Trying to save costs in running the Empire and keep an army personally loyal to him, Demetrius made much of his army redundant. This backfired in a way he did not expect. Jonathan came to his aid and slaughtered many in Antioch to keep him in power.
However, Demetrius did not show loyalty or gratitude to Jonathan for this. This is where we finished last week.
Antiochus VI, son of Alexander
We now meet another Antiochus who will become king. But as he is still a young child (perhaps, not much older than a toddler), the Empire will only be ruled in his name.
Read 1 Maccabees 11:54-59
Verse 55 tells us that Demetrius “fled and was routed.” This original Greek says that he “was sent to the crows,” giving us some idea how badly he was trounced.
– What is Jonathan’s position in this new kingship?
– Ironically, although not forced to become Greek in language and culture, how is Judea involved in the Seleucid Empire in a way the “lawless” would have earlier desired?
Read 1 Maccabees 11:60-62
– What is Jonathan no actively doing against Demetrius?
– Why do you think he is so is active supporting Antiochus?
Read 1 Maccabees 11:63-74
– Where does Simon and his troops fight? Where does Jonathan go?
– What happens when Demetrius’ forces, who are in hiding, surprise Jonathan and his troops?
– Despite panicking and fleeing, what is Jonathan finally able to do?
Read 1 Maccabees 12:1-4
– With whom does Jonathan renew relations? Discuss.
– Who is newly mentioned (at least in 1st Maccabees)?
Read 1 Maccabees 12:5-23
The Jewish ambassadors to Rome were to stop at Sparta on the way back home. Although the Spartans were no longer known for their military prowess as in years past, they became important in the 1st century BC. In 146 BC, the Romans defeated the Greeks who were part of the Achaean League, gaining them a foothold in Greece. Sparta, however, was not part of the league and so their independence allowed them to play a role on the world’s stage, in some small way, apart from Rome.
The previous alliance to which this letter testified was based on a letter sent from Arius, the king of Sparta (from 309 to 265 BC) to Onias I, the Jewish High Priest around 300 BC. The recognition that the Spartans and Jews are “brothers” goes back to the royal family line in Sparta originating from Egypt, in this case the Land of Goshen within Egypt, who then came to Sparta. If this is true, then it happened around the time Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.
1 Maccabees 12:9: Here we begin to see the collection of “holy books” being referred to what would later become part of the Old Testament. What these “holy books” were varied based on the sect of Judaism to which one belonged. In the 2nd Century AD, the Pharisees (the only sect of Judaism that survived the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD) listed their “holy books,” after removing what would later be called the Apocrypha (or Deuterocanon or Anagignoskomena). For the Christian Church, through her councils, the collection of Old-Testament Scripture would be listed and named at the Third Council of Carthage in 397 AD. That council listed the books of both the Old and New Testaments.
NT Tie-In: In Romans 15:4, Paul said: “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” When Paul wrote those words, he was reflecting what he had also been taught as a Pharisee from 1st Maccabees 12:9: “We have as our encouragement the holy books that are in our hands.”
Read 1 Maccabees 12:24-32
Hamath was north, near the Sea of Galilee. The Zabadeans lived about 30 miles northwest of Damascus.
– Whom does Jonathan now confront to prevent an incursion into Judea?
– How was he able to foil this attack without even fighting?
– Who then gets the brunt of his forces?
Read 1 Maccabees 12:33-35
Askalon and Joppa are in the coastal areas west of Jerusalem.
– What does Simon do after he takes control of the garrisons? (vs. 35)
Read 1 Maccabees 12:35-38
– What does Jonathan do in Jerusalem?
– Based on what both Jonathan and Simon do, what are they systematically trying to do for Judea?
Read 1 Maccabees 12:39-45
– With Antiochus still as a boy king, who is the real power behind the throne?
– What does he want to do?
– How does he choose to deceive Jonathan?
Read 1 Maccabees 12:46-52
– Is Jonathan deceived?
– What then happens?
Read 1 Maccabees 12:53
– What do the surrounding nations now want to do with Judea?
– Discuss why you think they may have had such a view.
Click here to go to Lesson 13.
