2 Maccabees, also known as the Second Book of Maccabees, Second Maccabees, and abbreviated as 2 Macc., is a deuterocanonical book (taking place in a 15 year period 175 to 160 BCE) which recounts the persecution of Jews under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt against him. It concludes with the defeat of the Seleucid Empire general Nicanor in 161 BC by Judas Maccabeus, the leader of the Maccabees (meaning the hammer).
2 Maccabees was originally written in Koine Greek by an unknown diaspora Jew living in Hellenistic Egypt. It was likely written some time between 150 and 100 BC. Believed to be written to the Egyptian Jews thought to be supporting the Temple at Heliopolis. Together with the book 1 Maccabees, it is one of the most important sources on the Maccabean Revolt. The work is not a sequel to 1 Maccabees but rather its own independent rendition of the historical events of the Maccabean Revolt. It both starts and ends its history earlier than 1 Maccabees, starting with an incident with the Seleucid official Heliodorus attempting to tax the Second Temple in 178 BC, and ending with the Battle of Adasa in 161 BC. Some scholars believe the book to be influenced by the Pharisaic tradition, with sections that include an endorsement of prayer for the dead and a resurrection of the dead.
Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5
Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10
Chapter 11 || Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || Chapter 15
Letters to the Jews of Egypt –
Letters to the Jews of Egypt
- First letter
- Second letter
- Address
- Thanksgiving for the punishment of Antiochus
- The miraculous preservation of the sacred fire
- Jeremiah Conceals the tent, ark and altar
- Nehemiah’s library
- An invitation to the dedication
III the Story of Helodorus
IV: Hellenistic Propaganda and persecution under Antiochus Ephiphanes
- Misdeeds of Simon, Administrator of the Temple
- Jason the high priest, Introduces Hellenism
- Antiochus Epiphanes is praised in Jerusalem
- Menelaus becomes high priest
- The murder of Onias
- Lysimachus killed in an insurrection
- Menelaus buys his acquittal
- Second Egyptian campaign
- Jason’s insurrection; counteraction by Antiochus Epiphanes
- Pillage of the Temple
- Activities of Apollonius the Mysarch
- Gentile cults imposed
- Coincidental significance of the persecution
- The martyrdom of Eleazar
- The martyrdom of the seven brothers
V: The Victory of Judaism
The death of the persecutor and the purification of the Temple
- Judas Maccabeus and the resistance
- Campaign of Nicanor and Gorgias
- The defeat of Timotheus and Bacchides
- The flight and testimony of Nicanor
- The last days of Antiochus Epiphanes
- Antiochus writes to the Jews
- The Purification of the Temple
VI: The Struggle of Judas against the Neighboring people and against Lysias, Minister of Antiochus V
- Reign of Antiochus V: early years
- Gorgias and the Idumaean fortress
- Judas defeats Timotheus (Timothy) and captures Gezer
- The first campaign of Lysias
- Lysias makes peace with the Jews. Four letters concerning the treaty
- Incidents at Joppa and Jamnia
- The Expedition in Gilead
- The battle of Carnaim
- The return by the way of Ephron and Scythopolis
- The Campaign against Gorgias
- The sacrifice for the fallen
- The campaign of Antiochus V and Lysias, Horrible death of Menelaus
- The prayers and success of the Jews Near Modein
- Antiochus V negotiates with the Jews