2 Maccabees
Chapter 1
Letters to the Jews in Egypt
Greetings to our brothers, the Jews in Egypt, from their brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and the region of Judea—may you have peace and happiness.
May God fill you with every good thing and remember his Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants.
May he give you all a heart to worship him and to fulfill his will with generosity and a well-disposed spirit.
May he incline your hearts to listen to his law and precepts and give you peace.
May he hear your prayers, be reconciled with you, and not abandon you in times of misfortune.
This is what we now pray for you.
In the year one hundred and sixty-nine (year B.C.), when Demetrius was king, we Jews wrote to you during the most critical moment of trials we had to endure. And we told you that Jason and his associates have betrayed the cause of the Holy Land and the Kingdom.
They have burned the temple gateway and shed innocent blood.But we prayed to the Lord and were heard. And now we have just offered a sacrifice with wheat flour, lighted the lamps again, and set out the loaves of bread.
So we write to you again that you may celebrate the Feast of Tents in the month of Kislev this year, one hundred and eighty-eight (year B.C.).
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, their senators and Judas, to Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy, belonging to the family of the anointed priests, and the Jews in Egypt: greetings and prosperity.
God has saved us from great dangers; we thank him because he came to our help against the king himself.
God drove out those who fought against the Holy City.
Their leader left for Persia with a seemingly invincible army, but the priests of the goddess Nanea laid a trap for them and killed them in her temple.
Antiochus and his friends came to that place under the pretext of marrying the goddess, but in reality, they wanted to seize its great treasures as a dowry.
The priests of Nanea had set out the treasures, and Antiochus entered the sacred enclosure with a few men. But as soon as Antiochus entered, they closed the temple
and opened a secret door in the ceiling. Then, they threw stones down and crushed the leader and his men. They then dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads, and threw them to those outside.
May our God be blessed in all these things, for he has handed over the impious to death.
As we are about to celebrate the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, it seems reasonable to us to inform you so that you, too, may celebrate the Feast of Tents and remember the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, who built the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices.
For when our ancestors were deported to Persia, the devout priests of the time took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry well, with such caution that the place remained unknown to everyone.
Many years had passed when, in God’s own time, Nehemiah, whom the king of Persia commissioned, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it.
But they reported to us that they did not find the fire, but instead, a thick liquid. So Nehemiah ordered them to draw it out and bring it to him. When the sacrifice was prepared on the altar, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood and place the victims on it.
They did so, and after a while, the sun, which had been covered by clouds, appeared. Suddenly, a huge fire burst forth that amazed everyone.
While the sacrifice was being eaten, the priests and everyone present prayed. Jonathan led, while Nehemiah and the others responded.
This was their prayer: “Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, you alone are good and are King.
You alone are generous, just, all-powerful, and eternal. You, who save Israel from many evils, who chose our ancestors and sanctified them,
accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel. Protect your heritage and sanctify it.
Gather our scattered people together. Set free those held in slavery among the nations. Turn your eyes on those who are despised and crushed, so the pagans may know that you are our God.
Afflict those who oppress us, who insult and treat us with contempt.
Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses said.”
The priests sang the hymns,
and, when the sacrifice was all consumed, Nehemiah ordered that the remaining liquid be poured over some large stones.
This was done, and a flame flared up, but the fire from the altar outshone it.
This matter became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that the liquid used by Nehemiah and his companions to burn the sacrifice was discovered where the exiled priests had hidden the fire.
So, after confirming the facts, the king ordered a fence to be built around the area and declared it sacred.
The king gave some of that liquid to those who enjoyed his favor, and they gave him gifts in return.
Nehemiah and his companions called the place “Nephtar,” which means “purification,” but afterward, many called it “Naphtha.”
Commentaries
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
The book begins with two letters (1:1-9 and 1:10-2:18) from the Jews of Jerusalem to their Jewish brothers in Alexandria, inviting them to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, established by Judas Maccabeus.
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
The greeting seeks to promote unity and brotherhood between Jerusalem and the Jews who, driven by various circumstances, have emigrated to foreign lands (the diaspora). It is expressed through a series of petitions to God concerning the promise (the Covenant), obedience, the Law, prayer, and reconciliation.
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
The year 169 corresponds to 143 B.C., referring to the desecration of the Temple ordered by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and supported by the “renegade” Jews (1 Mac 1:11; 6:21; 7:5; 9:23, 58, 69; 10:61; 11:21, 25). The Temple remains a central theme throughout the book.
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
We arrive at the main reason for this first letter, which is to invite the Jews of Egypt to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Dedication of the Temple (cf. Dt 16:16; Zech 14:16-19) in December, a date that differs from the more traditional one in October (Lev 23:34ff). The year 188 corresponds to 124 B.C.
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
The second letter is addressed to Aristobulus, a prominent Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, who wrote a biblical commentary demonstrating that Greek philosophy was derived from Jewish literature found in the Law and the Prophets. The announcement of Antiochus’ death helps us date the letter to 164 B.C.
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
This is an initial account of the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, which does not match the account in 9:1-29 or 1 Maccabees 6:1-16. It is likely that the author is confused about the death of Antiochus III, who died while attempting to plunder the temple of Bel in Babylon, or that he is repeating one of the many legends created by the people surrounding Antiochus’s death.
Letters to the Jews in Egypt.
This section is based on some apocryphal writings of Nehemiah, as the details do not match the canonical book. In Israel’s religious consciousness, sacred fire served as a visible sign of God’s presence (Ex 3:4; Lv 9:24; 1 Kgs 18:20-30; 2 Chr 7:1). The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by invading Babylonian troops in 587 BC led the Jews to believe that God had temporarily forsaken His dwelling place. After returning from exile, the priests used sacred fire and naphtha (crude oil) to restore the altar of sacrifice, thereby creating the conditions for the Temple to become a holy place and God’s dwelling once again.