Judas and his forces were successful is driving out Antiochus’ forces from Jerusalem. He was also able to restore the Temple for proper worship of God. What we don’t know is the response to these events. That’s what we find out today.
Read 1 Maccabees 5:1-8
The Edomites were the descendants of Esau. They are also known as Idumeans. According to the Jewish book of Jubilees (Jubilees 37-38), Esau’s sons were angry with Esau for reconciling with his brother Jacob (Genesis 35). When 1st Maccabees describes the Israelites (or Judeans) as “sons of Jacob” and the Edomites (Idumeans) as “sons of Esau,” it taps into the cause of the traditional dislike between the two peoples to help have a fuller picture of what takes place.
The “sons of Baean” were named after a town in Moab, which was mentioned in Numbers 32:3 (the Septuagint’s name for the 
town). During the conquest of Israel, Joshua warned that the Israelites were not to join with the nations around them for that would be a snare and a trap (Joshua 23:11-13). We see elsewhere that the daughters of Moab had helped lead Israel astray (Numbers 25:1-3, Psalm 106:28-39).
– Who was attacked in response to the Temple being rededicated?
– What type of attacks were these?
Judas leads his troops in a counterclockwise direction, going from Jerusalem into Idumea, from there into Moab, followed by Ammon.
Read 1 Maccabees 5:9-15
– Judas gets word of Gentile attacks in other locations. Where are these attacks in relation to the ones he had just dealt with?
Read 1 Maccabees 5:16-23
– How does Judas decide to deal with the persecution of the Jews in the north?
– Why do you think he told the Jews in Jerusalem “not to engage in battle with the Gentiles until he returns”?
– What happened to some of the Jewish population that is dispersed throughout the region?
Read 1 Maccabees 5:24-36
The Nabateans were nomadic traders based east of the Sea of Galilee. That is where the battles take place.
– What does Judas find out from the Nabateans?
– Because of new intelligence, what is Judas able to do?
– What reputation do you suppose Judas and his army have?
NT Tie-In:
Read Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus tells a parable of a wedding feast, tying into the prophetic imagery of Isaiah 25:6-9. In Matthew 22:6, the citizens of the city rebelled, seized the king’s servants, “treated them shamefully, and killed them.” The king then became angry and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
These actions of the king in the parable would not have seemed strange. The listeners of Jesus’ parable could easily relate to the parable because they knew of such accounts in the Old Testament, including this one in 1st Maccabees.
Read 1 Maccabees 5:37-44
Carnaim is about 20 miles directly east of the Sea of Galilee.
– What is Timothy trying to gauge by Judas and his forces crossing the river?
– After Judas and his army crosses, what happens? Why do you think this happened?
Read 1 Maccabees 1:45-54
– What does Judas do again for many of the Israelites living in Gentile areas?
– What happens when the Israelites want to pass through Ephron?
Read 1 Maccabees 5:55-62
– What did some Israelites decide to do after hearing of Judas’ victories?
– What was their fate?
– How does this account let us know that 1 Maccabees is not simply a Jewish hagiography?
Read 1 Maccabees 5:63-68
– What happens in this account?
– We see two general developments taking place:
- What is happening to the strength of the Gentiles?
- What is happening to much of the Jewish population?
