2 Maccabees

1. Background

· an “epitome” of a five volume work by a Jason of Cyrene

· author makes a distinction between the original historian, who pays attention to detail, and the epitomist, who strives for the big picture—and for pleasure (2:25; 15:39)

· opening letters indicate was written after 124BC; clearly was pre-Roman (before 63BC)

2. Perspective on God

· Strong view of God as just/a God of wrath toward sin (5:20)

· Strong view of God as merciful/a God of salvation for Israel (1:25)

· God is highly involved in human affairs/strong supernatural element (e.g. 3:25)/He watches (3:39)

3. Perspective on Israel/Law

· Strong view of election of Israel

· Strong view of “covenantal nomism”/ strong opposition to extreme Hellenization (e.g. 4:13)

· Strongly supports both the pre-Maccabean priests and the Maccabean priests

4. Perspective on sin/salvation

· Sin is violation of the Jewish Law

· Strongly deuteronomistic (e.g. 5:17—God only allowed Antiochus to win because of Israel’s sins)

· Some fall in battle because they disobeyed the Law and were idolatrous (12:39-45); sense that you can atone for the dead (12:45)

· Strong sense of God’s discipline: 6:12-17 (differences between how God handles sin for Israel and for other nations)

· Strong sense that the deaths of the Maccabean martyrs in some way propitiated God’s wrath toward Israel (7:38)

5. Cosmology/Eschatology

· Sense that Israel is still in exile (2:7,18)

· Expectation that Israel will be gathered from the corners of the earth one day (2:7,18)

· Often thought to be the first instance of belief in ex nihilo creation, but this is highly disputed (7:28)

· Strong concept of physical resurrection of those who die a martyr’s death (7:9; 12:44-45; 14:46)/perhaps of heinously wicked to be punished (e.g. 7:14); resurrected body is our physical body (e.g. 7:11; 14:46)

6. Ethics

· Importance of keeping the Law

· Importance of caring for poor, widows, orphans, etc. (8:28)

7. Special Features

· unique traditions regarding the preservation of the temple fire from Jeremiah to Nehemiah; uses these traditions to imply that the basic principle of Hanukkah is Mosaic/ancient

· tradition that Jeremiah hid the furniture of the temple until the time of Israel’s gathering (2:5)

· strong notion of the noble death that leaves an honorable example (e.g. 6:28; 7:5)