Meaning of MACCABEES

Name of a Jewish family (also called Hasmoneans, after their more or less mythical ancestor), who freed their homeland from the cruel yoke of the Syrians in the 2nd century BC. The account of his exploits is found in the historical book of 1 Maccabees, and its continuation in the more legendary account of 2 Maccabees.

Antiochus Epiphanes IV king of Syria was truly, according to the prophecy of Dn. 8:23, "a haughty-faced king." Determined to exterminate Judaism definitively, he sacked the Temple of Jerusalem in 167 BC, erected a statue of Olympian Zeus in the sacred precinct and offered pigs on the altar (cf. Dan. 11:31 "the abomination"). "desolate").

Mattathias, the first of the Maccabees, was a retired elderly priest in the town of Modin, who had the courage to raise the banner of rebellion. He killed a Syrian officer who wanted to impose the decrees of Antiochus, and fled with his five sons to the mountains of Judea.

A national resistance movement was organized in the country, and in various places pagan altars were destroyed, and the Jewish cult was reestablished. Mattathias died in 166 BC, and entrusted his sons with the undertaking of the war of liberation.

Judas, called Maccabeus (from the Hebrew "maqqaba": "hammer") took command. He achieved a series of victories all the more notable since the Jews had only suffered defeats for three centuries. In the year 165, on the 25th of Chisleu, he purified the Temple that had been desecrated three years earlier, and reestablished the daily sacrifice in Jerusalem.

In the time of Christ, the Feast of Dedication was still celebrated, which remembered this event (John 10:22). Judas perished in battle in 161 BC. Jonathan, his brother, succeeded him at a time when two claimants were disputing for the throne of Syria; Demetrio and Alejandro Balas.

The latter tried to gain the support of Jonathan, until then an outlaw, and proposed official recognition as "high priests of the people" and governor general of Judea. Thus was Aaron's line set aside; He had discredited himself after having exercised this ministry for 13 centuries.

Jonathan made alliances with Sparta and Rome and strengthened the fortifications of Jerusalem. He was treacherously murdered by Trypho, a Syrian general, in 142 BC, who wanted to seize the throne. Simon, the last survivor of Mattathias' five sons, then took power.

He obtained the recognition of Judean independence in exchange for his alliance with Demetrius II, who still had to fight against Trypho. Simon seized the citadel of Jerusalem, which the Syrians had occupied for 26 years. The port of Joppa came under Jewish control; Trade developed and a prosperous period came.

The hereditary high priesthood was officially given to the family of the Hasmoneans. Simon died tragically, murdered by his son-in-law Ptolemy in 135 BC.

Simon's son and successor was John Hyrcanus (135-105 BC). He managed to conquer Samaria, destroying the temple erected on Mount Gerizim (cf. Jn. 4:20). He also subdued Idumea, converting its inhabitants and imposing circumcision on them; These descendants of the Edomites became the most patriotic of the Jews (cf., however, Num. 20:14-21).

John Hyrcanus stopped paying tribute to the kings of Syria, who had been losing more and more power, and began to mint coins. Because of his policy, the Pharisees (who until then had received the name Hassidim, "pious") withdrew their support, which made him rely on the Sadducees.

These came mainly from groups close to the high priest; They belonged to the noble class, and claimed descent from the priest Zadok. They wanted to adapt to the circumstances and encouraged Hellenizing tendencies.

The last Maccabees gave the sad spectacle of the decline of a noble family. Aristobulus I (105-104 BC), ambitious and unscrupulous, assumed the title of king. He left his own mother to starve in prison and killed one of his brothers. He died of illness after a year of reign.

Alexander Jannaeus (104-78 BC) was also cruel, dissolute and dominant. There was a time when his territory encompassed more area than that of the ancient Twelve Tribes. Supported by the Sadducees and hated by the Pharisees, he had to face a bloody civil war for six years.

For the first time the Jews applied crucifixion: Alexander Jannaeus had 800 of the leading Pharisees crucified in Jerusalem. His widow Alexandra (78-69 BC) succeeded him to the throne and reigned prudently.

Upon her death, her two sons disputed power: her firstborn, the weak Hyrcanus II, had been appointed king and high priest; the youngest, Aristobulus II, unleashed a civil war to put himself in his place.

The Idumean leader Antipater was induced to intervene, and in the course of this struggle both brothers resorted to the arbitration of Pompey and the Roman power. Arriving before Jerusalem in the year 63 BC, Pompey took sides with Hyrcanus II.

He seized the city after a three-month siege, then massacred 12,000 Jews, also daring to penetrate the Temple to the Holy of Holies. According to Tacitus, he was astonished to find nothing behind the veil: neither statue nor any object of worship ("vacam sedem, inania arcana": an empty sanctuary, absence of mysteries).

Hyrcanus II, maintained in his position as high priest, had to change his title of king to that of "ethnarch", and content himself with governing the small territory of Judea.

Galilee and Samaria became distinct provinces: Jewish independence had ended, and Pompey brought to Rome, in his triumphal procession, Aristobulus II, king of the Jews. Hyrcanus II (63-40 BC) was only a toy in the hands of Antipater, whom Rome had appointed as procurator.

A son of Aristobulus, Antigonus (40-37 BC) managed to prevail for a certain time with the help of a Parthian army, but the Roman senate had appointed Herod (the Great), son of Antipater, who had married, as king of Judea. with Mariamne, granddaughter of Aristobulus II. After two years of efforts, Herod managed to seize Jerusalem in the year 37 BC, and had Antigonus beheaded.

The last three survivors of the Maccabees also died victims of Herod's pathological distrust, including his own wife Mariamne. Thus this illustrious family, which had rendered notable services to the Jewish cause, and which was lost mainly due to its discord, met its end.