1. The introduction, comprising ch. i, 1-12, contains the resume of the whole book, and the grand problem for discussion, viz. whether the rational will, permeated and regulated by true piety, has perfect mastery over the passions (on avToSkcsTvoTOQ \_avTOKpaTu)p] tart tCov ttu- Srwv fvffel3riQ XoyiCiioq).
2. The first part, comprising ch, i, 13-iii, 19, contains a philosophical disquisition on this problem, giving a definition of reason, or the rational wUl, and of the wis- dom which is to be gained by studying the Mosaic law, and which shows itself in the four cardinal virtues — discernment, justice, prudence, and fortitude ; describes the different passions, and shows that reason, pervaded by piety, has the mastery over them aU, except forget- fulness and ignorance,
3. The second jmrt, comprising chap, iii, 20-xviii, 20, demonstrates the proposition that sanctified reason has the mastery over the passions by giving a summary of the jMaccabnsan martyrdoms (iii, 20-iv, 26) narrated in 2 Mace, iii; iv, 7-17; v, 1-vi, 11; describes the mar- tj'rdom of Eleazar (v, 1-vii, 19) and the seven brothers (viii, 1-xii, 16), with moral reflections on it (xiii, 1-xiv, 10), as weU as the noble conduct and death of their mother (xiv, 11-xvii, 6), and then deduces the lessons to be learned from the character and conduct of these martjTS (xvii, 7-xviii, 2), showing that the Israelites alone are invincible in their struggles for virtue (Jin povoi TTcuSeg 'Efipaiiop virep opfn}c ffrtJ' dviicjjToi). Ch. xviii, 21-23, is evidently a later addition,
III, Author, Date, and Original Language. — In har- mony with the general tradition, Eusebius {Hist. Eccles. iii, 10), Jerome {Catalog. Script. Eccles. s. v. Josephus), Photius (ap. Philostorgius, Hist. Eccles. i), Suidas (s. v. 'liorr7]Trog,), many IMSS., and the early editions of the Sept. (Strasburg,"l526 ; Basle, 1545; Frankfurt, 1595), as well as the editions of Josephus's works, ascribe the au- thorship of this book to the celebrated Jewish historian Flavins Josephus. But this is utterly at variance with the style and structure of the book itself, and has most probably arisen from a confusion of names, as the work maj' have been written by some one of the name of Jo- sephus, or from the fact that it was regarded as supple- menting this historian, and hence was appended to his writings. Not only is the language quite different from that of Joseplius's writings, but — 1. In 4 Mace, all the proper names in the Bible, except 'ItpoaoKvpa and 'EXtalapoc, are retained in their Hebrew form, and treated as indeclinable (c. g, 'Aj3paap, 'Iffaaic, Nois), whereas Josephus gives them a Greek termination. 2.
MACCABEES, BOOKS OF 614 MACCABEES, BOOKS OF
Fourth Mace, ilerives its historical matter from 2 Mace, i'.s we liave seen in the preceding section, or perhaps from the original work of Jason; while Josephus mani- fests ulter ignorance about the existence of this work, 3. The historical blunders contained in tliis book (iv, 15, 26 ; V, 1 ; xvii, 22, 23, etc.) are such as Josephus would never have committed. 4. The form and tone of the book unquestionably show that the writer was an Alex- andrian Jew, who resided in Egypt or somewhere far away irom the Holy Land — conip. iv, 5, 20, etc., where the writer speaks of '' our Ja/herlancl,^' i. e. the Holy Land far away. From this and other passages in which the Temple is spoken of as still existing, and from the fact that xiv, 9 speaks of the Egyptian Jews as having enjoj-ed external peace and security at the time when this book was written, Grimm dates it before the fall of Jerusalem and the persecutions of the Egyptian Jews by Caligula, i. e. B.C. 39 or 40.
That the Greek is the original language of the book requires no proof. The style is very pompous, flowing, vigorous, and tridy Greek. The author's eloquence, ho^vever, is not the spontaneous outburst of a heart in- spired with the grandeur of the divine theme {tva'tjitta) upon which he discourses, but is produced artificially by resorting to exclamations and apostrophes (v, 33, etc. ; vii, G, 9, 10, 15; viii, 15, 16; xi, 14, etc.), dialogues and monologues (viii, 16-19; xvi, 5-10), far-fetched figures and comparisons (vii, 1, etc.; xiii, 6; xvii, 3, 5, 7), and he abounds in uTraS Xfyojusi^a (i, 27, 29; ii, 9; iv, 18; vi, 6, 17; vii, 11; viii, 15; xi, 4; xiii, 24; xiv, 15, 18; XV, 26 ; xvii, 5).
TV. Canonicity and Importance. — Among the Jews this book is hardly known, and though some of the fa- thers were acquainted with it, and Gregory of Nazian- zum, Augustine, Jerome, etc., quoted with respect its description of the Maccabwan martyrs, yet it was never regarded as canonical or sacred. As a historical docu- ment the narrative is of no value. Its interest centres in the fact that it is a unique example of the didactic use which the Jews made of their history. Ewald (Ge- schichte, iv, 556) rightly compares it with the sermon of later times, in which a scriptural theme becomes the subject of an elaborate and practical comment. The philosophical tone of the book is essentially stoical, but the stoicism is that of a stern legalist. The dictates of reason are su]iported by the remembrance of noble tra- ditions, and by the hope of a glorious future. The pros- pect of the life to come is clear and wide. The faithful are seen to rise to endless bliss ; the wicked to descend to endless torment, varj-ing in intensity. But while the writer shows, in this respect, the effects of the fuU culture of the Alexandrian school, and in part advances beyond his predecessors, he offers no trace of that deep spiritual insight which was quickened by Christianity. The Jew stands alone, isolated by character and bj' blessing (comp. Gfriirer, Pliilo, etc., ii, 173). Still the book is of great importance, inasmuch as it illustrates the history, doctrines, and moral philosophy of the Jew- ish peojjle prior to the advent of Christ. It shows that the Jews believed that human reason, in its natural state, has no power to subdue the passions of the heart, and that it is onlj' able to do it when sanctified by the religion of the Bible (v. 21, 23; vi, 17; x, 18); that the souls of all men continue to live after the death of the body; tliat all will rise, botli righteous and wicked, to receive their judgment for the deeds done in the body (v, 35; ix, 8; xii, 13, 14; xvi, 22; xvii, 17, 18); that this is taught in the Pentateuch (comp. xvii, 18, with Deut. xxxiii,3); and that the death of the righteous is a vicarious atonement (vi, 29). Allusion seems also to be made in tlie N. T. to some jjassagcs of this book (comp. vii, 18, with Luke xx, 37 ; Matt, xxii, 32 ; ]\Iark xii, 26; Kom. vi, 10; xiv,-6; Gal. xi, IQ: 4 Mace, xii, 11, with Acts xvii, 26 : 4 Mace, xiii, 14, with Luke xvi, 22, 23 : 4 Mace, xvi, 22, with Luke xx, 37).