Mythra

I'm reading Burton Mack's "Who Wrote the New Testament (or via: amazon.co.uk)", and he says this:

"But the fact that the image of the martyr could be used to write the recent history of the Maccabees, founders of the Hasmonean dynasty that ruled the second-temple kingdom of Judea, is strong evidence for the pervasive influence of the martyr theme. The way the significance of Jesus' death is expressed throughout the Pauline correspondence is strongly reminiscent of the stories of the martyrs found in 2 and 4 Maccabees."

So, then I decide to read 4 Maccabees, and I come upon this:

First they stripped the old man, who remained adorned with the gracefulness of his piety. And after they had tied his arms on each side they scourged him, while a herald opposite him cried out, "Obey the king's commands!" But the courageous and noble man, as a true Eleazar, was unmoved, as though being tortured in a dream; yet while the old man's eyes were raised to heaven, his flesh was being torn by scourges, his blood flowing, and his sides were being cut to pieces. And though he fell to the ground because his body could not endure the agonies, he kept his reason upright and unswerving. One of the cruel guards rushed at him and began to kick him in the side to make him get up again after he fell.
But he bore the pains and scorned the punishment and endured the tortures. And like a noble athlete the old man, while being beaten, was victorious over his torturers; in fact, with his face bathed in sweat, and gasping heavily for breath, he amazed even his torturers by his courageous spirit.

I was a bit taken aback by the similarity between this and the passion account. And I was surprised that, with all of the talk of "Pagan borrowing" and "Old Testament Midrash" that I hadn't heard more references to Maccabees.

I'm interested to get some perspective on this from members of this board.

Toto

It actually sounds more like Mel Gibson's account.

But the analogy has been noticed before, although it might just be part of the general themes of the times - the virtue in being able to stand up to abuse, the actual practices of the Romans, etc.

There is this:

The Lukan Passion and the Praiseworthy Death

(a review of The Lukan Passion and the Praiseworthy Death (or via: amazon.co.uk). By Peter J. Scaer. New Testament Monographs 10. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2005)

Ben C Smith

Other parallels to the Maccabean literature have been adduced, as well. For example, Mark 13.14-16 (those in Judea ought to flee to the mountains, leaving everything behind) seems based at least partially on 1 Maccabees 2.28 (Mattathias and his sons flee Modein, in Judea, to the mountains, leaving everything behind).

Ben.

Stumpjumper

Gerard Sloyan wrote about parallels between Romans 3:24 and 4 Maccabees 17:22 in Paul's view of atonement...

matthewthomas

A little more from Scaer on this:
“The Gospel of Luke and the Christology of Martyrdom”
Exegetical Symposium 2003
http://www.ctsfw.edu/events/symposia...2003scaerp.pdf , including a small section entitled "The Maccabean Martyrs: Jewish Appropriation of the Noble Death Tradition"
The greek doesn't open properly in my browser, though.

Matthew

andrewcriddle

One problem is the date of 4 Maccabees.

Bowersock in Martyrdom and Rome (or via: amazon.co.uk) has suggested a 2nd century CE date for this work see for discussion http://books.google.com/books?id=tsE...ShWTePJruV5oNo

Andrew Criddle

Toto

It's the WP Greek Century font, :frown:

But it seems to be available here with other WP fonts.

matthewthomas

Cheers!

wordy

The thousands of boys under two years old that Herodes gave order to kill in hope he would kill Jesus as baby could have its inspiration from the thousands of "innocent" M. that got crucified.

could the writers of NT be a competing groups around 200 CE who also had M as inspiration? Jesus a symbol for the righteous fight the M did?