Who were the Maccabees, what did they do? From priests to kings, the Maccabees created an independent Jewish kingdom in the second century BCE. Their success was a testament to their zeal—and some significant external factors. The Book of 1 Maccabees tells the story of their rise, while archaeology places the story within a larger historical and political context. Andrea M. Berlin of Boston University analyzes both in her article, “The Rise of the Maccabees,” published in the Summer 2023 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.This essay summarizes the article, which is behind the subscription wall.[...]
For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Maccabean Revolt, see here and links. For a couple of little-known ancient sources on the revolt, see here. That post also links to a post noting a revisionist view of the revolt. For another, see here.
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