Saturday Sources: Early 2nd Centry BC

For the next few days, I will keep the announcment of IWU's MDIV on top, but will still post some of the other things I'm working on.

In thinking of somewhat direct "historical" sources for the period just before the Maccabean revolt, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, and Josephus came to mind. Of the three, 1 Maccabees is the closest and least skewed, it would seem. In fact Josephus probably used it as a source.

1 Maccabees dates from the first half of the first century BC (104-63BC). 2 Maccabees dates from the same general period (124-63BC) and is much more theologically driven than 1 Maccabees. Josephus wrote at the end of the first century AD.

Here are some short excerpts that seemed helpful in setting the stage for the period. 1 and 2 Maccabees sources are taken from the NRSV. Unfortunately, I am at home, so I have paraphrased Josephus slightly from the older Whiston translation.

1 Maccabees 1:10-15
From [the descendents of the officers of Alexander the Great] came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes... (began ruling 175BC)

In those days, certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, "Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us, for since we separated from them many disasters have come upon us" This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king, who authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.

2 Maccabees 4:7-10, 12-14, 16
When... Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes, succeeded to the kingdom [175BC], Jason the brother of Onias obtained the high priesthood by corruption, promising the king ... three hundred sixty talents of silver, and from another source of revenue eighty talents. In addition to this he promised to pay one hundred fifty more if permission were given to establish by his authority a gymnasium and a body of youth for it, and to enroll the people of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. When the king assented and Jason came to office, he at once shifted his compatriots over to the Greek way of life...

He took delight in establishing a gymnasium right under the citadel, and he induced the noblest of the young men to wear the Greek hat. There was such an extreme of Hellenization and increase in the adoption of foreign ways because of the surpassing wickedness of Jason... that the priests were no longer intent upon their service at the altar. Despising the sanctuary and neglecting the sacrifices, they hurried to take part in the unlawful proceedings in the wrestling arena after the signal for the discus-throwing... For this reason heavy disaster overtook them.

Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.1
Menelaus ... retired to Antiochus and informed him that they wanted to leave the laws of their country and their Jewish way of living and to follow the king's laws and the Hellenistic way of living. Accordingly, they wanted his permission to build a gymnasium for themselves in Jerusalem.

And when he dismissed them, they undid the circumcision of their genitals, so that when they were naked they would appear to be Greeks. They left the customs of their own country and imitated the practices of other nations.