The Anchor Yale Bible: I Maccabees (AYB)
Overview
With the help of God, the aged priest Mattathias and his sons—Judas Maccabaeus, Jonathan, and Simon—dramatically lead the Jews of Judaea first to victory and then to freedom against the formidable successors of Alexander the Great. Their struggles begin in guerilla warfare, responding to the terrible persecutions decreed by King Antiochus IV, and courageously accomplish their first great triumph—still celebrated in the festival of Hanukkah.
The introduction to this volume considers not only I Maccabees, but also the parallel accounts found in II Maccabees and shows that the two authors of I and II Maccabees wrote with passionate conviction to teach two sharply opposed points of view. In some cases their convictions blinded them to the truth, but Jonathan A. Goldstein renders their teachings accessible to the modern reader and reconstructs what really happened, making valuable contributions to Greek and Roman as well as to Jewish history. Nineteen maps and diagrams set the scene of the dramatic struggle and the troubled times described in I Maccabees.
Logos Bible Software gives you the tools you need to use this volume effectively and efficiently. With your digital library, you can search for verses, find Scripture references and citations instantly, and perform word studies. Along with your English translations, all Scripture passages are linked to Greek and Hebrew texts. What’s more, hovering over a Scripture reference will instantly display your verse! The advanced tools in your digital library free you to dig deeper into one of the most important contributions to biblical scholarship in the past century!
- Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
- Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
- Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
- Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature
- The Hellenistic Empire from Alexander to Antiochus IV (1:1–10)
- The Jewish Hellenizers (1:11–15)
- The Victories of Antiochus IV in Egypt (169 b.c.e.) (1:16–19)
- Antiochus IV Punishes the Jews (1:20–64)
- Mattathias’ Act of Zeal (2:1–26)
- Mattathias’ Guerrilla Campaign (2:27–48)
- Mattathias’ Last Words (2:49–70)
- Judas’ Early Victories (3:1–26)
- The King Marches Eastward (3:27–37)
- Judas Defeats Nicanor and Gorgias (3:38–4:25)
- Lysias Fails to Crush Judas’ Band (4:26–35)
- The Restoration of the Temple (4:36–61)
- Wars with Hostile Neighbors (5:1–68)
- The Death of Antiochus IV (6:1–17)
- The Expedition of Antiochus V and Lysias (6:18–63)
- The High Priest Alcimus and the Campaign of Nicanor (7:1–50)
- The Alliance with Rome (8:1–32)
- The Death of Judas (9:1–22)
- Jonathan Succeeds Judas (9:23–31)
- Jonathan as Guerrilla Chieftain (9:32–73)
- Alexander Balas Makes Jonathan High Priest (10:1–21)
- Jonathan Grows in Power (10:22–66)
- Jonathan Defeats Apollonius (10:67–89)
- The Fall of Alexander Balas (11:1–19)
- Demetrius II Honors Jonathan and the Jews (11:20–37)
- Jonathan Breaks with Demetrius II (11:38–59)
- Victories under Antiochus VI (11:60–74)
- Diplomacy with Rome and Sparta (12:1–23)
- Further Gains under Antiochus VI (12:24–38)
- Tryphon Treacherously Captures Jonathan (12:39–53)
- Simon Leads the Jews to Liberty (13:1–42)
- Further Victories under Simon (13:43–53)
- Simon’s Glory (14:1–49)
- Simon Is Bold to Antiochus VII (15:1–36)
- Simon and Sons Rout Kendebaios (15:37–16:10)
- Simon’s Death (16:11–24)
Top Highlights
“Several traits sharply distinguish First Maccabees from the biblical histories. Prophesy is absent from the narrative; so are miracles in the sense of direct supernatural intervention.” (Page 12)
“But in the liturgy of the Feast of Dedication all our sources make the Hallel consist of Psalms 113–118.” (Page 286)
“Rabbinic authorities call Psalms 136 or 134–137 the ‘Great Hallel’” (Page 286)
“He probably intended to add his work to the sacred scriptures of the Jews. However, it was destined to be rejected. The later history of the Hasmonaean dynasty proved false our author’s claim that God had chosen Mattathias’ line to be both high priests and kings. Belief in the resurrection, denied by our author, became a fundamental of Judaism.” (Page 26)
“silent on the value of martyrdom. Nowhere does he suggest that the blood of the martyrs rouses God to action” (Page 12)
- Title: I Maccabees
- Author: Jonathan A. Goldstein
- Series: Anchor Yale Bible (AYB)
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- Publication Date: 1976
- Pages: 624
Jonathan A. Goldstein studied at Jewish Theological Seminary and received a PhD at Columbia University, where he was an instructor in history for two years. He was a professor of ancient history and classics at the University of Iowa from 1962 until his retirement in 1997.