The First Book of Maccabees was written in Hebrew, incorporating
some earlier Hebrew historical records. The book is not wholly narrative
but includes portions of passionate poetry and prayer. It is primarily
an account of the struggle of the Jewish people for religious and political
liberty under the leadership of the Machabee family, with Judas Maccabeus
as the central figure.
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No data can be found either in the book
itself or in later writers which would give us a clue as to the
person of the author. Names have indeed been mentioned, but on groundless
conjecture. That he was a native of Palestine is evident from the
language in which he wrote, and from the thorough knowledge of the
geography of Palestine which he possessed.
The last verses show that the book cannot have been written
till some time after the beginning of the reign of John Hyrcanus
(135-105 B.C.), for they mention his accession and some of the acts
of his administration. The latest possible date is generally admitted
to be prior to 63 B. C., the year of the occupation of Jerusalem
by Pompey; but there is some difference in fixing the approximately
exact date. (F.
Bechtel) |
We have lost the original Hebrew manuscript. But a Jewish translation into
Greek was made very soon after it was written, for use by the large Jewish
population now living in Egypt and other Hellenistic cultures, including Judea
itself. As these Jewish communities were transformed in character by the Roman
rise to power and Jewish Greek died out, the Greek version was kept intact
by the early Christian church, which included the first two Books of Maccabees
in their version of the Old Testament.
In
place of the original Hebrew text, the legend of the Maccabees was kept alive
among Jews in the form of parochial Hebrew paraphrases and poems, such as
the medieval scroll of Antiochus. However, these later versions do not approach
the original book in depth, range, style, or authenticity, and their use has
largely died out in modern times. I have gone back to the original book, aided
by the remarkable Hebrew version of Abraham Kahana (first published in Jerusalem
in 1931).
The
First Book of Maccabees tells the story of Jewish resistance to the Greeks
and then chronicles the Maccabean campaigns and the Hasmonean dynasty that
comes to power in Judea. The seeds of Hanukkah's ultimate transformation into
a major holiday may be found in the scattered psalms and prayers quoted by
the author of
First Maccabees and attributed to Mattathias or Judah.
Mattathias
was a priest from Jerusalem who had moved to the village of Modi'in, escaping
Jerusalem's devastation. He is the father of Judah Maccabee and Judah's brothers
John, Simon, Eliezer and Jonathan. Mattathias' is the first act of Jewish
resistance: he refuses to offer a sacrifice to the Greek-Seleucid king, is
driven to kill an apostate collaborator together with the king's officer,
pulls down the pagan altar, and takes to the hills and mountains with his
sons, making armed revolt a reality. When he is ready to die, he speaks to
his son about the need to continue the armed resistance. Within this speech
is the short psalm that follows, an echo of earlier biblical psalms.
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A
Psalm of Mattathias (from Chapter 2)
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There
is no need for fear
of men dressed in threats of power
all their successes are masks
that will fade like words in a gust of wind
and though one walks as if he wears a crown
in a show of pride — the whole performance collapses
in an instant: one last breath
and his body crowns the dunghill
and his words have turned to worms
today he shines on everyone's tongue
tomorrow no one has heard of him
he's vanished quickly as a winter sunset
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gone
— turned back into dust
all his schemes turned back
into nothing.
but you, my children, take hold of your lives
by a stronger hand,
by the deep strength in Torah
your hearts unsinkable vessels
bearing its words: sustenance
for a day beyond mere dreams of success
it will bring you into the future
it will bring you courage
worn as surely as a crown. |
The following psalm, which
parallels the earlier Babylonian destruction and exile, is quoted as a prayer
by Judah and his people, as they prepare for battle.
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A
Psalm of Judah (from Chapter 3)
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Jerusalem
was a desert
empty of its spirit
none of her children were left
who had been signs of life
and none would go in
even Jerusalem air so pure
seemed choked with dust
the spirit that once breathed deeply
beheaded
the Temple quiet as a graveyard
walked upon by foreigners
as if it were grass
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strangers
were sleeping in the citadel
another desolate renovation
by pagans
Jacob awoke in a nightmare
and his children had gone
joy had abandoned him
flute and lyre
pipe and zither
had ceased. |
The following psalm
is offered by Judah, as he surveys the battlefield —
an early instance of a prayer that begins with the same words used to preface
benedictions in Jewish life Barukh Atah Adonai. It is not a request
for vengeance, but a prayer for the strength of a deeper motivation.... When
Judah saw how huge the enemy expedition was, he prayed as follows:
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A
Psalm of Judah (from Chapter 4)
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[Barukh
Atah Adonai...]
You are deeply felt
Lord beyond lords
Israel's strength is with you
who broke the spirit of warriors
crushing their plans along with their violent hero
by the hand of David, your servant
and the power of the Philistine army was dismantled
falling into the hand
of Jonathan, son of Saul—
in the same way, dismay this army
by the hand of Israel
humble their pride in superior number and horses
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let
their hearts be crushed by shame
let them be struck by panic
their arrogance melt away
let them quake in their boots
and run away in fear of destruction
by a people who love you
and let all who feel the power
behind your name which is a shield
feel like singing psalms to you.
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