3 Maccabees

The third book of the Maccabees is an apocryphal book of the Old Testament, which was probably written in Greek in the first century BC. In most Orthodox churches, it is recognized as part of the Bible, but not in the Western churches.

Formation

The book takes on the Maccabees unrelated. The title received the Scripture because they borrow its own representation of the schema of the 1st and 2nd Maccabees, and, like them - in contrast to all other Old Testament writings - during the time of Greek supremacy plays over the eastern Mediterranean. It is reported from the oppression of the Jewish faith and rite by the Hellenists, as well as a salvation through the intervention of God. The book describes this way of laying events that should have occurred a few decades before the revolt of the Maccabees. It is similar to the stories in the book of Esther and the Book of Judith. The book has been prepared by an Orthodox Jew in Alexandria in the 1st century BC.

Content

Ptolemy IV, the ruler of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt is full of anger that he the temple in Jerusalem after his victory over Antiochus III. not been allowed to enter ( 1.1 to 2.24 ). Therefore, he tries the Jewish colony in Alexandria to the cult of Dionysus, and thus to persuade them to apostasy. Since he can not convert the Jews, he will finally be trampled by elephants made ​​drunk. Three times but herded into the arena Jews will be saved by God's providence ( 2.25 to 6.22 ). The king is ultimately converted by celestial phenomena and their protector. He organized a seven-day feast for the Jews, granted them a letter of protection and allows them the killing of the cult of Dionysus apostate Jews ( 6.22 to 7.23 ).

Theological classification

The historical credibility of the book is widely doubted. Perhaps an incident served during the reign of the later ruler Ptolemy VII as a template. According to Josephus, this elephant was going on Alexandrian Jews; However, the elephants turned against the king's servants.

Noteworthy is the strong satirical representation of the pagan malefactor; it appears as an initially frightening, but at the same time most ridiculous, fluctuating and uncontrolled form.

The book probably served as a legend today unknown Feast of Egyptian Jews.

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