The Maccabean Martyrs as Saviours of the Jewish People

Download or read book The Maccabean Martyrs as Saviours of the Jewish People written by Jan Willem van Henten and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-11-22 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume deals with the presentation of the so-called Maccabean martyrs and the elder Razis in 2 and 4 Maccabees, discussing the religious, the political as well as the philosophical aspects of noble death in these writings. It argues that the theme of martyrdom is a very important part of the self-image of the Jews as presented by the authors of both works. Eleazar, the anonymous mother with her seven sons and Razis should, therefore, be considered heroes of the Jewish people. The first part of the book discusses the sources and the second part deals with the descriptions of noble death. This section of the book also offers extensive discussions of related non-Jewish traditions which highlight the political-patriotic dimension of noble death as described in 2 and 4 Maccabees.