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The name Maccabeus was first applied to Judas, one of the sons of Mattathias generally called in English the Maccabees, a celebrated family who defended Jewish rights and customs in the 2nd century B.C.E. (1 Macc 2:1-3). The word has been variously derived (e.g. as the initial letters of Mi Khamokha, Ba-'elim Jehovah! "Who... Continue Reading →
Hasmoneans: A remarkable priestly family of Modin, in Judea, also called Asmoneans or Maccabees. They belonged to that portion of the Jewish nation which under all trials and temptations remained loyal to Jehovah, even when the national life and religion seemed at their lowest ebb, and they succeeded, for a while at least, in restoring... Continue Reading →
tri'-fon (Truphon): The surname of Diodotus, a usurper of the Syrian throne. He was a native of Apamea and had been in the service of Alexander Balas. On the death of Balas (145 BC), Tryphon, taking advantage of the complaints of discontent among the troops of Demetrius II (Nicator), set up the younger son of... Continue Reading →
lasedemonianz (Spartidtai; once only Lakedaimonioi, 2 Macc 5:9): The inhabitants of Sparta or Lacedaemon with whom the Jews claimed some kinship and formed alliances (1 Macc 12:2,5,6,20,21; 14:20,23; 15:23; 2 Macc 5:9). The alliance mentioned in 1 Macc 12:5-23 is based, among other grounds, on that of a common descent of Jews and Lacedaemonians from... Continue Reading →
The Hasideans (Hebrew: חסידים הראשונים, Hasidim ha-Rishonim, Greek Ἀσιδαῖοι, also transcribed Hasidæans, Assideans, Hassideans or Assideans) were a Jewish religious party which played an important role in political life only during the time of the Maccabean wars, although it had existed for quite some time previous. - Wikipedia Hasideanz (Hasidaioi, a transliteration of chacidhim, "the pious," "Puritans"): A name assumed by the orthodox Jews (1 Macc 2:42; 7:13)... Continue Reading →
The Period in General The Exile left its ineffaceable stamp on Judaism as well as on the Jews. Their return to the land of their fathers was marked by the last rays of the declining sun of prophecy. With Malachi it set. Modern historical criticism has projected some of the canonical books of the Bible... Continue Reading →
Introduction As is true of any scripture, the Qur’an is a vital part of understanding Islam both as it is practiced today and as its origins are described. Since most non-Muslims have never read the Qur’an, a brief introduction is in order. The word “Qur’an” means “recitation” in Arabic and is thought to be derived from the Syriac... Continue Reading →
When you open your Bible today, are you able to be confident that the words you are reading are in fact the very corresponding English words that were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, and Jude nearly 2,000 years ago? A world-renowned textual scholar of the 19th century, Dr. F. J. A.... Continue Reading →