10 The people of Jerusalem and of Judea and the senate and Judas, To Aristobulus, who is of the family of the anointed priests, teacher of King Ptolemy, and to the Jews in Egypt, Greetings and good health. 11 Having been saved by God out of grave dangers we thank him greatly for taking our side against the king, 12 for he drove out those who fought against the holy city. 13 When the leader reached Persia with a force that seemed irresistible, they were cut to pieces in the temple of Nanea by a deception employed by the priests of the goddess Nanea. 14 On the pretext of intending to marry her, Antiochus came to the place together with his Friends, to secure most of its treasures as a dowry. 15 When the priests of the temple of Nanea had set out the treasures and Antiochus had come with a few men inside the wall of the sacred precinct, they closed the temple as soon as he entered it. 16 Opening a secret door in the ceiling, they threw stones and struck down the leader and his men; they dismembered them and cut off their heads and threw them to the people outside. 17 Blessed in every way be our God, who has brought judgment on those who have behaved impiously. 18 Since on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev we shall celebrate the purification of the temple, we thought it necessary to notify you, in order that you also may celebrate the festival of booths and the festival of the fire given when Nehemiah, who built the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices. (NRSV)
The letter will continue through 2:18. Although described by editors as “the Second Letter,” it is presented here as an earlier document, and will present traditions (perhaps we should say legends) about Nehemiah and Jeremiah and the festival of Hanukkah. Aristobulus (1:10) was the author of a famous allegorical interpretation of the Pentateuch. He "seems to have introduced the allegorical method to the study of the Torah."¹
The basic elements of this story are political: King Antiochus of Syria The goddess Nanea mentioned was an earlier pagan deity whose worship became mixed together with Artemis/Isis/Venus (cp. Acts 19:23-41). 2 Maccabees is criticized by all other sources for presenting an account here of the death of Antiochus IV which is incompatible with all other records. He did die at this time, but he fell ill in another city in this area and probably died in bed. The incident, incidentally, took place in Elam (Elemis) between Persia and Babylon. The chief city was Susa, the place where the prophet Nehemiah was stationed until his departure for Israel (Neh. 1:1).
Coin of Antiochus IV with Apollo (seated) on the reverse.The Greek ANTIOXOY (Antiochus) can be read on the far right.
Amazingly, 2 Maccabees 9:1-29 gives yet another version of Antiochus' death, this time making him die of an incurable disease at Ecbatana.
In the last verse of this section (really the beginning of the next paragraph), the author invokes the name of Nehemiah. Nehemiah himself never offered a sacrifice (he was not a priest) but he was responsible for the reforms that set the pattern for Israel from the return from Babylon until this, the time of the Maccabees.
The author is careful to give God credit for what had happened. For this we would agree: God is the one who deserves all our praise. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16).
¹ "The Bible Through the Ages," Lecture given at a Pastor's Institute at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary by Prof. Richard Balge, fall 1974.
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