Latest / truthunedited / The Story of the Book of 2 Maccabees – The Maccabean Revolt and Unshakable Faith

Transcript

The Story of the Book of 2 Maccabees – The Maccabean Revolt and Unshakable Faith · truthunedited

0:00
Speaker 1: Imagine a book so powerful that it has been banned
0:03
Speaker 1: by some, venerated by others, and continues to spark heated
0:07
Speaker 1: debates to this day. A text that tells of celestial
0:11
Speaker 1: warriors mounted on golden horses, martyrs who defied an empire,
0:16
Speaker 1: and a family of warriors who change the course of history.
0:20
Speaker 1: This is the Book of Seca Maccabees, a work that
0:22
Speaker 1: goes far beyond a mere historical record. Within its pages
0:27
Speaker 1: we find a story that begins with a mysterious letter
0:31
Speaker 1: sent to the Jews of Egypt, mentioning a sacred fire
0:34
Speaker 1: hidden in a dry well that miraculously reignites when exposed
0:39
Speaker 1: to sunlight. The book transports us to the turbulent second
0:43
Speaker 1: century BC, when the mighty Seleucid Empire sought to eradicate
0:48
Speaker 1: the ancient Jewish religion, turning the Sacred Temple of Jerusalem
0:52
Speaker 1: into a center of worship for Zeus. But what makes
0:55
Speaker 1: this book so special and controversial. Perhaps it is because
0:59
Speaker 1: it introduces revolutionary concepts such as the resurrection of the dead,
1:04
Speaker 1: the intercession of saints, and prayers for the deceased, ideas
1:09
Speaker 1: that would later deeply influence Christianity. Or perhaps it is
1:13
Speaker 1: its epic narrative of cultural resistance, in which a small
1:17
Speaker 1: nation refuses to abandon its identity in the face of
1:21
Speaker 1: a global empire. Interestingly, this text, originally written in Greek
1:26
Speaker 1: rather than Hebrew, began as a summary of a much
1:29
Speaker 1: larger work five volumes written by a historian named Jason
1:33
Speaker 1: of Sirene, now lost to time. What has survived is
1:37
Speaker 1: this condensed version, which would become one of the most
1:41
Speaker 1: influential and debated works of ancient literature. Our story begins
1:46
Speaker 1: at a crucial moment for the Jewish people, when the
1:49
Speaker 1: community of Jerusalem decided to send an important message to
1:53
Speaker 1: their brothers living in Egypt. As revealed in Chapter one,
1:57
Speaker 1: verses one to nine, this first letter was written in
2:00
Speaker 1: the one hundred and eighty eighth year of the Seleucid Kingdom,
2:04
Speaker 1: corresponding to the year one hundred twenty four b C.
2:08
Speaker 1: This was no mere communication, but a message of hope
2:11
Speaker 1: and unity in a period of great transformation. The Jews
2:16
Speaker 1: of Jerusalem begin their letter with a deeply significant greeting.
2:21
Speaker 1: In Chapter one, verse one, we read to the Jewish
2:24
Speaker 1: brothers in Egypt, Greetings the Jewish brothers in Jerusalem, and
2:29
Speaker 1: the region of Judea wish you true peace. These words
2:33
Speaker 1: reveal the strong bond that united Jewish communities even when
2:37
Speaker 1: separated by great distances. Maintaining this connection was crucial, as
2:42
Speaker 1: Egypt was home to one of the largest and most
2:45
Speaker 1: important Jewish communities outside Jerusalem. The letter goes on to
2:51
Speaker 1: recall divine blessings and moments of hardship. In chapter one,
2:55
Speaker 1: verses two and three, the authors express their desire that
2:59
Speaker 1: may God bless you and remember His covenant with Abraham,
3:03
Speaker 1: Isaac and Jacob, his faithful servants. This reference to the
3:07
Speaker 1: patriarchs was not merely a formality, but a powerful reminder
3:12
Speaker 1: of the continuity of Jewish history and the divine promises
3:16
Speaker 1: that sustained them. The letter then addresses a particularly difficult
3:21
Speaker 1: period during the reign of King Demetrius in the one
3:24
Speaker 1: hundred and sixty ninth year of the Seleucid Kingdom one
3:28
Speaker 1: hundred and forty three b c. As we see in
3:32
Speaker 1: chapter one, verse seven, they write, when Jason and his
3:36
Speaker 1: followers rebelled against the Holy Land and the Kingdom, we
3:40
Speaker 1: prayed to the Lord and were answered. This event marked
3:43
Speaker 1: a time of intense persecution and internal conflict within the
3:47
Speaker 1: Jewish community, but it also demonstrated the strength of faith
3:51
Speaker 1: and prayer in times of adversity. One of the main
3:55
Speaker 1: objectives of this first letter was to invite the Jews
3:59
Speaker 1: of Egypt to participate in the Festival of the Purification
4:03
Speaker 1: of the Temple, which would later become known as the
4:07
Speaker 1: Festival of Hannuka. This celebration commemorated the rededication of the
4:11
Speaker 1: temple after its desecration by the Seleucid invaders, an event
4:16
Speaker 1: of immense religious and cultural importance which would be detailed
4:20
Speaker 1: later in the book. The narrative then presents us with
4:24
Speaker 1: a second letter, even more extensive and revealing, found in
4:28
Speaker 1: chapter one, verse ten through Chapter two, verse eighteen. This
4:34
Speaker 1: letter was written earlier in the year one hundredred and
4:36
Speaker 1: sixty four BC, during the reign of Demetrius the Second
4:40
Speaker 1: and contains surprising revelations about key events in Jewish history.
4:46
Speaker 1: This second letter begins with an extraordinary story about the
4:50
Speaker 1: sacred fire of the Temple, as we read in chapter one,
4:53
Speaker 1: verses nineteen to thirty six, during the Babylonian exile, when
4:58
Speaker 1: the Jews were taken captive to Persia. The faithful priests
5:02
Speaker 1: made a bold decision. They secretly took the fire from
5:05
Speaker 1: the altar of the temple and hid it deep in
5:08
Speaker 1: a dry well. This was no ordinary fire, but the
5:12
Speaker 1: sacred fire that, according to tradition, had descended from heaven
5:16
Speaker 1: in the time of Moses and was never meant to
5:18
Speaker 1: be extinguished. Years later, when Neamiah was sent by the
5:23
Speaker 1: Persian king to rebuild Jerusalem, he showed particular interest in
5:29
Speaker 1: recovering this sacred fire. As the text tells us in
5:32
Speaker 1: Chapter one, verses twenty twenty two, Neamiyah sent the descendants
5:37
Speaker 1: of those priests to search for the fire. However, instead
5:41
Speaker 1: of fire, they found only a thick, muddy liquid. Following
5:46
Speaker 1: Neemiah's instructions, they collected this liquid and brought it back
5:50
Speaker 1: to Jerusalem. What happened next was one of the most
5:53
Speaker 1: dramatic moments in this narrative. Naemiah ordered the priests to
5:58
Speaker 1: sprinkle this liquid over the world wood and the offerings
6:01
Speaker 1: prepared for sacrifice. In Chapter one, verses twenty two to
6:05
Speaker 1: twenty three, we read that when the sun, which had
6:08
Speaker 1: been hidden by clouds, began to shine on the altar,
6:11
Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened. The liquid transformed into fire, completely consuming
6:18
Speaker 1: the sacrifice. This miracle was seen as a sign of
6:23
Speaker 1: God's continued presence among his people and of the legitimacy
6:27
Speaker 1: of the rebuilt Temple. The letter then transports us to
6:31
Speaker 1: another crucial moment in history related to the prophet Jeremiah.
6:36
Speaker 1: In Chapter two, verses one to eight, we discover that
6:39
Speaker 1: before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Jeremiah received
6:44
Speaker 1: a specific divine command. He was to hide three sacred
6:48
Speaker 1: objects of immense importance, the tent of Meeting, which had
6:52
Speaker 1: accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness, the Ark of the Covenant,
6:56
Speaker 1: which contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, and the
7:00
Speaker 1: altar of incense. Following this divine command, Jeremiah took these
7:05
Speaker 1: sacred objects to Mount Nebo, the same mountain where Moses
7:09
Speaker 1: had ascended to gaze upon the Promised Land before his death.
7:13
Speaker 1: There he found a cave and placed these invaluable treasures
7:17
Speaker 1: of Jewish faith inside it. The text tells us that
7:21
Speaker 1: some of those who accompanied him attempted to mark the
7:24
Speaker 1: path so they could find the location later, but Jeremiah
7:29
Speaker 1: severely reprimanded them. In Chapter two, verses seven and eight,
7:34
Speaker 1: he declares that these objects would remain hidden until God
7:39
Speaker 1: gathers his people again and shows his mercy. Then the
7:43
Speaker 1: Lord will reveal these things once more, and the glory
7:46
Speaker 1: of the Lord will appear, just as it did in
7:49
Speaker 1: the time of Moses. The letter goes on to mention
7:51
Speaker 1: another important aspect of the reconstruction work after the exile.
7:56
Speaker 1: In chapter two, verses thirteen to fifteen, we are in
8:00
Speaker 1: form that Neemier established a library where he gathered various
8:04
Speaker 1: important texts, the books on kings and prophets, the writings
8:08
Speaker 1: of David, and the letters from kings regarding offerings to
8:12
Speaker 1: the temple. This detail is particularly significant because it demonstrates
8:17
Speaker 1: a concern not only for preserving the physical objects of worship,
8:21
Speaker 1: but also for safe guarding the written memory of the
8:24
Speaker 1: people their sacred and historical texts. Reaching the final part
8:30
Speaker 1: of chapter two, in verses nineteen to thirty two, the
8:33
Speaker 1: author makes a surprising revelation about the very nature of
8:37
Speaker 1: the book we are reading. The entire text of Second
8:41
Speaker 1: Maccabees is in fact a summary of a much longer
8:44
Speaker 1: work originally written by a historian named Jason of Syrene.
8:49
Speaker 1: The complete work consisted of five volumes that detailed the
8:53
Speaker 1: wars of the Maccabees against the Seleucid kings, Antiacus Epiphanes
8:59
Speaker 1: and his son Upator. The author explains his working methodology
9:04
Speaker 1: using an interesting metaphor in Chapter two, verses twenty nine
9:09
Speaker 1: to thirty one, He compares his work to that of
9:12
Speaker 1: an interior decorator, in contrast to an architect, who must
9:16
Speaker 1: be concerned with the entire structure. Just as a decorator
9:20
Speaker 1: focuses on beautifying and making the space pleasant, the author
9:25
Speaker 1: of this summary aims to make history more accessible and
9:28
Speaker 1: engaging for readers, leaving the meticulous historical research to Jason,
9:33
Speaker 1: the original author. This explanation of the composition method reveals
9:38
Speaker 1: much about the book's purpose. It is not merely a
9:41
Speaker 1: dry historical record, but a work that seeks to convey
9:45
Speaker 1: a spiritual message through historical events. The author makes it
9:49
Speaker 1: clear that his goal is to show how God acts
9:53
Speaker 1: in history to protect his people and uphold his covenant,
9:57
Speaker 1: even in the most difficult times. The writing style employed
10:01
Speaker 1: in the book reflects the influence of Hellenistic culture, which
10:05
Speaker 1: was dominant at the time. The author uses sophisticated Greek
10:09
Speaker 1: literary techniques such as elaborate speeches and dramatic battle descriptions,
10:15
Speaker 1: while always maintaining a focus on the Jewish religious message.
10:20
Speaker 1: This blend of Greek and Jewish elements reflects the complex
10:24
Speaker 1: cultural reality in which the book was produced. The letters
10:28
Speaker 1: that open the book establish several important themes that will
10:32
Speaker 1: be developed throughout the narrative. The importance of maintaining religious
10:36
Speaker 1: traditions even in foreign lands, the constant presence of God
10:41
Speaker 1: in Jewish history, the value of martyrdom for the faith,
10:45
Speaker 1: the necessity of preserving the memory of significant events for
10:49
Speaker 1: future generations, and the certainty that God always comes to
10:55
Speaker 1: the aid of his people in times of need. This
10:58
Speaker 1: introduction through letters sets the stage for the dramatic events
11:03
Speaker 1: that were about to unfold. The story continues with a
11:06
Speaker 1: crisis that would shake Jerusalem to its core, when the
11:10
Speaker 1: Temple and its sacred treasures became the target of foreign greed,
11:16
Speaker 1: triggering a series of events that would forever alter the
11:19
Speaker 1: course of Jewish history. The narrative now takes us to
11:23
Speaker 1: a period of apparent tranquility in Jerusalem, which would soon
11:27
Speaker 1: be disrupted by dramatic events. As we learn in Chapter three,
11:32
Speaker 1: verses one to three, the city was living in peace
11:35
Speaker 1: under the leadership of the high priest Oneus the Third,
11:39
Speaker 1: a pious and dedicated man. The laws were strictly observed,
11:44
Speaker 1: and even foreign kings respected the temple, sending gifts and
11:48
Speaker 1: contributing to the sacrifices. During this period of prosperity, as
11:53
Speaker 1: we read in Chapter three, verses four to six, a
11:56
Speaker 1: man named Simon from the tribe of Benjamin, who was
11:59
Speaker 1: an administrator of the temple, emerged. Driven by envy and ambition,
12:05
Speaker 1: Simon clashed with Oneas the Third over the management of
12:08
Speaker 1: the city's market place. Failing to impose his will, he
12:13
Speaker 1: made a decision that would change the course of history.
12:16
Speaker 1: He went to Apollonius, the governor of Curlyssyria and Venetia,
12:21
Speaker 1: with the disturbing piece of information about the temple's treasury.
12:24
Speaker 1: In Chapter three, verses seven to fourteen, we see that
12:28
Speaker 1: Simon informed the governor that the temple's treasury contained an
12:32
Speaker 1: immense amount of wealth, far beyond what was necessary for
12:36
Speaker 1: the sacrifices. This news reached the ears of King Seleucus
12:41
Speaker 1: the Fourth, who immediately sent Heliodorus, his finance minister, to
12:47
Speaker 1: confiscate this treasure. Heliodorus arrived in Jerusalem with clear orders
12:52
Speaker 1: to collect all that money. Tension rises, as described in
12:57
Speaker 1: Chapter three verses fifteen to twenty one. Heliodorus announces his
13:02
Speaker 1: intention to enter the temple. The high priest Onias tries
13:06
Speaker 1: to explain that part of the money belonged to widows
13:09
Speaker 1: and orphans, and another portion was owned by here Caanus,
13:12
Speaker 1: son of Tobias, a man of high standing, but Heliodorus
13:17
Speaker 1: insists that by order of the king, all the money
13:20
Speaker 1: must be confiscated. What happens next is one of the
13:24
Speaker 1: most dramatic scenes in the book. In chapter three verses
13:28
Speaker 1: twenty two to thirty, while the priests prostrate themselves before
13:33
Speaker 1: the altar in prayer and all the people cry out
13:36
Speaker 1: to God, an extraordinary supernatural manifestation occurs. A terrifying horseman appears,
13:42
Speaker 1: clad in golden armor, mounted on a horse that charges
13:46
Speaker 1: at Heliodorus. Alongside the horsemen, two young men of great
13:50
Speaker 1: strength and radiant beauty appear, who begin to relentlessly strike Heliodorus.
13:56
Speaker 1: Divine punishment is immediate and severe, as recounted in Chapter
14:01
Speaker 1: three verses thirty one to thirty four, Heliodorus falls to
14:06
Speaker 1: the ground, engulfed in great darkness and must be carried
14:10
Speaker 1: away on a stretcher, completely incapable of helping himself. He
14:15
Speaker 1: whom moments earlier had entered the temple with his guards
14:19
Speaker 1: and all his authority, now lay powerless, clearly recognizing the
14:23
Speaker 1: power of God. The story takes a surprising turn when,
14:28
Speaker 1: as described in Chapter three verses thirty five to forty,
14:32
Speaker 1: Heliodorus's friends plead with oneas to intercede with God for
14:36
Speaker 1: his life. Demonstrating mercy, Onias offers a sacrifice for Heliodorus's recovery.
14:43
Speaker 1: The same young men who had punished him appear to
14:46
Speaker 1: him once more, this time telling him that he owes
14:49
Speaker 1: his life to Onias and that he must proclaim to
14:53
Speaker 1: all the power of the true God. Heliodorus's transformation is
14:58
Speaker 1: complete in Chapter three, verses forty one and forty two.
15:02
Speaker 1: He offers a sacrifice to God, makes solemn vows, and
15:07
Speaker 1: returns to the king, testifying about the extraordinary events he
15:11
Speaker 1: witnessed in the temple. When the king asks who could
15:15
Speaker 1: be sent again to Jerusalem, Heliodorus responds with wisdom gained
15:20
Speaker 1: through his harsh experience. If you have an enemy or
15:23
Speaker 1: some one plotting against your rule. Send him there, and
15:27
Speaker 1: he will return scourged if he even manages to escape alive,
15:31
Speaker 1: for there is truly a divine force in that place. However,
15:37
Speaker 1: peace would not last long. Chapter four reveals how ambition
15:42
Speaker 1: and politics begin to corrupt the priesthood. In verses one
15:45
Speaker 1: to six, we see that Simon, the same man who
15:49
Speaker 1: had previously caused trouble, continues his intrigues against Onias the third,
15:55
Speaker 1: spreading rumors that the high priest was responsible for the
15:59
Speaker 1: incident with his Leodorus and accusing him of conspiring against
16:03
Speaker 1: the government. The situation worsens when, as described in Chapter
16:07
Speaker 1: four verses seven to ten, following the death of King
16:11
Speaker 1: Seleucus four and the rise of Antiochus the fourth Epiphanes,
16:16
Speaker 1: Onias's brother Jason, offers the new king a large sum
16:19
Speaker 1: of money to be appointed high priest. In addition to bribery,
16:23
Speaker 1: Jason promises to implement an extensive program of Hellenization in Jerusalem,
16:29
Speaker 1: including the construction of a gymnasium and the registration of
16:34
Speaker 1: Jerusalem's inhabitants as citizens of Antioch. The impact of this
16:39
Speaker 1: change is devastating for Jewish traditions, as we read in
16:43
Speaker 1: chapter four, verses eleven to seventeen, Jason immediately begins introducing
16:48
Speaker 1: Greek customs among the people. A gymnasium is built just
16:53
Speaker 1: below the citadel, and young priests abandon the service of
16:57
Speaker 1: the altar to participate in athletic training. They go so
17:01
Speaker 1: far as to feel ashamed of circumcision and attempt to
17:04
Speaker 1: conceal it, thereby rejecting one of the most sacred signs
17:09
Speaker 1: of the covenant with God. But Jason's betrayal soon turns
17:13
Speaker 1: against him. In Chapter four, verses twenty three to twenty six,
17:19
Speaker 1: after three years in office, he sends a certain Menelaeus
17:23
Speaker 1: to deliver money to the king and handle important matters.
17:27
Speaker 1: Seeing an opportunity, Menelaeus offers the king three hundred more
17:31
Speaker 1: talents of silver than Jason had paid, thus securing the
17:35
Speaker 1: position of high priest for himself. The text tells us
17:39
Speaker 1: that Menelaus possessed none of the dignity of the high priesthood,
17:43
Speaker 1: but had the fury of a cruel tyrant and the
17:46
Speaker 1: rage of a wild beast. Menelaus's rule marks the lowest
17:51
Speaker 1: point of the priesthood's corruption. In Chapter four, verses twenty seven,
17:55
Speaker 1: to thirty nine, we see that unable to pay the
17:58
Speaker 1: promised sum to the king, he begins looting the sacred
18:03
Speaker 1: vessels of the temple to sell them. When Onius the
18:06
Speaker 1: third denounces this sacrilege, Menelaeus conspires with Andronicus, a royal official,
18:13
Speaker 1: and manages to have Onius assassinated, even though he was
18:17
Speaker 1: under sanctuary protection in Daphne. Public outrage over the murder
18:21
Speaker 1: of Onius the third is immense, as recounted in Chapter four,
18:25
Speaker 1: verses forty to fifty, various uprisings irrupt in Jerusalem. During
18:31
Speaker 1: one of them, Lysimachus, Menelaus's brother, arms about three thousand
18:35
Speaker 1: men and attacks the people, resulting in casualties on both sides.
18:41
Speaker 1: The enraged populace kills Lysimachus near the temple treasury, yet
18:46
Speaker 1: through bribes and political influence, Menelaeus manages to retain power.
18:51
Speaker 1: The social transformations in Jerusalem during this period are profound.
18:56
Speaker 1: Forced Hellenization divides society between them those who embrace the
19:01
Speaker 1: new customs and those who resist them. The traditional temple
19:05
Speaker 1: rituals are neglected, dietary laws are disregarded, and even the
19:11
Speaker 1: Sabbath loses its sanctity For many Jewish identity built over
19:16
Speaker 1: centuries appears to be rapidly disintegrating. Cultural resistance, however, begins
19:22
Speaker 1: to organize. Many families continue to secretly observe the law,
19:28
Speaker 1: educating their children in ancestral traditions and refusing to partake
19:33
Speaker 1: in Hellenistic practices. This division in society would set the
19:37
Speaker 1: stage for even more dramatic events to come, when Judaism
19:41
Speaker 1: itself would be threatened by royal decrees attempting to eradicate
19:46
Speaker 1: the religion entirely. The situation in Jerusalem was about to
19:52
Speaker 1: become even more dire, as recounted in Chapter five, verses
19:56
Speaker 1: one to four, for about forty days, strain phenomena were
20:01
Speaker 1: seen in the skies over Jerusalem. Cavalrymen in golden armour
20:05
Speaker 1: appeared in the air, squadrons of horsemen in battle formation,
20:09
Speaker 1: drawn swords, troops moving attacks and counter attacks on both sides.
20:15
Speaker 1: The people began to pray that these signs would turn
20:18
Speaker 1: into a good omen During this same period, as we
20:22
Speaker 1: read in Chapter five, verses five to ten, a false
20:25
Speaker 1: rumor spread that King Antiochus the four had died during
20:29
Speaker 1: his campaign in Egypt. Jason, the former high priest who
20:33
Speaker 1: had been deposed by Menelaus. Seized the opportunity and attacked
20:38
Speaker 1: Jerusalem with a thousand men. Though he managed to take
20:42
Speaker 1: the city and force Menelaus to seek refuge in the citadel,
20:46
Speaker 1: his victory was short lived. The rumor of the king's
20:51
Speaker 1: death was false, and when Antiochus learned of the revolt,
20:55
Speaker 1: he interpreted it as an uprising against his rule and Tiachus.
21:00
Speaker 1: His reaction was brutal. In Chapter five, verses eleven to fourteen,
21:04
Speaker 1: we see that he marched against Jerusalem with an enraged army.
21:08
Speaker 1: He ordered his soldiers to kill mercilessly all whom they encountered,
21:13
Speaker 1: including those seeking refuge in their homes. The text tells
21:17
Speaker 1: us that young and old were massacred, women and children
21:21
Speaker 1: were slaughtered, virgins and infants were put to death. In
21:25
Speaker 1: just three days, eighty thousand people perished, forty thousand were
21:30
Speaker 1: killed in the conflict, and another forty thousand were sold
21:34
Speaker 1: into slavery. But this was not enough to satisfy antiochus wrath.
21:39
Speaker 1: As described in Chapter five, verses fifteen to twenty, he
21:43
Speaker 1: had the audacity to enter the temple, guided by the
21:47
Speaker 1: apostate Menelaeus, with profane hands. He seized the sacred vessels
21:52
Speaker 1: and the objects that other kings had dedicated to enhance
21:56
Speaker 1: the glory and honor of the place. The text tells
21:59
Speaker 1: us that Antiaeus was so exalted in his pride that
22:03
Speaker 1: he failed to realize that it was because of the
22:06
Speaker 1: sins of Jerusalem's inhabitants that God had temporarily allowed this
22:11
Speaker 1: desecration of the Holy Place. The persecution intensified even further when,
22:18
Speaker 1: as we read in Chapter six, verses one to eleven,
22:21
Speaker 1: and Tiacus sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews
22:25
Speaker 1: to abandon the laws of their ancestors and cease living
22:29
Speaker 1: according to the laws of God. The temple in Jerusalem
22:33
Speaker 1: was desecrated and dedicated to Olympian Zeus. The altar was
22:37
Speaker 1: covered with offerings forbidden by the law. It became impossible
22:41
Speaker 1: to observe the Sabbath, celebrate traditional festivals, or even openly
22:46
Speaker 1: identify as a Jew. The text provides specific examples of
22:51
Speaker 1: the cruelty of this persecution. In Chapter six, verses ten
22:55
Speaker 1: and eleven, two women were denounced for having circumcised their sons.
23:00
Speaker 1: They were publicly paraded through the city with their babies
23:03
Speaker 1: hanging from their breasts and then thrown from the top
23:06
Speaker 1: of the city walls. Others who gathered in caves to
23:10
Speaker 1: secretly observe the Sabbath, when discovered, chose to be burned
23:14
Speaker 1: alive rather than violate the sacred day. It is in
23:18
Speaker 1: this context that the heroic figure of Eliazar emerges, one
23:22
Speaker 1: of the leading scribes, an elderly man of noble appearance.
23:27
Speaker 1: As told in Chapter six, verses eighteen to twenty, he
23:30
Speaker 1: was forced to eat pork his mouth pried open by force. However,
23:34
Speaker 1: he chose a glorious death over a life of dishonor,
23:37
Speaker 1: and willingly went to his suffering. The text reveals in
23:41
Speaker 1: chapter six, verses twenty one to twenty eight that some
23:45
Speaker 1: moved by their long standing friendship with Elizar, took him
23:48
Speaker 1: aside and suggested a compromise. He could bring meat that
23:52
Speaker 1: was permitted by the law and only pretend to eat
23:55
Speaker 1: the sacrificial meat commanded by the king. That way he
23:59
Speaker 1: could save his life. But Eliazar firmly rejected this proposal.
24:05
Speaker 1: In a moving speech, he explained that at his age
24:08
Speaker 1: of ninety, he did not want young people to think
24:11
Speaker 1: that he Elizar, at ninety years old, had abandoned the
24:15
Speaker 1: traditions of his people. Iliazas death described in Chapter six,
24:19
Speaker 1: verses twenty nine to thirty one, was heroic. As he
24:23
Speaker 1: suffered under the blows, he cried out loudly. The Lord
24:27
Speaker 1: who possesses holy wisdom knows that although I could escape death,
24:33
Speaker 1: I endure in my body these severe pains under the lash,
24:37
Speaker 1: But in my soul I suffer them with joy out
24:40
Speaker 1: of reverence for him. His death, the text says, left
24:44
Speaker 1: an example of nobility and a legacy of virtue, not
24:48
Speaker 1: only for the young, but for the entire nation. Chapter
24:52
Speaker 1: seven presents another even more dramatic account, the martyrdom of
24:57
Speaker 1: seven brothers and their mother. As we read in verses
25:02
Speaker 1: one to six, seven brothers along with their mother were
25:06
Speaker 1: arrested and forced by the king to eat pork. The first,
25:10
Speaker 1: speaking on behalf of all, said, what do you intend
25:14
Speaker 1: to ask and learn from us? We are ready to
25:18
Speaker 1: die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors. What
25:23
Speaker 1: follows is a gripping narrative of courage and faith. In
25:27
Speaker 1: Chapter seven, verses seven to nineteen, we see how each brother,
25:31
Speaker 1: one after the other, faces horrific torture with extraordinary bravery.
25:36
Speaker 1: The first had his tongue cut out, his scalp torn off,
25:40
Speaker 1: and was burned alive. The second, before breathing his last,
25:44
Speaker 1: said to the King, you, wicked man, take away this
25:48
Speaker 1: present life from us. But the King of the Universe
25:51
Speaker 1: will raise us up to an eternal life, since we
25:54
Speaker 1: die for his laws. Each brother, before dying, professes his
25:58
Speaker 1: faith in resurrection and divine justice. In Chapter seven, verses
26:03
Speaker 1: twenty to twenty three. The text offers special praise to
26:06
Speaker 1: their mother, calling her admirable and worthy of an honorable memory.
26:11
Speaker 1: She saw her seven sons die in the span of
26:14
Speaker 1: a single day, but endured everything with courage thanks to
26:18
Speaker 1: the hope she had in the Lord. To each son,
26:21
Speaker 1: she spoke in their ancestral language, filled with noble sentiments,
26:25
Speaker 1: combining a mother's tenderness with a strength of character usually
26:30
Speaker 1: attributed to men. The speeches of the brothers and their
26:33
Speaker 1: mother contain deep theological elements, as seen in Chapter seven,
26:38
Speaker 1: verses twenty eight and twenty nine. The mother speaks to
26:41
Speaker 1: her youngest son, I beg you, my son, look at
26:45
Speaker 1: the sky and the earth and see everything that is
26:48
Speaker 1: in them. Recognize that God created them out of nothing,
26:52
Speaker 1: and that the human race came into being in the
26:54
Speaker 1: same way. Do not fear this executioner, but, proving yourself
26:59
Speaker 1: worthy of your brothers, accept death, so that I may
27:03
Speaker 1: find you again with them in divine mercy. Here the
27:07
Speaker 1: book develops a theology of martyrdom that would later become
27:11
Speaker 1: highly influential. The central idea is that the suffering of
27:15
Speaker 1: the martyrs serves as atonement for the sins of the people.
27:19
Speaker 1: In Chapter seven, verses thirty seven and thirty eight, the
27:22
Speaker 1: last brother declares, as for me, like my brothers, I
27:26
Speaker 1: give up my body and my life for the laws
27:28
Speaker 1: of our ancestors, beseeching God that he may soon be
27:32
Speaker 1: merciful to our nation. May my brothers and I be
27:36
Speaker 1: the last to suffer, so that the almighties wrath, which
27:40
Speaker 1: has justly fallen upon our whole nation, may come to
27:43
Speaker 1: an end. Hope in the resurrection is a central theme
27:47
Speaker 1: in these accounts. Each of the brothers expresses confidence that
27:51
Speaker 1: God will raise them to eternal life. This is one
27:55
Speaker 1: of the earliest clear expressions of belief in the resurrection
27:59
Speaker 1: of the dead in Jewish literature. The text emphasizes that
28:03
Speaker 1: it is this hope that gives the martyrs the strength
28:06
Speaker 1: to face death with such courage. The narrative concludes with
28:11
Speaker 1: the death of the youngest brother and their mother. As
28:14
Speaker 1: we read in chapter seven, verses thirty nine to forty two,
28:18
Speaker 1: the king, enraged at being defied, treated the last brother
28:23
Speaker 1: with even greater cruelty. Finally, the mother also perished after
28:27
Speaker 1: witnessing all seven of her children die before her. The
28:31
Speaker 1: text ends by stating, let what we have said about
28:35
Speaker 1: idolatrous sacrifices and cruel tortures be sufficient. These events deeply
28:40
Speaker 1: shaped the Jewish people's consciousness and established a model of
28:44
Speaker 1: resistance to oppression that would be followed for generations. However,
28:50
Speaker 1: the persecution continued, and soon a response more active than
28:54
Speaker 1: passive martyrdom would be required. This response would come through
28:59
Speaker 1: armed resils, resistance led by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers.
29:04
Speaker 1: Amidst intense persecution, a new form of resistance emerges. As
29:09
Speaker 1: recounted in chapter eight, verses one to four. Judas Maccabeus
29:13
Speaker 1: and his companions began to act in secret, entering villages
29:18
Speaker 1: and calling upon their relatives. Gathering those who had remained
29:22
Speaker 1: faithful to Judaism. They managed to assemble around six thousand men. Together,
29:28
Speaker 1: they pleaded with the Lord to look upon his people,
29:31
Speaker 1: who were being trampled by all, to have compassion on
29:34
Speaker 1: the temple which had been desecrated by the wicked, to
29:38
Speaker 1: take pity on the city which had been devastated and
29:42
Speaker 1: was on the brink of destruction, and to hear the
29:45
Speaker 1: voice of the blood that cried out to him. The
29:48
Speaker 1: organization of the resistance, as described in Chapter eight, verses
29:52
Speaker 1: five to seven, began with guerrilla tactics. Judas became a
29:57
Speaker 1: true terror to the Gentiles stru Viking, mainly at night.
30:01
Speaker 1: The fame of his exploits spread everywhere. His initial strategy
30:06
Speaker 1: was to carry out surprise attacks and then quickly retreat
30:09
Speaker 1: to the mountains, where they were well acquainted with the terrain.
30:13
Speaker 1: Seeing the growth of the resistance movement, as we read
30:16
Speaker 1: in Chapter eight, verses eight to eleven, Philip, the governor
30:20
Speaker 1: of Jerusalem, sent an urgent request for help to Ptolemy,
30:24
Speaker 1: the governor of Coeile, Assyria, and Phoenicia. In response, Ptolemy
30:29
Speaker 1: appointed Niconor, son of Patroclus, one of the king's closest friends,
30:34
Speaker 1: giving him no fewer than twenty thousand men from various
30:37
Speaker 1: nations with the mission of exterminating the entire Jewish race.
30:42
Speaker 1: Alongside him, he also sent Gorgias, an experienced general. Niconor
30:49
Speaker 1: was so confident of victory that he planned to pay
30:52
Speaker 1: the king's tribute of two thousand talents to the Romans
30:55
Speaker 1: with the money obtained from selling Jewish prisoners, as recounted
30:59
Speaker 1: in Chapter eight, verses twelve to fifteen. He even sent
31:03
Speaker 1: messages to the coastal cities inviting them to come and
31:07
Speaker 1: buy Jewish slaves, promising to deliver ninety slaves for one talent.
31:13
Speaker 1: Judas's response to this threat demonstrated his leadership skills. In
31:18
Speaker 1: Chapter eight, verses sixteen to twenty, he gathered his men
31:22
Speaker 1: and encouraged them not with weapons, but by recalling the
31:26
Speaker 1: help they had received from God in the past. He
31:29
Speaker 1: mentioned the defeat of Sir Nacarib's one hundred and eighty
31:32
Speaker 1: five thousand soldiers and the victory against the Galatians in Babylon,
31:37
Speaker 1: where eight thousand Jews with the aid of four thousand Macedonians,
31:42
Speaker 1: had defeated one hundred and twenty thousand enemies. Judas's military
31:46
Speaker 1: strategy was innovative, as we see in Chapter eight, verses
31:51
Speaker 1: twenty one to twenty three. He divided his army into
31:54
Speaker 1: four parts, placing his brothers Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan as
31:59
Speaker 1: commanders of three three divisions, each with fifteen hundred men.
32:03
Speaker 1: He himself led the fourth division. He ordered Eliaza to
32:07
Speaker 1: read the Holy Book and gave the war password God's help.
32:12
Speaker 1: The battle against Nikonow was a decisive moment. In Chapter eight,
32:17
Speaker 1: verses twenty four to twenty nine, we read that, fighting
32:21
Speaker 1: with the Almighty as their ally, the Jews killed more
32:25
Speaker 1: than nine thousand enemies and wounded most of Nicanor's army,
32:29
Speaker 1: forcing them all to flee. The money brought by those
32:32
Speaker 1: who had come to buy them as slaves fell into
32:35
Speaker 1: their hands. After pursuing the enemies for a long time,
32:39
Speaker 1: they turned back because it was the eve of the Sabbath.
32:43
Speaker 1: After the Sabbath, they divided the spoils, setting aside a
32:48
Speaker 1: special portion for those who had suffered persecution, as well
32:52
Speaker 1: as for widows and orphans. The victory over Timothy and
32:56
Speaker 1: Baccades soon followed, as described in Chapter eight, verses thirty
33:01
Speaker 1: to thirty three. After a common prayer, the Jews killed
33:05
Speaker 1: more than twenty thousand then from the enemy armies and
33:08
Speaker 1: conquered several fortresses. They divided an enormous amount of booty,
33:12
Speaker 1: giving equal portions to those who had suffered persecution, to orphans, widows,
33:18
Speaker 1: and even the elders. The maccabees military equipment improved significantly
33:24
Speaker 1: with these victories. In Chapter eight, verses thirty four to
33:28
Speaker 1: thirty six, we read that they carefully collected the enemy's
33:32
Speaker 1: weapons and stored them in strategic locations. News of these
33:36
Speaker 1: defeats reached Antiochus, who was in the Upper provinces, leaving
33:40
Speaker 1: him furious. Meanwhile, as recounted in Chapter nine, verses one
33:45
Speaker 1: to four, Antiochus the four was returning in shame from Persia.
33:51
Speaker 1: He had attempted to plunder the temple in the city
33:54
Speaker 1: of Persepolis, but the inhabitants rose up in arms and
33:58
Speaker 1: drove him out. It was during this retreat that he
34:01
Speaker 1: received the news of what had happened to Nicona and
34:05
Speaker 1: Timothy in Judeum. Enraged, Antiochus swore to turn Jerusalem into
34:11
Speaker 1: the graveyard of the Jews. However, as we read in
34:15
Speaker 1: chapter nine, verses five to ten, the Lord of Israel,
34:20
Speaker 1: who sees all struck him with an incurable and invisible disease.
34:25
Speaker 1: As soon as he finished uttering his threats, he was
34:27
Speaker 1: struck with unbearable pain in his intestines and severe internal torment.
34:33
Speaker 1: The text tells us that this was only just, for
34:37
Speaker 1: he had tormented the intestines of others with numerous and
34:40
Speaker 1: unheard of tortures. Yet he still refused to let go
34:44
Speaker 1: of his pride, as described in Chapter nine, verses seven
34:48
Speaker 1: to ten. Overflowing with arrogance and burning with fury against
34:52
Speaker 1: the Jews, he ordered that the journey be hastened. But
34:56
Speaker 1: then he fell from his chariot in a violent bush,
35:00
Speaker 1: and the fall was so severe that his entire body
35:04
Speaker 1: was wounded. He who had once thought he could command
35:07
Speaker 1: the waves of the sea and weigh the mountains on
35:09
Speaker 1: a scale, now lay on the ground, needing to be
35:12
Speaker 1: carried on a stretcher. Antiochus's illness worsened dramatically. In Chapter nine,
35:18
Speaker 1: verses nine and ten, we read that worms sprouted from
35:21
Speaker 1: the body of the wicked man, his flesh rotted while
35:24
Speaker 1: he was still alive, and his entire army could barely
35:28
Speaker 1: endure the stench of his decay. He who had once
35:31
Speaker 1: thought he could reach the stars of heaven, now could
35:34
Speaker 1: not even be carried by others due to his unbearable odor.
35:39
Speaker 1: It was then that, struck by God and in inescapable pain,
35:44
Speaker 1: Antiacus began to abandon his great arrogance, as recounted in
35:49
Speaker 1: Chapter nine, verses eleven to seventeen. When he could no
35:53
Speaker 1: longer bear his own stench, he said it is right
35:57
Speaker 1: to submit to God, and being mortal, not to think
36:00
Speaker 1: of oneself as divine. He promised to free the Jews,
36:04
Speaker 1: grant them the same rights as the Athenians adorn the
36:07
Speaker 1: temple he had once plundered with magnificent offerings, return the
36:11
Speaker 1: sacred vessels multiplied, and personally cover the costs of the sacrifices.
36:16
Speaker 1: In a final act, as we read in Chapter nine,
36:20
Speaker 1: verses eighteen to twenty seven, Antiochus wrote a letter to
36:24
Speaker 1: the Jews in the form of a plea. In it,
36:27
Speaker 1: he wished good things for the Jewish citizens, health and prosperity,
36:32
Speaker 1: and explained that though he was ill, he still held
36:37
Speaker 1: affectionate memories of them and had decided to attend to
36:40
Speaker 1: their common interests. He did not despair over his condition,
36:44
Speaker 1: but had great hope of recovering. However, considering that his father,
36:49
Speaker 1: when undertaking expeditions in the Upper Provinces, had appointed his successor,
36:54
Speaker 1: he also designated his son Antiochus as king and commended
36:59
Speaker 1: him to the Jews. The chapter ends with the death
37:02
Speaker 1: of Antiochus, as described in chapter nine, verses twenty eight
37:06
Speaker 1: and twenty nine. This murderer and blasphema died suffering terribly,
37:11
Speaker 1: just as he had made others suffer on foreign soil
37:14
Speaker 1: in the mountains, with a miserable death. Vilip, his childhood companion,
37:20
Speaker 1: transported his body, but fearing Antiochus's son, withdrew to Egypt
37:25
Speaker 1: to Ptolemy Philamita. Judas's military victories were marked by supernatural elements.
37:31
Speaker 1: In several battles, as the text mentions, celestial horsemen appeared
37:36
Speaker 1: to aid the Jews. Prayers were always answered with divine manifestations,
37:41
Speaker 1: and the soldiers fought with the certainty of divine intervention.
37:45
Speaker 1: The fulfillment of ancient prophecies regarding the liberation of the
37:49
Speaker 1: people became increasingly evident with each victory obtained. With the
37:55
Speaker 1: death of Antiochus, the four and the successive victories of
37:58
Speaker 1: the Maccabees, the path was open for the recovery of
38:02
Speaker 1: the temple and the restoration of traditional worship. Judas and
38:07
Speaker 1: his men now turned their attention to this sacred task,
38:12
Speaker 1: determined to purify and reconsecrate the House of God. After
38:18
Speaker 1: the great military victories and the death of Antiochus Bevi,
38:22
Speaker 1: Judas Maccabeus and his followers focused on a sacred mission.
38:27
Speaker 1: As we read in Chapter ten, verses one to five,
38:30
Speaker 1: they reclaimed the temple and the city. They destroyed the
38:34
Speaker 1: altars that the Pagans had built in the public square,
38:37
Speaker 1: as well as places of idolatrous worship. After purifying the temple,
38:41
Speaker 1: they built a new altar using stones that produced sparks.
38:46
Speaker 1: They obtained fire and offered sacrifices for the first time
38:49
Speaker 1: in two years. They also restored the incense, the lamps,
38:54
Speaker 1: and the presentation of the bread. The restoration of the
38:58
Speaker 1: temple was a moment of great emotion. As we read
39:02
Speaker 1: in Chapter ten, verses six to eight, they joyfully celebrated
39:06
Speaker 1: for eight days in a festival similar to the Feast
39:09
Speaker 1: of Tabernacles, remembering that not long before they had observed
39:13
Speaker 1: this feast in the mountains and caves. Like wild animals.
39:18
Speaker 1: Now carrying branches and beautiful palm frands. They sang hymns
39:22
Speaker 1: to the one who had granted them the purification of
39:25
Speaker 1: his temple. By public decree of the nation, they established
39:30
Speaker 1: that all the Jewish people should celebrate these days annually. However,
39:34
Speaker 1: peace would not last long, as we see in Chapter ten,
39:38
Speaker 1: verses fourteen to twenty three. While Judas was organizing religious
39:42
Speaker 1: life in Jerusalem, some of the refugees from previous battles,
39:46
Speaker 1: including Timothy, gathered mercenaries and began causing trouble. Additionally, the
39:51
Speaker 1: Idumeans occupying strategic positions harassed the Jews, and by sheltering
39:57
Speaker 1: fugitives from Jerusalem, prepared for war. Judas launched a campaign
40:02
Speaker 1: against the Idumeans. In Chapter ten, verses sixteen to twenty three,
40:07
Speaker 1: we see that he and his men, after invoking divine assistance,
40:11
Speaker 1: attacked the Idumean strongholds. Fighting fiercely, they captured the positions,
40:17
Speaker 1: expelled all those who fought on the walls, and slaughtered
40:21
Speaker 1: those they encountered, killing no fewer than twenty thousand people.
40:26
Speaker 1: During these campaigns, there was a remarkable episode involving nine
40:31
Speaker 1: thousand enemies who had taken refuge in two well fortified towers.
40:36
Speaker 1: As we read in Chapter ten, verses twenty four to
40:39
Speaker 1: thirty eight, Judas left Simon, Joseph and Zakius with sufficient
40:44
Speaker 1: forces to besiege them, and departed for other areas that
40:48
Speaker 1: required his presence. However, some of Simon's men, driven by greed,
40:54
Speaker 1: allowed themselves to be bribed by those in the towers,
40:57
Speaker 1: and for seventy thousand Drachmas let some of them escape.
41:02
Speaker 1: When Judas learned of what had happened, he gathered the
41:05
Speaker 1: leaders of the people and accused those men of selling
41:09
Speaker 1: their brothers for money, releasing the enemies against them. As
41:13
Speaker 1: described in Chapter ten, verse thirty seven, he ordered the
41:17
Speaker 1: execution of the traitors and immediately seized the two towers,
41:22
Speaker 1: with complete success. In his actions, killing more than twenty
41:25
Speaker 1: thousand men in the two fortresses, he consolidated his power
41:29
Speaker 1: in the region. Diplomatic relations also intensified during this period,
41:35
Speaker 1: as we see in Chapter eleven, verses one to twelve. Lysius,
41:39
Speaker 1: the king's tutor and relative and the one in charge
41:42
Speaker 1: of the kingdom's affairs, unable to tolerate what had happened,
41:46
Speaker 1: gathered about eighty thousand men and the entire cavalry and
41:50
Speaker 1: marched against the Jews. He planned to transform Jerusalem into
41:55
Speaker 1: a Greek city, turned the temple into a source of
41:58
Speaker 1: revenue like other paid and sanctuaries, and sell the position
42:02
Speaker 1: of high priest annually. The ensuing battle was marked by
42:07
Speaker 1: supernatural events. In chapter eleven, verses eight to twelve, while
42:11
Speaker 1: the Jews and their allies pleaded with the Lord, a
42:14
Speaker 1: horseman in white garments wielding golden weapons appeared before them. Together,
42:20
Speaker 1: they advanced, ready to strike down their adversaries. The text
42:24
Speaker 1: tells us that they had an ally from heaven by
42:27
Speaker 1: the mercy of the Lord upon them. After this astounding defeat,
42:33
Speaker 1: Lysias changed his approach, as we read in Chapter eleven,
42:37
Speaker 1: verses thirteen to fifteen. Being an intelligent man and reflecting
42:42
Speaker 1: on the defeat he had suffered, he realized that the
42:45
Speaker 1: Hebrews were invincible because the Mighty God fought alongside them.
42:50
Speaker 1: He then sent peace proposals, willing to accept all fair
42:54
Speaker 1: terms and promising to persuade the king to become their ally.
42:58
Speaker 1: The negotiations resulted in a series of official letters preserved
43:03
Speaker 1: in chapter eleven, in verses sixteen to twenty one, we
43:07
Speaker 1: find Lysius letter to the Jews establishing peace terms. In
43:12
Speaker 1: verses twenty two to twenty six, we see the letter
43:15
Speaker 1: from King Antiochus to Lysius confirming the negotiations. In verses
43:21
Speaker 1: twenty seven to thirty three, there is the King's letter
43:25
Speaker 1: to the Jews guaranteeing them the right to follow their
43:28
Speaker 1: own laws and customs, and in verses thirty four to
43:31
Speaker 1: thirty eight we have the letter from the Roman ambassadors
43:35
Speaker 1: supporting the agreement. Religious autonomy was guaranteed by these agreements,
43:41
Speaker 1: but regional conflicts persisted, as recounted in Chapter twelve, verses
43:46
Speaker 1: one to nine. Even after these treaties, some local governors
43:50
Speaker 1: continue to harass the Jews. In Jopper, for example, the
43:55
Speaker 1: inhabitants invited the local Jews to go on a boat
43:58
Speaker 1: trip with their families, but it trap. They took them
44:02
Speaker 1: out to sea and drowned them, killing a total of
44:05
Speaker 1: two hundred people. Judas responded to these provocations with punitive campaigns.
44:11
Speaker 1: In Chapter twelve, verses ten to twelve, we see that
44:15
Speaker 1: he attacked Jopper at night, setting fire to the port
44:18
Speaker 1: and the ships, killing those who had taken refuge there. Likewise,
44:23
Speaker 1: in Jamnia, where a similar plot against the local Jews
44:26
Speaker 1: was being devised. He organized a night attack, burning the
44:30
Speaker 1: port and the fleet. The wars against the Hellenistic cities continued,
44:35
Speaker 1: As described in Chapter twelve, verses thirteen to sixteen, Judas
44:39
Speaker 1: faced Gorgias, the governor of Idumeya, in several battles. In
44:45
Speaker 1: one particularly challenging confrontation near a fortress called Khanian, where
44:51
Speaker 1: there was a temple dedicated to the goddess Attargatis, Judas
44:55
Speaker 1: achieved an impressive victory, killing twenty five thousand people. Section
45:00
Speaker 1: of the Jews in the diaspora was a constant concern.
45:04
Speaker 1: In Chapter twelve, verses thirty to forty five, we read
45:07
Speaker 1: about a campaign to protect the Jews living in Caspin.
45:12
Speaker 1: After a hard fought battle, Judas managed to kill Timothy,
45:16
Speaker 1: who had caused great harm to the Jews. However, during
45:19
Speaker 1: this battle, it was discovered that some of the fallen
45:22
Speaker 1: Jewish soldiers had committed the sin of carrying idolatrous amulets
45:27
Speaker 1: under their tunics. This incident led to a remarkable action
45:32
Speaker 1: by Judas. As we read in Chapter twelve, verses forty
45:38
Speaker 1: three to forty five, he organized a collection among his men,
45:42
Speaker 1: gathering two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem
45:46
Speaker 1: to have a sin offering made. The text praises this act,
45:50
Speaker 1: stating that he acted in an excellent and noble manner
45:54
Speaker 1: considering the resurrection, because if he did not expect those
45:57
Speaker 1: who had fallen to rise again, it would have been
46:00
Speaker 1: pointless and futile to pray for the dead. The administration
46:04
Speaker 1: of the liberated territory required constant attention. Judas established a
46:09
Speaker 1: local government system, appointing judges in major cities and councils
46:14
Speaker 1: of elders to resolve minor disputes. Economic reconstruction was a priority,
46:20
Speaker 1: with special attention given to agriculture and trade. Religious institutions
46:25
Speaker 1: were reorganized with the establishment of a legitimate priestly hierarchy
46:30
Speaker 1: and the regulation of temple services. Social reforms were also significant,
46:36
Speaker 1: as we can infer from various passages mentioning the distribution
46:40
Speaker 1: of spoils. There was a particular concern for widows, orphans,
46:45
Speaker 1: and the poor. The justice system was established following the
46:48
Speaker 1: Law of Moses, while also incorporating practical elements necessary for
46:54
Speaker 1: governing a growing state. The consolidation of borders remained a
46:59
Speaker 1: constant concern. Fortresses were built or re enforced in strategic locations,
47:05
Speaker 1: and military garrisons were established to protect Jewish communities. Military
47:11
Speaker 1: development continued with the formation of a professional army complementing
47:16
Speaker 1: the volunteer forces that had initiated the revolt. The story
47:21
Speaker 1: reaches a critical moment when, as told in Chapter thirteen,
47:24
Speaker 1: verses one and two, in the year one to forty
47:27
Speaker 1: nine of the Seleucid era, Judas received news that Antiochus
47:32
Speaker 1: Eupater was marching against Judea with a massive army. Alongside
47:37
Speaker 1: him was Lysius, his tutor and administrator of the kingdom.
47:42
Speaker 1: They commanded a Greek army of one hundred and ten
47:44
Speaker 1: thousand infantry soldiers, five thousand, three hundred cavalrymen, twenty two elephants,
47:50
Speaker 1: and three hundred scythe chariots. The situation became even more
47:54
Speaker 1: complicated when, as we read in Chapter thirteen, verses three
47:59
Speaker 1: to eight, Menelaus, the former high priest who had caused
48:03
Speaker 1: so many problems, joined them, encouraging Antiochus with false promises. However,
48:10
Speaker 1: the king of Kings stirred Antiochus wrath against this criminal.
48:15
Speaker 1: When Lyzias demonstrated that Menelaeus was the cause of all
48:19
Speaker 1: their troubles. The king ordered him to be taken to
48:22
Speaker 1: Beroea and executed according to local custom. There, a fifty
48:28
Speaker 1: cubic tower filled with ashes had a rotating mechanism that
48:32
Speaker 1: caused the condemned person to fall into the ashes. Thus
48:37
Speaker 1: Menelaeus died without even the right to a burial. The
48:41
Speaker 1: military campaign of Antiochus the fifth was remarkable, as described
48:46
Speaker 1: in Chapter thirteen, verses nine to twelve. The young king
48:49
Speaker 1: advanced with barbaric intentions, determined to prove himself even more
48:54
Speaker 1: ruthless toward the Jews than his father. Knowing this, Judas
48:58
Speaker 1: ordered the people to invoke the Lord day and night,
49:01
Speaker 1: for never before had they needed his help as much
49:04
Speaker 1: as now, being at risk of losing the law, the homeland,
49:08
Speaker 1: and the Holy Temple. The use of elephants in this
49:11
Speaker 1: campaign is described in detail, as we see in Chapter thirteen,
49:16
Speaker 1: verses fifteen to seventeen. After organizing his men, Judas launched
49:21
Speaker 1: a night attack on the king's tent in the camp,
49:25
Speaker 1: killing about two thousand men and the largest of the
49:28
Speaker 1: elephants along with its rider. Finally, having filled the camp
49:32
Speaker 1: with terror and confusion, they withdrew victorious The subsequent peace
49:37
Speaker 1: negotiations were complex. In Chapter thirteen, verses eighteen to twenty six,
49:43
Speaker 1: we read that the king, having witnessed the boldness of
49:46
Speaker 1: the Jews, attempted to seize their fortresses through deception. He
49:51
Speaker 1: approached beth Zur, a Jewish stronghold, but was repelled, attacked,
49:55
Speaker 1: and defeated. Judas ensured that the besieged had everything they needed. However,
50:02
Speaker 1: a Jew named Rodicus was secretly informing the enemy of
50:06
Speaker 1: Jewish strategies. He was discovered, arrested, and executed. The final
50:12
Speaker 1: agreement with Antiochus fifth was surprisingly favorable to the Jews.
50:18
Speaker 1: As we read in Chapter thirteen, verses twenty three to
50:21
Speaker 1: twenty six, the king negotiated with the inhabitants of beth Zur,
50:26
Speaker 1: made peace with them, and withdrew. He fought against Judas,
50:31
Speaker 1: but was defeated. When he learned that Philip, whom he
50:34
Speaker 1: had left in charge of the government in Antioch, had rebelled,
50:38
Speaker 1: he was dismayed. He then sought to make peace with
50:41
Speaker 1: the Jews, submitted to their conditions, swore to respect all
50:46
Speaker 1: their just demands, reconciled with them, and offered a sacrifice. However,
50:52
Speaker 1: internal conflicts persisted, as shown in Chapter fourteen, verses one
50:57
Speaker 1: to ten. Three years later, Demetrius, the son of Seleucus,
51:02
Speaker 1: took a seaport with a powerful army and fleet, killed
51:05
Speaker 1: Antiochus and Lyseus, and seized the kingdom. Aldymus, who had
51:10
Speaker 1: previously been high priest and had voluntarily defiled himself during
51:14
Speaker 1: the revolt, realizing that there was no salvation left for
51:18
Speaker 1: him nor access to the sacred altar, went to King Demetrius.
51:24
Speaker 1: The priestly disputes intensified when, as we read in Chapter fourteen,
51:29
Speaker 1: verses eleven to fourteen, Alchymus presented the king with a
51:33
Speaker 1: golden crown, a palm branch, and also other branches that,
51:38
Speaker 1: according to custom, belonged to the temple. He accused Judas
51:42
Speaker 1: and his followers of inciting war and sedition, preventing the
51:47
Speaker 1: kingdom from achieving peace. The king then sent Niconore, who
51:51
Speaker 1: had become the governor of the Elephants, to serve as
51:54
Speaker 1: the governor of Judaea. As described in Chapter fourteen, verses
51:58
Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty five. Niconor initially attempted to capture Judas
52:02
Speaker 1: through deception, sending him messages of peace. There was even
52:06
Speaker 1: a meeting between the two, and Niconor was so impressed
52:10
Speaker 1: by Judas that he advised him to marry and have children.
52:14
Speaker 1: Judas got married, lived a normal life, and enjoyed his days. However,
52:18
Speaker 1: this peace would be short lived, as we read in
52:21
Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, verses twenty six to thirty six, Alcimus, seeing
52:26
Speaker 1: the friendship between the two, once again, went to King
52:30
Speaker 1: Demetrius and accused Niconarer of treason, claiming that he had
52:34
Speaker 1: appointed Judas, who was allegedly conspiring against the kingdom, as
52:38
Speaker 1: his successor. The king, enraged and infuriated by the slander
52:43
Speaker 1: of that scoundrel, wrote to Nicona, expressing his deep displeasure
52:47
Speaker 1: with those agreements and ordering him to immediately send Maccabeus
52:51
Speaker 1: as a prisoner to Antioch. Niconoor's reaction to these orders
52:56
Speaker 1: shows how quickly politics could shift. In Chapter fourteen, verses
53:01
Speaker 1: thirty seven to forty six, he was dismayed and troubled
53:04
Speaker 1: at having to break agreements with a man who had
53:07
Speaker 1: done nothing unjust, but since he could not oppose the king,
53:10
Speaker 1: he awaited a favorable opportunity to carry out the order. Judas,
53:16
Speaker 1: noticing that Nicona had begun treating him coldly, and that
53:19
Speaker 1: their usual meetings had become more tense. Realized that this
53:23
Speaker 1: severity did not bode well. He then gathered many of
53:27
Speaker 1: his followers and disappeared from Nicanor's sight. The conflict reached
53:32
Speaker 1: its climax when, as told in Chapter fifteen, verses one
53:36
Speaker 1: to five, Nicanor learned that Judas's men were in the
53:40
Speaker 1: regions of Samaria. He planned to attack them on the Sabbath,
53:44
Speaker 1: a day of rest. The Jews, who accompanied him out
53:48
Speaker 1: of necessity, tried to dissuade him, pleading with him to
53:52
Speaker 1: respect the day sanctified by the one who sees all things. However,
53:57
Speaker 1: he arrogantly asked if there was a sovereign in heaven
54:01
Speaker 1: who had prescribed the observance of the Sabbath. Before the
54:05
Speaker 1: final battle, Judas had an extraordinary vision, as we read
54:10
Speaker 1: in Chapter fifteen, verses eleven to sixteen, he told his
54:14
Speaker 1: men about a dream worthy of belief. Oneas the former
54:19
Speaker 1: High Priest, a good and kind man with a venerable presence,
54:22
Speaker 1: appeared to him, praying with his hands extended for all
54:26
Speaker 1: the people of the Jews. Then another man appeared, admirable
54:30
Speaker 1: for his age and glory wrapped in great majesty. Oneas explained,
54:36
Speaker 1: this is the friend of your brothers, the one who
54:39
Speaker 1: prays much for the people and the holy City, Jeremiah,
54:42
Speaker 1: the prophet of God. Jeremiah stretched out his right hand
54:47
Speaker 1: and gave Judas a golden sword, saying, take this holy
54:51
Speaker 1: sword as a gift from God. With it, you will
54:53
Speaker 1: strike down your adversaries. The decisive battle was preceded by
54:57
Speaker 1: an inspiring speech from Judas in Chapter fifteen, verses seventeen
55:02
Speaker 1: to twenty four. He encouraged his men not with shields
55:06
Speaker 1: and spears, but with excellent words, capable of stirring courage
55:10
Speaker 1: and strengthening the souls of the young warriors. He told
55:14
Speaker 1: them about his dream, an entirely credible vision, which filled
55:18
Speaker 1: them all with joy. The final confrontation with Niconore was dramatic,
55:23
Speaker 1: as described in Chapter fifteen, verses twenty five to thirty six.
55:28
Speaker 1: While Nicanor advanced to the sound of trumpets and war songs,
55:32
Speaker 1: Judas and his men faced their enemies with prayers and invocations,
55:37
Speaker 1: fighting with their hands but praying to God in their hearts,
55:41
Speaker 1: they struck down no fewer than thirty five thousand men
55:44
Speaker 1: rejoicing greatly in God's manifestation. When the battle ended and
55:49
Speaker 1: they were withdrawing in triumph, they found Nicanu's body lying there,
55:53
Speaker 1: still clad in full armor. The treatment of Niconore's body
55:57
Speaker 1: was symbolic. As we read in Chapter fifth, fifteen, verses
56:00
Speaker 1: thirty three to thirty six, Judas ordered that his head
56:04
Speaker 1: and right hand, the very hand he had raised against
56:08
Speaker 1: the Holy Temple of the Almighty, be cut off and
56:11
Speaker 1: brought to Jerusalem. Upon arriving, he summoned his compatriots and
56:16
Speaker 1: placed the priests before the altar. He commanded that the
56:20
Speaker 1: wicked Nicana's tongue be cut into small pieces and throne
56:24
Speaker 1: to the birds, and he hung the trophy of his
56:27
Speaker 1: folly before the temple. The book concludes by establishing a
56:32
Speaker 1: new commemorative festival in Chapter fifteen, verses thirty seven and
56:37
Speaker 1: thirty eight. It was unanimously decided that this day should
56:41
Speaker 1: not pass unnoticed, but should be celebrated on the thirteenth
56:45
Speaker 1: day of the twelfth month, called Adar in the Aramaic
56:49
Speaker 1: language the eve of the day of Mordecai. The author
56:53
Speaker 1: ends his work with humility, as we read in chapter fifteen,
56:57
Speaker 1: verses thirty eight to forty. He stays that if the
57:01
Speaker 1: composition turned out to be beautiful and well crafted, that
57:04
Speaker 1: was his desire, but if it was imperfect and mediocre,
57:09
Speaker 1: he did what he could. Just as drinking only wine
57:12
Speaker 1: or only water is not pleasant, while wine mixed with
57:16
Speaker 1: water is more flavorful and more enjoyable, so too is
57:20
Speaker 1: the art of arranging a narrative pleasing to the ears
57:23
Speaker 1: of those who read the work. And so we reach
57:26
Speaker 1: the end of this incredible journey through the Book of
57:30
Speaker 1: Two Maccabees, a story that, even after more than two
57:34
Speaker 1: thousand years, continues to resonate in our time. This extraordinary
57:39
Speaker 1: narrative shows us how a people facing the possible extinction
57:43
Speaker 1: of their faith and culture found the strength not only
57:46
Speaker 1: to survive, but to triumph against all odds. What makes
57:51
Speaker 1: this book so special is not just its historical or
57:55
Speaker 1: religious value, but the timeless lessons it offers. We have
57:59
Speaker 1: seen how the courage of ordinary people, from mothers and
58:02
Speaker 1: their children to elders like Eliaza, can change the course
58:06
Speaker 1: of history. We have learned about the importance of remaining
58:10
Speaker 1: faithful to one's principles even in the most adverse circumstances.
58:15
Speaker 1: And how faith can be an inexhaustible source of strength.
58:18
Speaker 1: This book, which has been banned in some religious traditions
58:22
Speaker 1: but preserved in others, also reveals the complexity of human history.
58:28
Speaker 1: It teaches us that the struggle for religious freedom and
58:31
Speaker 1: the preservation of cultural identity is not anew phenomenon, but
58:36
Speaker 1: a constant in humanity's journey. If this story impressed you
58:41
Speaker 1: as much as it did me, I invite you to
58:43
Speaker 1: share this video with friends and family. Stories like this
58:47
Speaker 1: deserve to be known and discussed, as they help us
58:50
Speaker 1: better understand not only the past, but also are present.
58:54
Speaker 1: Subscribe to our channel to continue exploring other fascinating stories
58:59
Speaker 1: like this. We have much more content on historical books,
59:03
Speaker 1: ancient texts, and narratives that change the world. Leave alike
59:07
Speaker 1: if you learn something new to day and share in
59:10
Speaker 1: the comments which part of this story impressed you the most,
59:13
Speaker 1: and remember, just as the Maccabees preserved their history for
59:18
Speaker 1: future generations, we also have an important role in preserving
59:23
Speaker 1: and transmitting knowledge. Every time you share quality content, you
59:28
Speaker 1: contribute to a more informed and conscious world. See you
59:33
Speaker 1: in the next video, where we will continue our journey
59:37
Speaker 1: through the most impressive and transformative stories of humanity,