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CHAP. VI.

OF THE EXPLOITS OF MATTATHIAS, GRANDSON TO ASMONEUS; HIS DEATH, AND THE SUCCESSION OF JUDAS.

NOW at this time there was one Mattathias,* who dwelt at Modin, the son of John, the son of Simeon, the son of Asmoneus; a priest of the order of Joarib,† and a citizen of Jerusalem. He had five sons: John, who was called Gaddis; Simon, who was called Matthes; Judas, surnamed Maccabeus;+ Eleazar, who was called Auran; and Jonathan, who was called Apphus. Now this Mattathias lamented to his children the sad state of their affairs, and the ravage made in the city, and the plunder

* See 1 Marc. ii. 1-14.

This was the first of the twenty-four courses of the priests that served in the temple, 1 Chron. xxiv. 7. and because Mattathias undertook to determine for the necessity of fighting on the sabbath, in case they were assaulted by the enemy, some have from hence inferred, that the people had made choice of him for their high-priest: but, besides that, this decision is not sufficient to prove this, and that it no where appears, that he ever performed the office of high-priest, but only put himself at the head of a poor distressed people, as being a person of the greatest power and authority among them, it is certain that both Menelaus and Alcimus were then alive; and though they were wicked men, and intruders into the office, yet they were nominated by king Antiochus, (who then assumed the right of nomination,) and so were looked upon as high-priests. Calmet's Dictionary, under the word Mattathias. B.

That this appellation of Maccabee, was not first of all given to Judas Macca. beus, nor was derived from any initial letters of the Hebrew words on his banner, Mi Kamoka Be Elim, Jehovah? Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Jehovah? Exod. xv. 11. as the modern Rabbins vainly pretend, see Authentic Records, part I. page 205, 206. Only we may note, that the original name of these Maccabees, and their posterity, was Asmoneans, which was derived from Asmoneus, the great grandfather of Mattathias, as Josephus here informs us.

Dean Prideaux observes, that abbreviations of this and several other kinds, were very frequent among the Jews, and that the Romans bore upon their ensigns the letters S. P. Q. R. Senatus Populusque Romanus; but still (he adds) it must be owned, that Judas was called by this name, 1 Macc. ii. 4-66. before ever he set up this standard; and therefore others choose rather to derive it from the Hebrew words Mak-ke baiah, i. e. a conqueror in the Lord, which explication both the double of which occurs in the word Maccabee, and his father's account of Judas, viz. that he had been mighty and strong even from his youth, seem to favour. Prideaux's Connection, anno 167, and Calmet's Commentary on 1 Macc. ii. 4. B.

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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR. LENOX

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

ing of the temple, and the calamities the multitude were under ; and he told them, that it was better for them to die for the laws of their country, than to live so ingloriously as they then did.

When those that were appointed by the king were come to Modin, that they might compel the Jews to do what they ordered, and to enjoin those that were there to offer sacrifice, as the king had commanded, they desired that Mattathias, a person of the greatest character among them, both on other accounts, and particularly on account of such a numerous, and so deserving a family of children, would begin the sacrifice; because his fellow-citizens would follow his example, and because such a procedure would make him honoured by the king. But Mattathias boldly replied he would not do it; and that if all the other nations would obey the commands of Antiochus, either out of fear, or to please him; yet would not he nor his sons forsake the religious worship of their country. But as soon as he had ended his speech, there came one of the Jews into the midst of them, and sacrificed, as Antiochus had commanded: at which Mattathias had great indignation, and run upon him violently, with his sons, who had swords with them; and slew both the inan himself that sacrificed, and Apelles the king's general, who compelled them to sacrifice, with a few of his soldiers. He also overthrew the idol altar; and cried out, " If any one be zealous for the laws of his country, and for the worship of God, let him follow me." And when he had said this, he hastened into the desert with his sons, and left all his substance in the village. Many others did the same, and fled with their children and wives into the desert; and dwelt in caves. But when the king's generals heard this, they took all the forces they then had in the citadel at Jerusalem, and pursued the Jews into the desert. And when they had overtaken them, they, in the first place, endeavoured to persuade them to repent, and to choose what was most for their advantage; and not put them to the necessity of using them according to the law of war. But when they would not comply with their persuasions, but continued to be of a different mind, they fought against them on the sabbath day; and they burnt them, as they were in the caves, without resistance; and without so much as stopping up the entrances of the caves. And they avoided to defend themselves on that day, because they were not willing to break in upon the hon

our they owed the sabbath, even in such distresses. For our law requires that we rest upon that day. There were about a thousand, with their wives and children, who were smothered, and died in these caves. But many of those that escaped, joined themselves to Mattathias, and appointed him to be their ruler; who taught them to fight, even on the sabbath day;* and told them, that unless they would do so, they would become their own enemies, by observing the law so rigorously, while their adversaries would still assault them on this day, and they would not then defend themselves; and that nothing could hinder, but they must all perish, without fighting. This speech persuaded them; and this rule continues among us to the present time; that if there be a necessity, we may fight on sabbath days. So Mattathias assembled a great army and overthrew their idol altars, and slew those that brake the laws; even all

By the law of Moses, the Jews were commanded to do no manner of work on the sabbath day; but this was a precept which would admit of some exceptions, and what some people took in a more rigorous sense than others. The Samaritans, for instance, thought themselves obliged to observe it to such a degree of strictness, as not to stir out of their places on that day, because the law is literally so expressed, Exod, xvi. 29. but the Jews were of opinion, that they were permit ted to make their escape from danger, or to walk such a compass of ground, (which they call a sabbath day's journey,) if it were for any necessary occasion on that day. In our Saviour's time, it was allowable, they thought, to pull any animal out of a pit, or a ditch, on that day, Matt xii. 11. but the Talmudical doctors were for revoking that permission, and found fault with him for even healing the sick and the lame, on the sabbath. Mattathias, and his company, by sundry experiences, were convinced, that too scrupulous an observance of the sabbath had brought several calamities upon their nation; that Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, the first king of Egypt of that name, by assaulting Jerusalem on the sabbath day, (wherein the Jews would do nothing to defend themselves,) became master of it without opposition; and that (but just lately,) a great number of their brethren had been passively slain, because they would not so much as handle their arms on that day ; and thereupon they came to a resolution to defend themselves, whenever they were attacked, be the day what it would; but we do not find, that they came to any decision, whether they themselves were to attack the enemy on the sabbath. On the contrary, it seems as if they had determined that they were only permitted to repel force by force; and therefore we read, that, when Pompey besieged the temple, observing that the Jews did barely defend themselves on the seventh day, be ordered his men to offer no hostilities, but only to raise the batteries, plant their engines, aud make their approaches on that day, being well assured, that in doing of this, he should meet with no molestation from them; and, by this means be carried the place much sooner than he otherwise would have done. Jewish Antiq. lib. 14 c. 8. Jewish Wars, lib. 1. c.5 and Calmet's Commentary on 1 Macca, bees ii. 14. B

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