Books Jesus Read

Chapter 2 Hasmonean Holiness – Judas Maccabeus

Background Expressions like “the war on terror” and “ethnic cleansing,” while familiar to us today, could easily be applied to Jewish history. In Jesus’ day, for example, many Jews expected a military messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression. Where did that expectation come from? It came not so much from the Old Testament passages familiar to us, but rather from intertestamental books such as 1 Enoch and 1–2 Maccabees. Israel’s security was threatened throughout the Second Temple period, and their need for security was grounded in their convictions to guard God’s holiness in Jerusalem, specifically the sanctuary precinct, and to maintain Jewish identity as a people set apart from the world. Enter Judas Maccabeus! With the restoration of the temple now complete, the defense of the Jews from attacks by the surrounding

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