X. THE BOOKS OF THE MACCABEES.

22.  These are five in number.  The first two passed from the Greek into the early Latin versions, and thence into the Vulgate and the English versions, and were received as canonical by the Council of Trent.  Two others are found in some manuscripts of the Septuagint.  The fifth exists only in Arabic.  “If the historic order were observed, the so-called third book would come first, the fourth would be an appendix to the second, which would retain its place, and the first would come last; but it will be more convenient to examine the books in the order in which they are found in the MSS., which was probably decided by some vague tradition of their relative antiquity.”  Smith’s Bible Dict., Art.  Maccabees.  The name Maccabees is applied to the family and posterity of the illustrious Jewish priest Mattathias, who maintained a long and successful struggle with the Syrian kings, and finally succeeded in establishing for a period the independence of the Jews.  The origin of the term has been variously explained; but the most common account of it is, that it comes from a Hebrew word signifying hammer, so that the adjective Maccabee (Greek [Greek:  Makkabaios]) will denote Hammerer.  According to Josephus (Antiq. 12, 6, 1) Mattathias was descended from one Asmonaeus:  Hence the family of the Maccabees are also called Asmoneans.

23. The first book of the Maccabees. This is one of the most important of all the apocryphal books.  It contains a narrative of the long and bloody struggle of the Jews, under their Maccabean leaders, for the preservation of their religion, and the deliverance of the nation from the yoke of their Syrian oppressors.  The history bears the internal marks of authenticity and credibility, being distinguished by simplicity and candor.  It is only when speaking of foreign nations that the writer falls into some inaccuracies.  These do not detract from his trustworthiness in relating the affairs of his own nation through a period of forty years of the most eventful character (B.C. 175-135).  The book is pervaded throughout by the Jewish spirit, and must have been written by a Palestinian Jew.  Its date is uncertain, but may probably be placed somewhere during the government of the high priest John Hyrcanus (B.C. 135-106).  According to the testimony of Origen, the book was originally written in Hebrew.  With this agrees its internal character; for the Greek version of it contains many Hebraisms, as well as difficulties which are readily accounted for upon the supposition of a Hebrew original.