The Four Books Of The Maccabees

The setting of **1st and 2nd Maccabees** is about a century and a half after the conquest of Judea by the Greeks under Alexander the Great. These books recount how the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to suppress the Jewish religion, sparking the Maccabean Revolt from 175 to 134 BCE. 

Originally included in the King James Bible, **1st and 2nd Maccabees** offer a thrilling historical account of the guerrilla warfare in which, with God's help, the Maccabean brothers—Judas, Jonathan, and Simon—achieved extraordinary victories against vastly superior armies, ultimately restoring an independent Jewish kingdom and preserving their religious practices.

**The Third Book of Maccabees** is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches and is included in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. However, it is considered apocryphal by most other Christian traditions. 

This book recounts the persecution of Jews under Pharaoh Ptolemy IV Philopater (222–205 BCE), whose plans to annihilate the Jewish people in Egypt are miraculously thwarted by God. These events occurred several decades before the Maccabean uprising in Judea, as chronicled in **1st and 2nd Maccabees**.

**The Fourth Book of Maccabees** is a philosophical and theological treatise that explores the supremacy of reason over passion, particularly in the context of Jewish faith and martyrdom. While not part of the Hebrew Bible, it is included in some versions of the Septuagint. 

Unlike the earlier Maccabees books, which focus on historical events, this text emphasizes the strength of faith and the power of rational thought in overcoming emotional and physical suffering. It centers on the martyrdom of Eleazar, a Jewish scribe, and the seven Maccabean brothers, who were tortured and killed by King Antiochus IV for refusing to abandon their religious practices.