Before the Maccabean Revolt

We can at least wonder what Judaism would look like today if the Maccabean crisis of 167-64BC had not occurred. Indeed, we can wonder whether Judaism would even have continued to exist over time if efforts to Hellenize Israel in the early second century BC had not gone just a little too far. We can wonder whether Christianity would ever have arisen without this particular crucible of Jewish identity, a crucible forged significantly in the aftermath of the crisis.

The excerpts in this section fall into three basic groups. The first two sources, Tobit and Sirach, would eventually make their way into the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Old Testament. Tobit probably dates from the 200's or early 100's BC. The original, Hebrew version of Sirach similarly dates to around 200BC. In the second group are the more Hellenized Alexandrian writings that have survived in various forms from the late 200's and early 100's. These include excerpts from Artapanus, Ezekiel the Tragedian, The Letter of Aristeas, and the slightly later Aristobulus.

The final group of exercepts that date to before the Maccabean crisis are several writings that would eventually become 1 Enoch. These include selections from the Book of the Watchers, the Astronomical Book, and the Apocalypse of Weeks. This collection ends with some excerpts from 1 and 2 Maccabees, as well as Josephus. These paint a picture of the increased Hellenization just before the Maccabees, the context of the seventh week in the Apocalypse of Weeks.