| Judas Maccabeus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Detail fromThe Triumph of Judas Maccabeus byPeter Paul Rubens, 1634–36 | |
| Leader of the Maccabees | |
| Tenure | 166–160 BCE |
| Predecessor | Mattathias |
| Successor | Jonathan Apphus |
| Died | April 160 BCE Elasa,Seleucid Empire |
| Burial | |
| Dynasty | Hasmonean |
| Father | Mattathias |
Judas Maccabaeus orMaccabeus (/ˌmækəˈbiːəs/MAK-ə-BEE-əs), also known asJudah Maccabee (Hebrew:יהודה המכבי,romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi),[a] was aJewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priestMattathias. He was an early leader in theMaccabean Revolt against theSeleucid Empire, taking over from his father around 166 BCE, and leading the revolt until his death in 160 BCE.
The Jewish holiday ofHanukkah ("Dedication") commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at theSecond Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it.
Judah was the third son ofMattathias, theHasmonean, aJewish priest from the village ofModi'in. In 167 BCE, Mattathias, together with his sons Judah,Eleazar,Simon,John, andJonathan, started a revolt against theSeleucid rulerAntiochus IV Epiphanes, who since 169/8 BC had issued decrees that forbadeJewish religious practices.[1] After Mattathias died in 166 BC, Judah assumed leadership of the revolt per the deathbed disposition of his father. TheFirst Book of Maccabees[2] praises Judah's valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made Judah a natural choice for the new commander.
In the early days of the rebellion, Judah received the surname Maccabee. It is not known whether this name should be understood in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. Several explanations have been put forward for this name. One suggestion is that the name derives from theAramaicmaqqaba ("makebet" in modernHebrew), "hammer" or "sledgehammer" (cf. the cognomen ofCharles Martel, the 8th century Frankish leader), in recognition of his ferocity in battle.
According toJewish folklore, the nameMaccabee is anacronym of the verseMikamokhaba'elim Adonai (YHWH), "Who is like you, O God, among the gods that are worshiped?", the Maccabean battle-cry to motivate troops (Exodus 15:11) as well as a part of daily Jewish prayers (seeMi Chamocha). Some scholars maintain that the name is a shortened form of the Hebrewmaqqab-Yahu (fromnaqab, "to mark, to designate"), meaning "the one designated by God."[3] Although contextualized as a modern-day "surname" (Jews didn't start having surnames until the Middle Ages) exclusive to Judah, Maccabee came to signify all the Hasmoneans who fought during the Maccabean revolt.[4]
Mindful of the superiority of Seleucid forces during the first two years of the revolt, Judah's strategy was to avoid any engagement with their regular army and resort toguerrilla warfare to give them a feeling of insecurity. The strategy enabled Judah to win a string of victories. At thebattle of Nahal el-Haramiah (wadi haramia), he defeated a small Seleucid force under the command of Apollonius, governor ofSamaria, who was killed. Judah took possession of Apollonius's sword and used it until his death as a symbol of vengeance. After Nahal el-Haramiah, recruits flocked to the Jewish cause.
Shortly after that, Judahrouted a larger Seleucid army under the command of Seron nearBeth-Horon, largely thanks to a good choice of battlefield. Then, in theBattle of Emmaus, Judah proceeded to defeat the Seleucid forces led by generalsNicanor andGorgias. This force was dispatched byLysias, whom Antiochus left asviceroy after departing on a campaign against theParthians. By a forced night march, Judah succeeded in eluding Gorgias, who had intended to attack and destroy the Jewish forces in their camp with his cavalry. While Gorgias was searching for him in the mountains, Judah attacked the Seleucid camp, taking the Seleucids by surprise, and defeated them at the Battle of Emmaus. The Seleucid commander had no alternative but to withdraw to the coast.
The defeat atEmmaus convinced Lysias that he must prepare for a serious and prolonged war. He accordingly assembled a new and larger army and marched with it onJudea from the south viaIdumea. After several years of conflict, Judah drove out his foes from Jerusalem, except for the garrison in the citadel ofAcra. He purified the defiledTemple of Jerusalem and, on the 25th ofKislev (December 14, 164 BCE), restored the service in the Temple. The reconsecration of the Temple became a permanent Jewish holiday,Hanukkah, which continued even after theTemple was destroyed in 70 CE. Hanukkah is still celebrated annually. The liberation of Jerusalem was the first step on the road to ultimate independence.
Upon hearing the news that the Jewish communities inGilead,Transjordan, andGalilee were under attack by neighboringGreek cities, Judah immediately went to their aid. Judah sent his brother, Simeon, to Galilee at the head of 3,000 men; Simeon was successful, achieving numerous victories. He transplanted a substantial portion of the Jewish settlements, including women and children, to Judea. Judah led the campaign in Transjordan, taking his brother Jonathan with him. After fierce fighting, he defeated the Transjordanian tribes and rescued the Jews concentrated in fortified towns in Gilead. The Jewish population of the areas taken by the Maccabees was evacuated to Judea.[5] After the fighting in Transjordan, Judah turned against theEdomites in the south, captured and destroyedHebron andMaresha.[6] He then marched on the coast of the Mediterranean, destroyed the altars and statues of the pagan gods inAzotus, and returned to Judea with many spoils.
Judah then laid siege to the Seleucid garrison at theAcra, the Seleucid citadel of Jerusalem. The besieged, who included not only Syrian-Greek troops but alsoHellenistic Jews, appealed for help to Lysias, who effectively became the regent of the young kingAntiochus V Eupator after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes at the end of 164 BC during theParthian campaign. Lysias and Eupator set out for a new campaign in Judea. Lysias skirted Judea as he had done in his first campaign, entering it from the south and besiegingBeth-Zur. Judah raised the siege of the Acra and went to meet Lysias. In theBattle of Beth-zechariah, south ofBethlehem, the Seleucids achieved their first major victory over the Maccabees, and Judah was forced to withdraw to Jerusalem. Beth-Zur was compelled to surrender, and Lysias reached Jerusalem and laid siege on the city. The defenders found themselves in a precarious situation because their provisions were exhausted; it was asabbatical year during which the fields were left uncultivated. However, just as capitulation seemed imminent, Lysias and Eupator had to withdraw when Antiochus Epiphanes's commander-in-chief Philip, whom the late ruler appointed regent before his death, rebelled against Lysias and was about to enterAntioch and seize power. Lysias proposed a peaceful settlement, which was concluded at the end of 163 BC. The peace terms were based on the restoration of religious freedom, the permission for the Jews to live per their own laws, and the official return of the Temple to the Jews. Lysias defeated Philip, only to be overthrown byDemetrius, son of the lateSeleucus IV Philopator, who returned from years as a hostage in Rome. Demetrius appointed Alcimus (Jakim), aHellenistic Jew, as high priest, a choice the Hasidim (Pietists) might have accepted since he was of priestly descent.
When war against the external enemy ended, an internal struggle broke out between the party led by Judah and the Hellenist party. The influence of the Hellenizers all but collapsed in the wake of the Seleucid defeat. The HellenizingHigh PriestMenelaus was removed from office and executed. His successor was another HellenizerAlcimus. When Alcimus executed sixty priests who were opposed to him, he found himself in open conflict with the Maccabees. Alcimus fled from Jerusalem and went to the Seleucid king, asking for help.
Meanwhile,Demetrius I Soter, son ofSeleucus IV Philopator and nephew of the late Antiochus IV Epiphanes, fled from Rome in defiance of theRoman Senate and arrived in Syria. Declaring himself the rightful king, he captured and killed Lysias and Antiochus Eupator, taking the throne. It was thus Demetrius to whom the delegation, led by Alcimus, complained of the persecution of the Hellenist party in Judea. Demetrius granted Alcimus's request to be appointed High Priest under the protection of the king's army and sent to Judea an army led byBacchides. The weaker Jewish army could not oppose the enemy and withdrew from Jerusalem, so Judah returned to wage guerrilla warfare. Soon after, the Seleucid Army needed to return toAntioch because of the turbulent political situation. Judah's forces returned to Jerusalem, and the Seleucids dispatched another army led by Nicanor. In abattle near Adasa, on the 13thAdar 161 BC, the Seleucid army was destroyed, and Nicanor was killed. The annual "Day of Nicanor" was instituted to commemorate this victory.
TheRoman–Jewish Treaty was an agreement made between Judah Maccabee and theRoman Republic in 161 BC according to1 Maccabees 8:17–20 andJosephus. It was the first recorded contract between theJewish people and theRomans.
The agreement with Rome failed to affect Demetrius' policy. On receiving the news of Nicanor's defeat, he dispatched a new army, again commanded by Bacchides. This time, the Seleucid forces of 20,000 men were numerically so superior that most of Judah's men left the battlefield and advised their leader to do likewise and await a more favorable opportunity. However, Judah decided to stand his ground.
In theBattle of Elasa, Judah and those who remained faithful to him were killed. His body was taken by his brothers from the battlefield and buried in the family sepulcher atModiin. The death of Judah Maccabee (d. 160 BCE) stirred the Jews to renewed resistance. After several additional years of war under the leadership of two of Mattathias' other sons (Jonathan and Simon), the Jews finally achieved independence and the liberty to worship freely.
As a warrior hero and national liberator, Judah Maccabee has inspired many writers, and several artists and composers. In theDivine Comedy,Dante sees his spirit in the Heaven of Mars with the other "heroes of the true faith". InShakespeare'sLove's Labour's Lost, he is enacted along with the otherNine Worthies, but heckled for sharing a name withJudas Iscariot. Most significant works dedicated solely to him date from the 17th century onwards. William Houghton'sJudas Maccabaeus, performed in about 1601 but now lost, is thought to have been the first drama on the theme; however,Judas Macabeo, an earlycomedia by crucial Spanish playwrightPedro Calderón de la Barca, is extant.Fernando Rodríguez-Gallego details its history in his critical edition: the play was performed in the 1620s in different versions and finally published as part of an anthology byVera Tassis in 1637. Following on its heels isEl Macabeo (Naples, 1638), aCastilian epic by thePortugueseMarranoMiguel de Silveyra. Two other 17th-century works areLa chevalerie de Judas Macabé, by French poetPierre Du Ries,[7] and the anonymousNeo-Latin workJudas Machabaeus (Rome, 1695).Handel wrote hisJudas Maccabaeus oratorio (1746) on the subject.
There has been interest in Judah in every century.Giuda Macabeo, ossia la morte di Nicanore... (1839) is an Italian "azione sacra" based on which Vallicella composed anoratorio. One of the best-known literary works on the theme isJudas Maccabaeus (1872), a five-act verse tragedy byHenry Wadsworth Longfellow. A Hebrew version of Longfellow's play was published in 1900. Two later 19th-century interpretations of the story areJudas Makkabaeus, a novella by the German writerJosef Eduard Konrad Bischoff, which appeared inDer Gefangene von Kuestrin (1885), andThe Hammer (1890), a book by Alfred J. Church and Richmond Seeley.
Several 20th-century Jewish authors have also written works devoted to Judah Maccabee and the Maccabean Revolt.Jacob Benjamin Katznelson (1855–1930) wrote the poem, "Alilot Gibbor ha-Yehudim Yehudah ha-Makkabi le-Veit ha-Hashmona'im" (1922); theYiddish writerMoses Schulstein wrote the dramatic poem, "Yehudah ha-Makkabi" (inA Layter tsu der Zun, 1954);Jacob Fichman's "Yehudah ha-Makkabi" is one of the heroic tales included inSippurim le-Mofet (1954).Amit Arad's historical novel "Lions of Judea – The miraculous story of the Maccabees" (2014). Many children's plays have also been written on the theme by various Jewish authors.
In addition, the American writerHoward Fast penned thehistorical novelMy Glorious Brothers, published in 1948 during the1947–1949 Palestine war.
During World War II the Swiss-German writer Karl Boxler published his novelJudas Makkabaeus; ein Kleinvolk kaempft um Glaube und Heimat (1943), the subtitle of which suggests that Swiss democrats then drew a parallel between their own national hero,William Tell, and the leader of the Maccabean revolt against foreign tyranny.
The modern playPlaying Dreidel with Judah Maccabee byEdward Einhorn is about a contemporary boy who meets the historical figure.[8]
In themedievalChristian art, Judah Maccabee was regarded as one of the heroes of theOld Testament. He figures in a tenth-century illustrated manuscriptLibri Maccabaeorum. The late medieval French artistJean Fouquet painted an illustration of Judah triumphing over his enemies for his famous manuscript of Josephus.Rubens painted Judah Maccabee praying for the dead; the painting illustrates an episode from 2 Maccabees 12:39–48 in which Judah's troops find stolen idolatrous charms on the corpses of Jewish warriors slain on the battlefield. He therefore offers prayers and an expiatory sacrifice for these warriors who have died in a state of sin. During theCounter-Reformation the passage was used byCatholics againstProtestants in order to justify the doctrine ofpurgatory. Accordingly, Rubens painted the scene for the Chapel of the Dead inTournai cathedral. In the 19th century,Paul Gustave Doré executed an engraving of Judah Maccabee victoriously pursuing the shattered troops of the Syrian enemy.
In music, almost all the compositions inspired by the Hasmonean rebellion revolve around Judah. In 1746, the composerGeorge Frideric Handel composed hisoratorioJudas Maccabeus, putting the biblical story in the context of theJacobite rising of 1745. This work, with libretto byThomas Morell, had been written for the celebrations following theDuke of Cumberland's victory over theScottishJacobite rebels at theBattle of Culloden in 1746. The oratorio's most famous chorus is "See, the conqu'ring hero comes". The tune of this chorus was later adopted as aChristianEaster hymn tuneThine Be The Glory, Risen Conquering Son. A Hebrew translation of Handel'sJudas Maccabee was prepared for the 1932Maccabiah Games and is now popular inIsrael with the motif of "conqu'ring hero" becoming aHanukkah song.Beethoven composed a set of theme and variations 12 Variations on'See the conqu'ring hero comes' for Cello and Piano, WoO 45.
Tom Lehrer refers to Judas Maccabeus in his song "Hanukkah in Santa Monica".
Mirah refers to Judah Maccabee in her song "Jerusalem".
In "The Goldbergs Mixtape", a parody song is named "Judah Macabee".[citation needed]
Judas Maccabeus Born: 190 BCE Died: 160 BCE | ||
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| Preceded by | Leader of the Maccabees 166 BCE – 160 BCE | Succeeded by |
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