10.14.25 | Bible Terms | Persistent Widow | Maccabees

Capture the Bible Study recording from Tuesday here.

Opening Prayer:  

O LORD

Thank you for your promise that where two or three of us are gathered in your name, You are there. 

So Lord, we have ten times that - 20-30 – please multiply our graces accordingly!

Open our minds tonight so that we may understand your Word and gain Wisdom.

        Let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts so we may raise up our family/loved ones and change our lives from this day forward!

And as you taught us to pray together…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. 

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread, 

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen!

Quote of the Week: Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. – CS Lewis, “Mere Christianity”.

TODAY:

• Reflection – terms for inclusion in the Bible:  Protocanonical, Deuterocanonical, Apocrypha

• Gospel Reading for 29th Sun, 10/19: Parable of the Persistent Widow & the Unrighteous Judge – Luke 18:1-8

• Bible Timeline:  Intro to 1 & 2 Maccabees and the Maccabean Revolt 

REFLECTION – Books in Old Testament

The Catholic Church uses several terms to refer to books that qualify or didn’t qualify for inclusion in the Old Testament.  

What are the “Protocanonical” books in the OT?

Protocanonical refers to the Old Testament books of the Bible that were in Hebrew and the first approved canon. Protocanonical comes from the Greek proto (“first”). 

What are the “Deuterocanonical” books in the OT?

Deuterocanonical refers to the Old Testament books that were the second group approved to be part of the canon. They were not part of the original Hebrew but were recognized by the Church as divinely inspired Scripture. They belong to the same level as the “protocanonical” books and are read in the liturgy, taught in catechesis, and used in the formation of faith. Deutero is Greek for “second.” 

What are the Deuterocanonical books

There are seven: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees. 

What is Apocryphal? 

The term apocryphal in Catholic teaching refers to writings that are not part of the canon of Sacred Scripture. They are considered “uncanonical” – they were never accepted by the Church as divinely inspired and therefore do not carry the authority of the Word of God for doctrine, liturgy, or the sacraments.

Examples:

• Most people aren’t aware that there is a III and IV Maccabees, but that’s because they are considered apocryphal (noncanonical – not in the Bible). The reason is that they were composed 100-200 years after the Maccabean Revolt and did not deal with the revolt or the Maccabees. They are considered valuable historical or moral literature, but they do not carry the authority of divine revelation. 

• Jubilees, Book of Enoch, and Baruch 2. Again, questionable authorship, questionable content, not inspired.  

• The Protestants consider the 7 Catholic deuterocanonical books to be “apocryphal.” 

A Protestant post

Maccabees was never apocryphal. It has always been deuterocanonical. 

Gospel Reading: Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unrighteous Judge – Luke 18:1-8

Context

Luke often gives us a context to his parables. For example, he tells us up front - not to lose heart when we pray. So we know that the thrust of Jesus’ parable is about the importance of persistence in prayer.  

The actual Greek for “do not lose heart” is actually a little more severe – don’t despair. Another description says: “Do not be discouraged when you are in a bad way, when your heart is sinking, and you don't seem to be getting answers.”

That makes this a relevant parable for everyone, for don’t we all despair at times?

Parable of the Widow and the Unrighteous Judge – Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 

He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded human beings.

And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"

The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.

But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Exegesis (Interpretation/Explanation)

As often happens in Luke, he shares what the parable is about at the very beginning. 

Jesus told his disciples a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 

Last week’s teaching was about increasing one’s faith. This week, it’s about increasing one’s perseverance. It’s about not getting discouraged if God’s response doesn’t come when we want it, especially we are in difficult times. 

We have two main characters – the widow and the judge. It says the judge neither fears God nor respects man. 

What does it mean for this judge to not fear God? 

In the context of those times, to not fear God meant he didn't keep the commandments.

What does it mean for this judge to not respect man? 

It means he does not care about his neighbor. 

So here we have somebody who doesn't love God or neighbor, so he is violating two of the most important tenets of the Mosaic Law. You can see why he is called unrighteous. 

Next, we have a persistent widow who keeps coming to the judge saying, "vindicate me!" What does that mean? 

     In first century legal terms, she is saying to please render her a just verdict against some accuser. Someone in the community had either accused her of something or was persecuting her and she is calling on the judge to do justice. 

Keep in mind that widows had little support and few rights and an accusation by a person with standing in the community could be devastating. 

And what does the judge do? 

He doesn't care about some widow’s insignificant complaint given his usual agenda of highly important matters. 

There is another problem for the judge in this Jewish social setting regarding God’s teachings throughout the entire Old Testament. God is consistent about the care of what 3 groups of people?  

Widows, orphans and strangers (non-Jews/foreigners). 

What is being contrasted in the parable?  

Jesus is contrasting the persistent widow petitioning a judge and a Christian petitioning God in prayer. 

What is the reason God will answer the prayers of one who is as persistent as the widow in His story?

To make this connection, it helps if you change the word persist to pray. The widow’s persistence is prayer. The persistence of the widow’s petitioning the judge got results in the same way the Christian’s persistence in petitioning God in prayer will get results, not because God finds the Christian irritating like the judge found the widow, but because God will reward a Christian’s faithfulness that is necessary in persistence. One cannot persist without faith. 

But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

Jesus ends his teaching on the perseverance of prayer with the warning to remain firm in one’s faith. This will also be the crux of the problem facing mankind when Jesus comes the second time. 

Again, Jesus is connecting persistence in prayer with faith. They are two sides of the same coin. If you have faith in God you will go to Him in prayer: “If you pray, you strengthen your faith in God.”

One of the lessons is that faith is not built up by getting quick fixes to our every desire and request. If we received instant gratification each time, would we need faith?  Faith is believing in God even when the chips are down. It’s not any different in human relationships. If we gave up on the people in our lives quickly when we didn’t see the results we expected, we wouldn’t have any friends left, or loved ones for that matter. Yet, showing faith in them not only strengthens the relationship, it strengthens the other person. 

Faith is important in all relationships, and yet we know humans fail. God doesn’t fail. We might fail; we might be flawed in what we are asking; we may need something different than we think; but God doesn’t fail. 

Jesus’ comment about faith at his Second Coming sounds ominous. Is something bad going to happen? 

When Jesus comes again, faith will be failing on earth. Not everyone, but many. This sad time is called the “Great Apostasy.” (Mt. 25:12, 2 Thes 2:1-12). This is not just held by Christians but has long been a Jewish belief. 

Bible Timeline

Maccabean Revolt

167 BC-142 BC

                               10,000-50,000 BC      3000 BC              2000 BC                   1400 BC        1000 BC             30 AD

Timeline

Empires                                                                                         Hellenistic Period

Babylonian Empire                     Persian Empire                           Greek Conquest       Seleucid Rule                      Roman Empire

626-539 BC                              539-330 BC                                     330 BC                   200 BC                        63BC🡪 476AD

Israel

   610 BC                538 BC 515 BC           440 BC                                   175-147 BC          110-63 BC           63 BC

Jerusalem falls       Exile ends        2nd Temple    Last prophet                           Maccabean Revolt      Israel                Roman

Babylonian Exile    Jews return       is rebuilt        Malachi                           1&2 Maccabean        Independence      control begins      to Jerusalem

Israel Independence Periods

     500 years     370 years         77 years       

  1100 – 900 BC   900-722 BC                900-600 BC          330-63 BC                   63 BC-70 AD           1948-present

  United Kingdom    Northern Kingdom   Southern Kingdom  Hasmonaean Dynasty           Israel   

Saul, David, Solomon    Maccabees🡪 Herod       Roman Client

 (semi-autonomous)

“Palestine”

   Minus 30 years (198-168BC Seleucid control)

Next up:  1 & 2 Maccabees, the Maccabean Revolt against the Greeks/Seleucids

1 & 2 Maccabees

Introduction 

In 333, Alexander the Great (Greece) conquered the Persians and gained control of Israel. Alexander died 10 years later and his empire was divided up by his generals. The control of Israel came under Ptolemy, which continued a peaceful period for the Jews who were allowed to continue their worship and lives. 

One of Alexander’s other generals, Seleucus, successfully took Israel and Egypt from Ptolemy’s empire around 198 BC.  The infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes took over the Seleucid kingdom in 175 BC and decided it was time to bring Israel to its knees. Antiochus forced Hellenization on Judea, outlawed circumcision and Sabbath observances, desecrated the Second Temple by establishing an altar to Zeus in the Temple on which he sacrificed a pig, a move that became known as the "Abomination of Desolation." 

1 & 2 Maccabees is about Israel’s rebellion against the Seleucids. 

Some of the Jews succumbed and gave into Seleucid pressure, forsaking the Torah and the covenant, while others, led by Maccabees, revolted against them, eventually taking back the Temple and rededicating it to God’s service. Still others laid down their lives in martyrdom, offering themselves as a witness and sacrifice that cried out to heaven for God’s mercy. 

1st Maccabees presents a concise, Old Testament-style history of the Jewish struggle for religious and political liberty from about 175 BC to 135 BC. The story begins with the transition from Persian to Greek and then Seleucid rule, the revolt sparked by Mattathias and continued by his son Judas Maccabeus; it then follows the leadership of brothers Jonathan and Simon, ending with the accession of John Hyrcanus. The narrative emphasizes faithful obedience to the Law, the rededication of the Temple (after Seleucid desecration) and the restoration of the sanctuary – events celebrated today as the “Feast of the Dedication,” better known as Hanukkah. 

John’s Gospel reports that Jesus was in Jerusalem “at the Feast of the Dedication” teaching in the temple:

  “Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple court…” – John 10:22. 

This passage tells us that Jesus and the Apostles also read Maccabees, since this is the only reference in the entire Old Testament to the Feast of the Dedication (Hannukah), which the Jews celebrate today. 

The Jews did not accept 1 & 2 Maccabees in their Bible, but they celebrate Hanukkah. Where else would they have gotten this holiday? 

Knowledgeable Jews will often say that it was recorded in the Mishnah, which for the Jews is like our Catechism of the Catholic Church. However, when I looked that up, the Feast of the Dedication was not entered into the Mishnah until around 100 AD, which is about the time they rejected Maccabees from their canon.  

2nd Maccabees was originally divided into five books and gives a detailed account of the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator. So 2 Maccabees is not a separate set of historical events but a deeper dive into the events of 1 Maccabees, particularly the first seven chapters. 

The five sections of 2 Maccabees:

1. The origins of the persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, including the outlawing of the Jewish law and the desecration of the Temple.

2. The martyrdom of the “seven brothers” and other early witnesses to the faith.

3. The rise of the Maccabean leaders—Judas Maccabeus, his brothers, and their guerrilla warfare.

4. The rededication of the Temple (the origin of the feast of the Dedication, later called Hanukkah).

5. The aftermath of the revolt, including the establishment of a semi‑independent Jewish state under the Hasmonean dynasty.

Both 1 & 2 Maccabees portray Judas Maccabeus as a heroic, lion-like leader who “extended the glory of his people,” fought valiantly against foreign armies, and inspired the nation to fast, pray, and defend the sanctuary. Their themes of courage, fidelity to covenant, and divine assistance continue to inspire Catholic reflection on the cost of discipleship and the triumph of faith over oppression. 

The rebellion started as a guerrilla movement in the Judean countryside, raiding towns and terrorizing Greek officials far from direct Seleucid control, but it eventually developed a proper army capable of attacking the fortified Seleucid cities. 

In 164 BCE, the Maccabees captured Jerusalem, a significant early victory. The subsequent cleansing of the temple and rededication of the altar on 25 Kislev is the source of the festival of Hanukkah. The Seleucids eventually relented and unbanned Judaism, but the more radical Maccabees, not content with merely reestablishing Jewish practices under Seleucid rule, continued to fight, pushing for a direct break with the Seleucids. 

Judas Maccabeus died in battle in 160 CE and the Seleucids reestablished control for a time, but remnants of the Maccabees under Judas’s brother Jonathan Apphus continued to resist from the countryside. Eventually, internal division among the Seleucids and problems elsewhere in their empire would give the Maccabees their chance for proper independence. 

In 141 BCE, Simon Thassi succeeded in expelling the Greeks from their citadel in Jerusalem. An alliance with the Roman Republic helped guarantee their independence. Simon would go on to establish an independent Hasmonean kingdom.

Key Dates and Events

• 175 BC: Antiochus IV Epiphanes begins a policy of forcefully Hellenizing Jewish life, leading to the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple and the outlawing of Jewish religious practices. 

• 167 BC: The Maccabean Revolt begins when Mattathias refuses to offer sacrifice to pagan gods and kills a Greek official. 

• 166-160 BC: Judas Maccabeus leads the Jewish forces to guerrilla warfare victories against the Seleucid army. 

• 165 BC: The Maccabees win a significant victory at the Battle of Emmaus. 

• 164 BC: The Maccabees recapture Jerusalem and reconsecrate the Temple, an event still celebrated today as Hanukkah. 

• 160 BC: Judas Maccabeus is killed in battle, but his brother Jonathan Maccabeus continues the fight. 

• 143 BC: Jonathan Maccabeus is captured and executed by the Seleucids. 

• 142 BC: Simon Maccabeus negotiates the independence of Judaea, establishing the Hasmonean Dynasty and becoming the first ruler of the independent Jewish state. 

• 135 BC: Simon Maccabeus is murdered, and his son John Hyrcanus becomes the new ruler. 

• 134 BC: The Hasmonean kingdom continues to consolidate its power and expand. 

• ~110-63 BC: The Hasmonean Dynasty gains more autonomy as the Seleucid Empire weakens. 

• 63 BC: The Roman general Pompey invades Jerusalem, ending the period of Jewish independence and making Judaea a Roman vassal state. 

It will be important to understand the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty since they will rule until the Romans take over and install Herod as king. It will also be important to understand how the Maccabees mishandled the reinstallation of the Jewish Temple leadership, causing many of the priests to flee Jerusalem and set up a community at Qumran. They were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah and are now called the Essenes. 

Theological Themes in Maccabees:

Resurrection of the Dead – The book is one of the earliest Jewish sources that openly teaches the hope of bodily resurrection. 2 Maccabees 7:9 declares the “sure hope of the martyrs’ rising ‘for eternal life’” and 12:44-46 explains that praying for the dead presupposes that they will rise again. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the “doctrine of the resurrection of the dead” is a prominent feature of the work. 

Prayers for the Dead and Purgatory – Judas collects money for a sin-offering for the fallen soldiers, “thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection” (12:44-45). This act is interpreted by the Church as the biblical foundation for prayers for the dead and the doctrine of purgatory, expressing the communion of saints. 

Divine Justice and Mercy – The narrative repeatedly shows God’s role as a “righteous judge” who reveals hidden sins and rewards the faithful (12:41-42). The text presents divine providence as both punitive toward idolatry and merciful toward repentance, a theme highlighted in the Catholic Encyclopedia’s description of “supernatural intervention in favor of the Jews”. 

Sanctity of the Temple – The central purpose of the Maccabean revolt is the rededication and protection of the “great and holy temple,” underscoring the temple’s role as the locus of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. 

Martyrdom and Faithful Witness – The book glorifies those who die for the Law, presenting martyrdom as a means of attaining “eternal life” and inspiring the community to remain steadfast in the covenant. 

These themes together shape a theological vision that links historical struggle with enduring doctrines of resurrection, the after-life, and the communal responsibility to pray for one another. 

Next: The mother and her 7 children, victory, establishment of the Dedication/Hannukah, The Essenes. 

Closing Prayer

Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit

you have taught the hearts of your faithful.

In the same Spirit, help us to relish what is right

and always rejoice in your consolation.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hail Mary

Full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, 

pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  

Amen.