Gabriella Theisen
The First Book of Macabees

The overall portrayal of the story clearly reveals the first book of the Maccabees to have been written by a Jew. The narrator is extremely traumatized by the events that took place, and he feels extremely invested in the temple and the Jewish people‘s plight and survival, for example, “ The very earth was shaken over its inhabitants, and the whole household of Jacob was covered with shame.” (line 46.The Apocrypha,378.) The narrator refers to Jewish texts and Jewish historical knowledge, and the sophisticated, persuasive description of the story seems to show the narrator to have held some level of status.
The first Book of Maccabees presents a brief historical description of the events that took place leading up to the destruction of temples, and the Israelite’s heroic fighting. The book also provides a vivid description of what happened through the lens of a person who is Jewish, and seems to want teach others about what happened, the importance of supporting the Jewish people under the Jewish God.
Historically, Antiochus III upheld Seleucid rule over Palestine with a similar governmental and traditional system as those held during the Ptolemaic period. Persian Judea maintained it’s own government and religious system, in fact Antiochus granted Judea certain financial pardons. Great changes in domestic policy however, came after Antiochus III lost in battle against Rome. As a result, the Seleucids faced extremely high debts to the Roman Republic, a financial burden that greatly altered the Seleucid’s relations with the Jewish community. During this period, the Seleucids did not care to destroy the Jewish religion, but had no qualms pillaging wealthy ancient synagogues to make money. The first section, in the First Book of Maccabees depicts the historical turning point after the death of Alexander “ He mustered a very mighty army and ruled over the lands and rulers of the heathen, and they paid him tribute.” (line 5,6. The Apocrypha. 375) The author’s description of Alexander as a mighty ruler makes sense; Under the rule of Alexander, the Judeans practiced their own traditions in a political environment that supported cohesion among different peoples (this however, becomes a problem later on)
The period of warfare and bloodshed documented after Alexander’s death is written here, “ his servants succeeded him…..for many years, and they did much evil on the earth” (line 9, The Acrophobia, 375.) Jewish political activity proceeding the Hasmonean Revolt focused primarily on maintain Jewish autonomy. The story reflects this ethnocentric mentality upheld by many Judeans. The story might even be viewed as a moral lesson, calling for Jews to follow the “Law.” In the second paragraph, the author describes “lawless men” who came out of Israel wanting to assimilate with the “heathen” in pursuit of an easier and safer life. As the story unfolds, those who assimilated became “slaves of wrongdoing” (The Acrophobia, 376) people who took part in desecrating the temple and committing disgusting atrocities against the Judeans. These actions stand in great contrast to characters like Mattathias, and his son Judas, as well as the other Israelites that died for the Jewish cult. Mattathias makes profound statements in the story, where he declares that he would never let the king forsake the religion of his forefathers. The persona given to the both characters, and to the Israelites as a whole not only make for heroes in the story, but also promote strong will. For Jews during the period the story was redacted, faith and personal strength was crucial for Jewish autonomy. Part of why the author might have written this story so vividly, might have served as a piece to inspire Jews to stay on the religion.
It is also extremely interesting how the author does not mention much about the Judean God directly. Instead, the author quotes Mattitius or Judas refusing to abandon the “Law.” The author never goes into detail about what the “Law” stands for exactly, rather it is a vague symbol of the Jewish God. The “Law” is characterized to be supported by God, seen for example, how the few Israelites are able to take on the entire Antiochus’ and the Roman armies. The First Book of Maccabees serves many purposes, and it is hard to tell whether it was written shortly after the events at hand, or if it was much later. At time that religion was often based on citizenship, or kingdom rule, the story functions most profoundly in how it stands as a strong record that aims to prove that the Jewish cult is the true religion under God.