2 MACCABEES
2 MACCABEES
The good news for those of us who are lazy (i.e., all of us) is that all the work we just did on 1 Maccabees is about to pay immediate bonus dividends: we have already compared the evidence for 1 Maccabees against 1 Chronicles, and 2 Maccabees is inarguably better evidenced as Scripture than either of them (in terms of citation evidence).[1] 2 Maccabees has more verses of theological importance, and hence, more citations as Scripture, more use as Scriptural proof, and more reasons for more Fathers to cite to it. Eusebius and Theodoret cite to 2 Maccabees a lot, but they combine for barely a third of the citations in the database—a far cry from the substantial majority they were for both 1 Maccabees and 1 Chronicles. The database lists 32 Fathers who cited to it, which is a lot more than the 19 for both of the others. Combined with those I found outside of the database, the total became 41. I found over 70 instances where a Father cited to 2 Maccabees as Sacred Scripture, etc.
So, rather than cover the data at the end in a postscript, let’s get right to it. To save space, I have left out those whose citations I could not find to read.
| Father | Year | Notes |
| Hermas | 90 | One citation. The Shepherd of Hermas alludes to 2 Macc 7:28: …there is one God who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing. www.newadvent.org/fathers/02012.htm |
| Clement of Alexandria | 198 | Two citations. Stromata 1, 21: in a Chronological list of Scripture, Clement writes: During the captivity lived Esther and Mordecai [Malachi], whose book is still extant, as also that of the Maccabees. www.newadvent.org/fathers/02091.htm |
| Origen | 230 | Forty citations, at least seven as Scripture, incl. First Principles 2, 1, 5 But that we may believe in the authority of holy Scripture that such is the case, hear how in the book of Maccabees… www.newadvent.org/fathers/04122.htm |
| Hippolytus | 235 | Six citations, using 2 Maccabees to prove the fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecies, and as typology (Antiochus as the type of the Antichrist). www.newadvent.org/fathers/0516.htm and www.newadvent.org/fathers/0502.htm |
| Pseudo- Tertullian | 240 | Allusions to the Maccabean Martyrs are made in a martyrdom account that was once attributed to Tertullian. Who wrote it is unknown. www.newadvent.org/fathers/0324.htm |
| Tertullian | 240 | Used to confirm the doctrine that work can be done on the Sabbath, when arguing against the Jews: For in the times of the Maccabees, too, they did bravely in fighting on the Sabbaths. www.newadvent.org/fathers/0308.htm |
| Cyprian | 258 | Twenty citations, at least 13 as Holy Scripture or Sacred Scripture, incl. in his Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews. “You asked me to gather out for your instruction from the Holy Scriptures… Of this same thing in the Maccabees… www.newadvent.org/fathers/050712c.htm |
| Eusebius | 339 | One hundred and thirty-two citations, including uses to confirm doctrine: from his Preparation of the Gospel, Book 12, 3: In the Book of the Maccabees, it is said that Jeremiah the Prophet, after his departure from life, was seen praying for the people, as one who took thought for men upon Earth. |
| Aphrahat | 345 | At least six citations to prove the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies, including Demonstration 5, 19: For Daniel said:… For this was accomplished at that time, when the venerable and aged Eleazar was slain, and the sons of the blessed Samuna, seven in number, and when Judas (Maccabeus) and his brethren were struggling on behalf of their people, when they were dwelling in hiding-places. 2 Macc 5:27 … www.newadvent.org/fathers/370105.htm |
| Lucifer of Caligari | 361 | Introduces quotes from 2 Maccabees as “the Scripture says…” per Gary G. Michuta in The Case of the Deuterocanon. Not online. |
| Hilary of Poitiers | 368 | Does not include 2 Maccabees on his list yet cites to it 17 times and seems to allude to it as Scripture and Prophecy. On the Trinity 4, 16: “Such suggestions are inconsistent with the clear sense of Scripture. For all things, as the Prophet says 2 Maccabees 7:28, were made out of nothing; it was no transformation of existing things, but the creation into a perfect form of the non-existent. www.newadvent.org/fathers/330204.htm |
| Ephrem the Syrian | 373 | Commentary on Hebrews. In order not to repeat all the details in his review of the works of faith, Paul stopped relating the stories of these ancient fathers… who were given to death despised their own life, like the seven brothers together with their mother… [Per Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture]. Not online. |
| Gregory of Nazianzus | 381 | Twenty-four citations. Not on his list but seems to include it in his Old Testament anyway. Orations 43, 74 recounts the “men of old days” who were “illustrious for piety, as lawgivers, generals, prophets, teachers, and men brave to the shedding of blood, Let us compare our prelate [Basil] with them and, thus, recognize his merit.” He references Adam, Enos, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Twelve Patriarchs, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, and the Maccabean martyrs. Then: “I turn to the New Testament…” www.newadvent.org/fathers/310243.htm |
| Ambrose | 397 | Ninety citations, including as teaching of Sacred writings [1, 1, 3]. From Duties of the Clergy, 3, 18, 107: Moses said, as is written in the book of the Maccabees: Because the sacrifice for sin was not to be eaten, it was consumed. 2 Macc 2:11 |
| Theophilius of Alexandria | 404 | Says that the victories of the Maccabees (2 Maccabees 7) are praised throughout the whole world in the Churches of Christ, per Gary Michuta in The Case of the Deuterocanon. Festal Letter of AD 404, in Jerome, Letter 100, 9. Not online. |
| Chromatius | 407 | Tractate on Matthew 57, 2 Now we can know … not only on the basis of the present passage, but also from other testimonies, … In the Books of Maccabees, too, repeatedly we read that angels came to the defense of the people to fight against the enemy [see 2Масс 3:25; 11:6; 15:23]. [Per Chromatius of Aquileia, Sermons and Tractates on Matthew] Not available online. |
| John Chrysostom | 407 | Eighteen citations, including as Prophecy: And Jeremiah prevailed not for the Jews, but some one else he did haply cover from evil by his prophecy. … 2 Maccabees xv. 13–16. Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew 1. 22, 23. Not available online. |
| Jerome | 420 | Eighteen citations. 2 Maccabees is not on his list; however in one case, he seems to cite to it as Scripture, but is perhaps confused: Read the Scriptures and you will never find holy women bearing children in pain, with the exception of Rachel, who, when she was on a journey and in the hippodrome, that is, in the course for horses which had been sold to Egypt,’ suffered while delivering her son, whom his father later called “son of the right hand.” [the events fit 2 Maccabees; how he connects them to Rachel is unclear] [Per Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture]. Not available online. |
| Sulpitius Severus | 420 | Sacred History 2, 17-23 cites 2 Macc as sacred Scripture many times, e.g. (Ch 2, 20:) At this time, there occurred that well-known and remarkable suffering of the seven brothers and their mother. www.newadvent.org/fathers/35052.htm |
| Augustine | 426 | Cited as Scripture at least 20 times. His canon list includes 2 Maccabees, though he acknowledges that the “faithless people” do not agree. City of God 18, 36: …the reckoning of their dates is found, not in the Holy Scriptures which are called canonical, but in others, among which are also the books of the Maccabees. These are held as canonical, not by the Jews, but by the Church, on account of the extreme and wonderful sufferings of certain martyrs, who, before Christ had come in the flesh, contended for the law of God even unto death, and endured most grievous and horrible evils.” www.newadvent.org/fathers/120118.htm |
| Vincentius Victor | 430 | Cites 2 Macc 12:43 as Scriptural proof that sacrifice can be offered for the departed who were not baptized: “in this example of the Maccabees who fell in battle that I ground the necessity of doing this… sacrifices were offered up to liberate their souls, which had been bound by the guilt of their forbidden conduct. [Augustine accepts this as Scripture in 13 and 19] in Augustine’s On the Soul 2, 13, 15 and 18. www.newadvent.org/fathers/15082.htm |
| Theodoret | 435 | Forty-eight citations, including Commentary on Daniel, 11, which cites 2 Maccabees as proof that the prophecies of Daniel were fulfilled: The second book of the Maccabees teaches us this when it says, “And about this time Antiochus sent a second expedition to Egypt.” … [Per Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture]. Not online. |
Here is a handy summary chart:
| Father | Year | Notes |
| Shepherd of Hermas | 90 | 1 Allusion |
| Clement of Alexandria | 198 | Scripture |
| Origen | 230 | Holy Scripture |
| Hippolytus | 235 | Used In Typology |
| Pseudo-Tertullian | 240 | Allusions |
| Tertullian | 240 | Used To Confirm Doctrine |
| Cyprian | 258 | Holy Scripture |
| Eusebius | 339 | Used To Confirm Doctrine |
| Aphrahat | 345 | Fulfills Prophecy |
| Lucifer of Caligari | 361 | Scripture |
| Hilary of Poitiers | 368 | Not on list; Prophecy |
| Ephrem the Syrian | 373 | Sees Hebrews as cite |
| Gregory of Nazianzus | 381 | Not on list; Old Testament |
| Ambrose | 397 | Teaching of Sacred Writings |
| Theophilius of Alex. | 404 | Praised throughout the Churches |
| Chromatius | 407 | Scripture |
| John Chrysostom | 407 | Prophecy |
| Jerome | 420 | Not on list; Scripture |
| Sulpitius Severus | 420 | Sacred Scripture |
| Augustine | 426 | Holy Scripture |
| Vincentius Victor | 430 | Scripture |
| Theodoret | 435 | Fulfills Prophecy |
AGGREGATE CHART
The following is a chronological chart of the summary citation evidence from the Fathers, plus all canon lists and Councils and codices (which are in ALL CAPS, in BOLD IF A COUNCIL, and in ITALICS IF A CODEX). The symbol “*” denotes a Father who created a list, as well as cited 1 Maccabees in his works.
| FATHER/LIST/BOOK | YEAR | 2 MACC CANONICAL? |
| Shepherd of Hermas | 90 | 1 Allusion |
| MELITO OF SARDIS | 170 | NOT CANON (FOR JEWS?) |
| MURATORIAN CANON | 170 | UNKNOWN |
| Clement of Alexandria* | 198 | Scripture |
| CLEMENT ALEXANDRIA | 203 | UNKNOWN |
| ORIGEN (JEWISH LIST) | 220 | OUTSIDE OF THESE (?) |
| Origen* | 230 | Holy Scripture |
| Hippolytus | 235 | Used In Typology |
| Pseudo-Tertullian | 240 | Allusions |
| Tertullian | 240 | Used To Confirm Doctrine |
| ORIGEN (LETTER) | 248 | N/A |
| ORIGEN (CITATIONS) | 250 | CANON |
| Cyprian | 258 | Holy Scripture |
| EUSEBIUS (APPROVAL) | 324 | CANON |
| Eusebius* | 339 | Used To Confirm Doctrine |
| Aphrahat | 345 | Fulfills Prophecy |
| CLAROMONTANUS | 349 | CANON |
| CODEX VATICANUS | 350 | NOT CANON? |
| CODEX SINAITICUS | 350 | CANON? |
| CYRIL OF JERUSALEM | 350 | NOT CANON |
| ST CATHERINE’S SYRIAC | 350 | CANON |
| CHELTENHAM LIST | 360 | CANON |
| Lucifer of Caligari | 361 | Scripture |
| ATHANASIUS | 367 | VERSION 3.1 |
| HILARY OF POITIERS | 367 | NOT CANON |
| Hilary of Poitiers* | 368 | Not on list; Prophecy |
| Ephrem the Syrian | 373 | Sees Hebrews as cite |
| GREGORY NAZIANZUS | 380 | NOT CANON |
| AMPHILOCHIUS | 380 | NOT CANON |
| APOSTOLIC CANONS | 380 | CANON |
| Gregory of Nazianzus* | 381 | Not on list; Old Testament |
| EPIPHANIUS PAN. 8.6.1-4 | 385 | NOT CANON FOR JEWS |
| EPIPHANIUS PAN. 76.22.5 | 385 | NOT CANON |
| JEROME (HELMETED) | 390 | NOT CANON |
| EPIPHANIUS DE MENS. 4-5 | 392 | NOT CANON FOR JEWS |
| THE COUNCIL OF HIPPO – 70 BISHOPS | 393 | CANON |
| AUGUSTINE | 397 | CANON |
| COUNCIL CARTHAGE – 44-48 BISHOPS | 397 | CANON |
| Ambrose | 397 | Teaching of Sacred Writings |
| JEROME (SOLOMON) | 398 | VERSION 3.2 |
| RUFINUS | 400 | VERSION 3.3 |
| JEROME (TOBIT/JUDITH) | 404 | N/A |
| Theophilius of Alexandria | 404 | Praised throughout the Churches |
| POPE INNOCENT I | 405 | CANON |
| Chromatius | 407 | Scripture |
| John Chrysostom | 407 | Prophecy |
| COUNCIL CARTHAGE – 217 BISHOPS | 419 | CANON |
| Jerome* | 420 | Not on list; Scripture |
| Sulpitius Severus | 420 | Sacred Scripture |
| Augustine* | 426 | Holy Scripture |
| Vincentius Victor | 430 | Scripture |
| Theodoret | 435 | Fulfills Prophecy |
| CODEX ALEXANDRINUS | 450 | CANON |
| CODEX EPHRAEMI R. | 450 | UNKNOWN |
CANON LISTS
The following is a chronological chart of just the canon lists and Councils and codices (which are in BOLD IF A COUNCIL and in ITALICS IF A CODEX).
| FATHER/LIST/BOOK | YEAR | 2 MACC CANONICAL? | OTHER CITATIONS |
| MELITO OF SARDIS | 170 | NOT FOR JEWS? | NONE |
| MURATORIAN | 170 | UNKNOWN | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CLEMENTALEXANDRIA | 203 | UNKNOWN | 1 CITE |
| ORIGEN (JEWISH LIST) | 220 | OUTSIDE OF THESE | NOT APPLICABLE |
| ORIGEN (LETTER) | 248 | N/A | HOLY SCRIPTURE |
| ORIGEN (CITATIONS) | 250 | CANON | HOLY SCRIPTURE |
| EUSEBIUS (APPROVAL) | 324 | CANON | 132 CITES; DOCTRINE |
| CLAROMONTANUS | 349 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CODEX VATICANUS | 350 | NOT CANON? | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CODEX SINAITICUS | 350 | CANON? | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CYRIL OF JERUSALEM | 350 | NOT CANON | 2 ALLUSIONS TO 7:28 |
| ST CATHERINE SYRIAC | 350 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CHELTENHAM LIST | 360 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| ATHANASIUS | 367 | VERSION 3.1 | 7 ALLUSIONS, 5 TO 7:28 |
| HILARY OF POITIERS | 367 | NOT CANON | SCRIPTURE (7:28) |
| GREGORY NAZIANZUS | 380 | NOT CANON | OLD TESTAMENT |
| AMPHILOCHIUS | 380 | NOT CANON | 1 CITE? |
| APOSTOLIC CANONS | 380 | CANON | VENERABLE, HOLY |
| EPIPHANIUS PAN. 8.6.1-4 | 385 | NOT FOR JEWS | 3 ALLUSIONS, 2 TO 7:28 |
| EPIPHANIUS PAN. 76.22.5 | 385 | NOT CANON | 3 ALLUSIONS, 2 TO 7:28 |
| JEROME (HELMETED) | 390 | NOT CANON | SCRIPTURE |
| EPIPHAN.DE MENS. 4-5 | 392 | NOT FOR JEWS | 3 ALLUSIONS, 2 TO 7:28 |
| THE COUNCIL OF HIPPO – 70 BISHOPS | 393 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| AUGUSTINE | 397 | CANON | HOLY SCRIPTURE |
| COUNCIL CARTHAGE – 44-48 BISHOPS | 397 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| JEROME (SOLOMON) | 398 | VERSION 3.2 | SCRIPTURE |
| RUFINUS | 400 | VERSION 3.3 | NONE? |
| JEROME (TOBIT/JUDITH) | 404 | N/A | SCRIPTURE |
| POPE INNOCENT I | 405 | CANON | NONE |
| COUNCIL CARTHAGE – 217 BISHOPS | 419 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CODEX ALEXANDRINUS | 450 | CANON | NOT APPLICABLE |
| CODEX EPHRAEMI R. | 450 | UNKNOWN | NOT APPLICABLE |
Version 3.1: 2 Maccabees is not canon and not to be read, unlike Baruch (which is canon) or Esther (which is not canonical but to be read).
Version 3.2: 2 Maccabees (unlike Esther (which is canon) or Baruch (which is not canon)) read for strengthening but not canonical or for confirming the authority of ecclesiastical dogmas.
Version 3.3: 2 Maccabees (unlike Esther or Baruch (both of which are canon)) not canonical but “Ecclesiastical.”
2 Maccabees supports various theological doctrines, notably:
the afterlife (6:26: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive, nor dead);
the resurrection of the body (7:10-11: holding forth his hands manfully [he] said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again);
prayers for the dead (12:40-45, including: Now under the coats of every one that was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews by the law. Then every man … Betook themselves unto prayer, and besought him that the sin committed might wholly be put out of remembrance); and
the intercession of the saints (15:14: “Then Onias answered, saying, This is a lover of the brethren, who prayeth much for the people, and for the holy city, to wit, Jeremias the prophet of God).
that the suffering undergone by martyrs benefits others because it can lead God to intervene on their behalf (2 Maccabees 7:38: And that in me and my brethren the wrath of the Almighty, which is justly brought upon our nation, may cease). This belief, of course, leads up to Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins).
Of course, some try to use the substance of these verses from 2 Maccabees as a reason to exclude it from the Bible. That theology is really outside my focus, which is on whether the Jews accepted it, what evidence the Bible gives about its canonicity, and whether the early Church accepted it. However, there are a few points I will make about that decision-making process.
As noted above, 2 Maccabees is still evidence of prayer and sacrifice for the dead among Jews before the time of Christ. In addition, the New Testament contains a possible instance of prayer for the dead. After praying for the household of a man named Onesiphorus, Paul goes on to pray, “The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day” (2 Timothy 1:18). Paul twice mentions “the household of Onesiphorus” but does not greet him with the rest of his household and speaks of him only in the past tense. So, perhaps Onesiphorus had passed away and, thus, Paul was praying for the departed. If so, then this would be a New Testament allusion to the practice of prayers for the dead in 2 Maccabees.
Not everyone interprets 2 Timothy 1:18 that way, and how you interpret it is up to you—but the point I wish to make is that 2 Maccabees is evidence of the default, the background, the baseline for analyzing 2 Timothy 1:18. One cannot say that the Bible itself is evidence of anything, unless you consider that 2 Maccabees is evidence that the Jews before Christ prayed for the dead.
Given that, it sets the baseline for 2 Timothy 1:18—and so the presumption should be that Saul prayed for the dead. The real question is not whether Paul believed in prayers for the dead after he was Christian; it should be whether he stopped believing in prayers for the dead once he became a Christian.
Debate the evidence, believe against the evidence, whatever you want; but recognize that 2 Maccabees is evidence.[2]
The Christian Basilica to the Holy Maccabees in Antioch (the city of Antiochus, the King who killed them and made them the Maccabean Martyrs) is gone, but relics from the martyrs’ bodies were taken to Istanbul, Cyprus, Rome, and Cologne, Germany.
The Christians also devoted a feast day to them—as Christian martyrs, not Jewish. They repeatedly cited to 2 Maccabees as Scripture, read 2 Maccabees at Mass,[3] and preached sermons on it. Augustine’s sermon was quoted above. Theophilius of Alexandria, in his Festal Letter of AD 404, says that the victories of the Martyrs are praised in the churches of Christ throughout the entire world.[4] In addition, we have additional sermons from Augustine, three homilies St. John Chrysostom when he was serving in Antioch (386 AD),[5] Oration 15 from Gregory of Nazianzus,[6] and others.
There are also many references to the Maccabean Martyrs in all the Martyrologies. E.g., Polycarp’s last words (d. 155 AD) before being sentenced include “What are you waiting for?” (2 Maccabees 7:30);[7] and regarding the martyrs of Lyon (177 AD), Eusebius records that “the blessed Blandina … encouraged her children and sent them before her victorious to the King, endured herself all their conflicts and hastened after them, glad and rejoicing in her departure …”[8] etc.
In addition, the Gospel to the Jews and the Epistle to the Hebrews may both refer to 2 Maccabees Chapter 7, per the Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary and the KJV, as mentioned above. And not to be forgotten in the following discussion: among the Jews and Hebrews were “a great company of the priests” (Acts 6:7).
But to the modern Jews, the story of 2 Maccabees 7 is not canon. Instead, the “Talmud tells a similar story, but with refusal to worship an idol replacing refusal to eat pork. … In this version of the story, each son goes to his death while citing a different verse from the Torah prohibiting idolatry. … The Josippon version of the story … was notable as the first major exposure of medieval Jewish audiences to the story.”[9]
There is further corroborating evidence of this progression, as well. A first-century Jewish author took Chapters 6-7 out of 2 Maccabees and “recast them” as a standalone story, 4 Maccabees.[10] So, we have evidence of it being extracted from 2 Maccabees prior to its ‘plagiarization.’
Here, then, is a line-by-line comparison of the original and the copy as it is included in the Talmud (from www.halakhah.com/gittin/gittin_57.html).
| 2 Maccabees Chapter 7 | Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 57b | |
| King | 1It came to pass also, that seven brethren with their mother were taken, and compelled by the king [Antiochus Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire, capital at Antioch] … | Rab Judah, however, said that this refers to the woman and her seven sons. They brought the first before the [Roman] Emperor [Caesar] … |
| Law | against the law to taste swine’s flesh, and were tormented with scourges and whips. | and said to him, Serve the idol. |
| First Son | 2But one of them that spake first said thus, What wouldest thou ask or learn of us? we are ready to die, rather than to transgress the laws of our fathers. 3Then the king, being in a rage, commanded pans and caldrons to be made hot: 4Which forthwith being heated, he commanded to cut out the tongue of him that spake first, and to cut off the utmost parts of his body, the rest of his brethren and his mother looking on. 5Now when he was thus maimed in all his members, he commanded him being yet alive to be brought to the fire, and to be fried in the pan: and as the vapour of the pan was for a good space dispersed, they exhorted one another with the mother to die manfully, saying thus, 6The Lord God looketh upon us, and in truth hath comfort in us, as Moses in his song, which witnessed to their faces, declared, saying, And he shall be comforted in his servants. | He said to them: It is written in the Law, I am the Lord thy God. So they led him away and killed him. |
| Second Son | 7So when the first was dead after this number, they brought the second to make him a mocking stock: and when they had pulled off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him, Wilt thou eat, before thou be punished throughout every member of thy body? 8But he answered in his own language, and said, No. Wherefore he also received the next torment in order, as the former did. 9And when he was at the last gasp, he said, Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life. | They then brought the second before the Emperor and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. So they led him away and killed him. |
| Third Son | 10After him was the third made a mocking stock: and when he was required, he put out his tongue, and that right soon, holding forth his hands manfully. 11And said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again. 12Insomuch that the king, and they that were with him, marvelled at the young man’s courage, for that he nothing regarded the pains. | They then brought the next and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, He that sacrifices unto the gods, save unto the Lord only, shall be utterly destroyed. So they led him away and killed him. |
| Fourth Son | 13Now when this man was dead also, they tormented and mangled the fourth in like manner. 14So when he was ready to die he said thus, It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life. | They then brought the next before the Emperor saying, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Thou shalt not bow down to any other god. So they led him away and killed him. |
| Fifth Son | 15Afterward they brought the fifth also, and mangled him. 16Then looked he unto the king, and said, Thou hast power over men, thou art corruptible, thou doest what thou wilt; yet think not that our nation is forsaken of God; 17But abide a while, and behold his great power, how he will torment thee and thy seed. | They then brought another and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. So they led him away and killed him. |
| Sixth Son | 18After him also they brought the sixth, who being ready to die said, Be not deceived without cause: for we suffer these things for ourselves, having sinned against our God: therefore marvellous things are done unto us. 19But think not thou, that takest in hand to strive against God, that thou shalt escape unpunished. | They then brought the next and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied; It is written in the Torah, Know therefore this day and lay it to thine heart that the Lord He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else. So they led him away and killed him. |
| Seventh Son | 20But the mother was marvellous above all, and worthy of honourable memory: for when she saw her seven sons slain within the space of one day, she bare it with a good courage, because of the hope that she had in the Lord. 21Yea, she exhorted every one of them in her own language, filled with courageous spirits; and stirring up her womanish thoughts with a manly stomach, she said unto them, 22I cannot tell how ye came into my womb: for I neither gave you breath nor life, neither was it I that formed the members of every one of you; 23But doubtless the Creator of the world, who formed the generation of man, and found out the beginning of all things, will also of his own mercy give you breath and life again, as ye now regard not your own selves for his laws’ sake. 24Now Antiochus, thinking himself despised, and suspecting it to be a reproachful speech, whilst the youngest was yet alive, did not only exhort him by words, but also assured him with oaths, that he would make him both a rich and a happy man, if he would turn from the laws of his fathers; and that also he would take him for his friend, and trust him with affairs. 25But when the young man would in no case hearken unto him, the king called his mother, and exhorted her that she would counsel the young man to save his life. 26And when he had exhorted her with many words, she promised him that she would counsel her son. 27But she bowing herself toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language on this manner; O my son, have pity upon me that bare thee nine months in my womb, and gave thee such three years, and nourished thee, and brought thee up unto this age, and endured the troubles of education. 28I beseech thee, my son, look upon the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, and consider that God made them of things that were not; and so was mankind made likewise. 29Fear not this tormentor, but, being worthy of thy brethren, take thy death that I may receive thee again in mercy with thy brethren. 30Whiles she was yet speaking these words, the young man said, Whom wait ye for? I will not obey the king’s commandment: but I will obey the commandment of the law that was given unto our fathers by Moses. 31And thou, that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, shalt not escape the hands of God. 32For we suffer because of our sins. 33And though the living Lord be angry with us a little while for our chastening and correction, yet shall he be at one again with his servants. 34But thou, O godless man, and of all other most wicked, be not lifted up without a cause, nor puffed up with uncertain hopes, lifting up thy hand against the servants of God: 35For thou hast not yet escaped the judgment of Almighty God, who seeth all things. 36For our brethren, who now have suffered a short pain, are dead under God’s covenant of everlasting life: but thou, through the judgment of God, shalt receive just punishment for thy pride. 37But I, as my brethren, offer up my body and life for the laws of our fathers, beseeching God that he would speedily be merciful unto our nation; and that thou by torments and plagues mayest confess, that he alone is God; 38And that in me and my brethren the wrath of the Almighty, which is justly brought upon our nation, may cease. 39Than the king’ being in a rage, handed him worse than all the rest, and took it grievously that he was mocked. 40So this man died undefiled, and put his whole trust in the Lord. | They brought the next and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Thou hast avouched the Lord this day … and the Lord hath avouched thee this day; we have long ago sworn to the Holy One, blessed be He, that we will not exchange Him for any other god, and He also has sworn to us that He will not change us for any other people. The Emperor said: I will throw down my seal before you and you can stoop down and pick it up, so that they will say of you that you have conformed to the desire of the king. He replied; Fie on thee, Caesar, fie on thee, Caesar; if thine own honour is so important, how much more the honour of the Holy One, blessed be He! They were leading him away to kill him when his mother said: Give him to me that I may kiss him a little. She said to him: My son, go and say to your father Abraham, Thou didst bind one [son to the] altar, but I have bound seven altars. |
| Mother | 41Last of all after the sons the mother died. 42Let this be enough now to have spoken concerning the idolatrous feasts, and the extreme tortures. | Then she also went up on to a roof and threw herself down and was killed. A voice thereupon came forth from heaven saying, A joyful mother of children.[11] |
At the time of Christ, the Jews believed the story in 2 Maccabees to be true: “… Although such an interpretation may sound strange to the modern reader, it would not to Matthew’s original Jewish-Christian readers. Antiochus Epiphanes had maimed the heroes of the Maccabean era…”[12] The only candidate meeting all three parts of the Epistle to the Hebrews 11:35 is 2 Maccabees 7:7 et seq. But by the time of the Talmud, the Rabbis taught a fake story instead. The exact same Talmud gives the first ever list of the modern Jewish/Protestant canon, which does not include 2 Maccabees. The original story, then, disappeared from Jewish memory, while the fake story has continued within Judaism. Eventually, the Jews were reintroduced to the Maccabean Martyrs in the Middle Ages.
Using the ‘well-proven scientific technique for selecting a statistically valid random sample’ (i.e., the first three things on my Google search), I found three Jewish websites detailing the Talmud’s story:
- www.sefaria.org/Gittin.57b.15?lang=bi. Hebrew to English translation of the Talmud, with no comments.
- www.halakhah.com/gittin/gittin_57.html#PARTb. English translation, with dozens of footnotes. Footnote 22 claims that, “The same story is related of Antiochus Epiphanes in the second book of the Maccabees”—which is misleading. The Talmud story is not the same story; it only has the same plot. There is a huge difference between four Gospels telling the story of the Resurrection, and four Books, each describing four different “resurrections” of four different alleged Messiahs. Nevertheless, this footnote exists, as do probably a thousand similarly confusing claims in books, other websites, articles, etc. (I linked to another one up above).
- www.koltorah.org/halachah/the-mother-and-her-seven-sons-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter. A modern Rabbi’s detailed inspirational comments on the Talmud’s story, which makes no mention at all that it is a copy taken from 2 Maccabees.
Several points would seem to be clear. First, the story is very important to Judaism. The Rabbi on website three tells us that:
“The iconic story of the mother and her seven sons recounted in Gittin 57b is well-known and often repeated. It is most certainly etched in the minds of Jews of faith as a standard bearer for dedication and devotion to Hashem and His Torah. It is even incorporated in poetic form in the Tisha BeAv Kinnot recited by Sephardic Jews.”
Iconic, well known, often repeated, etched in the minds, a standard bearer, recited as poetry. And yet “borrowed” from 2 Maccabees.
…The brothers are not mere “copy cats”.
Ouch. Of course, the Rabbi just means that the brothers are not all saying the same thing… but in our context, the words read very differently. Much like the inadvertent message included in the jeers from the Jews at the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:43: He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God).
… The mother is … a powerful role model. She indeed surpasses Avraham Avinu in his dedication sevenfold. Her sacrifice and complete dedication are a foundational component of Jewish identity at least as much as Avraham Avinu and the Akeida.
The new and improved Jewish story of the Mother and her Seven Sons “[is] a foundational component of Jewish identity at least as much as” Abraham and the story of the binding and near sacrifice of Isaac. That is how important the story is and was to the Jews.
Second, website two (similar to the website discussed above as Example 12 in the New Testament references section) explains the truth, but it does so dismissively—in a footnote, using unclear language.[13]
And, thus, the bubble. A reader can read a hundred books, but need never take the footnotes seriously, follow up on them, and see where they lead. If they just read the “scholarly discussion,” they may never realize what the truth is. Scholars use abstractions, generalizations, and dismissive references all the time, as we have seen, which are not the same thing as the truth.
But thirdly, Wikipedia explains it, so it is not hard to find. One must be careful trusting Wikipedia, of course, but then, anyone could follow its links or the website’s footnote to the story in 2 Maccabees to see that, in this case, it is correct. It takes five minutes of research to end the delusion forever.
And yet, the bubble survives. How many people actually know this “trivia” and understand its implications? Jews, Christians, skeptics, others? No one else I know. Nor do I recall ever seeing it in a single book discussing the canon, nor any book I have on 2 Maccabees, let alone books on the case for Christianity.
Burying it in misleading footnotes has successfully hidden it in plain sight from millions of readers and billions of believers and non-believers.
Meanwhile, Origen told us that “the canonical books, as the Hebrews have handed them down, are twenty-two … And outside of these there are the Maccabees, which are entitled Sarbeth Sabanaiel.”[14] What exactly he meant by that (in terms of canonicity among the Hebrews) is unknowable, but Origen shows us that they had some sort of status in his time. It is only later that the Jews had no knowledge of the Books and had to be reintroduced to “the heroes of the Maccabean era.”
Thus, the eventual fate of 2 Maccabees is corroborating evidence of several things: one is that Origen was a knowledgeable source when he said there was this “second tier” view among the Jews—the process of erasing them had begun. In fact, that some writers in later centuries make no mention of the Maccabees when discussing the Jewish books is exactly what we would expect: in Origen’s day the Books were being erased from Jewish memory, in later centuries they were gone.
But also, Origen’s list is, indeed, a list of Jewish books, not the Christian canon. Origen’s list includes a mention of the Maccabees as set off in a second tier—because something was going on, and he indicated as much.
Origen certainly considered 2 Maccabees to be full Christian Scripture: in his On the First Principles (the first ever systematic exposition of Christian theology) 2, 1, 5 (230 AD), he wrote “But that we may believe in the authority of holy Scripture that such [that all matter was created by God] is the case, hear how in the book of Maccabees, where the mother of seven martyrs exhorts her son to endure torture, this truth is confirmed; for she says, I ask of you, my son, to look at the heaven and the earth, and at all things which are in them, and beholding these, to know that God made all these things when they did not exist. (2 Maccabees 7:28).”[15]
This quote from 2 Maccabees 7:28 had enormous importance in the history of Christianity: the quote was repeatedly used to prove the doctrine that God created everything from nothing.[16] It is one of the sections of the Book that is truly quoted and cited, and that single verse is cited by the Fathers 74 times (per www.biblindex.org/citation_biblique/search), including by Origen, Eusebius, Hilary, Epiphanius, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Athanasius—six of Kruger’s 10 Fathers—and always to prove the same fundamental Christian doctrine.[17]
In addition, in 235 AD, Origen wrote his “Exhortation to Martyrdom” to preach to the persecuted, using the story of the seven brothers and their mother as his Scriptural basis. Innumerable Christians followed Origen’s preaching, e.g., the mother of Marian was “exalting with a joy like that of the mother in the days of the Maccabees” when her son was martyred in 258 AD.[18]
Nor was Origen a hypocrite. In 246 AD, Origen made what might be his last reference to the Book: “But what will they do about the fact that we find many martyrs even under the law? They ought to read the books of Maccabees, where a blessed mother endured martyrdom with complete constancy together with her seven sons.”[19] Shortly thereafter, per Wikipedia:
In c. 249, the Plague of Cyprian broke out. In 250, Emperor Decius, believing that the plague was caused by Christians’ failure to recognise him as divine, issued a decree for Christians to be persecuted. This time Origen did not escape. Eusebius recounts how Origen suffered “bodily tortures and torments under the iron collar and in the dungeon; and how for many days with his feet stretched four spaces in the stocks”. The governor of Caesarea gave very specific orders that Origen was not to be killed until he had publicly renounced his faith in Christ. Origen endured two years of imprisonment and torture, but obstinately refused to renounce his faith. In June 251, Decius was killed fighting the Goths in the Battle of Abritus, and Origen was released from prison. Nonetheless, Origen’s health was broken by the physical tortures enacted on him, and he died less than a year later at the age of sixty-nine.
Meanwhile, in Carthage, Cyprian cites to 2 Maccabees as Scripture eight times in his Testimonies Against the Jews—most notably in 3, 17, where he uses five quotes from 2 Maccabees 6-7 to explain Paul’s statement in Romans 8:18 that “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy of comparison with the glory that is to come after, which shall be revealed in us.”
Of this same thing in the Maccabees: “O Lord, who hast the holy knowledge, it is manifest that while I might be delivered from death, I am suffering most cruel pains of body, being beaten with whips; yet in spirit I suffer these things willingly, because of the fear of your own self.” Also in the same place: “You indeed, being powerless, destroy us out of this present life; but the King of the world shall raise us up who have died for His laws into the eternal resurrection of life.” Also in the same place: “It is better that, given up to death by men, we should expect hope from God to be raised again by Him. For there shall be no resurrection to life for you.” Also in the same place: “Having power among men, although you are corruptible, you do what you will. But think not that our race is forsaken of God. Sustain, and see how His great power will torment, you and your seed.” Also in the same place: “Do not err without cause; for we suffer these things on our own accounts, as sinners against our God. But think not that you shall be unpunished, having undertaken to fight against God.”[20]
Cyprian wrote that in 248 AD. This was shortly before the persecution that would lead to Origen’s death, and a decade later, Cyprian and eight of his disciples would also be martyred. According to the disciples’ own last letter, and the testimony of an eyewitness, “Flavian[‘s]… mother stuck close by his side with the constancy of the mother of the holy Maccabees.”[21]
On the chart above, you can also see that Hippolytus had used 2 Maccabees as part of his typological belief that Antiochus (the King who tortured and killed the Maccabean Martyrs) was a type of the Antichrist. You may also recall that Hippolytus wrote a full Scriptural commentary on Susanna, as part of Daniel; and it is also one of the writings where he used 2 Maccabees as proof of Daniel’s typology and shows that Antiochus was a type for the Antichrist. From the commentary on Susanna:
Verse 8 “These things the rulers of the Jews wish now to expunge from the book, and assert that these things did not happen …”
Verse 12 “…For up to the present time both the Gentiles and the Jews of the circumcision watch and busy themselves with the dealings of the Church, desiring to suborn false witnesses against us”
Verse 22 “And Susannah sighed… Now it is in our power also to apprehend the real meaning of all that befell Susannah. For you may find this also fulfilled in the present condition of the Church. For when the two peoples conspire to destroy any of the saints, they watch for a fit time, and enter the house of God while all there are praying and praising God, and seize some of them, and carry them off, and keep hold of them, saying, Come, consent with us, and worship our Gods; and if not, we will bear witness against you. And when they refuse, they drag them before the court and accuse them of acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, and condemn them to death.”[22]
In 235, during the persecution of Emperor Maximinus Thrax, Hippolytus and his rival, Pope Pontian, were exiled together to Sardinia, where they were worked to death in the mines (reconciling prior to their deaths).
[1] 2 Maccabees is not a sequel to 1 Maccabees; it actually begins a few years before 1 Maccabees starts and may even have been written earlier. The “2” is just an identifier, nothing more.
[2] And Simon Greenleaf (Christian apologist, Law Professor and author of the book on Evidence) would agree. See, e.g., Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists, Sec. 9.
[3] www.bible-researcher.com/rufinus.html, 38
[4] In Jerome, Letter 100, 9. Not available online.
[5] One at www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/08/homily-on-holy-maccabees-and-their.html, two available in a book (Homilies on the Maccabees) from Amazon www.a.co/d/5jYcg8o
[6] www.iconandlight.wordpress.com/2021/01/24/in-praise-of-the-maccabees-saint-gregory-the-theologian-nazianzus/
[7] Martyrdom of Polycarp 11, 2 www.newadvent.org/fathers/0102.htm
[8] Church History 5, 1, 55: www.newadvent.org/fathers/250105.htm.
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_with_seven_sons.
[10] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_Maccabees.
[11] It is interesting to note that the modern Jewish version ends in suicide, because the suicide of Razis in 2 Maccabees 14:37-46 was a major topic of theological discussion within the Church (e.g., Augustine Letter 204, 8: “though this man [Razis] was praised in the Books of the Maccabees, his action was reported, not praised…” Per The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, not available online). It makes me wonder if it was merged into the story of the Martyrs in order for the Talmud to retain that aspect of 2 Maccabees, as well.
[12] Per The Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary, Matthew, p. 458.
[13] The least likely explanation of “why” it was done this way is that the Rabbi is a dishonest fraud. Far more likely is that the Rabbi has trivialized the detail in his own mind, and is not trying to carefully communicate the precise facts to those reading him. Never jump to bad motives as the answer. Mark 3:22: And the scribes … said…“he is driving out demons by the prince of demons.”
[14] Gallagher and Meade (p. 95) say Origen “surely has in mind the book we know as 1 Maccabees,” since it “probably” originated in Hebrew. I take that as inclusive of 1 Maccabees and not exclusive of the other Books, since their own translation of Origen’s words is “there are the Maccabees, which are entitled…” not “there is” or “which is.” Of course, which of the other Books is also included is unprovable, but all probability would focus on 2 Maccabees.
[15] www.newadvent.org/fathers/04122.htm
[16] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatio_ex_nihilo. The concept is not actually clear just from Genesis. Of course Protestants (and others) can perhaps justify the concept in other ways, but the point is that the ancients used 2 Maccabees, as do modern Catholics and Orthodox.
[17] Origen is the first to cite to it, but there are allusions to this verse from the very beginning of Christianity, e.g., in the Shepherd of Hermas (90 AD?): “First of all, believe that there is one God who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing.” First Commandment, 1 www.newadvent.org/fathers/02012.htm.
[18] Martyrdom of Marian and James 13, 1: https://archive.org/details/owen-1927-authentic-acts-of-the-early-martyrs/page/116/mode/2up
[19] Commentary on Romans, 4.10.2. The whole text is not available online, but it is cited at www.vivacatholic.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/origen-and-canon-of-old-testament/
[20] www.newadvent.org/fathers/050712c.htm
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrs_of_Carthage_under_Valerian
