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1 Maccabees 10

Jonathan Becomes High Priest.

1In the one hundred and sixtieth year,^* Alexander Epiphanes, son of Antiochus, came up and took Ptolemais. They accepted him as king and he began to reign there.

2When King Demetrius heard of it, he mustered a very large army and marched out to engage him in battle.

3Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan written in peaceful terms, to exalt him;

4for he said: “Let us be the first to make peace with him, before he makes peace with Alexander against us,

5since he will remember all the wrongs we have done to him, his brothers, and his nation.”

6So Demetrius authorized him to gather an army and procure arms as his ally; and he ordered that the hostages in the citadel be released to him.

7Accordingly Jonathan went to Jerusalem and read the letter to all the people and to those who were in the citadel.

8They were struck with fear when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather an army.

9Those in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he gave them back to their parents.^a

10Thereafter Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build and restore the city.

11He ordered those doing the work to build the walls and to encircle Mount Zion with square stones for its fortification, and they did so.

12The foreigners in the strongholds that Bacchides had built took flight;

13all of them left their places and returned to their own lands.

14Only in Beth-zur did some remain of those who had abandoned the law and the commandments, for it was a place of refuge.

15King Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had made to Jonathan; he was also told of the battles and brave deeds of Jonathan and his brothers and of the troubles that they had endured.

16He said, “Shall we ever find another man like him? Let us now make him our friend and ally.”

17So he sent Jonathan a letter written in these terms:

18“King Alexander sends greetings to his brother Jonathan.

19We have heard of you, that you are a mighty warrior and worthy to be our friend.

20We have therefore appointed you today to be high priest of your nation; you are to be called the King’s Friend, and you are to look after our interests and preserve friendship with us.” He also sent him a purple robe and a crown of gold.^b

21Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year at the feast of Booths,^* and he gathered an army and procured many weapons.

A Letter from Demetrius to Jonathan.

22When Demetrius heard of these things, he was distressed and said:

23“Why have we allowed Alexander to get ahead of us by gaining the friendship of the Jews and thus strengthening himself?

24I too will write them encouraging words and offer honors and gifts, so that they may support me.”

25So he sent them this message: “King Demetrius sends greetings to the Jewish nation.

26We have heard how you have kept the treaty with us and continued in our friendship and not gone over to our enemies, and we are glad.

27Continue, therefore, to keep faith with us, and we will reward you with favors in return for what you do in our behalf.

28We will grant you many exemptions and will bestow gifts on you.

29^c “I now free you and exempt all the Jews from the tribute, the salt tax, and the crown levies.

30Instead of collecting the third of the grain and the half of the fruit of the trees that should be my share, I renounce the right from this day forward. Neither now nor in the future will I collect them from the land of Judah or from the three districts annexed from Samaria.^*

31Let Jerusalem and her territory, her tithes and her tolls, be sacred and free from tax.

32I also yield my authority over the citadel in Jerusalem, and I transfer it to the high priest, that he may put in it such men as he shall choose to guard it.

33Every Jew who has been carried into captivity from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom I set at liberty without ransom; and let all their taxes, even those on their cattle, be canceled.

34Let all feast days, sabbaths, new moon festivals, appointed days, and the three days that precede each feast day, and the three days that follow, be days of immunity and exemption for all Jews in my kingdom.

35No one will have authority to exact payment from them or to harass any of them in any matter.

36“Let thirty thousand Jews be enrolled in the king’s army and allowances be given them, as is due to all the king’s soldiers.

37Let some of them be stationed in the king’s principal strongholds, and of these let some be given positions of trust in the affairs of the kingdom. Let their superiors and their rulers be chosen from among them, and let them follow their own laws, as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.

38“Let the three districts that have been added to Judea from the province of Samaria be annexed to Judea so that they may be under one rule and obey no other authority than the high priest.

39Ptolemais and its confines I give as a present to the sanctuary in Jerusalem for the necessary expenses of the sanctuary.

40I make a yearly personal grant of fifteen thousand silver shekels out of the royal revenues, taken from appropriate places.

41All the additional funds that the officials did not hand over as they had done in the first years shall henceforth be handed over for the services of the temple.

42Moreover, the dues of five thousand silver shekels that used to be taken from the revenue of the sanctuary every year shall be canceled, since these funds belong to the priests who perform the services.

43All who take refuge in the temple of Jerusalem or in any of its precincts, because of money they owe the king, or because of any other debt, shall be released, together with all the goods they possess in my kingdom.

44The cost of rebuilding and restoring the structures of the sanctuary shall be covered out of the royal revenue.

45Likewise the cost of building the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it all around, and of building walls in Judea, shall be donated from the royal revenue.”

46When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they neither believed nor accepted them, for they remembered the great evil that Demetrius had done in Israel, and the great tribulation he had brought upon them.

47They therefore decided in favor of Alexander, for he had been the first to address them peaceably, and they remained his allies for the rest of his life.

48Then King Alexander gathered together a large army and encamped opposite Demetrius.

49The two kings joined battle, and when the army of Demetrius fled, Alexander pursued him, and overpowered his soldiers.

50He pressed the battle hard until sunset, and Demetrius fell that day.

Treaty of Ptolemy and Alexander.

51Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, with this message:

52“Now that I have returned to my realm, taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors, and established my rule by crushing Demetrius and gaining control of my country—

53for I engaged him in battle, he and his army were crushed by us, and we assumed his royal throne—

54let us now establish friendship with each other. Give me now your daughter for my wife; and as your son-in-law, I will give to you and to her gifts worthy of you.”

55King Ptolemy answered in these words: “Happy the day on which you returned to the land of your ancestors and took your seat on their royal throne!

56I will do for you what you have written; but meet me in Ptolemais, so that we may see each other, and I will become your father-in-law as you have proposed.”

57So Ptolemy with his daughter Cleopatra^* set out from Egypt and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year.

58There King Alexander met him, and Ptolemy gave him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. Their wedding was celebrated at Ptolemais with great splendor according to the custom of kings.

59King Alexander also wrote to Jonathan to come and meet him.

60So he went with pomp to Ptolemais, where he met the two kings and gave them and their friends silver and gold and many gifts and thus won their favor.^d

61Some villainous men of Israel, transgressors of the law, united against him to accuse him, but the king paid no heed to them.

62The king ordered Jonathan to be divested of his garments and to be clothed in royal purple; and so it was done.

63The king also had him seated at his side. He said to his magistrates: “Go with him to the center of the city and make a proclamation that no one is to bring charges against him on any grounds or be troublesome to him for any reason.”

64^e When his accusers saw the honor paid to him according to the king’s proclamation, and him clothed in purple, they all fled.

65And so the king honored him, enrolling him among his Chief Friends, and he made him governor and chief of the province.

66So Jonathan returned in peace and happiness to Jerusalem.

Jonathan Defeats Apollonius.

67In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year,^* Demetrius, son of Demetrius, came from Crete to the land of his ancestors.

68When King Alexander heard of it he was greatly troubled, and returned to Antioch.

69Demetrius set Apollonius over Coelesyria.^* Having gathered a large army, Apollonius encamped at Jamnia. From there he sent this message to Jonathan the high priest:

70“You are the only one who resists us. I am laughed at and put to shame on your account. Why are you exercising authority against us in the mountains?

71If you have confidence in your forces, come down now to us in the plain, and let us test each other’s strength there; for the forces of the cities are on my side.

72Inquire and find out who I am and who the others are who are helping me. People are saying that you cannot make a stand against us because your ancestors were twice put to flight^* in their own land.

73Now you too will be unable to withstand our cavalry and such a force as this in the plain, where there is not a stone or a pebble or a place to flee.”

74When Jonathan heard the message of Apollonius, he was provoked. Choosing ten thousand men, he set out from Jerusalem, and Simon his brother joined him to help him.

75He encamped near Joppa, but the people of the city shut him out because Apollonius had a garrison in Joppa. When they attacked it,

76the people of the city became afraid and opened the gates, and so Jonathan took possession of Joppa.^*

77When Apollonius heard of it, he drew up three thousand cavalry and a large force of infantry. He marched toward Azotus as though he were going on through, but at the same time he was advancing into the plain, because he had such a large number of cavalry to rely on.

78Jonathan pursued him toward Azotus, and the armies engaged in battle.

79Apollonius, however, had left a thousand cavalry in hiding behind them.

80Jonathan discovered that there was an ambush behind him; his army was surrounded. From morning until evening they showered his troops with arrows.

81But his troops held their ground, as Jonathan had commanded, while the enemy’s horses became tired out.

82Then Simon brought forward his force, and engaged the phalanx in battle. Since the cavalry were exhausted, the phalanx was crushed by him and fled,

83while the cavalry too were scattered over the plain. They fled to Azotus and entered Beth-dagon, the temple of their idol, to save themselves.

84But Jonathan burned and plundered Azotus with its neighboring towns, and destroyed by fire both the temple of Dagon and those who had taken refuge in it.^f

85Those who fell by the sword, together with those who were burned alive, came to about eight thousand.

86Then Jonathan left there and encamped at Askalon, and the people of that city came out to meet him with great pomp.

87Jonathan and those with him then returned to Jerusalem, with much spoil.

88When King Alexander heard of these events, he accorded new honors to Jonathan.

89He sent him a gold buckle, such as is usually given to King’s Kinsmen;^* he also gave him Ekron and all its territory as a possession.

1 Maccabees 11

Alliance of Ptolemy and Demetrius II.

1Then the king of Egypt gathered forces as numerous as the sands of the seashore, and many ships; and he sought by deceit to take Alexander’s kingdom and add it to his own.

2He set out for Syria with peaceful words, and the people in the cities opened their gates to welcome him, as King Alexander had ordered them to do, since Ptolemy was his father-in-law.

3But when Ptolemy entered the cities, he stationed a garrison of troops in each one.

4As they neared Azotus, they showed him the temple of Dagon destroyed by fire, Azotus and its suburbs demolished, corpses lying about, and the charred bodies of those burned in the war, for they had heaped them up along his route.^a

5They told the king what Jonathan had done in order to denigrate him; but the king said nothing.

6Jonathan met the king with pomp at Joppa, and they greeted each other and spent the night there.

7Jonathan accompanied the king as far as the river called Eleutherus^* and then returned to Jerusalem.

8And so King Ptolemy took possession of the cities along the seacoast as far as Seleucia by the sea,^* plotting evil schemes against Alexander all the while.

9He sent ambassadors to King Demetrius, saying: “Come, let us make a covenant with each other; I will give you my daughter whom Alexander has married, and you shall reign over your father’s kingdom.

10I regret that I gave him my daughter, for he has sought to kill me.”^*

11He was criticizing Alexander, however, because he coveted his kingdom.

12After taking his daughter away, Ptolemy gave her to Demetrius and broke with Alexander; the enmity between them was now evident.

13Then Ptolemy entered Antioch and assumed the crown^* of Asia; thus he set upon his head two crowns, that of Egypt and that of Asia.

14Now King Alexander was in Cilicia at that time, because the people of that region had revolted.

15When Alexander heard the news, he came against Ptolemy in battle. Ptolemy marched out and met him with a strong force and routed him.

16When Alexander fled to Arabia to seek protection, King Ptolemy was triumphant.

17Zabdiel the Arabian cut off Alexander’s head and sent it to Ptolemy.

18But three days later King Ptolemy himself died, and his troops in the strongholds were killed by the inhabitants of the strongholds.

19Thus Demetrius became king in the one hundred and sixty-seventh year.^*

Alliance of Jonathan and Demetrius II.

20In those days Jonathan gathered together the people of Judea to attack the citadel in Jerusalem, and they set up many siege engines against it.

21But some transgressors of the law, enemies of their own nation, went to the king and informed him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel.

22When Demetrius heard this, he was enraged; and as soon as he heard it, he set out and came to Ptolemais. He wrote to Jonathan to discontinue the siege and to meet him for a conference at Ptolemais as soon as possible.

23On hearing this, Jonathan ordered the siege to continue. He selected some elders and priests of Israel and put himself at risk.

24Taking with him silver, gold and apparel, and many other presents, he went to the king at Ptolemais, and found favor with him.

25Although certain renegades of his own nation kept on bringing charges against him,

26the king treated him just as his predecessors had done and exalted him in the presence of all his Friends.

27He confirmed him in the high priesthood and in the other honors he had previously held, and had him enrolled among his Chief Friends.

28Jonathan asked the king to exempt Judea and the three districts of Samaria from tribute, promising him in return three hundred talents.^b

29The king agreed and wrote a letter to Jonathan about all these matters as follows:

30^c “King Demetrius sends greetings to his brother^* Jonathan and to the Jewish nation.

31We are sending you, for your information, a copy of the letter that we wrote to Lasthenes^* our Kinsman concerning you.

32‘King Demetrius sends greetings to his father Lasthenes.

33Upon the Jewish nation, who are our friends and observe their obligations to us, we have decided to bestow benefits because of the good will they show us.

34^d Therefore we confirm their possession, not only of the territory of Judea, but also of the three districts of Aphairema,^* Lydda, and Ramathaim. These districts, together with all their dependencies, are hereby transferred from Samaria to Judea for those who offer sacrifices in Jerusalem in lieu of the royal taxes the king used to receive yearly from the produce of earth and trees.

35From payment of the other things that would henceforth be due to us, namely, the tithes and taxes, as well as the salt tax, and the crown tax—from all these we grant them release.

36Henceforth and forever not one of these provisions shall ever be revoked.

37See to it, therefore, that a copy of these instructions be made and given to Jonathan. Let it be displayed on the holy mountain in a conspicuous place.’”

The Intrigue of Trypho.

38When King Demetrius saw that the land was peaceful under his rule and that he had no opposition, he dismissed his entire army, each to his own home, except the foreign troops which he had hired from the islands of the nations. So all the soldiers who had served under his predecessors became hostile to him.

39When a certain Trypho, who had previously supported Alexander, saw that all the troops were grumbling against Demetrius, he went to Imalkue the Arabian, who was raising Alexander’s young son Antiochus.^e

40Trypho kept urging Imalkue to hand over the boy to him, so that he might succeed his father as king. He told him of all that Demetrius had done and of the hostility his soldiers had for him; and he remained there for many days.

Jonathan Aids Demetrius II.

41Meanwhile Jonathan sent the request to King Demetrius to withdraw the troops in the citadel from Jerusalem and from the other strongholds, for they were constantly waging war on Israel.

42Demetrius, in turn, sent this word to Jonathan: “I will do not only this for you and your nation, but I will greatly honor you and your nation when I find the opportunity.

43Now, therefore, you will do well to send men to fight for me, because all my troops have revolted.”

44So Jonathan sent three thousand good fighting men to him at Antioch. When they came to the king, he was delighted over their arrival.

45The populace, one hundred and twenty thousand strong, massed in the center of the city in an attempt to kill the king.

46So the king took refuge in the palace, while the populace gained control of the main streets of the city and prepared for battle.

47Then the king called the Jewish force to his aid. They all rallied around him and spread out through the city. On that day they killed about a hundred thousand in the city.

48At the same time, they set the city on fire and took much spoil. Thus they saved the king.

49When the populace saw that the Jewish force controlled the city, they lost courage and cried out to the king in supplication,

50“Extend the hand of friendship to us, and make the Jews stop attacking us and the city.”

51So they threw down their weapons and made peace. The Jews thus gained honor in the eyes of the king and all his subjects, and they became renowned throughout his kingdom. Finally they returned to Jerusalem with much plunder.

52But when King Demetrius was sure of his royal throne, and the land was peaceful under his rule,

53he broke all his promises and became estranged from Jonathan. Instead of repaying Jonathan for all the favors he had received from him, he caused him much distress.

Alliance of Jonathan and Antiochus VI.

54After this, Trypho returned and brought with him the young boy Antiochus, who became king and put on the diadem.^f

55All the soldiers whom Demetrius had discharged rallied around Antiochus and fought against Demetrius, who was routed and fled.

56Trypho captured the elephants and occupied Antioch.

57Then young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan: “I confirm you in the high priesthood and appoint you ruler over the four districts, and to be one of the King’s Friends.”

58He also sent him gold dishes and a table service, gave him the right to drink from gold cups, to dress in royal purple, and to wear a gold buckle.^g

59Likewise, he made Jonathan’s brother Simon governor of the region from the Ladder of Tyre^* to the borders of Egypt.

Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon.

60Jonathan set out and traveled through the province of West-of-Euphrates^* and its cities, and all the forces of Syria espoused his cause as allies. When he arrived at Askalon, the citizens welcomed him with pomp.

61But when he set out for Gaza, the people of Gaza shut him out. So he besieged it, and burned and plundered its suburbs.

62Then the people of Gaza appealed to Jonathan, and he granted them terms of peace. He took the sons of their leaders as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. He then traveled on through the province as far as Damascus.

63Jonathan heard that the generals of Demetrius had come with a strong force to Kadesh in Galilee, intending to remove him from office.

64So he went to meet them, leaving his brother Simon in the province.

65^h Simon encamped against Beth-zur, attacked it for many days, and shut in the inhabitants.

66They appealed to him, and he granted them terms of peace. He expelled them from the city, took possession of it, and put a garrison there.

67Meanwhile, Jonathan and his army pitched their camp near the waters of Gennesaret, and at daybreak they went to the plain of Hazor.^*

68There the army of the foreigners met him on the plain. Having first detached an ambush in the mountains, this army mounted a frontal attack.

69Then those in ambush rose out of their places and joined in the battle.

70All of Jonathan’s men fled; no one stayed except the army commanders Mattathias, son of Absalom, and Judas, son of Chalphi.

71Jonathan tore his clothes, threw dust on his head, and prayed.

72Then he went back to the battle and routed them, and they fled.

73Those of his men who were running away saw it and returned to him; and with him they pursued the enemy as far as their camp in Kadesh, and there they encamped.

74About three thousand of the foreign troops fell on that day. Then Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.

1 Maccabees 12

Alliances with Rome and Sparta.

1When Jonathan saw that the time was right, he chose men and sent them to Rome to confirm and renew the friendship with the Romans.^a

2He also sent letters to the Spartans and other places to the same effect.

3After reaching Rome, the men entered the senate chamber and said, “The high priest Jonathan and the Jewish people have sent us to renew the friendship and alliance of earlier times with them.”

4The Romans gave them letters addressed to authorities in various places, with the request to provide them with safe conduct to the land of Judah.

5This is a copy of the letter that Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:

6“Jonathan the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people send greetings to their brothers the Spartans.

7Long ago a letter was sent^* to the high priest Onias from Arius, who then reigned over you, stating that you are our brothers, as the attached copy shows.^b

8Onias welcomed the envoy with honor and received the letter, which spoke clearly of alliance and friendship.

9Though we have no need of these things, since we have for our encouragement the holy books that are in our possession,^{* c}

10we have ventured to send word to you for the renewal of brotherhood and friendship, lest we become strangers to you; a long time has passed since you sent your message to us.

11We, on our part, have unceasingly remembered you in the sacrifices and prayers that we offer on our feasts and other appropriate days, as it is right and proper to remember brothers.

12We likewise rejoice in your renown.

13But many tribulations and many wars have beset us, and the kings around us have attacked us.

14We did not wish to be troublesome to you and to the rest of our allies and friends in these wars.

15For we have the help of Heaven for our support, and we have been saved from our enemies, and our enemies have been humbled.

16So we have chosen Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, and we have sent them to the Romans to renew with them the friendship and alliance of earlier times.^d

17We have also ordered them to come to you and greet you, and to deliver to you our letter concerning the renewal of our brotherhood.

18Therefore kindly send us an answer on this matter.”

19This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Onias:

20^e “Arius, king of the Spartans, sends greetings to Onias the high priest.

21A document has been found stating that the Spartans and the Jews are brothers and that they are of the family of Abraham.

22Now that we have learned this, kindly write to us about your welfare.

23We, for our part, declare to you that your animals and your possessions are ours, and ours are yours. We have, therefore, given orders that you should be told of this.”

More Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon.

24Then Jonathan heard that the officers of Demetrius had returned to attack him with a stronger army than before.

25So he set out from Jerusalem and met them in the territory of Hamath,^* giving them no opportunity to enter his province.

26The spies he had sent into their camp came back and reported to him that the enemy were preparing to attack them that night.

27Therefore, when the sun set, Jonathan ordered his men to keep watch, with their weapons at the ready for battle, throughout the night; and he set outposts around the camp.

28When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle, their hearts sank with fear and dread. They lighted fires in their camp and then withdrew.

29But because Jonathan and his men were watching the campfires burning, they did not know until the morning what had happened.

30Then Jonathan pursued them, but he could not overtake them, for they had crossed the river Eleutherus.

31So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabians who are called Zabadeans, and he struck them down and plundered them.

32Then he broke camp, marched on toward Damascus and traveled through the whole region.

33Simon also set out and traveled as far as Askalon and its neighboring strongholds. He then turned to Joppa and took it by surprise,

34for he heard that its people intended to hand over the stronghold to the supporters of Demetrius. He left a garrison there to guard it.

35When Jonathan returned, he assembled the elders of the people, and with them he made plans for building strongholds in Judea,

36for making the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and for erecting a high barrier between the citadel and the city, to separate it from the city and isolate it, so that its garrison could neither buy nor sell.

37The people therefore gathered together to build up the city, for part of the wall of the eastern valley had collapsed. And Jonathan repaired the quarter called Chaphenatha.

38Simon likewise built up Adida in the Shephelah, and fortified it by installing gates and bars.

Capture of Jonathan.

39Then Trypho sought to become king of Asia, assume the diadem, and do violence to King Antiochus.^f

40But he was afraid that Jonathan would not permit him, but would fight against him. Looking for a way to seize and kill him, he set out and came to Beth-shan.

41Jonathan marched out to meet him with forty thousand picked fighting men and came to Beth-shan.

42But when Trypho saw that Jonathan had arrived with a large army he was afraid to do him violence.

43Instead, he received him with honor, introduced him to all his friends, and gave him presents. He also ordered his friends and soldiers to obey him as they would himself.

44Then he said to Jonathan: “Why have you put all these people to so much trouble when we are not at war?

45Now pick out a few men to stay with you, send the rest to their homes, and then come with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you together with other strongholds and the remaining troops, as well as all the officials; then I will turn back and go home. That is why I came here.”

46Jonathan trusted him and did as he said. He dismissed his troops, and they returned to the land of Judah.

47But he kept with him three thousand men, of whom he left two thousand in Galilee while one thousand accompanied him.

48Then as soon as Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais closed the gates and seized him; all who had entered with him, they killed with the sword.^g

49Then Trypho sent soldiers and cavalry to Galilee and the Great Plain^* to destroy all Jonathan’s men.

50These, upon learning that Jonathan had been captured and killed along with his companions, encouraged one another and went out in close formation, ready to fight.

51As their pursuers saw that they were ready to fight for their lives, they turned back.

52Thus all Jonathan’s men came safely into the land of Judah. They mourned Jonathan and those who were with him. They were in great fear, and all Israel fell into deep mourning.

53All the nations round about sought to crush them. They said, “Now that they have no leader or helper, let us make war on them and wipe out their memory from the earth.”^h

1 Maccabees 13

Simon as Leader.

1When Simon heard that Trypho was gathering a large army to invade and ravage the land of Judah,

2and saw that the people were trembling with terror, he went up to Jerusalem. There he assembled the people

3and exhorted them in these words: “You know what I, my brothers, and my father’s house have done for the laws and the sanctuary; what battles and hardships we have seen.

4For the sake of this, for the sake of Israel, all my brothers have perished, and I alone am left.

5Far be it from me, then, to save my own life in any time of distress, for I am not better than my brothers.

6But I will avenge my nation and the sanctuary, as well as your wives and children, for out of hatred all the Gentiles have united to crush us.”^a

7As the people heard these words, their spirit was rekindled.

8They shouted in reply: “You are our leader in place of your brothers Judas and Jonathan.

9Fight our battles, and we will do everything that you tell us.”

10So Simon mustered all the men able to fight, and hastening to complete the walls of Jerusalem, fortified it on every side.

11He sent Jonathan, son of Absalom, to Joppa with a strong force; Jonathan drove out the occupants and remained there.

Trypho’s Deceit.

12Then Trypho moved from Ptolemais with a large army to invade the land of Judah, bringing Jonathan with him as a prisoner.

13Simon encamped at Adida, facing the plain.

14When Trypho learned that Simon had succeeded his brother Jonathan, and that he intended to fight him, he sent ambassadors to him with this message:

15“It was on account of the money your brother Jonathan owed the royal treasury in connection with the offices that he held, that we have detained him.

16Now send a hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons as hostages to guarantee that when he is set free he will not revolt against us, and we will release him.”

17Simon knew that they were speaking deceitfully to him. Nevertheless, for fear of provoking much hostility among the people, he sent for the money and the boys,

18lest the people say “Jonathan perished because I would not send Trypho the money and the boys.”

19So he sent the boys and the hundred talents; but Trypho broke his promise and would not release Jonathan.

20^* Next Trypho moved to invade and ravage the country. His troops went around by the road that leads to Adora, but Simon and his army moved along opposite him everywhere he went.

21The people in the citadel kept sending emissaries to Trypho, pressing him to come to them by way of the wilderness, and to send them provisions.

22Although Trypho got all his cavalry ready to go, there was a very heavy snowfall that night, and he could not go on account of the snow. So he left for Gilead.

23When he was approaching Baskama,^* he had Jonathan killed and buried him there.

24Then Trypho returned to his own land.

Jonathan’s Tomb.

25Simon sent for the remains of his brother Jonathan, and buried him in Modein, the city of his ancestors.

26All Israel bewailed him with solemn lamentation, mourning over him for many days.

27Then Simon erected over the tomb of his father and his brothers a monument of stones, polished front and back, and raised high enough to be seen at a distance.

28He set up seven pyramids facing one another for his father and his mother and his four brothers.^b

29For the pyramids he devised a setting of massive columns, which he adorned with suits of armor as a perpetual memorial, and next to the armor carved ships, which could be seen by all who sailed the sea.

30This tomb which he built at Modein is there to the present day.

Alliance of Simon and Demetrius II.

31Trypho dealt treacherously with the young King Antiochus. He killed him

32and became king in his place, putting on the crown of Asia. Thus he brought much evil on the land.^c

33Simon, for his part, built up the strongholds of Judea, fortifying them all around with high towers, thick walls, and gates with bars, and he stored up provisions in the strongholds.

34Simon also chose men and sent them to King Demetrius to obtain for the land an exemption from taxation, since Trypho did nothing but plunder.

35King Demetrius replied favorably and sent him the following letter:

36“King Demetrius sends greetings to Simon, high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders and the Jewish people.

37We have received the gold crown and the palm branch that you sent. We are ready to make a lasting peace with you and to write to our officials to grant you exemption.

38Whatever decrees we have made in your regard remain in force, and the strongholds that you have built you may keep.

39We pardon any oversights and offenses committed up to now, as well as the crown tax that you owe. Any other tax that used to be collected in Jerusalem shall no longer be collected there.

40Any of you qualified for enrollment in our service may be enrolled. Let there be peace between us.”

41Thus in the one hundred and seventieth year,^* the yoke of the Gentiles was removed from Israel,

42and the people began to write in their records and contracts, “In the first year of Simon, great high priest, governor, and leader of the Jews.”

Simon Captures Gazara.

43^d In those days Simon besieged Gazara^* and surrounded it with troops. He made a siege machine, brought it up against the city, and attacked and captured one of the towers.

44Those in the siege machine leaped down into the city and a great tumult arose there.

45Those in the city, together with their wives and children, went up on the wall, with their garments rent, and cried out in loud voices, begging Simon to grant them terms of peace.

46They said, “Treat us not according to our evil deeds but according to your mercy.”

47So Simon came to terms with them and did not attack them. He expelled them from the city, however, and he purified the houses in which there were idols. Then he entered the city with hymns and songs of praise.

48After removing from it everything that was impure, he settled there people who observed the law. He improved its fortifications and built himself a residence.

Simon Captures the Citadel.

49The people in the citadel in Jerusalem were prevented from going out into the country and back to buy or sell; they suffered greatly from hunger, and many of them died of starvation.

50They finally cried out to Simon, and he gave them terms of peace. He expelled them from the citadel and cleansed it of impurities.

51On the twenty-third day of the second month,^* in the one hundred and seventy-first year, the Jews entered the citadel with shouts of praise, the waving of palm branches, the playing of harps and cymbals and lyres, and the singing of hymns and canticles, because a great enemy of Israel had been crushed.^e

52Simon decreed that this day should be celebrated every year with rejoicing. He also strengthened the fortifications of the temple mount alongside the citadel, and he and his people dwelt there.

53Seeing that his son John^* was now a grown man, Simon made him commander of all his soldiers, and he dwelt in Gazara.

Matthew 24 : 1 – 14

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold.

1^{* a} Jesus left the temple area and was going away, when his disciples approached him to point out the temple buildings.

2^* He said to them in reply, “You see all these things, do you not? Amen, I say to you, there will not be left here a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

The Beginning of Calamities.

3As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives,^* the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4^* Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you.

5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.

6^b You will hear of wars^* and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.

7^c Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place.

8^* All these are the beginning of the labor pains.

9^{* d} Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.

10And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another.

11Many false prophets will arise and deceive many;

12and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold.

13^e But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

14^f And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations,^* and then the end will come.

Sermons Rosary Prayers Catholic Answers

THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES

The name Maccabee, probably meaning “hammer,” is actually applied in the Books of Maccabees to only one man, Judas, third son of the priest Mattathias and first leader of the revolt against the Seleucid kings who persecuted the Jews (1 Mc 2:4, 66; 2 Mc 8:5, 16; 10:1, 16). Traditionally the name has come to be extended to the brothers of Judas, his supporters, and even to other Jewish heroes of the period, such as the seven brothers (2 Mc 7).

The two Books of Maccabees contain independent accounts of events (in part identical) that accompanied the attempted suppression of Judaism in Palestine in the second century B.C. The vigorous reaction to this attempt established for a time the religious and political independence of the Jews.

First Maccabees was written about 100 B.C., in Hebrew, but the original has not come down to us. Instead, we have an early, pre-Christian, Greek translation full of Hebrew idioms. The author, probably a Palestinian Jew, is unknown. He was familiar with the traditions and sacred books of his people and had access to much reliable information on their recent history (from 175 to 134 B.C.). He may well have played some part in it himself in his youth. His purpose in writing is to record the deliverance of Israel that God worked through the family of Mattathias (5:62)—especially through his three sons, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon, and his grandson, John Hyrcanus. The writer compares their virtues and their exploits with those of Israel’s ancient heroes, the Judges, Samuel, and David.

There are seven poetic sections in the book that imitate the style of classical Hebrew poetry: four laments (1:25–28, 36–40; 2:7–13; 3:45), and three hymns of praise of “our fathers” (2:51–64), of Judas (3:3–9), and of Simon (14:4–15). The doctrine expressed in the book is the customary belief of Israel, without the new developments which appear in 2 Maccabees and Daniel. The people of Israel have been specially chosen by the one true God as covenant-partner, and they alone are privileged to know and worship God, their eternal benefactor and unfailing source of help. The people, in turn, must worship the Lord alone and observe exactly the precepts of the law given to them. The rededication of the Jerusalem Temple described in 4:36–59 (see 2 Mc 10:1–8) is the origin of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.

Unlike the Second Book of Maccabees, there is no doctrine of individual immortality except in the survival of one’s name and fame, nor does the book express any messianic expectation, though messianic images are applied historically to “the days of Simon” (1 Mc 14:4–17). In true Deuteronomic tradition, the author insists on fidelity to the law as the expression of Israel’s love for God. The contest which he describes is a struggle, not simply between Jew and Gentile, but between those who would uphold the law and those, Jews or Gentiles, who would destroy it. His severest condemnation goes, not to the Seleucid politicians, but to the lawless apostates among his own people, adversaries of Judas and his brothers, who are models of faith and loyalty.

The first and second Books of Maccabees, though regarded by Jews and Protestants as apocryphal, i.e., not inspired Scripture, because not contained in the Jewish list of books drawn up at the end of the first century A.D., have always been accepted by the Catholic Church as inspired and are called “deuterocanonical” to indicate that they are canonical even though disputed by some.

First Maccabees can be divided as follows:

1. Crisis and Response (1:1–2:70)
2. Leadership of Judas Maccabeus (3:1–9:22)
3. Leadership of Jonathan (9:23–12:53)
4. Leadership of Simon (13:1–16:24)

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

The position of the Gospel according to Matthew as the first of the four gospels in the New Testament reflects both the view that it was the first to be written, a view that goes back to the late second century A.D., and the esteem in which it was held by the church; no other was so frequently quoted in the noncanonical literature of earliest Christianity. Although the majority of scholars now reject the opinion about the time of its composition, the high estimation of this work remains. The reason for that becomes clear upon study of the way in which Matthew presents his story of Jesus, the demands of Christian discipleship, and the breaking-in of the new and final age through the ministry but particularly through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The gospel begins with a narrative prologue (Mt 1:1–2:23), the first part of which is a genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham, the father of Israel (Mt 1:1–17). Yet at the beginning of that genealogy Jesus is designated as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1). The kingly ancestor who lived about a thousand years after Abraham is named first, for this is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the royal anointed one (Mt 1:16). In the first of the episodes of the infancy narrative that follow the genealogy, the mystery of Jesus’ person is declared. He is conceived of a virgin by the power of the Spirit of God (Mt 1:18–25). The first of the gospel’s fulfillment citations, whose purpose it is to show that he was the one to whom the prophecies of Israel were pointing, occurs here (Mt 1:23): he shall be named Emmanuel, for in him God is with us.

The announcement of the birth of this newborn king of the Jews greatly troubles not only King Herod but all Jerusalem (Mt 2:1–3), yet the Gentile magi are overjoyed to find him and offer him their homage and their gifts (Mt 2:10–11). Thus his ultimate rejection by the mass of his own people and his acceptance by the Gentile nations is foreshadowed. He must be taken to Egypt to escape the murderous plan of Herod. By his sojourn there and his subsequent return after the king’s death he relives the Exodus experience of Israel. The words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” are fulfilled in him (Mt 2:15); if Israel was God’s son, Jesus is so in a way far surpassing the dignity of that nation, as his marvelous birth and the unfolding of his story show (see Mt 3:17; 4:1–11; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16; 27:54). Back in the land of Israel, he must be taken to Nazareth in Galilee because of the danger to his life in Judea, where Herod’s son Archelaus is now ruling (Mt 2:22–23). The sufferings of Jesus in the infancy narrative anticipate those of his passion, and if his life is spared in spite of the dangers, it is because his destiny is finally to give it on the cross as “a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). Thus the word of the angel will be fulfilled, “…he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21; cf. Mt 26:28).

In Mt 4:12 Matthew begins his account of the ministry of Jesus, introducing it by the preparatory preaching of John the Baptist (Mt 3:1–12), the baptism of Jesus that culminates in God’s proclaiming him his “beloved Son” (Mt 3:13–17), and the temptation in which he proves his true sonship by his victory over the devil’s attempt to deflect him from the way of obedience to the Father (Mt 4:1–11). The central message of Jesus’ preaching is the coming of the kingdom of heaven and the need for repentance, a complete change of heart and conduct, on the part of those who are to receive this great gift of God (Mt 4:17). Galilee is the setting for most of his ministry; he leaves there for Judea only in Mt 19:1, and his ministry in Jerusalem, the goal of his journey, is limited to a few days (Mt 21:1–25:46).

In this extensive material there are five great discourses of Jesus, each concluding with the formula “When Jesus finished these words” or one closely similar (Mt 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). These are an important structure of the gospel. In every case the discourse is preceded by a narrative section, each narrative and discourse together constituting a “book” of the gospel. The discourses are, respectively, the “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:3–7:27), the missionary discourse (Mt 10:5–42), the parable discourse (Mt 13:3–52), the “church order” discourse (Mt 18:3–35), and the eschatological discourse (Mt 24:4–25:46). In large measure the material of these discourses came to Matthew from his tradition, but his work in modifying and adding to what he had received is abundantly evident. No other evangelist gives the teaching of Jesus with such elegance and order as he.

In the “Sermon on the Mount” the theme of righteousness is prominent, and even at this early stage of the ministry the note of opposition is struck between Jesus and the Pharisees, who are designated as “the hypocrites” (Mt 6:2, 5, 16). The righteousness of his disciples must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees; otherwise, in spite of their alleged following of Jesus, they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:20). Righteousness means doing the will of the heavenly Father (Mt 7:21), and his will is proclaimed in a manner that is startling to all who have identified it with the law of Moses. The antitheses of the Sermon (Mt 5:21–48) both accept (Mt 5:21–30, 43–48) and reject (Mt 5:31–42) elements of that law, and in the former case the understanding of the law’s demands is deepened and extended. The antitheses are the best commentary on the meaning of Jesus’ claim that he has come not to abolish but to fulfill the law (Mt 5:17). What is meant by fulfillment of the law is not the demand to keep it exactly as it stood before the coming of Jesus, but rather his bringing the law to be a lasting expression of the will of God, and in that fulfillment there is much that will pass away. Should this appear contradictory to his saying that “until heaven and earth pass away” not even the smallest part of the law will pass (Mt 5:18), that time of fulfillment is not the dissolution of the universe but the coming of the new age, which will occur with Jesus’ death and resurrection. While righteousness in the new age will continue to mean conduct that is in accordance with the law, it will be conduct in accordance with the law as expounded and interpreted by Jesus (cf. Mt 28:20, “…all that I have commanded you”).

Though Jesus speaks harshly about the Pharisees in the Sermon, his judgment is not solely a condemnation of them. The Pharisees are portrayed as a negative example for his disciples, and his condemnation of those who claim to belong to him while disobeying his word is no less severe (Mt 7:21–23, 26–27).

In Mt 4:23 a summary statement of Jesus’ activity speaks not only of his teaching and proclaiming the gospel but of his “curing every disease and illness among the people”; this is repeated almost verbatim in Mt 9:35. The narrative section that follows the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 8:1–9:38) is composed principally of accounts of those merciful deeds of Jesus, but it is far from being simply a collection of stories about miraculous cures. The nature of the community that Jesus will establish is shown; it will always be under the protection of him whose power can deal with all dangers (Mt 8:23–27), but it is only for those who are prepared to follow him at whatever cost (Mt 8:16–22), not only believing Israelites but Gentiles who have come to faith in him (Mt 8:10–12). The disciples begin to have some insight, however imperfect, into the mystery of Jesus’ person. They wonder about him whom “the winds and the sea obey” (Mt 8:27), and they witness his bold declaration of the forgiveness of the paralytic’s sins (Mt 9:2). That episode of the narrative moves on two levels. When the crowd sees the cure that testifies to the authority of Jesus, the Son of Man, to forgive sins (Mt 9:6), they glorify God “who had given such authority to human beings” (Mt 9:8). The forgiveness of sins is now not the prerogative of Jesus alone but of “human beings,” that is, of the disciples who constitute the community of Jesus, the church. The ecclesial character of this narrative section could hardly be more plainly indicated.

The end of the section prepares for the discourse on the church’s mission (Mt 10:5–42). Jesus is moved to pity at the sight of the crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36), and he sends out the twelve disciples to make the proclamation with which his own ministry began, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 10:7; cf. Mt 4:17), and to drive out demons and cure the sick as he has done (Mt 10:1). Their mission is limited to Israel (Mt 10:5–6) as Jesus’ own was (Mt 15:24), yet in Mt 15:16 that perspective broadens and the discourse begins to speak of the mission that the disciples will have after the resurrection and of the severe persecution that will attend it (Mt 10:18). Again, the discourse moves on two levels: that of the time of Jesus and that of the time of the church.

The narrative section of the third book (Mt 11:2–12:50) deals with the growing opposition to Jesus. Hostility toward him has already been manifested (Mt 8:10; 9:3, 10–13, 34), but here it becomes more intense. The rejection of Jesus comes, as before, from Pharisees, who take “counsel against him to put him to death” (Mt 12:14) and repeat their earlier accusation that he drives out demons because he is in league with demonic power (Mt 12:22–24). But they are not alone in their rejection. Jesus complains of the lack of faith of “this generation” of Israelites (Mt 11:16–19) and reproaches the towns “where most of his mighty deeds had been done” for not heeding his call to repentance (Mt 11:20–24). This dark picture is relieved by Jesus’ praise of the Father who has enabled “the childlike” to accept him (Mt 11:25–27), but on the whole the story is one of opposition to his word and blindness to the meaning of his deeds. The whole section ends with his declaring that not even the most intimate blood relationship with him counts for anything; his only true relatives are those who do the will of his heavenly Father (Mt 12:48–50).

The narrative of rejection leads up to the parable discourse (Mt 13:3–52). The reason given for Jesus’ speaking to the crowds in parables is that they have hardened themselves against his clear teaching, unlike the disciples to whom knowledge of “the mysteries of the kingdom has been granted” (Mt 13:10–16). In Mt 13:36 he dismisses the crowds and continues the discourse to his disciples alone, who claim, at the end, to have understood all that he has said (Mt 13:51). But, lest the impression be given that the church of Jesus is made up only of true disciples, the explanation of the parable of the weeds among the wheat (Mt 13:37–43), as well as the parable of the net thrown into the sea “which collects fish of every kind” (Mt 13:47–49), shows that it is composed of both the righteous and the wicked, and that separation between the two will be made only at the time of the final judgment.

In the narrative that constitutes the first part of the fourth book of the gospel (Mt 13:54–17:27), Jesus is shown preparing for the establishment of his church with its teaching authority that will supplant the blind guidance of the Pharisees (Mt 15:13–14), whose teaching, curiously said to be that of the Sadducees also, is repudiated by Jesus as the norm for his disciples (Mt 16:6, 11–12). The church of Jesus will be built on Peter (Mt 16:18), who will be given authority to bind and loose on earth, an authority whose exercise will be confirmed in heaven (Mt 16:19). The metaphor of binding and loosing has a variety of meanings, among them that of giving authoritative teaching. This promise is made to Peter directly after he has confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16), a confession that he has made as the result of revelation given to him by the heavenly Father (Mt 16:17); Matthew’s ecclesiology is based on his high christology.

Directly after that confession Jesus begins to instruct his disciples about how he must go the way of suffering and death (Mt 16:21). Peter, who has been praised for his confession, protests against this and receives from Jesus the sharpest of rebukes for attempting to deflect Jesus from his God-appointed destiny. The future rock upon whom the church will be built is still a man of “little faith” (see Mt 14:31). Both he and the other disciples must know not only that Jesus will have to suffer and die but that they too will have to follow him on the way of the cross if they are truly to be his disciples (Mt 16:24–25).

The discourse following this narrative (Mt 18:1–35) is often called the “church order” discourse, although that title is perhaps misleading since the emphasis is not on the structure of the church but on the care that the disciples must have for one another in respect to guarding each other’s faith in Jesus (Mt 18:6–7), to seeking out those who have wandered from the fold (Mt 18:10–14), and to repeated forgiving of their fellow disciples who have offended them (Mt 18:21–35). But there is also the obligation to correct the sinful fellow Christian and, should one refuse to be corrected, separation from the community is demanded (Mt 18:15–18).

The narrative of the fifth book (Mt 19:1–23:39) begins with the departure of Jesus and his disciples from Galilee for Jerusalem. In the course of their journey Jesus for the third time predicts the passion that awaits him at Jerusalem and also his resurrection (Mt 20:17–19). At his entrance into the city he is hailed as the Son of David by the crowds accompanying him (Mt 21:9). He cleanses the temple (Mt 21:12–17), and in the few days of his Jerusalem ministry he engages in a series of controversies with the Jewish religious leaders (Mt 21:23–27; 22:15–22, 23–33, 34–40, 41–46), meanwhile speaking parables against them (Mt 21:28–32, 33–46), against all those Israelites who have rejected God’s invitation to the messianic banquet (Mt 22:1–10), and against all, Jew and Gentile, who have accepted but have shown themselves unworthy of it (Mt 22:11–14). Once again, the perspective of the evangelist includes not only the time of Jesus’ ministry but that of the preaching of the gospel after his resurrection. The narrative culminates in Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, reflecting not only his own opposition to them but that of Matthew’s church (Mt 23:1–36), and in Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem (Mt 23:37–39).

In the discourse of the fifth book (Mt 24:1–25:46), the last of the great structural discourses of the gospel, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and his own final coming. The time of the latter is unknown (Mt 24:36, 44), and the disciples are exhorted in various parables to live in readiness for it, a readiness that entails faithful attention to the duties of the interim period (Mt 24:45–25:30). The coming of Jesus will bring with it the great judgment by which the everlasting destiny of all will be determined (Mt 25:31–46).

The story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection (Mt 26:1–28:20), the climax of the gospel, throws light on all that has preceded. In Matthew “righteousness” means both the faithful response to the will of God demanded of all to whom that will is announced and also the saving activity of God for his people (see Mt 3:15; 5:6; 6:33). The passion supremely exemplifies both meanings of that central Matthean word. In Jesus’ absolute faithfulness to the Father’s will that he drink the cup of suffering (Mt 26:39), the incomparable model for Christian obedience is given; in his death “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28), the saving power of God is manifested as never before.

Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus in his passion combines both the majestic serenity of the obedient Son who goes his destined way in fulfillment of the scriptures (Mt 26:52–54), confident of his ultimate vindication by God, and the depths of fear and abandonment that he feels in face of death (Mt 26:38–39; 27:46). These two aspects are expressed by an Old Testament theme that occurs often in the narrative, i.e., the portrait of the suffering Righteous One who complains to God in his misery, but is certain of eventual deliverance from his terrible ordeal.

The passion-resurrection of God’s Son means nothing less than the turn of the ages, a new stage of history, the coming of the Son of Man in his kingdom (Mt 28:18; cf. Mt 16:28). That is the sense of the apocalyptic signs that accompany Jesus’ death (Mt 27:51–53) and resurrection (Mt 28:2). Although the old age continues, as it will until the manifestation of Jesus’ triumph at his parousia, the final age has now begun. This is known only to those who have seen the Risen One and to those, both Jews and Gentiles, who have believed in their announcement of Jesus’ triumph and have themselves become his disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). To them he is constantly, though invisibly, present (Mt 28:20), verifying the name Emmanuel, “God is with us” (cf. Mt 1:23).

The questions of authorship, sources, and the time of composition of this gospel have received many answers, none of which can claim more than a greater or lesser degree of probability. The one now favored by the majority of scholars is the following.

The ancient tradition that the author was the disciple and apostle of Jesus named Matthew (see Mt 10:3) is untenable because the gospel is based, in large part, on the Gospel according to Mark (almost all the verses of that gospel have been utilized in this), and it is hardly likely that a companion of Jesus would have followed so extensively an account that came from one who admittedly never had such an association rather than rely on his own memories. The attribution of the gospel to the disciple Matthew may have been due to his having been responsible for some of the traditions found in it, but that is far from certain.

The unknown author, whom we shall continue to call Matthew for the sake of convenience, drew not only upon the Gospel according to Mark but upon a large body of material (principally, sayings of Jesus) not found in Mark that corresponds, sometimes exactly, to material found also in the Gospel according to Luke. This material, called “Q” (probably from the first letter of the German word Quelle, meaning “source”), represents traditions, written and oral, used by both Matthew and Luke. Mark and Q are sources common to the two other synoptic gospels; hence the name the “Two-Source Theory” given to this explanation of the relation among the synoptics.

In addition to what Matthew drew from Mark and Q, his gospel contains material that is found only there. This is often designated “M,” written or oral tradition that was available to the author. Since Mark was written shortly before or shortly after A.D. 70 (see Introduction to Mark), Matthew was composed certainly after that date, which marks the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans at the time of the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66–70), and probably at least a decade later since Matthew’s use of Mark presupposes a wide diffusion of that gospel. The post-A.D. 70 date is confirmed within the text by Mt 22:7, which refers to the destruction of Jerusalem.

As for the place where the gospel was composed, a plausible suggestion is that it was Antioch, the capital of the Roman province of Syria. That large and important city had a mixed population of Greek-speaking Gentiles and Jews. The tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians there in the time of Paul (see Gal 2:1–14) in respect to Christian obligation to observe Mosaic law are partially similar to tensions that can be seen between the two groups in Matthew’s gospel. The church of Matthew, originally strongly Jewish Christian, had become one in which Gentile Christians were predominant. His gospel answers the question how obedience to the will of God is to be expressed by those who live after the “turn of the ages,” the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The principal divisions of the Gospel according to Matthew are the following:

1. The Infancy Narrative (1:1–2:23)
2. The Proclamation of the Kingdom (3:1–7:29)
3. Ministry and Mission in Galilee (8:1–11:1)
4. Opposition from Israel (11:2–13:53)
5. Jesus, the Kingdom, and the Church (13:54–18:35)
6. Ministry in Judea and Jerusalem (19:1–25:46)
7. The Passion and Resurrection (26:1–28:20)

I. THE INFANCY NARRATIVE