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- Dr. L.D. Alford
- www.ldalford.com
- www.pilotlion.blogspot.com
- www.ldalford.wordpress.com
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- Air Force Experimental Test Pilot
- Over 6000 hours in 64 different aircraft
- Education
- B.S. in Chemistry
- M.S. in Mechanical Engineering
- Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering
- Engineering Consultant
- Author
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3
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- Anglo-Saxon – since HS
- Ancient Greek (Classical Greek) – since about 1984
- Ancient Hebrew – limited degree from about 1995
- I write about languages and cultures
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- The Second Mission
- Centurion
- Aegypt
- (more info www.ldalford.com)
- The End of Honor
- The Fox’s Honor
- A Season of Honor
- ($15 each or 3 for $40)
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- Generally about the historical period from 430 BC to 5 BC
- Malachi ca. 430 BC to Birth of Christ 5 BC
- What happened in between?
- Critical period of history
- Birth of Philosophy
- Alexander the Great – Hellenized world
- Birth of Roman Empire
- Hebrew Derash to Greek rational
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- Generally concerning works of history and literature produced by the
Jewish people attributed to this period
- Greek documents primarily
- Some Hebrew and Aramaic documents
- We will also bring into play other supporting and applicable works
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- “Books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate but excluded from the
Jewish and since 1826 from some Protestant canons of the Old Testament.”
- The Apocrypha
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8
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- Greek rational thought was the framework of the world
- Brought to the known world by Alexander the Great through conquer
- Irrational (Derash) world accepted the mantel of Hellenistic thinking
and culture
- Romans accepted and spread Greek rationalism with pluralism and new
political construct
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9
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10
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- Maccabee means “hammer.” Popular
name for Judas third son of Mattathias.
This book was written in Hebrew around 100 B.C., and soon
afterwards translated into Greek. The Hebrew text was seen by Jerome,
but is now lost. It is a sober but stirring historical account of Jewish
history from 175 B.C. to 135 B.C., during which time the Jews of
Palestine fought for and gained national independence from their Greek
overlords.
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11
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- Shows how Jonathan then Simon were made high priest and king over the
Jewish people. Tells how the
Romans became involved in the area.
Highly regarded by historians as a source of accurate
information, it is considered excellent history with few to no
historical issues.
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12
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- Reasons the Rabbis wouldn’t like 1st Maccabees
- Greek (Hebrew text was lost)
- Greek style document
- The Maccabees made treaties with Greeks, Romans, Egyptians
- Clearly states two Maccabees Jonathan and Simon were high priest and
also king of Israel
- Maccabees were not of the family of Aaron
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13
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- Issues with 1st Maccabees:
- None—great history. Josephus
used it to write his history of the Jews
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14
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- 1. 1.54: Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred
forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege on the altar of
burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns of
Judah,
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15
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- Mt 24.15: "So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the
holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader
understand),
- [UBS4] Mk 13.14: But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where
it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must
flee to the mountains
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16
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- 2. 2.21: Far be it from us to
desert the law and the ordinances.
- Mt 16.22: And Peter took him
aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This
must never happen to you."
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17
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- 3. 2.28: Then he and his sons
fled to the hills and left all that they had in the town.
- Mt 24.16 (*-18): then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one
on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; the one
in the field must not turn back to get a coat.
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18
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- 4. 2.52: Was not Abraham found faithful when tested, and it was reckoned
to him as righteousness?
- Heb 11.17: By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He
who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,
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19
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- 5. 2.60: Daniel, because of his innocence, was delivered from the mouth
of the lions.
- 2Tim 4.17: But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that
through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles
might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
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20
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- 6. 3.6: Lawbreakers shrank back for fear of him; all the evildoers were
confounded; and deliverance prospered by his hand.
- Lk 13.27: But he will say, “I do not know where you come from; go away
from me, all you evildoers!”
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21
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- 7. [UBS4] 3.45, 51: Jerusalem was
uninhabited like a wilderness; not one of her children went in or
out. The sanctuary was trampled
down, and aliens held the citadel; it was a lodging place for the
Gentiles. Joy was taken from
Jacob; the flute and the harp ceased to play. ....
Your sanctuary is trampled down and profaned, and your priests
mourn in humiliation.
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22
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- Lk 21.24: they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as
captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
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23
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- 8. 3.49: They also brought the vestments of the priesthood and the first
fruits and the tithes, and they stirred up the nazirites who had
completed their days;
- Ac 21.26: Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified
himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion
of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of
them.
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24
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- 9. 3.60: But as his will in heaven may be, so shall he do.
- Mt 6.10: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.
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25
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- 10. 4.59: Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel
determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the
altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning
with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.
- Jn 10.22: At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in
Jerusalem. It was winter,
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26
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- 11. 5.15: they said that the people of Ptolemais and Tyre and Sidon, and
all Galilee of the Gentiles, had gathered together against them "to
annihilate us."
- Mt 4.15: "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the
sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
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27
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- 12. [UBS4] 6.7: that they had
torn down the abomination that he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem;
and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before,
and also Beth-zur, his town.
- Mt 24.15: So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy
place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader
understand)
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28
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- 13. 7.41: When the messengers from the king spoke blasphemy, your angel
went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand of the
Assyrians.
- Ac 12.23: And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an
angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
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29
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- 14. 8.16: They trust one man each year to rule over them and to control
all their land; they all heed the one man, and there is no envy or
jealousy among them.
- Jas 4.2: You want something and do not have it; so you commit
murder. And you covet something
and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do
not have, because you do not ask.
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30
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- 15. 9.39: They looked out and saw a tumultuous procession with a great
amount of baggage; and the bridegroom came out with his friends and his
brothers to meet them with tambourines and musicians and many weapons.
- Jn 3.29: He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the
bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the
bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.
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31
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- 16. 10.25: So he sent a message to them in the following words: King Demetrius to the nation of the
Jews, greetings.
- Ac 10.22: They answered, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and
God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was
directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to
hear what you have to say."
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32
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- 17. 10.29 [-30]: "I now free you and exempt all the Jews from
payment of tribute and salt tax and crown levies, and instead of
collecting the third of the grain and the half of the fruit of the trees
that I should receive, I release them from this day and henceforth. I
will not collect them from the land of Judah or from the three districts
added to it from Samaria and Galilee, from this day and for all time.
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33
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- Lk 15.12: The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me
the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his
property between them.
- 18. 11.30, 33, etc.: “...the
nation of the Jews....”
- Ac 10.22: “...the Jewish
nation....”
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34
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- 19. 12.6: The high priest
Jonathan, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest of the
Jewish people to their brothers the Spartans, greetings.
- Ac 5.21: When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and
went on with their teaching. When the high priest and those with him
arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the
elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
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35
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- 20. 12.9: Therefore, though we have no need of these things, since we
have as encouragement the holy books that are in our hands,
- Rom 15.4: For whatever was written in former days was written for our
instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the
scriptures we might have hope.
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36
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- 21. 12.17: We have commanded them
to go also to you and greet you and deliver to you this letter from us
concerning the renewal of our family ties.
- Mt 9.38: therefore ask the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
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37
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- 22. 13.2: and he saw that the people were trembling with fear. So he
went up to Jerusalem, and gathering the people together
- Heb 12.21: Indeed, so terrifying
was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."
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38
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- 23. 14.41: In the one hundred
seventieth year the yoke of the Gentiles was removed from Israel,
- Heb 5.6: as he says also in another place, "You are a priest
forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
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39
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- 24. 15.21: Therefore if any scoundrels have fled to you from their
country, hand them over to the high priest Simon, so that he may punish
them according to their law.
- Ac 9.2: and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that
if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring
them bound to Jerusalem.
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40
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- Abbreviated version of a 5 volume historical work by Jason of Cyrene
that is lost. This is not a
sequel to First Maccabees, but a different account of many of the same
events related in that book down to 161 B.C., combined with many
legendary additions.
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41
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- The writer's interests are religious rather than historical, and he uses
the history as a backdrop to advance religious ideas current among the
Jews of Alexandria during the first century B.C. The work of an
Alexandrian Jew in about 124 B.C..
It parallels 1 Maccabees 1:10 to 7:50. Some statements in this book support
the Roman Catholic teachings on purgatory, prayers for the dead, and the
intercessory work of glorified "saints."
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42
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- Reasons the Rabbis wouldn’t like 2nd Maccabees
- Greek abbreviation of a likely Greek text
- Hebrew style document in Greek
- The Maccabees made treaties with Greeks, Romans, Egyptians
- Clearly states two Maccabees Jonathan and Simon were high priest and
also king of Israel
- Maccabees were not of the family of Aaron
- Life after death and prayers for the dead are strong themes
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43
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- Issues with 2nd Maccabees:
- Lots of historical issues, but they are not stated obviously
- Intended to be a history in the style of Herodotus
- The majority of historical abnormalities in the work are obvious
accidents or otherwise undocumented events
- Assumption of worldviews is a problem
- Derash vs. Peshat
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44
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- 1. 1.4: May he open your heart to his law and his commandments, and may
he bring peace.
- Ac 16.14: A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening
to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth.
The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.
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45
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- 2. 1.10: The people of Jerusalem and of Judea and the senate and Judas,
To Aristobulus, who is of the family of the anointed priests, teacher of
King Ptolemy, and to the Jews in Egypt, Greetings and good health.
- Ac 5.21: When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and
went on with their teaching. When the high priest and those with him
arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the
elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
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46
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- 3. 1.24, etc.: The prayer was to this effect: O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all
things, you are awe-inspiring and strong and just and merciful, you
alone are king and are kind
- 1Pt 4.19: Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will
entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
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47
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- 4. 1.27: Gather together our scattered people, set free those who are
slaves among the Gentiles, look on those who are rejected and despised,
and let the Gentiles know that you are our God.
- Jas 1.1: James, a servant F1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the
twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
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48
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- 5. 2.4: It was also in the same document that the prophet, having
received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with
him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and
had seen the inheritance of God.
- Rom 11.4: But what is the divine reply to him? "I have kept for
myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
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49
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- 6. 2.4-8: It was also in the same document that the prophet, having
received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with
him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and
had seen the inheritance of God. Jeremiah came and found a
cave-dwelling, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar
of incense; then he sealed up the entrance.
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50
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- 6. 2.4-8: Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the
way, but could not find it. When Jeremiah learned of it, he
rebuked them and declared: "The place shall remain unknown until
God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. Then
the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the
cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as
Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated."
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51
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- Rev 2.17: Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying
to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden
manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written
a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
- Rev 11.19: Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his
covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of
lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
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52
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- 7. 2.7: When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared:
"The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people
together again and shows his mercy.
- 2Th 2.1: As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being
gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters,
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53
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- 8. 3.11: and also some money of Hyrcanus son of Tobias, a man of very
prominent position, and that it totaled in all four hundred talents of
silver and two hundred of gold. To such an extent the impious Simon had
misrepresented the facts.
- 1Tim 2.2: for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
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54
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- 9. 3.24: But when he arrived at the treasury with his bodyguard, then
and there the Sovereign of spirits and of all authority caused so great
a manifestation that all who had been so bold as to accompany him were
astounded by the power of God, and became faint with terror.
- Heb 12.9: Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we
respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the
Father of spirits and live?
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55
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- 10. 3.24-40: But when he arrived at the treasury with his bodyguard,
then and there the Sovereign of spirits and of all authority caused so
great a manifestation that all who had been so bold as to accompany him
were astounded by the power of God, and became faint with terror.
For there appeared to them a magnificently caparisoned horse, with a
rider of frightening mien; it rushed furiously at Heliodorus and struck
at him with its front hoofs. Its rider was seen to have armor and
weapons of gold.
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56
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- 10. 3.24-40: Two young men also appeared to him, remarkably strong,
gloriously beautiful and splendidly dressed, who stood on either side of
him and flogged him continuously, inflicting many blows on him.
When he suddenly fell to the ground and deep darkness came over him, his
men took him up, put him on a stretcher, and carried him away--this man
who had just entered the aforesaid treasury with a great retinue and all
his bodyguard but was now unable to help himself. They recognized
clearly the sovereign power of God.
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57
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- 10. 3.24-40: While he lay prostrate, speechless because of the divine
intervention and deprived of any hope of recovery, they praised the Lord
who had acted marvelously for his own place. And the temple, which a
little while before was full of fear and disturbance, was filled with
joy and gladness, now that the Almighty Lord had appeared.
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58
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- 10. 3.24-40: Some of Heliodorus's friends quickly begged Onias to call
upon the Most High to grant life to one who was lying quite at his last
breath. So the high priest, fearing that the king might get the
notion that some foul play had been perpetrated by the Jews with regard
to Heliodorus, offered sacrifice for the man's recovery. While the
high priest was making an atonement, the same young men appeared again
to Heliodorus dressed in the same clothing, and they stood and said,
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59
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- 10. 3.24-40: "Be very grateful to the high priest Onias, since for
his sake the Lord has granted you your life. And see that you, who have been
flogged by heaven, report to all people the majestic power of God." Having said this they vanished.
- Then Heliodorus offered sacrifice to the Lord and made very great vows
to the Savior of his life, and having bidden Onias farewell, he marched
off with his forces to the king.
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60
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- 10. 3.24-40: He bore testimony to all concerning the deeds of the
supreme God, which he had seen with his own eyes. When the king asked Heliodorus what
sort of person would be suitable to send on another mission to Jerusalem,
he replied, "If you have any enemy or plotter against your
government, send him there, for you will get him back thoroughly
flogged, if he survives at all; for there is certainly some power of God
about the place.
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61
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- 10. 3.24-40: For he who has his dwelling in heaven watches over that
place himself and brings it aid, and he strikes and destroys those who
come to do it injury." This was the outcome of the episode of
Heliodorus and the protection of the treasury.
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62
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- Ac 9.1-29: Meanwhile Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to
the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might
bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching
Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to
the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?"
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63
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- Ac 9.1-29: The reply came,
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the
city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were
traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw
no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he
could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into
Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor
drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias.
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64
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- Ac 9.1-29: The Lord said to him
in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am,
Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street
called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus
named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a
man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might
regain his sight."
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65
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- Ac 9.1-29: But Ananias answered,
"Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has
done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the
chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." But the Lord said
to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my
name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself
will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." So
Ananias went and entered the house.
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66
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- Ac 9.1-29: He laid his hands on
Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you
on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be
filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales
fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was
baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For
several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he
began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son
of God."
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67
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- Ac 9.1-29: All who heard him were
amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem
among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the
purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?" Saul
became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in
Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah. After some time had passed, the Jews
plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul.
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68
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- Ac 9.1-29: They were watching the
gates day and night so that they might kill him; but his disciples took
him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering
him in a basket. When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the
disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe
that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the
apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord,
who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the
name of Jesus.
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69
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- Ac 9.1-29: So he went in and out
among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He
spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill
him.
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70
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- 11. 3.25: For there appeared to them a magnificently caparisoned horse,
with a rider of frightening mien; it rushed furiously at Heliodorus and
struck at him with its front hoofs. Its rider was seen to have armor and
weapons of gold.
- Rev 19.11: Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its
rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and
makes war.
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71
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- 12. 3.26: Two young men also appeared to him, remarkably strong,
gloriously beautiful and splendidly dressed, who stood on either side of
him and flogged him continuously, inflicting many blows on him.
- Lk 24.4: While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them.
- Ac 1.10: While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven,
suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
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72
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- 13. 3.30: they praised the Lord who had acted marvelously for his own
place. And the temple, which a little while before was full of fear and
disturbance, was filled with joy and gladness, now that the Almighty
Lord had appeared.
- Tt 2.11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,
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73
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- 14. 3.34: And see that you, who have been flogged by heaven, report to
all people the majestic power of God." Having said this they
vanished.
- Lk 24.31: Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he
vanished from their sight.
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74
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- 15. 4.1: The previously mentioned Simon, who had informed about the
money against his own country, slandered Onias, saying that it was he
who had incited Heliodorus and had been the real cause of the
misfortune.
- Heb 11.10: For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.
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75
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- 16. 4.6: For he saw that without the king's attention public affairs
could not again reach a peaceful settlement, and that Simon would not
stop his folly.
- Ac 24.2: When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him,
saying: "Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed
peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your
foresight.
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76
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- 17. 4.32: But Menelaus, thinking he had obtained a suitable opportunity,
stole some of the gold vessels of the temple and gave them to
Andronicus; other vessels, as it happened, he had sold to Tyre and the
neighboring cities.
- Ac 5.2: with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds,
and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
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77
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- 18. 6.4: For the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the
Gentiles, who dallied with prostitutes and had intercourse with women
within the sacred precincts, and besides brought in things for sacrifice
that were unfit.
- Rom 1.28: And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave
them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done.
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78
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: Eleazar, one of
the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age and of noble
presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat swine's flesh. But he, welcoming death with honor
rather than life with pollution, went up to the rack of his own accord,
spitting out the flesh, as all ought to go who have the courage to
refuse things that it is not right to taste, even for the natural love
of life. Those who were in charge
of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside because of their long
acquaintance with him, and privately urged him
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: to bring meat of
his own providing, proper for him to use, and to pretend that he was
eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal that had been commanded by the
king, so that by doing this he might be saved from death, and be treated
kindly on account of his old friendship with them. But making a high resolve, worthy of
his years and the dignity of his old age and the gray hairs that he had
reached with distinction and his excellent life even from childhood, and
moreover according to the holy God-given law, he declared himself
quickly,
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: telling them to
send him to Hades. "Such
pretense is not worthy of our time of life," he said, "for
many of the young might suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year had
gone over to an alien religion, and through my pretense, for the sake of
living a brief moment longer, they would be led astray because of me,
while I defile and disgrace my old age.
Even if for the present I would avoid the punishment of mortals,
yet whether I live or die I will not escape the hands of the
Almighty. Therefore, by bravely
giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: of my old age and
leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly
and nobly for the revered and holy laws." When he had said this, he went at once
to the rack. Those who a little
before had acted toward him with goodwill now changed to ill will,
because the words he had uttered were in their opinion sheer
madness. When he was about to die
under the blows, he groaned aloud and said: "It is clear to the
Lord in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been saved from
death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: my body under this
beating, but in my soul I am glad to suffer these things because I fear
him." So in this way he
died, leaving in his death an example of nobility and a memorial of
courage, not only to the young but to the great body of his nation.
- It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and
were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and thongs,
to partake of unlawful swine's flesh.
One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, "What do you
intend to ask and learn from us? For we
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: ready to die
rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." The king fell into a rage, and gave
orders to have pans and caldrons heated.
These were heated immediately, and he commanded that the tongue
of their spokesman be cut out and that they scalp him and cut off his
hands and feet, while the rest of the brothers and the mother looked on. When he was utterly helpless, the king
ordered them to take him to the fire, still breathing, and to fry him in
a pan. The smoke from the pan spread widely, but the brothers and
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: their mother
encouraged one another to die nobly, saying, "The Lord God is
watching over us and in truth has compassion on us, as Moses declared in
his song that bore witness against the people to their faces, when he
said, 'And he will have compassion on his servants.' " After the first brother had died in
this way, they brought forward the second for their sport. They tore off
the skin of his head with the hair, and asked him, "Will you eat
rather than have your body punished limb by limb?" He replied in the language of his
ancestors and said
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: to them,
"No." Therefore he in turn underwent tortures as the first
brother had done. And when he was
at his last breath, he said, "You accursed wretch, you dismiss us
from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to
an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his
laws." After him, the third
was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out
his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, and said nobly,
"I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them,
and from him
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: I hope to get them
back again." As a result the
king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man's
spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing. After he too had died, they maltreated
and tortured the fourth in the same way.
When he was near death, he said, "One cannot but choose to
die at the hands of mortals and to cherish the hope God gives of being
raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to
life!" Next they brought
forward the fifth and maltreated him.
But he looked at the king, and said, "Because you have
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: authority among
mortals, though you also are mortal, 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!" After him they
brought forward the sixth. And when he was about to die, he said,
"Do not deceive yourself in vain. For we are suffering these things
on our own account, because of our sins against our own God. Therefore
astounding things have happened.
But do not think that you will go unpunished for having tried to
fight against
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: God!" The mother was especially admirable
and worthy of honorable memory. Although she saw her seven sons perish
within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope
in the Lord. She encouraged each
of them in the language of their ancestors. Filled with a noble spirit,
she reinforced her woman's reasoning with a man's courage, and said to
them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I
who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within
each of you.
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89
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: Therefore the
Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised
the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to
you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his
laws." Antiochus felt that
he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her
reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not
only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would
make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his
ancestors, and that he
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: would take him for
his Friend and entrust him with public affairs. Since the young man would not listen
to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise
the youth to save himself. After
much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. But, leaning close to him, she spoke
in their native language as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: "My
son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed
you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this
point in your life, and have taken care of
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: you. I beg you, my child, to look at the
heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize
that God did not make them out of things that existed. And in the same way the human race
came into being. Do not fear this
butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in
God's mercy I may get you back again along with your
brothers." While she was
still speaking, the young man said, "What are you waiting for? I
will not obey the king's command, but I obey the command of the law that
was given to our
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: ancestors through
Moses. But you, who have
contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not
escape the hands of God. For we
are suffering because of our own sins.
And if our living Lord is angry for a little while, to rebuke and
discipline us, he will again be reconciled with his own servants. But you, unholy wretch, you most
defiled of all mortals, do not be elated in vain and puffed up by
uncertain hopes, when you raise your hand against the children of
heaven. You have not yet escaped
the judgment of the almighty, all-
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93
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: seeing God. For our brothers after enduring a
brief suffering have drunk of ever-flowing life, under God's covenant;
but you, by the judgment of God, will receive just punishment for your
arrogance. I, like my brothers,
give up body and life for the laws of our ancestors, appealing to God to
show mercy soon to our nation and by trials and plagues to make you
confess that he alone is God, and through me and my brothers to bring to
an end the wrath of the Almighty that has justly fallen on our whole
nation." The king fell into
a rage, and
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- 19. 6.18-7.42: handled him worse
than the others, being exasperated at his scorn. So he died in his integrity, putting
his whole trust in the Lord. Last
of all, the mother died, after her sons.
Let this be enough, then, about the eating of sacrifices and the
extreme tortures.
- Heb 11.35: Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were
tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better
resurrection.
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95
|
- 20. 6.23: But making a high resolve, worthy of his years and the dignity
of his old age and the gray hairs that he had reached with distinction
and his excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to
the holy God-given law, he declared himself quickly, telling them to
send him to Hades.
- Rom 9.4: They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the
promises;
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96
|
- 21. 7.19: But do not think that you will go unpunished for having tried
to fight against God!
- Ac 5.39: but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in
that case you may even be found fighting against God!" They were
convinced by him,
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97
|
- 22. 8.17: keeping before their eyes the lawless outrage that the
Gentiles had committed against the holy place, and the torture of the
derided city, and besides, the overthrow of their ancestral way of life.
- Mt 24.15: "So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the
holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader
understand),
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98
|
- 23. 9.9: And so the ungodly man's body swarmed with worms, and while he
was still living in anguish and pain, his flesh rotted away, and because
of the stench the whole army felt revulsion at his decay.
- Ac 12.23: And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an
angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
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99
|
- 24. 10.3: They purified the sanctuary, and made another altar of
sacrifice; then, striking fire out of flint, they offered sacrifices,
after a lapse of two years, and they offered incense and lighted lamps
and set out the bread of the Presence.
- Mt 12.4: He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence,
which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for
the priests.
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100
|
- 25. 10.7: Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches
and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who
had given success to the purifying of his own holy place.
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101
|
- Rev 7.9: After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and
languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in
white, with palm branches in their hands.
- *Jn 12.13: So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him,
shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the
Lord— the King of Israel!"
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102
|
- 26. 11.8: And there, while they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman
appeared at their head, clothed in white and brandishing weapons of
gold.
|
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103
|
- Ac 10.30: Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this very hour, at
three o'clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling
clothes stood before me.
- Rev 19.11: Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its
rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and
makes war.
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104
|
- 27. 12.15: But Judas and his men, calling upon the great Sovereign of
the world, who without battering rams or engines of war overthrew
Jericho in the days of Joshua, rushed furiously upon the walls.
- 1Tim 6.15: which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the
blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
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105
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- 28. 12.43-45: He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of
two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for
a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking
account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that
those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous
and foolish to pray for the dead.
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106
|
- 28. 12.43-45: But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid
up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious
thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be
delivered from their sin.
- 1Cor 15.29: Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on
behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people
baptized on their behalf?
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- 29. 13.4: But the King of kings aroused the anger of Antiochus against
the scoundrel; and when Lysias informed him that this man was to blame
for all the trouble, he ordered them to take him to Beroea and to put
him to death by the method that is customary in that place.
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- 1Tim 6.15: which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the
blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
- Rev 17.14: they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer
them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are
called and chosen and faithful.
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109
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- 30. 13.14: So, committing the decision to the Creator of the world and
exhorting his troops to fight bravely to the death for the laws, temple,
city, country, and commonwealth, he pitched his camp near Modein.
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- Heb 12.4: In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the
point of shedding your blood.
- Rev 2.10: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is
about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and
for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I
will give you the crown of life.
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111
|
- Found in most Orthodox Bibles as a part of the Anagignoskomena, while
Protestants and Catholics consider it non-canonical, except the Moravian
Brethren who included it in the Apocrypha of the Czech Kralicka Bible.
|
|
112
|
- The book actually has nothing to do with the Maccabees or their revolt
against the Seleucid Empire, as described in 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees.
Instead it tells the story of persecution of the Jews under Ptolemy IV
Philopator (222-205 BC). The name of the book apparently comes from the
similarities between this book and the stories of the martyrdom of
Eleazar and the Maccabeean youths in 2 Maccabees; the High Priest Shimon
is also mentioned.
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113
|
- The contents of the book have a legendary character, which scholars have
not been able to tie to proven historical events, and it has all the
appearances of a romance. According to the book, after Ptolemy's defeat
of Antiochus III in 217 BC at the battle of Raphia, he visited Jerusalem
and the Second Temple. However, he was miraculously prevented from
entering the building. This led him to hate the Jews and upon his return
to Alexandria, he rounded up the Jewish
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114
|
- community there to put them to death in his hippodrome. However,
Egyptian law required that the names of all those put to death be
written down, and all the paper in Egypt was exhausted in attempting to
do this, so that the Jews were able to escape. Ptolemy then attempted to
have the Jews killed by crushing by elephant; however, due to various
interventions by God, the Jews escaped this fate, despite the fact that
the 500 elephants had been specially intoxicated to enrage them.
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115
|
- Finally, the king was converted and bestowed favor upon the Jews, with
this date being set as a festival of deliverance.
- Critics agree that the author of this book was an Alexandrian Jew who
wrote in Greek. In style, the author is prone to rhetorical constructs
and a somewhat bombastic style, and the themes of the book are very
similar to those of the Epistle of Aristeas. The work begins somewhat
abruptly, leading many to think that it is actually a fragment of a
(now-lost) longer work.
|
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116
|
- Written at some point after 2 Maccabees, since that book is cited in the
text. This sets the date of composition to the end of the first century
BC and its use in the Orthodox Church also might suggest its composition
being before the first century AD. It may be a product of very late
Judaism or very early Christianity. One theory, advanced by Ewald and
Willrich, holds that the relation is a polemic against Caligula, thus
dating from around AD 40, but this theory has been rejected by more
recent authors, because Ptolemy in the book does not claim divine honors
as Caligula did.
|
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117
|
- Reasons the Rabbis wouldn’t like 3rd Maccabees
- Not about the Maccabees
- Greek style document in Greek
- Doctrine and theological issues to the Rabbis
|
|
118
|
- Issues with 3rd Maccabees:
- Not about the Maccabees
- Lots of historical issues, but they are not stated obviously
- Intended to be a history in the style of Herodotus
- The majority of historical abnormalities in the work are obvious
accidents or otherwise undocumented events.
- Assumption of worldviews is a problem
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|
119
|
- 1. 2.3: For you, the creator of all things and the governor of all, are
a just Ruler, and you judge those who have done anything in insolence
and arrogance.
- Eph 3.9: and to make everyone see F15 what is the plan of the mystery
hidden for ages in F16 God who created all things;
- Rev 4.11: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and
honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they
existed and were created."
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120
|
- 2. [UBS4] 2.5: You consumed with fire and sulfur the people of Sodom who
acted arrogantly, who were notorious for their vices; and you made them an example to those
who should come afterward.
- Rev 14.10: they will also drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed
into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and
sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the
Lamb.
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121
|
- Rev 20.10: And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake
of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
- Rev 21.8: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the
murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars,
their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which
is the second death.
|
|
122
|
- 3. 2.13: see now, O holy King, that because of our many and great sins
we are crushed with suffering, subjected to our enemies, and overtaken
by helplessness.
- 2Pt 2.7: and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man greatly distressed by
the licentiousness of the lawless
|
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123
|
- 4. 2.29: those who are registered are also to be branded on their bodies
by fire with the ivy-leaf symbol of Dionysus, and they shall also be
reduced to their former limited status."
- Gal 6.17: From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the
marks of Jesus branded on my body.
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124
|
- 5. 4.16: The king was greatly and continually filled with joy,
organizing feasts in honor of all his idols, with a mind alienated from
truth and with a profane mouth, praising speechless things that are not
able even to communicate or to come to one's help, and uttering improper
words against the supreme God.
|
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125
|
- Rom 1.28: And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave
them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done.
- 1Cor 12.2: You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led
astray to idols that could not speak.
|
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126
|
- 6. 4.17: But after the previously mentioned interval of time the scribes
declared to the king that they were no longer able to take the census of
the Jews because of their immense number
- Ac 5.7: After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not
knowing what had happened.
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127
|
- 7. 5.35: Then the Jews, on hearing what the king had said, praised the
manifest Lord God, King of kings, since this also was his aid that they
had received.
- 1Tim 6.15: which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the
blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
|
|
128
|
- Rev 17.14: they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer
them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are
called and chosen and faithful.
- [UBS4] Rev 19.16: On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed,
“King of kings and Lord of lords.”
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129
|
- 8. 6.9: And now, you who hate insolence, all-merciful and protector of
all, reveal yourself quickly to those of the nation of Israel--who are
being outrageously treated by the abominable and lawless Gentiles.
- Tt 2.11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all
|
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130
|
- The book of 4 Maccabees is a homily or philosophic discourse praising
the supremacy of pious reason over passion. It is not in the Bible for
most churches, but is an appendix to the Greek Bible, and in the canon
of the Georgian Bible. It was in the 1688 Romanian Bible where it was
called "Iosip" but is not printed in the Orthodox Bible today.
It is included as an appendix in the recently published Eastern Orthodox
Bible
|
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131
|
- The book is ascribed to Josephus by Eusebius and Jerome, and this
opinion was accepted for many years, leading to its inclusion in many
editions of Josephus' works. More modern critical scholarship points to
great differences of language and style, so that this identification is
largely abandoned today.
|
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132
|
- The book is generally dated between the first century BCE and the first
century CE, due to its reliance on 2 Maccabees and use by some of early
Christians. It was probably written before the persecution of the Jews
under Caligula, and certainly before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE.
|
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133
|
- Reasons the Rabbis wouldn’t like 4th Maccabees
- Not about the Maccabees
- Greek style document in Greek
- Doctrine and theological issues to the Rabbis
- Philosophic document
- Used by the early church
|
|
134
|
- Issues with 2nd Maccabees:
- Not about the Maccabees
- Not history
- Great Greek philosophic discourse
- Derash document
|
|
135
|
- 1. 1.11: All people, even their torturers, marveled at their courage and
endurance, and they became the cause of the downfall of tyranny over
their nation. By their endurance they conquered the tyrant, and thus
their native land was purified through them.
- Jas 1.3: because you know that the testing of your faith produces
endurance
|
|
136
|
- 2. 1.26: In the soul it is boastfulness, covetousness, thirst for honor,
rivalry, and malice;
- Rom 1.29-31: They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil,
covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness,
they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful,
inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless,
heartless, ruthless.
|
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137
|
- 3. 2.5-6: Thus the law says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife or anything that is your neighbor's." In fact, since the law has told us not
to covet, I could prove to you all the more that reason is able to
control desires. Just so it is with the emotions that hinder one from
justice.
|
|
138
|
- Rom 7.7: What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I
would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if
the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
|
|
139
|
- 4. 2.6: In fact, since the law has told us not to covet, I could prove
to you all the more that reason is able to control desires. Just so it
is with the emotions that hinder one from justice.
- Rom 13.9: The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You
shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and
any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your
neighbor as yourself."
|
|
140
|
- 5. 2.15: It is evident that reason rules even the more violent emotions:
lust for power, vainglory, boasting, arrogance, and malice.
- Rom 1.29-31: They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil,
covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness,
they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful,
inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless,
heartless, ruthless.
|
|
141
|
- 6. 3.13-19: Eluding the sentinels at the gates, they went searching
throughout the enemy camp and found the spring, and from it boldly
brought the king a drink. But
David, though he was burning with thirst, considered it an altogether
fearful danger to his soul to drink what was regarded as equivalent to
blood. Therefore, opposing reason
to desire, he poured out the drink as an offering to God.
|
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142
|
- 6. 3.13-19: For the temperate mind can conquer the drives of the
emotions and quench the flames of frenzied desires; it can overthrow
bodily agonies even when they are extreme, and by nobility of reason
spurn all domination by the emotions.
- The present occasion now invites us to a narrative demonstration of
temperate reason.
- Lk 6.12: Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and
he spent the night in prayer to God.
|
|
143
|
- 7. 4.1-14: Now there was a certain Simon, a political opponent of the
noble and good man, Onias, who then held the high priesthood for life.
When despite all manner of slander he was unable to injure Onias in the
eyes of the nation, he fled the country with the purpose of betraying
it. So he came to Apollonius,
governor of Syria, Phoenicia, and Cilicia, and said, "I have come
here because I am loyal to the king's government, to report that in the
Jerusalem treasuries there are deposited tens of thousands in private
funds, which are not the property of
|
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144
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- 7. 4.1-14: the temple but belong to King Seleucus." When Apollonius learned the details
of these things, he praised Simon for his service to the king and went
up to Seleucus to inform him of the rich treasure. On receiving authority to deal with
this matter, he proceeded quickly to our country accompanied by the
accursed Simon and a very strong military force. He said that he had come with the
king's authority to seize the private funds in the treasury. The people indignantly protested his
words, considering it outrageous that those who had
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145
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- 7. 4.1-14: committed deposits to the sacred treasury should be deprived
of them, and did all that they could to prevent it. But, uttering threats, Apollonius went
on to the temple. While the
priests together with women and children were imploring God in the
temple to shield the holy place that was being treated so
contemptuously, and while Apollonius was going up with his armed forces
to seize the money, angels on horseback with lightning flashing from
their weapons appeared from heaven, instilling in them great fear and
trembling.
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146
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- 7. 4.1-14: Then Apollonius fell down half dead in the temple area that
was open to all, stretched out his hands toward heaven, and with tears
begged the Hebrews to pray for him and propitiate the wrath of the
heavenly army. For he said that
he had committed a sin deserving of death, and that if he were spared he
would praise the blessedness of the holy place before all people. Moved by these words, the high priest
Onias, although otherwise he had scruples about doing so, prayed for him
so that King Seleucus would not suppose that
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147
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- 7. 4.1-14: Apollonius had been overcome by human treachery and not by
divine justice. So Apollonius,
having been saved beyond all expectations, went away to report to the
king what had happened to him.
- Ac 9.1-29: Meanwhile Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to
the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might
bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and
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148
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- Ac 9.1-29: approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground
and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute
me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came,
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the
city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were
traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw
no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he
could see nothing; so they led him by the hand
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149
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- Ac 9.1-29: and brought him into
Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor
drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said
to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am,
Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street
called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus
named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a
man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might
regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have
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150
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- Ac 9.1-29: heard from many about
this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and
here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your
name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument
whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before
the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for
the sake of my name." So Ananias went and entered the house. He
laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who
appeared to you on your way
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151
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- Ac 9.1-29: here, has sent me so
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight
was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some
food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the
disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the
synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." All who heard him
were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in
Jerusalem among those who invoked
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152
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- Ac 9.1-29: this name? And has he
not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief
priests?" Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the
Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah. After some time had passed, the Jews
plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were
watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; but his
disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the
wall, lowering him in a basket. When he had come to
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153
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- Ac 9.1-29: Jerusalem, he
attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for
they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him,
brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he
had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had
spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them in
Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He spoke and argued
with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him.
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154
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- 8. 5.2: ordered the guards to seize each and every Hebrew and to compel
them to eat pork and food sacrificed to idols.
- Ac 15.29: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and
from blood and from what is strangled F118 and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you
will do well. Farewell.
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155
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- 9. 6.31: Admittedly, then, devout reason is sovereign over the emotions.
- 1Tim 3.16: Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He
was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among
Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
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156
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- 10. 7.8: Such should be those who are administrators of the law,
shielding it with their own blood and noble sweat in sufferings even to
death.
- Rom 15.16: to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the
priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the
Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
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157
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- 11. 7.16: If, therefore, because of piety an aged man despised tortures
even to death, most certainly devout reason is governor of the emotions.
- 1Tim 3.16: Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He
was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among
Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
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158
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- 12. 7.19: since they believe that they, like our patriarchs Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob, do not die to God, but live to God.
- Mt 23.32: "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob'? He is God not of the dead, but of the living."
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159
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- Lk 20.37-38: And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed,
in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of
the living; for to him all of them are alive."
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160
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- 13. 9.8: For we, through this severe suffering and endurance, shall have
the prize of virtue and shall be with God, on whose account we suffer;
- Jas 5.10: As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the
prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
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161
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- 14. 12.13: As a man, were you not ashamed, you most savage beast, to cut
out the tongues of men who have feelings like yours and are made of the
same elements as you, and to maltreat and torture them in this way?
- Ac 14.15: "Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just
like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless
things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea
and all that is in them.
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162
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- 15. 12.17: and I call on the God of our ancestors to be merciful to our
nation
- Ac 24.14: But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they
call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything
laid down according to the law or written in the prophets.
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163
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- 16. 13.14: Let us not fear him who thinks he is killing us
- Mt 10.28: Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
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164
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- 17. 13.15: for great is the struggle of the soul and the danger of
eternal torment lying before those who transgress the commandment of
God.
- Lk 16.23: In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw
Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
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165
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- 18. 13.17: For if we so die, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob will welcome
us, and all the fathers will praise us.
- Mt 8.11: I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
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166
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- 19. 15.2: Two courses were open to this mother, that of religion, and
that of preserving her seven sons for a time, as the tyrant had
promised.
- Heb 11.25: choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God
than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
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167
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- 20. 15.7: and because of the many pains she suffered with each of them
she had sympathy for them
- Jas 1.4: and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be
mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
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168
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- 21. 15.8: yet because of the fear of God she disdained the temporary
safety of her children
- Heb 11.25: choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God
than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
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169
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- 22. 16.1: If, then, a woman, advanced in years and mother of seven sons,
endured seeing her children tortured to death, it must be admitted that
devout reason is sovereign over the emotions.
- 1Tim 3.16: Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He
was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among
Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
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170
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- 23. 16.12: Yet that holy and God-fearing mother did not wail with such a
lament for any of them, nor did she dissuade any of them from dying, nor
did she grieve as they were dying.
- 1Th 1.8: For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in
Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become
known, so that we have no need to speak about it.
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171
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- 24. 16.16: My sons, noble is the contest to which you are called to bear
witness for the nation. Fight zealously for our ancestral law.
- Heb 12.1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so
closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before
us,
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172
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- 25. 16.25: They knew also that those who die for the sake of God live to
God, as do Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the patriarchs.
- Mt 23.32: "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob'? He is God not of the dead, but of the living."
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173
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- Lk 20.37(*-38): And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself
showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of
the living; for to him all of them are alive."
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174
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- 26. 17.4: Take courage, therefore, O holy-minded mother, maintaining
firm an enduring hope in God.
- 1Th 1.3: remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and
labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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175
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- 27. 17.10-15: They vindicated their nation, looking to God and enduring
torture even to death."
Truly the contest in which they were engaged was divine, for on
that day virtue gave the awards and tested them for their endurance. The
prize was immortality in endless life.
Eleazar was the first contestant, the mother of the seven sons
entered the competition, and the brothers contended. The tyrant was the antagonist, and the
world and the human race were the spectators. Reverence for God was victor and gave
the crown to its own athletes.
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176
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- Heb 12.1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so
closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before
us,
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177
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- 28. 17.20: These, then, who have been consecrated for the sake of God,
are honored, not only with this honor, but also by the fact that because
of them our enemies did not rule over our nation,
- Jn 12.26: Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will
my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
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178
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- 29. 18.24: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- Rom 16.27: to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the
glory forever! Amen.
- Gal 1.5: to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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179
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- 4 classes of subject material.
- Historical,
- Legendary (Haggadic),
- Apocalyptic,
- Didactic or Sapiential
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180
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- Palestinian Jewish Literature
- Historical
- 1 Esdras (i.e. Greek Ezra).
- 1 Maccabees.
- Legendary
- Book of Baruch
- Book of Judith
- Apocalyptic
- Didactic
- Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus)
- Tobit
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181
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- Hellenistic Jewish Literature:--
- Historical and Legendary
- Additions to Daniel
- Additions to Esther
- Epistle of Jeremy
- 2 Maccabees
- Prayer of Manasseh
- Didactic
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182
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- Maccabees 1
- Excellent history – learn Jews invited Romans
- Only source text for the history
- Maccabees 2
- Legendary with extensive NT allusions
- Maccabees 3
- Legendary with extensive NT allusions
- Maccabees 4
- Theological with extensive NT allusions
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183
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- Other Stuff
- Historical Veracity
- Importance
- Synopsis
- Conclusions
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184
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185
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186
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187
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188
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Notes