Though the book occupies the first position, it ought, according to the historic order, to be the fourth of Mac- cabees, inasmuch as its narrative commences at a later period than the other three books. Tradition, however, in determining the priority of position, was evidently guided by the age and the intrinsic value of these books, since 1 jMacc. is obviously the oldest, and surpasses the other three books in importance. Cotton, in his trans- lation of the Maccabees, has departed from this tradition- al and commonly accepted arrangement, and placed the first book as second in order.
II. Contents and Dirision. — This book contains a lucid and chronological history of the tyrannical proceedings of Antiochus Epiphanes, commencing with the year B.C. 175, and of the scries of patriotic struggles ai^ainst this tyranny, first organized by Mattatliias, H.C. 168, down to set tleil sovereignty and the death ol Simon, H.C. 135, thus embracing a period of forty years.
1. The first part, of which Mattatliias is the hero, comprises chap, i-ii, 70, and embraces a period from the commencement of Antiochus Epiphanes's reign to the death of Mattathias, B.C, 175-167.
2. The second part, of which Judas Maccabanis is the hero, comprises .chap, iii, 1-ix, 22, and describes the ex- ploits and fame of this defender of the faith, B.C. 167- 160.
3. The third part, of which Jonathan, the high-priest, surnamed Apjihus ( ATz^ovQ~-'ii^ti'n, the simulator, the sly one), is the hero, comprises ch. ix, 23-xii, 53, and re-
MACCABEES, BOOKS OF 607 MACCABEES, BOOKS OF
cords the events which transpired during the period of his government, B.C. 160-143.
4. The Jourih jjart, of which Simon, surnamed Thassi (Oa(TfTi=^'''Ci^r\, the Jiourishinff) is the hero, comprises ch. xiii, 1-xvi, 24, and records the events which occur- red during his period of government, B.C. 143-135.
III. Historical and Religious Character. — There is no book among all the Apocrypha which is distinguished by greater marks of trustworthiness than 1 Maccabees. Simplicity, credibility, and candor alike characterize its description of friends and foes, victories and defeats, hopes and fears. When the theme so animates the writer that he gives expression to his feelings in lyric eifusions (e. g. i, 25-28, 37-40 ; ii, 7-13. 49-6« ; iii, 3-9, 18-22; iv, 8-11, 30-33, 38; vi, 10-13; vii,37, 38, 41, 42), no poetic exaggerations and hyperboles deprive the de- scription of its substantially historic character. When recording the victories of his heroes, struggling for their insert ies and their religion, he wrests no laws of nature from their regular course to aid the handful of Jewish champions against the fearful odds of tlioir heathen op- pressors ; and when speaking of the arch-enemy, Anti- ochus Epiphanes (i, 10, etc.), he indulges in no unjust and passionate vituperations against him. Yet he marks in one expressive phrase (pi'^a afiapTioKoq) the charac- ter of the Syrian type of Antichrist (comp. Isa. xi, 10 ; Dan. xi, 36). If no mention is made of the reckless profligacy of Alexander Balas, it must be remembered that his relations to the Jews were honorable and lib- eral, and these alone fall within the scope of the histori,'. So far as the circumstances admit, the general accuracy of the book is established by the evidence of other au- thorities ; but for a considerable period it is the single source of our information. Even the few historical and geographical inaccuracies in the description of foreign nations and countries, such as the foundation of the Greek empire in the East (1 Mace, i, 5-9), the power and constitution of Rome (viii, 1-16), " the great city Elymaias, in the country of Persia" (vi, 1), etc., so far from impairing the general truthfulness of the narrative when it confines itself to home and the immediate past, only show how faithfully the writer has depicted the general notions of the time, and for this reason are of intrinsic value and instructive. The subjugation of the Galatians, who were the terror of the neighboring peo- ple (comp. Livy, xxxviii, 37), and the concjuest of Spain, the Tarshish (ch. viii, 3) of Phoenician merchants, are noticed, as would be natural from tlie immediate inter- est of the events; but the wars with Carthage are wholly omitted (Josephus adds these in his narrative, Ant. xii, 10, 6). The errors in detail — as the capture of Antiochus the Great by the Romans (ver. 7), the num- bers of his armament (ver. 6), the constitution of the Roman senate (ver. 15), the one supreme j'early officer at Rome (ver. 16; compare xv, 16) — are onlj' such as might be expected in oral accounts ; and the endurance (ver. 4, naKpo^vi.ua), the good faith (ver. 112), and the simplicity of the republic (ver. 14, ovk i-Kt^tTO ovdtiQ avToJv Ctdci]i^ia Kal oh TTipufiaXoPTO Trop(pvnav uiare aSpvpSri'ii'ai iv avTt), contrast i, 9), were features likely to arrest the attention of Orientals.
That the writer used written sources and important official documents in his history is evident from viii, 2, etc.; X, 18, etc., 25-45 ; xi, 30-37; xii, 5-23; xiii, 36-40; xiv, 25, etc. ; xv, 2-9 ; xvi, 23, 24 ; some of these pas- sages being expressly described as copies (avriypacpa'). It is questionable whether the writer designed to give more than the substance of the originals. Some bear clear marks of authenticity (viii, 22-28 ; xii, 6-18), while others are open to grave difficulties and suspicion ; but it is worthy of notice that the letters of the Sj^rian kings generally appear to be genuine (x, 18-20, 25-45; xi, 30-37; xiii, 36-40; xv, 2-9).