Maccabees

Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. It is roughly equivalent to Purim in significance, and you won't find many non-Jews who have even heard of Purim! Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of Maccabees, which Jews do not accept as scripture. The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a chanukkiah) that holds nine…

The Jews were suffering much affliction and could no longer bear it. In 167 BC, a rebellion started by a rural Jewish priest named Mattathias who led a guerrilla warfare that later continued under his son Judas, known as Maccabeus. The Maccabees forces destroyed pagan altars, outlawed all decrees against Jewish practices and gained notoriety among the Seleucid army. When they had finally gained victory, Judas dedicated the temple to the worship of God on 25 Chislev 165 BC. As Fudge would…

(Ancient Jewish History). Judaism known to belief in a single powerful god, was led by Abraham who started his teachings in Jerusalem. A Jewish historian known as Josephus completed his writings in early 80 CE that the Jewish history rose from the Maccabees to the…

A Look into the Noachide Laws and Differing Views Do the Apostles and the Jerusalem Council separate Jews and Gentiles? Countless opinions have echoed around the halls of Judaism and Christianity, views concerning the significance of Torah observation in the lives of Gentiles. Dr. Shaye J.D. Cohen, rabbi and professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy at Harvard University, provides his opinion on the relevance of Torah observance and Gentiles of the First Century. He states that…

As the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches dominate the religious beliefs of today, their beginnings were set in an important period and they were both powerful and accomplished. Society between these two, was supported by their community. Respectably, society in these churches are comprised of their beliefs, services, government, literature, icons, and clergy. As religion is at the center of every community, the Catholic and Orthodox churches held fast to their beliefs. Roman Catholics and…

author explains that because he was good, the soul came into a body undefiled. This is a direct contradiction with the biblical view in Psalms that the human souls is formed at conception. Another contradiction within the Apocrypha is within the Maccabees. Concerning the death of Antiochus Epiphanies, 1 Maccabee states that he is cut to pieces by Nanaea’s priests while in 2 Maccabee states he ended his own life because of a sickness. The error of these two books demonstrate that such an…

The men and women I saw at St. Brendan Catholic church were from a diverse race. I saw a mixture of White, Black, Asian and Hispanic. The majority of the members seemed Asian. This made me realized that it was likely for an English church to have a diverse population than a non-English church because the English Language was common. In my Church, the services are in Spanish only which attracts mostly Hispanic people from central America, and Mexico. In St. Brendan church I saw how well the…

Ancient Greece Periods that Affected People and Philosophical Views In Ancient Greece, there were two completely different periods, the Hellenic and the Hellenistic periods. There was also the evolution from monarchy to democracy in Athens and a military focus in Sparta. Athens may have been considered better off because they were seen as valuing democracy, having wisdom, beauty, and physical excellence. But the Spartans man and women had to be tough and a defender. They valued courageousness.…

The Salvation History describes God’s plan of salvation that is narrated in the canonical Scriptures. To better understand the history of salvation, the Scripture can be categorized into eight units: each unit is filled with experiences of faith that transmit God’s saving plan. The first part of the Sacred Scripture is a figurative and theological narration of the first events of existence. It narrates how God created everything. Moreover, it describes God’s creation as perfect, and orderly. He…

Jewish-Roman revolts occurred throughout the long period of Roman occupation across the Eastern Mediterranean, which included parts of modern Southeast Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. However, arguably the most contentious period between Romans and their Jewish subjects occurred during the first and second centuries CE and settled significantly shortly after the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE. Scholarly arguments of the causes of the Jewish-Roman revolts are as abundant as the many…