Maccabees and Zadokites

Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.

Second, as Robert Gundry noted some time ago, it was common practice when dealing with composite quotations, if a source was to be cited, to name only the most important author (The Use of the Old Testament in St. Matthew’s Gospel, 125). Mark is simply informing the reader that his primary interpretative horizon is Isaiah. And as is well recognized, Isaiah and in particular his vision of new exodus salvation do indeed play a fundamental role in his Gospel (see my Isaiah’s New Exodus in Mark).

So why put Malachi first? Dick France suggests that it would be odd to have Malachi’s “See!” (idou) halfway through the citation, and the idea of a “messenger” is more explicit in his citation than in Isaiah 40:3, which instead offers an appropriate comment on the messenger’s role (The Gospel of Mark, 63). Another suggestion is that the resulting Isaiah-Malachi-Isaiah pattern reflects something of Mark’s well-known sandwiching technique (e.g. Mark 3:20-35; 11:12-25; Watts, Exodus, 89-90). In such structures the central element, in this case Malachi, provides the key to the theological purpose of the sandwich (see J. R. Edwards’s “Markan Sandwiches: The Significance of Interpolations in Markan Narratives,” NovT 31 [1989], 196).

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/you-asked-did-mark-fumble-his-opening-quotation/

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Thomas Holland’s Crowned With Glory, ©2000, used with permission.

The Traditional Text reads, “As it is written in the prophets,” and then cites from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. Other texts read, “As it is written in the Prophet Isaiah,” before quoting Malachi and Isaiah. The reading of the Traditional Text has considerable support. It is found in many of the Greek uncials (A, K, P, W, P) the majority of Greek minuscules (28, 1009, 1010, 1079, 1195, 1216, 1230, 1242, 1252, 1344, 1365, 1546, 1646, 2148) and the majority of Greek lectionaries. Thus the Greek support dates from the fourth century onward. Additionally we also find the same reading in the Syriac Harclean version (616 AD), the Armenian version (fourth/fifth century) and the Ethiopic versions of the sixth century. It also receives patristic citations from many of the church fathers such as the Latin version of Irenaeus (202 AD), Photius (895 AD), and Theophylact (1077 AD).

https://av1611.com/kjbp/faq/holland_mr1_2.html#_ftnref1

READ https://syri.ac/syriacbible

The Sons of Zadok (Hebrew: בְּנֵי צָדוֹק bǝnê Ṣādōq) are a family of priests (kohanim), descended from Zadok, described in the prophecies of Ezekiel.

Zadok himself was the first high priest in Solomon’s Temple (10th century BCE). His descendants were high priests in that temple until its destruction in 587 BCE. Ezekiel’s prophecy came several decades after that destruction, and describes the Zadokite family’s loyalty to God while the rest of the nation rebelled against God.

The sons of Zadok are mentioned four times in the Hebrew Bible, as part of the Third Temple prophecy in the final chapters of the Book of Ezekiel,^[1] and are a theme in Jewish and Christian interpretation of these chapters.

^[1] Ezekiel 40:46, 43:19, 44:15, 48:11

Qumran

Various documents of the texts found at Qumran mention the teachers of the community as “kohanim Sons of Zadok”,^[55] leading some scholars to assume that the community at Qumran included priests who refused to participate in the Hellenization of the priesthood then taking place in Jerusalem.^[56]

1. Biblical Exegesis of 4QpIsJM Rosenthal – The Jewish Quarterly Review, 1969 – JSTOR …between Sadducees and Zadokites, Driver had a predecessor, namely, the Hebrew writer and journalist Ben Zion Katz
2. ^ The Survivors of Israel: A Reconsideration of the Theology of Pre-Christian Judaism (9780802844835): p455

REVIEW According to Vermes, every book of the Tanach was represented by fragments except Esther, probably because it involved a Jewish woman intermarrying with a gentile king. The reason the already-written Maccabees book would definitely NOT be found there is that the Dead Sea sect was absolutely opposed to the Maccabean/Hasmonean High priests. The background of the “Damascus” document and a bunch of their other writings makes it appear that the sect split off from the “mainstream” Jews precisely because non-Zadok decended High Priests were serving in the Temple. After Onias the High priest was murdered, first the Seleucid Kings in charge installed some, and then the Maccabees themselves — non Zadokites — took over the High priesthood. The Dead Sea guys withdrew to Qumron, probably to maintain purity for themselves and their leaders, who were apparently Zadokite priests. The Book(s) of Maccabees would have been absolutely anathema to them, and they would neither have copied nor kept copies of it.

REVIEW There are several books called “Maccabbees,” and they’re pretty much unrelated to each other. They also written across a wide time span. Only the first book (IIRC) would have been composed in time for the Dead Sea Sect to have it in it’s collection. But since they were an isolationist sect who weren’t too pleased with the monarchy and the priests, it makes sense that they would not have preserved a book which glorifies both.

https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/12427/were-the-books-of-maccabees-found-in-the-dead-sea-scrolls

Jews

Prayers for the dead form part of the Jewish services. The prayers offered on behalf of the deceased consist of: Recitation of Psalms; Reciting a thrice daily communal prayer in Aramaic which is known as Kaddish. Kaddish actually means “Sanctification” (or “Prayer of Making Holy”) which is a prayer “In Praise of God”; or other special remembrances known as Yizkor; and also a Hazkara which is said either on the annual commemoration known as the Yahrzeit as well on Jewish holidays. The form in use in England contains the following passage: “Have mercy upon him; pardon all his transgressions. …Shelter his soul in the shadow of Thy wings. Make known to him the path of life.”^[1]

^[1]   One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Burrows, Winfrid Oldfield (1911). “Prayers for the Dead“. In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 262–263.

According to catholics Jesus and Peter Simultaneously Prayed to Saints and for the Dead

Tabitha was a disciple in Joppa who died. Peter prayed to her when he said “Tabitha, rise.” See Acts 9:36-41. She was dead, and he was addressing her. There is no impenetrable wall between heaven and earth.  This is not only praying to the dead, but for the dead, since the passage says that Peter “prayed” before addressing Tabitha first person. And he was praying for her to come back to life.

Our Lord Jesus does the same thing with regard to Lazarus. He prays for Lazarus (a dead man: John 11:41-42) and then speaks directly to a dead man (in effect, “praying” to him): “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43).

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/4-biblical-proofs-for-prayers-to-saints-and-for-the-dead

“And after the exhibition, Tryphaena again received her [Thecla]. For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: ‘Mother, you shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she may pray concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the righteous’” (Acts of Paul and Thecla [A.D. 160]).

“We offer sacrifices for the dead on their birthday anniversaries [the date of death—birth into eternal life]” (The Crown 3:3 [A.D. 211]).

https://www.churchfathers.org/purgatory

The first is Isaiah 8:19 (KJV):

19 ¶ And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

[Emphasis added.]

The second is 1 Corinthians 15, especially v. 19 and 29 (KJV):

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

The next would be John 5:25-29 (KJV):

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

[Emphasis added.]

There is also 1 Peter 4:6 (KJV):

6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

The last one that readily comes to mind is Romans 14:7–9 (KJV):

7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

[Emphasis added.]

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/55944/what-is-the-biblical-support-for-praying-for-the-dead

Catholic view about St. Raphael did not lie

This theory of broad mental reservation may then explain how it is that St. Raphael did not lie when he said, I am Azarias the son of the great Ananias.

There is no falsehood in this statement, since “Azarias” means “the healer of YHWH” and “Ananias” means “The goodness of YHWH” or “The grace of YHWH”. Now, the Angel was then only disguising his true name (which means “God’s healer”) and testifying that he is sent into the world by God’s goodness. Thus, he gives his name through a certain riddle – but Tobit was thereby led to believe that the Angel was only a man.

Furthermore, Raphael truly states who he appeared to be. That is, the Angel truly declares who he came as. While it would have been a lie for Raphael to say, “I am not angel but only a man”, he said no such thing. Rather, he identified himself in an obscure manner and, thereby, withheld from Tobit a truth which he had no right to know.

In the Book of Tobit, angel Raphael pretends he is Azariah, the son of Hananiah the elder. Why did the Angel lie? Isn’t it a sin to lie?

http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/03/abraham-jacob-rahab-and-judith-biblical.html?m=1

REVIEW https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1949/12/iii.-reasons-why-apocrypha-is-rejected

Judit 9.13 “Dame palabras para poder engañarlos y causarles el desastre y la muerte, pues tienen planes perversos contra tu alianza, contra el templo consagrado a ti, contra el monte Sión y contra la ciudad que es hogar y propiedad de tus hijos». Dios es la verdad, nunca justifica la mentira y menos la inspira, por lo que este texto enseña algo contrario a la Palabra de Dios.

“Josué, hijo de Nun, envió secretamente desde Sittim dos espías con esta orden: «Id y explorad el país y Jericó.» Fueron y entraron en casa de una prostituta, llamada Rajab, y durmieron allí. Se le dijo al rey de Jericó: «Mira que unos hombres israelitas han entrado aquí por la ncohe para explorar el país.» Entonces el rey de Jericó mandó decir a Rajab: «Haz salir a los hombres que han entrado donde ti – que han entrado a tu casa – porque han venido para explorar todo el país.» Pero la mujer tomó a los dos hombres y los escondió. Luego respondió: «Es verdad que esos hombres han venido a mi casa, pero yo no sabía de dónde eran. Cuando se iba a cerrar la puerta por la noche, esos hombres salieron y no sé adónde han ido. Perseguidles aprisa, que los alcanzaréis.» Pero ella los había hecho subir al terrado y los había escondido entre unos haces de lino que tenía amontanados en el terrado” Josué 2,1-6

“Del mismo modo Rajab, la prostituta, ¿no quedó justificada por las obras dando hospedaje a los mensajeros y haciéndoles marchar por otro camino?” Santiago 2,25

REVIEW https://apologeticacatolica.org/canon/Los-Deuterocanonicos-Razones-basadas-en-su-contenido-por-las-que-los-protestantes-los-rechazan/

The title “1 Maccabees” is not the original title of the work. Rather, it comes from the Septuagint, which gave it that title to distinguish it from the other books of the Maccabees. In the book itself, “Maccabee” is used solely as a personal title for Judah Maccabee (Latinized as Judas Maccabeus). Judas’s Maccabee title is generally tied to the Aramaic word maqqaba (“makebet” in modern Hebrew), “hammer” or “sledgehammer”. It is unknown how he got this epithet; most presume it was in recognition of his prowess in battle.^[14][15] The word “Maccabees” in plural, however, does not appear to have been used until centuries after the Maccabean Revolt. At first, it was used to describe the martyrs described in 2 Maccabees.

1. Tedesche & Zeitlin 1950, pp. 250–251. Zeitlin suggests it could also have been a physical characteristic, i.e. “Judah the Hammer-Headed.”
2. ^ “MACCABEES, THE – JewishEncyclopedia.com”. www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2020-11-19.

Eusebius, in his book Church History, quotes Origen of Alexandria who says the title of the work was Sarbēth Sabanaiel,^{[note 3]} an enigmatic Greek transliteration from a putative Hebrew original title.^[16][17] It is thought that the most likely parts are the Aramaic səpar (“book”), bêt (“house” or “dynasty”), and ‘ēl (“God”).^[11] Various reconstructions have been proposed for the overall phrase:

• Book of the Prince of the House of Israel, from the Hebrew שַׂר בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, Sar Beit-Yisra’el, or “Book of the Prince of the House of God” שַׂר בֵּית אֵל, Sar Beit-El.
• Book of the House of the Princes of God,^[18]
• The Book of the Dynasty of God’s Resisters (in the sense of “those who resist on God’s behalf”),^[19] perhaps from סֵפֶר בֵּית סָרְבָנֵי אֵל, Sefer Beit Sarevanei El (“Book of the House who strive for God”).
• The Book of the House of the Hasmoneans (or simply The Book of the Hasmoneans)^[20][21]

^{[note 3]}Ancient Greek: Σαρβηθσαβαναιελ, romanized: Sarbēthsabanaiel. Variants include Σαρβηθ Σα[ρ]βαναι ελ, Sarbēth Sa[r]banai El, and Σαρβηθ Σα[ρ]βανέελ, Sarbēth Sa[r]baneel

^[11]Schwartz 2022, Title, Major Theme, and Structure.

1. Eusebius (1955) [4th century]. “Book 6, Chapter 25”. Ecclesiastical History. The Fathers of the Church. Vol. 29. Translated by Deferrari, Roy J. New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc. p. 48. And besides these [books] there are the Maccabees, which are entitled Sarbēth Sabanaiel.
2. ^ See: Darshan, Guy, “The Original Language of 1 Maccabees: A Reexamination,” Biblische Notizen (Neue Folge) 182 (2019), 91–110, esp. 92–94.
3. ^ The Interpreter’s dictionary of the Bible, by William H. Brownlee (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), III, 203.
4. ^ Goldstein 1976, pp. 414–415.
5. ^ Gustaf Dalman, Grammatik des Jüdisch-Palästinischen Aramäisch, section 6
6. ^ Tedesche & Zeitlin 1950, pp. 48–49.

The Books of the Maccabees or the Sefer HaMakabim (the Book of the Maccabees) recount the history of the Maccabees, the leaders of the Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid dynasty.

• 3 Maccabees, a Greek narrative that professes to contain a historical account of Egyptian Jews being delivered from their impending martyrdom at the hands of Ptolemy IV Philopator^[1] in the 3rd century BC.^[2]
• 4 Maccabees, a Greek philosophic discourse that praises the supremacy of reason over passion, using the Maccabean martyrs as examples.^[2]
• 5 Maccabees, an Arabic text which offers an account of the history of the Maccabees from 186 BC to 6 BC. The same title is occasionally ascribed to a Syriac version of the 6th book of Josephus‘ The Jewish War.^[2][3]
• 6 Maccabees, a Syriac poem that possibly shared a lost source with 4 Maccabees.^[3]
• 7 Maccabees, a Syriac text which contains transcripts of speeches which were made by the Maccabean Martyrs and their mother.^[3]

1. Fairweather, William (1911). “Maccabees, Books of” . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 198.
2. ^ Jump up to:^a b c “Maccabees, Books of, 3-5.”. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 May 2013 – via BibleStudyTools.com.
3. ^ Jump up to:^a b c d Davila, James R. “The More Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Project” (PDF). University of St. Andrews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.

Multiple references to Hanukkah are also made in the Mishna (Bikkurim 1:6, Rosh HaShanah 1:3, Taanit 2:10, Megillah 3:4 and 3:6, Moed Katan 3:9, and Bava Kama 6:6), though specific laws are not described. The miracle of the one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days is first described in the Talmud, committed to writing about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees.^[37]

^[37] Dolanksy, Shawna (23 December 2011). “The Truth(s) About Hanukkah”. Huffington Post.

The New Testament mentions Jesus visiting the temple during Hanukkah (John 10:22-23).

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