm trust in God; his enthusiasm captivated many people who until then had not dared to take up arms. The Syrian commander Apollonius, who entered Judea from Samaria, was defeated by Judas and himself fell in battle; Judas took his sword and carried it from then on. Terribly angry at the defeat of the Syrian detachment, Antiochus sent a large army to exterminate the rebellious. It stood on a hill near Emaus; Phoenician slave traders came with him to buy captives. Many Jews joined the Syrians out of fear. But no matter how great the danger, Jehovah’s soldiers did not lose heart. In Mizpah, the ancient holy city, they asked for the help of the Lord by fasting, prayer and repentance; Judas led them against their enemies; the Syrians had previously sent a detachment into the mountains to look for Jewish insurgents; Judas, with a quick attack, defeated the main army, burned its camp, and in the second battle defeated a detachment going to the mountains. The Syrians were driven to the sea; the Jews took enormous booty. Great was the glory of Judas Maccabee. The following year Lysias, a relative of the king, came to avenge these defeats; The strength of his army extended, they say, to 60,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. He entered southern Judea: but at Bethsur, near Hebron, he was defeated by Judah, whose number of soldiers was six times less. The enemies fled. Judas entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple, the courtyard of which was overgrown with grass and bushes. The ancient service of Jehovah has been restored. In place of the desecrated altar, a new one was built from rough stones brought from different places in Judea.

The successes of the Jews aroused envy and fear in the neighboring pagan peoples. The Ammonites, who lived beyond the Jordan, united with the Arab tribes and began to strongly press the Gilead Jews, and the Galilean Jews were attacked by enemies from the seaside. Judas went beyond the Jordan, delivered the Jews of Gilead from the attack, and his brother Simon saved the Jews of Galilee. Many families who did not want to live among hostile neighbors moved to Judea. This area, protected by mountains and fortifications, became a stronghold of holy war.

Death of Judas Maccabee

The following year, Antiochus Epiphanes died suddenly on a campaign against the Parthians, whom he thought to conquer. He was succeeded by his nine-year-old son, Antiochus V Eupator, until Philip came of age. But Lysias, in whose power the child king was, also wanted to become the ruler of the state; Wanting to end the war with the Jews before Philip returned to Antioch, he again went to Judea with a huge army. Judas and his brave companions entered the battle and fought heroically; Judah's younger brother, Eleazar, sacrificed his life to kill the elephant on which he believed the young king was sitting; everything was in vain: the Jews were suppressed by the numerous enemies; The victors besieged the Temple Mount, which Judah surrounded with fortifications. Soon both the besieged and the besiegers began to suffer a shortage of food supplies: having heard that Philip had come to Antioch, Lysias wanted to end the war as soon as possible and made peace: the Jews surrendered the Temple Mount to the Syrians, Lysias granted them freedom of worship and promised royal protection to the Temple. Returning to Syria, Lysias defeated Philip, but did not achieve the goal of his ambition: the son of Seleucus Philopator, Demetrius, who lived as a hostage in Rome, came to Antioch; the Syrians greeted him with delight and proclaimed him king; he ordered to kill both his cousin, Eupator, and Lysias, who ruled the state on behalf of the child. The Jewish party, disposed to Greek customs, wanted to be on good terms with the new king; its head was the high priest Alcimus (Eliakim), the successor of Menelaus, who was killed by order of Lysias; he hoped, with the patronage of the king, to stay in his place; this seemed all the more possible since he was from a priestly family. Many zealous adherents of antiquity were satisfied with the freedom of worship given to them and behaved all the more submissively because the royal commissioner, who came to Jerusalem to restore order, executed, in agreement with Alkim, sixty ardent Hasidim. But Judas and his brothers rejected the deceptive world, did not recognize the new high priest, and stirred up the people to resist the apostates who had adopted Greek customs. At the request of Alcimus, the Syrian king ordered his general Nicanor to occupy Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. But Judas and his followers did not lay down their weapons. Nicanor went to suppress them; they defeated him in the place where they won the first battle [March 161]. Nikanor was killed, his army was scattered. The high priest fled to Antioch. But the next year Bacchides came to Jerusalem with a new army. Judas led his few soldiers into battle; the battle took place at Eleas; the Jews fought courageously all day long; but their fearless leader was killed, and they fled. Jonathan and Simon managed to carry away their brother's body. Alcimus, under the protection of the Syrians, returned in triumph to Jerusalem. And “great tribulation came” throughout all Israel. The adherents of the Maccabees were persecuted; the lives of every faithful servant of Jehovah were in danger.

Jonathan Maccabeus

Soon the eldest of Judas' brothers, John, was killed in a battle with the Arabs who attacked the Jews beyond the Jordan. But the youngest of the Maccabees, Jonathan, chosen as the leader of the army, avenged his death and, taking a fortification in the southern part of the desert, made successful raids on enemies. Some time later Alkim died a sudden death; then Bacchides, tired of the war and pressed by Jonathan, made peace and left with his army. Only in the citadel of Jerusalem remained the Syrian garrison, to which the Jews had given hostages. Thus ended the war. Jonathan settled in Michmash, began to rule Judea and eradicate pagan worship in it.

This was the situation of the Jewish grandfathers when Alexander Balas, posing as the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, raised, with the help of the Egyptians, an uprising against Demetrius and took possession of Ptolemais; The Romans, who had previously concluded an alliance with the Jews and did not recognize Demetrius as the legitimate king of Syria, patronized Alexander. Both rivals tried to gain the help of the Jews, one before the other made promises of their favors to them. Jonathan was well able to take advantage of these circumstances. He made an alliance with Alexander, who sent him a purple robe and a golden crown, appointed him high priest and called him his friend. Demetrius was killed in battle, Alexander took possession of all Syria and continued to be very supportive of Jonathan, upon his marriage to the daughter of Ptolemy Philopator, he invited him to Ptolemais for a wedding celebration and at this magnificent holiday showed him great honor in front of all the people, gave him the rank of military leader and the prince. Six years after Alexander took possession of the kingdom, Demetrius Nicator, the eldest son of the king Demetrius he killed, who fled at the death of his father to Crete, landed on the Phoenician coast, and acquired so many supporters that Alexander had to flee from his capital, Ptolemais, to northern part of the state. But Jonathan remained faithful to him, in a stubborn battle he defeated the army of Demetrius, captured Ashdod and Ascalon, destroyed all the pagan sanctuaries there, including the Ashdod temple of Dagon. In gratitude for his loyalty, Alexander gave him the district of the Philistine city of Ekron. But the Egyptian king sent help to Demetrius, Alexander fled to Arabia and was treacherously killed there. Judea was in danger; but Jonathan, as skilled a diplomat as he was a brave warrior, managed to turn them away. He sent an embassy to Demetrius with rich gifts; Demetrius confirmed him in the rank of high priest, granted him the administration of Judea and the receipt of all the income of the country, with the obligation to pay 300 talents of tribute to the royal treasury. Thus, Jonathan retained his rule over Judea and strengthened it during the new civil strife that began in Syria, and his brother Simon ruled the coastal region.

Jonathan Maccabee's acquisitions (highlighted in lilac)

Wanting to strengthen his position with new alliances, Jonathan sent embassies to the Romans and Spartans (so, at least, says the 1st book of Maccabees), but the Syrians treacherously took him captive along with his sons and a detachment of 1,000 people, and killed them all. This was done by the cunning Syrian Tryphon, who wanted to enthrone a young man, the son of Alexander Balas, to rule in his name. For all his caution, Jonathan was deceived by Tryphon. Soon after, Tryphon also killed the young man, whose servant he called himself.

Simon Maccabee

After the death of Jonathan, the Jews chose Simon, the only surviving brother of Judah, as their leader. He was a cautious man; he entered into negotiations with Demetrius, received from him confirmation in the rank of high priest and the title of royal friend. Having become the ruler of Judea, Simon managed to take possession of those fortresses that still remained in the hands of adherents of paganism; in 144, he forced the garrison of the Jerusalem citadel to surrender by starvation. Now the work of liberating Judea could be considered completed. Simon also captured Gaza and captured the port city of Joppa (Joppa). There was no serious danger to the Jewish people from the Syrian kingdom: it was completely upset, and the king (Demetrius) was captured by the Parthians. Simon calmly ruled the country for several years with the authority of a high priest and prince; his reign was wise and fair; he restored national worship everywhere and cared for the welfare and safety of the people. He minted a coin with his name. – After some time, the brother of the captive king, Antiochus VII, forced the usurper Tryphon to flee and became king. Tryphon united with the sea robbers who then dominated the Syrian coast, then was killed in his hometown, Apamea. – Antiochus demanded that Simon pay tribute, from which he was released by Demetrius. Simon did not agree, and Antiochus went to war against Judea. Simon's son John, sent by his father against the Syrians, defeated them at Ashdod. The freedom of the Jews was now secured. The assembly of the Jewish people gave Simon the title of high priest and prince, gave him the right to appoint all dignitaries, and entrusted him with the management of the temple forever. A certificate of this decree of the people was placed for preservation in the temple. Simon entered into an alliance with Rome, patronized agriculture and trade, and observed justice and fear of God.

Simon erected monuments in his hometown of Modeim to his father and four brothers killed in the struggle for the freedom of the fatherland; these were stone pyramids so high that they could be seen from the sea. He and his coins, beautifully minted, testify that the arts were not alien to the Jewish people “during the years of the liberation of Zion.” Simon cared for the welfare of the people, and the land of Judea rested all the days of Simon; The Jews calmly cultivated their land, and the land yielded its produce, and the trees in the fields yielded my fruit. The elders, sitting in the streets, all consulted about the benefits of society, and the young men dressed themselves in magnificent and military clothes. He delivered food supplies to the cities and made them fortified in places, so that his glorious name was pronounced to the end of the earth. He restored peace to the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. And every man sat under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one made them afraid. And there was no one left on earth who would fight against them, and the kings humbled themselves in those days. He strengthened all the poor among his people, demanded the fulfillment of the law, and destroyed every lawless and evildoer. He decorated the sanctuary and multiplied the sacred utensils" (I book of Maccabees, XIV, 4 - 15).

John Hyrcanus

The Jews compared the reign of Simon Maccabee with the reign of David. But he did not die peacefully, like David. His son-in-law, Ptolemy, whom he appointed ruler of the Jericho plain, wanted to seize power, invited Simon and his sons Mattathias and Judas to a feast and killed them. But the crime did not bring any benefit to the villain. The son of Simon Maccabee, John Hyrcanus, killed the assassins sent by Ptolemy, took power in Jerusalem, became high priest and prince, besieged and after a long siege took Jericho. The siege lasted, as Josephus says, for a long time because every time Hyrcanus approached the city, Ptolemy ordered his mother and brothers to be taken to the wall and tortured, and threatened to throw them off the wall if he did not retreat. Hyrcanus’s mother asked her son not to pay attention to the threats, saying that she would willingly die so that the villain would receive the deserved punishment; but the son, seeing his mother’s torment, retreated from the walls each time. Having killed his mother and two brothers of Hyrcanus, Ptolemy fled across the Jordan. The new ruler of Judea concluded an agreement with the king of Syria (Antiochus), according to which he undertook to pay tribute and help Antiochus with an army, for this he was confirmed by the king in his father's rank. The tribute was not onerous. Taking treasures from the tomb of David, Hyrcanus recruited mercenaries into the service and with this army completed the liberation of the country, even expanded the borders of his state: he conquered Samaria and Galilee, destroyed the temple on Mount Gerizim, the service in which, according to the concepts of the Jews, was lawlessness, he forced the Edomites ( Edomites) either accept the Jewish law and be circumcised, or leave their homeland.

Antiochus was killed in the war with the Parthians. His brother Demetrius, released from captivity by the Parthians, again became king. To protect himself from danger from the returning Demetrius, John entered into an alliance with the Romans, and they, according to their unchanged political system, protected the small Jewish state until they decided that the time had come to annex it to their possessions along with a larger state, from which they guarded him.

Thanks to the alliance of John Hyrcanus with the Romans, the Jewish people lived happily for some time before losing their independence. The reign of Hyrcanus, which lasted nearly thirty years, was a period of peace and prosperity; the Jews enjoyed independence; no one stopped them from living according to their laws. The calm of their theocratic state was disturbed only by mutual hostility of parties and discord, which was caused by the religious pride of the Jews, which offended the Samaritans and Galileans.

Being 22 years old, Alexander the Great began a war with the Persian kingdom. Skillfully commanding the united Greek-Macedonian troops, he conquered Asia Minor and marched victoriously to northern India. Among the conquered lands was the territory of Israel, which lay on the path of the conquest of Egypt. During 12 years of war, Alexander the Great created a huge empire in the conquered territories. But he didn’t have to rule it for long: a year after the end of the military campaign in the summer of 323 BC. he died.

Division of the Empire

After the death of the commander, the Macedonian Empire was divided between two Hellenistic states. The territory of Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty, and the rest went to the Seleucids. So Eretz Israel found itself in a disputed territory between two ruling dynasties. Then the partition took place, from 301 to 200 BC. was under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and after, before Roman rule, under the rule of the Seleucids.

"Good and evil" ruler

Under Persian rule until the conquest of Israel by Alexander the Great, and during his invasion of Israel, the authorities treated the Jews favorably. They were allowed to conduct their usual temple service and life, subject to the laws of the Torah. There is a legend according to which Alexander the Great agreed not to tax autonomous Judea in exchange for naming newborn boys the name “Alexander” (Alex).

This situation continued under the Ptolemies, although the Hellenization of the local population gradually took place. Taxation was introduced. Conquering soldiers began to settle on the land where they had previously lived. They built cities, introduced their culture and erected statues of Zeus and other Greek gods. Some sections of the Jewish nobility liked the freedom of the Greek way of life, and they willingly served the new government.

Violent policies and persecution of Jews began under King Antiochus IV of the Seleucid dynasty. Taxes were increased, high priests were removed and appointed for greater pay. The execution of Torah laws, circumcision, kashrut and observance were prohibited. The final test was the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple, its looting and the installation of a statue of Zeus. It has become impossible to avoid mass unrest among the people of Israel.

Popular outrage and uprising

Armed detachments appeared in the settlements, at first spontaneous, and then they were led by Matityahu from the family of Hasmonean priests (Hashmonaim)*. Only the strength of his spirit, his willingness to sacrifice himself for Toru, allowed him to gather scattered troops, unite them and win the battle. The sons of Matityahu especially distinguished themselves in this uprising, who continued the fight after the death of their father. They all received the nickname "Maccabees"**. They managed to re-consecrate the Temple, clearing it of statues and other objects of pagan cult. In honor of this victory it was installed.

Hanukkah today

Celebrating Hanukkah has become a fun tradition among the people. For 8 days, Jews light candles in special lamps called Hanukkiah. Large lamps are installed in squares of many cities around the world. This holiday falls according to the Gregorian calendar in cold December. Although I had to visit such a holiday in Australia, when it is summer there, and the holiday becomes just a massive colorful celebration in the park.

Maccabean Wars within Man

The Hasmoneans (Hashmonaim) ruled Israel in constant wars: civil (with Jews who adopted Greek customs) and with the Greek authorities - until the establishment of the rule of the Roman Empire. Ancient Rome ended the existence of Israel, completely destroyed the Temple and sent the Jews into exile. Two thousand years have passed, we have forgotten that we were waging a spiritual war. The Revolt of the Maccabees is a symbol of the war against the egoistic approach, it is the war of the high spirit against the cult of the body, the war of the ancient wisdom of the Torah against the cult of pagan gods, the war of a united people against isolation and distance from each other. Many of us have become like those Jews who served the Greeks with servility. This was the case in Germany before the World War, and now in many countries of the world we support anti-Israeli policies.

Civil wars continue in every person. Each of us faces a choice: is he ready to collect sparks of love in his heart in order to light a spiritual lamp. We must put an end to hostility and disunity in our midst so that the light of our unity will illuminate the entire world. This is the path indicated by Kabbalah to realize the great mission of becoming a “light for the nations” and leading everyone to prosperity.

Dora Bloom

*“Hashman” (plural “hashmonaim”) is a title given to an outstanding person, remarkable for his origin, talents, and behavior.

**Makabi (plural “Makabim”) is the title of those who fought for the word of God, those who wrote on their banner: Mi kamoha baeilim, Adonai (“Who is like You in strength, Lord”). The abbreviation of these words is Makabi.

Maccabees [from Heb. McKevett, "hammer"].

I. The nickname “Maccabeus” was initially borne by Judas, the third son of the priest Mattathias (1 Macc. 2:4). Then it spread to the whole family. Usually this nickname is traced back to ancient Hebrew. McKevett or Aram. makkawa- “hammer”. acc. same traditional jud. interpretation, it is an abbreviation of ancient Hebrew. original verse: “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?”

II 1) During the period of persecution against Jud. people from the sire side. King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC), the priest Mattathias from Modin (10 km southeast of Lydda) raised a rebellion against foreign power, which after his death was led by his five sons. Of these, Judas especially distinguished himself at first. He managed to recapture Jerusalem from the Syrians and reconsecrate the temple desecrated by Antiochus. This happened in December 164 BC. In memory of this, the Jews established ⇒ the holiday of Renewal - Hanukkah (see). In 160 BC. Judah fell in battle with the Syrians. His brother Eleazar, the fourth son of Mattathias, died even earlier, so the youngest of the brothers, Jonathan, took over the leadership of the uprising. The eldest, John, was soon after killed by the sons of Jambre, members of a robber tribe in Transjordan. Taking advantage of the lack of unity among the Syrians, Jonathan managed to achieve this. successes, but he, too, in 143 BC. sire was killed. military leader Tryphon. After this, leadership passed to the last surviving brother, Simon, the second son of Mattathias. He received from Demetrius II, Tryphon's opponent, the complete liberation of Judea from taxes, thereby practically achieving its independence from Syria (142 BC), and finally exterminated the last sires. garrisons in Judea;

2) in 140 BC. for celebrations. At the meeting of the people, Simon was proclaimed inheritor. high priest and prince. This was the beginning of the Hasmonean dynasty, as this family now became known. When the Syrians again attacked the Jews, Simon's sons Judas and John prevailed over them. victory. In 135 BC. Simon was killed by his son-in-law Ptolemy. Together with him, his sons Mattathias and Judas fell victims of the conspiracy, but John escaped and seized power. He received the nickname John Hyrcanus. During his long and successful reign (135–105 BC), he conquered the Edomites. His son Aristobulus I succeeded him. The spiritual uplift that initially accompanied the Hasmonean rule gradually waned. Already John Hyrcanus was inclined towards the Sadducees, who were under the influence of the Greek. culture, Aristobulus appropriated it to himself as king. title. He reigned in 105–104. BC, then he was replaced on the throne by his brother, Alexander Yannai (in 104–78). During the reign of Alexander, there was a violent struggle between the Pharisees and Sadducees. He married Alexandra, widow of Aristobulus I, who ruled in 78–69 after her husband's death. BC and patronized the Pharisees. A power struggle began between her sons Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. Aristobulus in 69–63 had a political power, while Hyrcanus was the high priest. Then the Romans intervened in the struggle between them, and in 63 BC. Pompey captured Jerusalem. Aristobulus was dethroned and taken to Rome, and Hyrcanus in 63–40. remained a high priest and at the same time a ruler, dependent, however, on Rome. Hyrcanus was a weak man, and his close associate, the Edomite Antipater, managed to exert increasing influence over him. The Romans appointed Antipater procurator of Judea (under Hyrcanus), and he also secured high positions for his sons Phasael and ⇒ Herod (the Great). Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus II, with the support of the Parthians who invaded Palestine, managed to reign and rule in 40–37. However, already in 40, when Antipater and Phasael were gone, the Romans made Herod king of Judea. Herod married Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus II, and in 37 BC. captured Jerusalem. Representatives of the Hasmonean house, who were still alive, one after another fell victims to his insidious intrigues.

III. The history of the Maccabees is reflected in the Books of Maccabees. The First Book of Maccabees sets out the history of the Jews from the invasion of Antiochus Epiphanes to the death of Simon, i.e. in the period 175–135 BC The book was preserved only in Greek. translation, the original, however, it was compiled in ancient Hebrew. or Aram. language and appeared around 100 BC. The Second Book of Maccabees was written around 50 BC. It is an extract from the work of Jason of Cyrene (Jason of Cyrene), a work consisting of five books. Both books are usually classified as ⇒ apocrypha. (In the Orthodox and Catholic traditions, they are classified as hagiographs - the “second-canonical” books of Holy Scripture - and are included in the Bible).