I – 1:1-2:32 – Letters and Prologue

A letter to the Jews in Egypt from the Jews in Jerusalem
This letter was probably written in 124 BCE
Its purpose was to encourage Jews to celebrate Hanukkah
It was sent to their Jewish kindred in Egypt
Jews fled to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem (587 BCE)
Ptolemy deported many in 312 BCE
The greeting of the letter is followed by a prayer
It suggests that there is room for improvement in their practices and worship
They had been sent a previous letter in 143 BCE
That was still a time of persecution following the revolt of Jason (a high priest after Onias III)
They had offered prayers for them
In return, they should celebrate Hanukkah as they do the Feast of Tabernacles

A letter to Aristobulus from the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea
Aristobulus was the adviser to King Ptolemy and a member of the high-priestly family
The letter purports to be from Judas Maccabeus
If so, then it had to have been written between 164 and 160 (his death) BCE
His report of the “death of the evil king” appears to be about Antiochus IV, but it was Antiochus III who was killed in the temple
He had hoped to marry the goddess to get her dowry
The priests of Nanaea (a Sumerian goddess of love) trapped him and killed him
His bones were tossed outside
This victory is attributed to God 
The point is that God brings justice upon those who act in a sacrilegious manner

Fire consumed Nehemiah’s sacrifice
The letter continues – they are about to celebrate Hanukkah
In support of this, several examples are given about miracles of fire                      
The first occurs when Nehemiah offered sacrifices on altar
The priests had taken fire from the altar and hidden it for the length of time they were in exile
When Nehemiah was sent back by the Persians, he told the priests to bring the fire                                 
It was no longer “fire,” but a thick liquid (a kind of petroleum)
They poured it over the sacrifices
After the sun shone on it, it burst into flames and everyone marveled
Needless to say, the priests led everyone in prayers
The prayers affirmed that God is the only God and very unique
They also prayed that God would punish their enemies
When the king of Persia heard what had happened, he declared the site to be sacred
Nehemiah called the liquid “naphthar” meaning “purification”
Most people call it naphtha

Jeremiah hides the tent, ark, and altar
Jeremiah is the one who ordered the priests to hide the fire
This was in order that the law would not depart from their hearts
He also decreed that the Tent of Meeting and the Ark go with him
He hid them in a cave on Mount Nebo (where Moses saw the Promised Land)
He then sealed the entrance to the cave
Others tried to mark the cave, but could not find it
Jeremiah said God would show them the way when the time was right
When Solomon dedicated his first temple, fire came down from heaven
Solomon celebrated the feast for eight days
When Moses prayed to the Lord, fire came down from heaven
All these facts were well documented
Just like Nehemiah collected documents, so did Judas Maccabeus
If anyone wished to read them, they would be made available to them
The time has come to celebrate the rededication of the temple
Judas is writing to impress upon them the need to do so as well                                 
(This suggests that perhaps there was some controversy about celebrating Hanukkah early on)

The prologue to this letter
2 Maccabees is a summary of Jason’s five-volume work
(Jason of Cyrene was a Hellenized Jew who wrote a five-volume history on the times of the Maccabees.  This work no longer exists, but is the basis for 2 Maccabees.)                                        
This history includes battles with Antiochus IV and his son
The victors had apparitions from heaven
Though few in number, they were able to restore the temple because God was gracious to them
These Jews fought “manfully for Judaism” (This is the first mention of Judaism.)
Here, Judaism refers to a way of life and belief for which Jews would fight
The author has tried to summarize Jason’s writings
He claims the task was difficult but worth it
He will highlight what was important and leave the specific details to others 
His goal is to make the reading memorable, pleasurable, and profitable

II -- 3:1-40 – God’s Protection of the Temple

This section describes the internal tension within the priesthood
When Onias was high priest, there was peace and prosperity
(Onias was deposed in 175 BCE by the Seleucid king)
Simon, the brother of Menelaus, was the administrator of the city market
He had a dispute with Onias – and apparently lost
When he was unable to get his way, he went to Appolonius and told him about the great wealth that was being held in the temple, suggesting, of course, that the king might be able to gain control of it
(Appolonius was the governor of the region)
Appolonius sent this message to the king who sent Heliodorus to remove the treasures
(Heliodorus was the king’s chief minister)
Heliodorus asked Onias if this was truly the case
Onias replied that there was a little money – widow’s deposits and such
He also said Simon had greatly distorted the facts
Moreover, he said people trusted in the sanctity and inviolability of the temple
Such respect for a temple was expected throughout the known world
Heliodorus was unmoved and said whatever was there had to be removed to the king’s treasury – and he set a date for doing so
People were outraged; priests prostrated themselves and prayed
The countenance of the high priest betrayed the anguish of his soul        
People prayed that God would deliver them and protect the temple from being defiled
At the moment when Heliodorus arrived at the temple, an apparition of a horseman with golden armor suddenly appeared
He attacked Heliodorus, along with two other “gloriously dressed” young men, who almost beat him to death
Now unconscious, Heliodorus was carried off on a stretcher
The people were filled with great joy because God had protected his own place
Heliodorus’ friends begged Onias to call upon the Lord on his behalf
Onias prepared a sacrifice
The same young men reappeared to Heliodorus telling him his life had been spared because of Onias’ intervention on his behalf
Then they vanished
Heliodorus offered sacrifice to the Lord and acknowledged His supreme power
He shared all this information with the king
The king asked if there was someone else he could send
Heliodorus said he should send those whom he hated, for they would be beaten
In this way, the treasury was preserved

III -- 4:7-50 – Accusations of Apostasy

Simon, however, could not let things alone
He spread lies against Onias, saying he had attacked Heliodorus
Eventually his supporters murdered a few people
Onias then appealed to the king for help, knowing that peace would not be possible without the king’s intervention
Unfortunately, when the king died, his successor (Antiochus Epiphanes IV) chose Onias’ brother, Jason, to be high priest
Jason was the highest bidder for the post
This meant that hereditary would no longer be required for office
Instead, the new high priest would serve at the pleasure of the Syrian king
Jason immediately instituted a pro-Hellenization plan for Jerusalem
Jason revoked the special privileges of Jews, but they were not yet being punished for their beliefs
Nonetheless, Hellenism reached a high point under the auspices of Jason
The genuine priests no longer cared about their duties and soon neglected the temple and the sacrifices
They began to only care for Hellenistic things
Three years later (roughly 172 or 171 BCE), Menelaus outbid Jason for the office of high priest (but would never actually pay any of the money that he had promised)
As a result, Jason had to flee the city
An uprising in Tarsus and Mallus required the king’s full attention
During his absence, Menelaus had someone kill Onias (who had been in exile)
The Jews protested dearly and Onias’ killer was punished
(Menelaus was not)
Menelaus would later be accused in further incidents
When all seemed lost, he managed to bribe friends of the king and gained his release
Those who had accused him were executed
In short, the “high priest” became the worst offender in plotting against his own countrymen

IV -- 5:1-7:42 – God’s Response and Punishment

Antiochus in Egypt
Around this time, Antiochus went against Egypt in battle
Rumors swirled regarding his death
Jason, therefore, gathered men and stormed Jerusalem, intent on deposing Menelaus
He was not successful and killed many “innocents” in the process
For this, he had to flee and would eventually die in exile
When Antiochus heard about the conflict, he returned from Egypt and attacked the city
About 40,000 men, women, and children were killed
Still angry, Antiochus entered the temple and stole all the sacred vessels
He left commanders behind to oppress Jerusalem
Apollonius waited until the Sabbath and then killed 22,000 men (who would not fight on the Sabbath)
At this point, Judas (called Maccabeus) and several others fled to the desert

The suppression of Judaism
Antiochus continued his reign of terror
He dedicated the temple to Zeus and invited Gentiles into the temple
Jews were forced to participate in pagan feasts and processions
Some were killed for circumcising their infants; others were
burned alive for keeping the Sabbath
A theological digression tries to make sense out of these events
This was God’s way of inflicting retribution for their many sins
The day would come, however, when the enemy would be accountable to God
God may chastise His people, but He will never abandon them
The day of His mercy will soon be at hand

6:18-31     The martyrdom of Eleazar
                    Eleazar was one of the leading teachers of the law
                    He was asked to eat meat sacrificed to idols, but he                     refused
                    The officials offered to let him bring his own food and                     only pretend he was eating the sacrificial meat
                    This he also refused on the basis that he might lead                     others astray
                    He was taken off to be flogged and soon died of his                     injuries
                    Yet, he left behind a heroic example and glorious                     memory

The story of seven brothers and their mother
All were arrested and forced to eat pork
One, speaking for all, refused outright saying they were ready to die rather than break the laws of their fathers
The king was outraged and mutilated him before burning him alive in front of his family
After the first, each one was taken, treated more brutally, and eventually put to death
The mother watched each of her sons suffer and die (though nobly)
She encouraged each of them as she was able
She recalled the theme of creation and re-creation, stating that God created all and they would be together again soon
The last one admitted they were suffering for their sins, but in the knowledge that God would soon punish Antiochus for his many sins in torturing God’s people
Lastly, the mother was also put to death

V -- 8:1-15:36 – God’s Deliverance

The successes of Judas Maccabeus
Judas’ army had grown to roughly 6,000 men
They prayed mightily that God would look upon them with favor
Under God’s direction, their little army became invincible
Philip (the commissioner in Jerusalem) appealed to the king for assistance
The king sent 20,000 men led by Nicanor
Word of his advance reached the rebels; those who were “cowards” left
The rest prayed to the Lord to save them, recounting the many occasions God had helped their ancestors
At the least, his army was highly inspired
The Almighty was on their side; 9,000 enemy troops were killed and many more wounded
They were able to steal the army’s money and distributed it to the people
Additional battles were fought, until Nicanor was completely humiliated
Even though he managed to escape, he lost his whole army
The Jews believed they won because they kept the laws the Lord had given them

The last campaign of Antiochus
Upon hearing of Nicanor’s defeat, Antiochus determined to go to Jerusalem
He vowed to “make it a graveyard for the Jews”
But, on the way, he was seized with a sudden illness, fell out of the chariot, and dislocated every bone in his body
His flesh began to decay so that others could not be near him for the stench
The man that had seemed so invincible was now reviled by all
In his agony, he managed to repent and to “see things in their true light”
He promised to make Jerusalem a “free city”
Since his pains did not abate, he was forced to write all this in a letter
He determined that his son would continue this new policy
Then he died while still in foreign lands

The purification of the temple (this actually happened the year before Antiochus died)
Judas Maccabeus and his men cleansed the temple
They destroyed the altar and built a new one
This all happened three years to the day after Antiochus defamed it
The joyful celebration lasted three days
They determined to commemorate this celebration annually and call it Hanukkah

The reign of Eupator, the son of Antiochus IV
Since he was only nine when he ascended to the throne, Eupator appointed Lysias as governor-general
Battles continued between Judas Maccabeus and surrounding nations
The only times Judas lost was when his own men would succumb to bribery and betray him                              
No one was able to withstand the Maccabeans because God was with them
After several losses, Lysias gathered an army of 80,000 to attack Jerusalem
He, too, however, did not reckon on the might of God
Judas and his men were able to rout the army despite the bigger odds
Lysias managed to escape, but most of his army was destroyed
Once he realized the Jews were invincible, he tried to make a treaty with them
In fact, he offered to represent them before the king
The king granted this request, putting his decree into writing
Jews were again granted permission to practice their mode of life and observe their laws; the temple was restored to them, and they would be allowed to manage their own affairs
(According to 1 Maccabees, this letter was dated March 12, 164 BCE and was written by Antiochus IV.  Here it is ascribed to his son.) 
The Romans also sent a letter to the Jews agreeing to the terms of the contract
One would think that all would then be well, but the neighboring nations were not pleased and continued to harass the Jews on a variety of matters
The town of Joppa tricked some Jews and killed them by drowning
Judas responded by destroying the harbor
Another town had similar plans, but Judas destroyed their harbor before they were able to put their plan into action
Many more battles were fought by Judas and his men
At one point Eupator and Lysias teamed up to advance on Judea
They were joined by Menelaus who was found out to have been the cause of much trouble       
The argument was so convincing that the king had him executed
Judas and his men prayed to the Lord for deliverance
Under the cover of darkness, they attacked first and were able to rout the army
The king tried several new strategies, but they were all rebuffed
Then word came that all was not well back at the capital and he had to return home, which he did

Defeat of Nicanor
Three years passed before there was another serious engagement
By this time Demetrius (Antiochus’ brother) was king
Alcimus (the deposed high priest) told him that Judea would never have peace as long as Judas Maccabeus was alive   
As soon as rumor of this spread, other nations joined the furor
Nicanor (the same Syrian general mentioned earlier) was dispatched to take care of the problem
After one small engagement, Nicanor thought negotiations seemed to be a better plan
Judas and his men eventually agreed to the terms
Judas and Nicanor met and discovered they liked each other
Alcimus was very upset and went back to the king complaining about Nicanor
Obviously, the king was furious with Nicanor and ordered him to arrest Judas
Nicanor was very upset about having to break his word, but did not want to defy the king
He began to look for an opportunity to fulfill his orders
Judas began to notice a change in Nicanor’s attitude and went into hiding
Nicanor threatened the priests that if they did not surrender Judas, he would destroy the temple
The priests prayed mightily for the preservation of the temple’s holiness
A member of the Jewish senate was chosen to be an example
The man was able to kill himself rather than be captured and tortured
Nicanor’s next plan was to attack Judas on the Sabbath
Judas decided to wage war
Again, he spoke inspiring words to his men
He was granted several visions and shared this with his men
The result was that his men were fired up and went on the offensive
Though greatly outnumbered, Judas’ men maintained their faith and prevailed
When the battle was over, they realized Nicanor had been killed
They established a festival to commemorate the event

VI -- 15:37-39 – Closing Thoughts

The author signs off saying he hopes readers will find his work “easy on the ears”
He does not make a claim for historicity
Rather he hopes that the style of the story will delight those who hear it

Are these events true?  Many can be verified from other documents, though they might differ a bit chronologically.  This book, however, does provide a better understanding of the events of the second century BCE.  It was a time when Jews were much divided. Some were adamantly opposed to any form of Hellenization; others welcomed it openly.  2 Maccabees makes a strong claim that, despite this division, God was able to defend His temple and to be Israel’s protector.  Yet, the issue was not settled on the battlefield.  The conflict would persist for centuries.