JUDAS MACCABAEUS
A Sacred Drama, by Georg Friedrich Handel (1747) , Words by Thomas Morell
Cast of Characters
Judas Maccabaeus (tenor)
Simon, his Brother (bass)
Israelite Woman (soprano)
Israelite Man (mezzo-soprano)
Eupolemus, the Jewish Ambassador to Rome (alto)
First Messenger (alto)
Second Messenger (bass)
Chorus of Israelites
Chorus of Youths
Chorus of Virgins
ACT ONE
1. (Overture) Scene 1
Chorus of Israelites, men and women, lamenting the death of Mattathias, the father of Judas Maccabaeus.
2. Chorus of Israelites:
Mourn, ye afflicted children, the remains
Of captive Judah, mourn in solemn strains;
Your sanguine hopes of liberty give over,
Your hero, friend and father is no more.
3. (Recitative) Israelite Man:
Well, may your sorrows, brethren, flow
In all the expressive signs of woe:
Your softer garments tear,
And squalid sackcloth wear,
Your drooping heads with ashes strew,
And with the flowig tear your cheeks bedew.
Israelite Woman:
Daughters, let your distressful cries
And loud lament ascend the skies;
Your tender bosoms beat, and tear,
With hands remorseless, your dishevelled hair;
For pale and breathless Mattathias lies,
Sad emblem of his country's miseries!
4. (Duet) Israelite Woman and Man:
From this dread scene, these adverse powers,
Ah, whither shall we fly?
O Solyma! Thy boasted towers
In smoky ruins lie.
5. Chorus of Israelites:
For Sion lamentation make,
With words that weep, and tears that speak.
6. (Recitative) Israelite Man
Not vain is all this storm of grief;
To vent our sorrows, gives relief.
Wretched indeed! But let not Judah's race
Their ruin with desponding arms embrace.
Distractful doubt and desperation
Ill become the chosen nation,
Chosen by the great I AM,
The Lord of hosts, who, still the same,
We trust, will give attentive ear
To the sincerity of prayer.
7. (Air) Israelite Man
Pious orgies, pious airs,
Decent sorrow, decent pray'rs,
Will to the Lord ascend, and move
His pity, and regain His love.
8. Chorus of Israelites:
O Father, whose Almighty power
The Heavens, and earth, and seas adore;
The hearts of Judah, thy delight,
In one defensive band unite.
And grant a leader bold, and brave,
If not to conquer, born to save.
9. (Accompagnato) Simon:
I feel, I feel the deity within,
Who, the bright cherubim between,
His radiant glory erst displayed;
To Israel's distressful prayer
He hath vouchsafed a gracious ear,
And points out Maccabaeus to their aid:
Judas shall set the captive free,
And lead us all to victory.
10. (Air) Simon:
Arm, arm, ye brave! A noble cause,
The cause of Heaven your zeal demands.
In defence of your nation, religion, and laws,
The Almighty Jehovah will strengthen your hands.
Arm, arm. . . da capo
11. Chorus of Israelites:
We come, we come, in bright array,
Judah, thy sceptre to obey.
12. (Recitative) Judas Maccabaeus:
'Tis well, my friends; with transport I behold
The spirit of our fathers, famed of old
For their exploits in war. Oh, may they fire
With active courage you, their sons inspire:
As when the mighty Joshua fought,
And those amazing wonders wrought,
Stood still, obedient to his voice, the sun,
Till kings he had destroyed, and kingdoms won.
13. (Air) Judas Maccabaeus
Call forth thy powers, my soul, and dare
The conflict of unequal war.
Great is the glory of the conquering sword,
That triumphs in sweet liberty restor'd.
Call forth. . . da capo
14. (Recitative) Israelite Woman:
To Heaven's Almighty king we kneel,
For blessings on this exemplary zeal.
Bless him, Jehovah, bless him, and once more
To thy own Israel liberty restore.
15. (Air) Israelite Woman:
O liberty, thou choicest treasure,
Seat of virtue, source of pleasure!
Life, without thee, knows no blessing,
No endearment worth caressing.
16. (Air) Israelite Woman:
Come, ever-smiling liberty,
And with thee bring thy jocund train.
For thee we pant, and sigh for thee,
With whom eternal pleasures reign.
Come. . . da capo
17. (Recitative) Israelite Man
O Judas, may these noble views inspire
All Israel with thy true heroic fire!
18. (Air) Israelite Man
'Tis liberty, dear liberty alone,
That gives fresh beauty to the sun;
That bids all nature look more gay,
And lovely life with pleasure steal away.
19. (Duet) Israelite Woman and Man
Come, ever-smiling liberty,
And with thee bring thy jocund train.
For thee we pant, and sigh for thee,
With whom eternal pleasures reign.
20. Chorus of Israelites:
Lead on, lead on! Judah disdains
The galling load of hostile chains.
21. (Recitative) Judas Maccabaeus:
So willed my father now at rest
In the eternal mansions of the blest:
'Can ye behold,' said he 'the miseries,
In which the long-insulted Judah lies?
Can ye behold their dire distress,
And not, at least, attempt redress?'
Then, faintly, with expiring breath,
'Resolve, my sons, on liberty, or death!'
We come! Oh see, thy sons prepare
The rough habiliments of war;
With hearts intrepid, and revengeful hands,
To execute, O sire, thy dread commands.
22. Semi-chorus of Israelite Men:
Disdainful of danger, we'll rush on the foe,
That Thy power, O Jehovah, all nations may know.
23. (Recitative) Judas Maccabaeus
Ambition! If ever honour was thine aim,
Challenge it here:
The glorious cause gives sanction to thy claim.
24. (Air) Judas Maccabaeus:
No unhallowed desire
Our breasts shall inspire,
Nor lust of unbounded power!
But peace to obtain:
Free peace let us gain,
And conquest shall ask no more.
25. (Recitative) Israelite Man:
Haste we, my brethren, haste we to the field,
Dependant on the Lord, our strength and shield.
26. Chorus of Israelites:
Hear us, O Lord, on Thee we call,
Resolved on conquest, or a glorious fall.
ACT TWO
27. Chorus of Israelites:
Fallen is the foe; so fall Thy foes, O Lord,
Where warlike Judas wields his righteous sword!
28. (Recitative) Israelite Man
Victorious hero! Fame shall tell,
With her last breath, how Apollonius fell,
And all Samaria fled, by thee pursued
Through hills of carnage and a sea of blood;
While thy resistless prowess dealt around,
With their own leader's sword, the deathful wound.
Thus, too, the haughty Seron, Syria's boast,
Before thee fell with his unnumbered host.
29. (Air) Israelite Man:
So rapid thy course is,
Not numberless forces
Withstand thy all-conquering sword.
Though nations surround thee,
No pow'r shall confound thee,
Till freedom again be restored.
So rapid. . . da capo
30. (Recitative) Israelite Man:
Well may we hope our freedom to receive,
Such sweet transporting views thy actions give.
31. (Duet) Israelite Woman and Man
Zion now her head shall raise,
Tune your harps to songs of praise.
32. (Chorus) Israelites
Zion now her head shall raise,
Tune your harps to songs of praise.
33. (Recitative) Israelite Woman:
Oh, let eternal honours crown his name:
Judas, first worthy in the rolls of fame.
Say, 'He put on the breast-plate as a giant,
And girt his warlike harness about him;
In his acts he was like a lion,
And like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.'
34. (Air) Israelite Woman:
From mighty kings he took the spoil,
And with his acts made Judah smile.
Judah rejoiceth in his name,
And triumphs in her hero's fame.
From mighty kings. . . da capo
35. (Duet) Israelite Woman and Man
Hail, hail, Judea, happy land!
Salvation prospers in his hand.
36. (Chorus) Israelites:
Hail, hail, Judea, happy land!
Salvation prospers in his hand.
37. (Recitative) Judas Maccabaeus:
Thanks to my brethren; but look up to Heaven;
To Heaven let glory and all praise be given;
To Heaven give your applause,
Nor add the second cause,
As once your fathers did in Midian,
Saying, 'The sword of God and Gideon.'
It was the Lord that for his Israel fought,
And this our wonderful salvation wrought.
38. (Air) Judas Maccabaeus:
How vain is man, who boasts in fight
The valour of gigantic might!
And dreams not that a hand unseen
Directs and guides this weak machine.
How vain. . . da capo
39. (Recitative) First Messenger:
O Judas, O my brethren!
New scenes of bloody war
In all their horrors rise.
Prepare, prepare,
Or soon we fall a sacrifice
To great Antiochus; from the Egyptian coast,
(Where Ptolemy hath Memphis and Pelusium lost)
He sends the valiant Gorgias, and commands
His proud, victorious bands
To root out Israel's strength, and to erase
Every memorial of the sacred place.
40. (Air) Israelite Woman:
Ah! wretched, wretched Israel! fallen, how low,
From joyous transport to desponding woe.
41. (Chorus) Israelites:
Ah! wretched, wretched Israel! fallen, how low,
From joyous transport to desponding woe.
42. (Recitative) Simon:
Be comforted, nor think these plagues are sent
For your destruction, but for chastisement.
Heaven oft in mercy punisheth, that sin
May feel its own demerits from within,
And urge not utter ruin. Turn to God,
And draw a blessing from His iron rod.
43. (Air) Simon:
The Lord worketh wonders
His glory to raise;
And still, as he thunders,
Is fearful in praise.
44. (Recitative) Judas Maccabaeus:
My arms! Against this Gorgias will I go.
The Idumean governor shall know
How vain, how ineffective his design,
While rage his leader, and Jehovah mine.
45. (Air) Judas Maccabaeus:
Sound an alarm! Your silver trumpets sound,
And call the brave, and only brave, around.
Who listeth, follow: to the field again!
Justice with courage is a thousand men.
Sound an alarm. . . da capo
46. Chorus
We hear, we hear the pleasing dreadful call,
And follow thee to conquest; if to fall,
For laws, religion, liberty, we fall.
47. (Recitative) Simon:
Enough! To Heaven we leave the rest.
Such generous ardour firing every breast,
We may divide our cares; the field be thine,
O Judas, and your sanctuary mine;
For Sion, holy Sion, seat of God,
In ruinous heaps, is by the heathen trod;
Such profanation calls for swift redress,
If ever in battle Israel hopes success.
48. (Air) Simon:
With pious hearts, and brave as pious,
O Sion, we thy call attend,
Nor dread the nations that defy us,
God our defender, God our friend.
49. (Recitative) Israelite Man:
Ye worshippers of God,
Down, down with the polluted altars, down.
Hurl Jupiter Olympius from his throne,
Nor reverence Bacchus with his ivy crown
And ivy-wreathed rod.
Our fathers never knew
Him, or his beastly crew,
Or, knowing, scorned such idol vanities.
Israelite Woman:
No more in Sion let the virgin throng,
Wild with delusion, pay their nightly song
To Ashtoreth, yclep't the Queen of Heaven.
Hence to Phoenicia be the goddess driven,
Or be she, with her priests and pageants, hurled
To the remotest corner of the world,
Never to delude us more with pious lies.
50. (Air) Israelite Woman:
Wise men, flattering, may deceive us
With their vain, mysterious art;
Magic charms can never relieve us,
Nor can heal the wounded heart.
But true wisdom can relieve us,
Godlike wisdom from above;
This alone can never deceive us,
This alone all pains remove.
Wise men. . . da capo
51. (Duet) Israelite Woman and Man:
Oh, never, never bow we down
To the rude stock or sculptured stone.
We worship God, and God alone.
52. Chorus of Israelites:
We never, never will bow down
To the rude stock or sculptured stone.
We worship God, and God alone.
ACT THREE
53. (Air) Israelite Man:
Father of Heaven! From Thy eternal throne,
Look with an eye of blessing down,
While we prepare with holy rites,
To solemnize the feasts of lights.
And thus our grateful hearts employ;
And in Thy praise
This altar raise,
With carols of triumphant joy.
Father of Heaven. . . da capo
54. (Accompagnato) Israelitish Man:
See, see yon flames, that from the altar broke,
In spiring streams pursue the trailing smoke.
The fragrant incense mounts the yielding air;
Sure presage that the Lord hath heard our prayer.
55. (Recitative) Israelite Woman:
Oh, grant it, Heaven, that our long woes may cease,
And Judah's daughters taste the calm of peace,
Sons, brothers, husbands to bewail no more,
Tortur'd at home, or havock'd in the war.
56. (Air) Israelite Woman:
So shall the lute and harp awake,
And sprightly voice sweet descant run,
Seraphic melody to make,
In the pure strains of Jesse's son.
57. (Recitative) First Messenger:
From Capharsalama, on eagle wings I fly,
With tidings of impetuous joy:
Came Lysias, with his host, arrayed
In coat of mail; their massy shields
Of gold and brass, flashed lightning over the fields,
While the huge tower-backed elephants displayed
A horrid front. But Judas, undismayed,
Met, fought, and vanquished all the rageful train.
Yet more, Nicanor lies with thousands slain;
The blasphemous Nicanor, who defied
The living God, and, in his wanton pride,
A public monument ordained
Of victories yet ungained.
Second Messenger:
But lo, the conqueror comes; and on his spear,
To dissipate all fear,
He bears the vaunter's head and hand,
That threatened desolation to the land.
58. (Chorus) Youths:
See, the conqu'ring hero comes!
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
Virgins:
See the godlike youth advance!
Breathe the flutes, and lead the dance;
Myrtle wreaths, and roses twine,
To deck the hero's brow divine.
Israelites:
See, the conqu'ring hero comes!
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
See, the conquering hero comes!
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
59. March
60. Soli (alto, tenor) & Chorus of Israelites:
Sing unto God, and high affections raise,
To crown this conquest with unmeasured praise.
61. (Recitative) Judas Maccabaeus:
Sweet flow the strains, that strike my feasted ear;
Angels might stoop from Heav'n to hear
The comely song we sing,
To Israel's Lord and King.
But pause awhile: due obsequies prepare
To those who bravely fell in war.
To Eleazar special tribute pay;
Through slaughtered troops he cut his way
To the distinguished elephant, and, whelmed beneath
The stabbed monster, triumphed in a glorious death.
62. (Air) Judas Maccabaeus:
With honour let desert be crowned,
The trumpet ne'er in vain shall sound;
But, all attentive to alarms,
The willing nations fly to arms,
And, conquering or conquered, claim the prize
Of happy earth, or far more happy skies.
63. (Recitative) Eupolemus:
Peace to my countrymen; peace and liberty.
From the great senate of imperial Rome,
With a firm league of amity, I come.
Rome, whatever nation dare insult us more,
Will rouse, in our defence, her veteran power,
And stretch her vengeful arm, by land or sea
To curb the proud, and set the injured free.
64. Chorus of Israelites
To our great God be all the honour given,
That grateful hearts can send from earth to Heaven.
65. (Recitative) Israelite Woman:
Again to earth let gratitude descend,
Praiseworthy is our hero and our friend.
Come then, my daughters, choicest art bestow,
To weave a chaplet for the victor's brow;
And in your songs for ever be confessed
The valour that preserved, the power that blessed,
Blessed you with hours, that scatter, as they fly,
Soft quiet, gentle love, and boundless joy.
66. (Air Duet) Israelite Woman (and Man):
O lovely peace, with plenty crowned,
Come, spread thy blessings all around.
Let fleecy flocks the hills adorn,
And vallies smile with wavy corn.
Let the shrill trumpet cease, nor other sound
But nature's songsters wake the cheerful morn.
O lovely peace. . . da capo
67. (Air) Simon:
Rejoice, O Judah, and, in songs divine,
With cherubim and seraphim harmonious join!
68. (Chorus) Israelites:
Hallelujah! Amen.
THE END...
May the LORD God bless you in the name of St. Judas Maccabaeus.
SOURCE: Georg Friedrich Händel JUDAS MACCABAEUS (1747). A Sacred Drama. Initially input by Pierre Degott (degott@zeus.univ-metz.fr); HTML conversion by Potharn Imre (pubi@altavista.net)Last updated: Oct. 20, 1999, (http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/judas.htm)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Saint Judas Maccabaeus Fact Sheet
Judas, the Valiant
Maccabee Facts about St. Judas Maccabaeus
The Life of St. Judas Maccabeus
PLACE OF BIRTH: Modi'in (Modein), Judea
PLACE OF DEATH: Elasa (160 BC), near modern day Ramallah
MILITARY SERVICE: Rebel leader and commander of the Maccabees
YEARS OF SERVICE: 167-160 BC
BATTLES/WARS: Revolt of the Maccabees
LEGACY: Military hero, Defender of Judaism, Founder of Hanukkah
PRESTIGE: One of the Nine Worthies, which include nine of the greatest Judeo-Christian warriors of all time
JUDAISM: Seen as one of greatest Jewish warriors in history, alongside Joshua, Gideon and David
ESTABLISHMENT: Founded the holiday of Hanukkah and the Hasmonean Dynasty of Israel
The Faith of St. Judas Maccabaeus
RELIGION: Orthodox Temple Judaism
FAITH: Devout, traditional
BIBLE: Book of the Maccabees I and II
APOCRYPHA: Book of the Maccabees III, IV, and V
OTHER BOOKS: Book of the Maccabees VI, VII, VIII, and the three Ethiopian books of Meqabyan
TRADITION: One of the most celebrated Judeo-Christian heroes in history
JUDAISM: Founder of the festival of Hanukkah (Dedication), an official holiday of Judaism
CHRISTIANITY: Considered a Saint residing in the Christian Kingdom of Heaven
RECOGNITION: Honored by Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Ethiopian and Coptic Christianity
CHURCHES: I. St. Mary and St. Shmuni Church, in Sinstorf (Hamburg, Germany), II. Chapel of the Maccabees, in Saint-Pierre, (Geneva, Switzerland), III. St. Maccabees Church, in Cologne, (Germany), IV. Church of St. Maccabees Brothers in Lady, (Poland)
Ancestry of St. Judas Maccabaeus
ROYAL LINE: Hasmonean Dynasty
TRIBE OF ISRAEL: Levi
FAMILY HOUSE: House of Asamoneus
PRIESTHOOD: Seven Watchtowers of Joarib
FATHER: Mattathias the Hasmonean
BIRTH ORDER: Third-born son
BROTHERS: Jonathan Apphus, John Gaddis, Simon Thassi, Eleazar Avaran
FAMILY TOMB: Modi'in, Israel
Various Names of St. Judas Maccabaeus
STANDARD: Judas Maccabeus, Judas Maccabaeus
TITLE: The Hammer, the Hammer of God, the Hammerer
JEWISH: Judah Maccabee, Judah the Maccabee
YIDDISH: Yehudah HaMakabi
LITERAL ENGLISH: Judah the Hammer
HEBREW: יהודה המכבי
ORIGIN: From the Aramaic 'maqqabba', or 'makebet' in modern Hebrew
ALTERNATIVE SPELLINGS: Machabeus, Maccabeus,
The Eternal Laws of St. Judas Maccabaeus
GOD: I. You will accept death over idolatry.
LIFE: II. You will accept death over murder.
SEXUALITY: III. You will accept death over sexual perversion.
The Triumph of Judas Maccabaeus
St. Judas Maccabaeus in Literature
Old English Homilies on The Maccabees, by Aelfric (c. 1000) edited by Stuart D. Lee
El Maccabeo, by Miguel de Silveyra. (Naples, 1638)
La chevalerie de Judas Macabe, by Pierre du Ryer (1600-1658)
Judas Machabaeus, (Rome 1695)
Judas Makkabaeus, by Josef Eduard Konrad Bischoff (Germany 1885)
The Hammer, by Alfred J. Church and Richmond Seeley (1890)
Alilot Gibbor ha-Yehudim Yehudah ha-Makkabi le-Veit ha-Hashmona'im, by Jacob Benjamin Katznelson (1922)
Judas Makkabaeus, ein Kleinvolk kaempft um Glaube und Heimat, by Karl Boxler (1943)
My Glorious Brothers, by Howard Fast (1948)
Yehudah ha-Makkabi in A Layter tsu der Zun, by Moses Schulstein (1954)
Yehudah ha-Makkabi in Sippurim le-Mofet, by Jacob Fichmann (1954)
King David with Judas on Right
St. Judas Maccabaeus in Theatre
Judas Maccabeaus, by William Houghton (1601)
Giuda Maccabeo, ossia la morte di Nicanore, an Oratorio adapted by Vallicella (1839)
Judas Maccabaeus, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1872)
St. Judas Maccabaeus in Art
The illustrated manuscript Libri Maccabaeorum (900s AD).
Josephus, illustrations by Jean Fouquet
Chapel of the Dead in Tournai Cathedral, by Rubens
Illustrated English Bible, illustrated by Paul Gustave Dore
Nine Heroes Tapestries at the Metropolitan Museum (South Netherlandish, ca. 1400-1410)
The Triumph of Judas Maccabeus, by Gerrit van Honthorst
St. Judas Maccabaeus in Music
Judas Maccabaeus, an Oratorio, by George Frideric Handel (1746)
Song of Judas Maccabeus Before the Battle of Maspha, by Rebekah Hyneman (1816-1875)
The Battle-Cry of the South, by James R. Randall (1860s)
St. Judas Maccabaeus Briefly Mentioned in...
The Divine Comedy, by Dante
Love's Labour's Lost, by William Shakespeare
The song Hanukkah in Santa Monica, by Tom Lehrer
The song Jerusalem, by Mirah
The book Treatise on Twelve Lights, Ch. 5 (Recourse to the Sword), by Robert Struble (2007-08)
Judas Maccabaeus, the Hammer of God
Jason Nicholas Korning
SOURCE(S): - Judas Maccabaeus, Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabeus), Judas Maccabaeus on the web, by Tim Spalding. (http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/maccabeus/), Books of the Maccabees, Wikipedia.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_the_Maccabees), Category: Holy Maccabees Churches, Wikimedia. (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Holy_Maccabees_churches)
The Scroll of Antiochus (Megillat Antiochus)
The Scroll of Antiochus. Megillat Antiochus
The Greek monarch Antiochus was a powerful ruler; all the kings heeded him. He subdued many provinces and mighty sovereigns; he destroyed their castles, burned their palaces and imprisoned their men. Since the reign of Alexander there had never been a king like him beyond the Euphrates. He erected a large city on the seacoast to serve as his royal residence, and called it "Antioch" after his own name. Opposite it his governor Bagris founded another city, and called it "City of Bagris" after himself. Such are their names to this day.
In the twenty-third year of his reign, the two hundred and thirteenth year after the Temple had been rebuilt, Antiochus determined to march on Jerusalem. He said to his officers: "You are aware that the Jews of Jerusalem are in our midst. They neither offer sacrifices to our gods nor observe our laws; they abandon the king's laws to practice their own. They hope moreover for the day when kings and tyrants shall be crushed, saying: 'O that our own king might reign over us, that we might rule the sea and the land, so that the entire world would be ours.' It is indeed a disgrace for the royal government to let them remain on the face of the earth. Come now, let us attack them and abolish the covenant made with them: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and circumcision." The proposal pleased his officers and all his host.
Immediately king Antiochus dispatched his governor Nicanor with a large body of troops. He came to the Jewish, city of Jerusalem and massacred many people; he set up a heathen altar in the Temple, concerning which the G-d of Israel had said to his faithful prophets: "There will I establish my residence forever." In that very place they slaughtered a swine and brought its blood into the holy court. When Yochanan ben Matityahu heard of this deed, he was filled with rage and his face changed color. In his heart he drew a plan of action. He then made himself a dagger, two spans long and one span wide, and concealed it under his clothes. He came to Jerusalem and stood at the royal gate, calling to this gate-keepers: "I am Yochanan ben Matityahu; I have come to appear before Nicanor." The guards informed Nicanor that the high priest of the Jews was standing at the door. "Let him enter!" Nicanor said.
Yochanan was admitted to Nicanor, who said: "You are one of the rebels who-rebel against the king and do not care for the welfare of his government!" Yochanan replied: "My lord, I have come to you; whatever you demand I will do." "If you wish to do as I please," said Nicanor, "then take a swine and sacrifice it upon the altar. You shall wear royal clothes and ride the king's own horse; you shall be counted among the king's close friends." To this, Yochanan answered: "My lord, I am afraid of the Israelites; if they hear that I have done such a thing they will stone me. Let everyone leave your presence, so as not to inform them." Immediately Nicanor ordered everybody out.
At, that moment Yochanan ben Matityahu raised his eyes to heaven and prayed; "My G-d and G-d of my fathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, do not hand me over to this heathen; for if he kills me, he will boast in the temple of Dagon that his god has handed me over to him." He advanced three steps toward Nicanor, thrust the dagger into his heart, and flung him fatally wounded into the court of the Temple. "My G-d," Yochanan prayed, "do not count it a sin that I killed this heathen in the Sanctuary; punish thus all the foes who came with him to persecute Judea and Jerusalem." On that day Yochanan set out and fought the enemy, inflicting heavy slaughter on them. The number of those who were slain by him on that day totaled two thousand seven hundred. Upon returning, he erected a column with the inscription: "Maccabee, Destroyer of Tyrants."
When king Antiochus heard that his governor Nicanor had been slain, he was bitterly distressed. He sent for wicked Bagris, the deceiver of his people, and told him: "Do you not know, have you not heard, what the Israelites did to me? They massacred my troops and ransacked my camps! Can you now be sure of your wealth? Will your homes remain yours? Come, let us move against them and abolish the covenant which their G-d made with them: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and circumcision." Then wicked Bagris and his hosts invaded Jerusalem, murdering the population and proclaiming an absolute decree against Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and circumcision. So drastic was the king's edict that when a man was discovered to have circumcised his son, he and his wife were hanged along with the child. A woman gave birth to a son after her husband's death and had him circumcised when he was eight days old. With the child in her arms, she went up on top of the wall of Jerusalem and cried out: "We say to you, wicked Bagris: This covenant of our fathers which you intend to destroy shall never cease from us nor from our children's children." She cast her son down to the ground and flung herself after him so that they died together. Many Israelites of that period did the same, refusing to renounce the covenant of their fathers.
Some of the Jews said to one another: "Come, let us keep Shabbat in a cave lest we violate it." When they were betrayed to Bagris, he dispatched armed men who sat down at the entrance of the cave and said: "You Jews, surrender to us! Eat of our bread, drink of our wine, and do what we do!" But the Jews said to one another: "We remember what we were commanded on Mount Sinai: 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work; on the seventh day you shall rest.' It is better for us to die than to desecrate Shabbat." When the Jews failed to come out, wood was brought and set on fire at the entrance of the cave. About a thousand men and women died there. Later the five sons of Matityahu, Yochanan and his four brothers, set out and routed the hostile forces, whom they drove to the coast; for they trusted in the G-d of heaven.
Wicked Bagris, accompanied by those who had escaped the sword, boarded a ship and fled to king Antiochus. "O king," he said, "you have issued a decree abolishing Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and circumcision in Judea, and now there is complete rebellion there. The five sons of Matityahu cannot be defeated unless they are attacked by all the combined forces; they are stronger than lions, swifter than eagles, braver than bears. Be pleased to accept my advice, and do not fight them with this small army lest you be disgraced in the sight of all the kings. Send letters to all your royal provinces; let all the army officers without exception come with armored elephants." This pleased king Antiochus. He sent letters to all his royal domains, and the chieftains of various clans arrived with armored elephants. Wicked Bagris invaded Jerusalem for the second time. He broke through the wall, shattered the gateway, made thirteen breaches in the Temple, and ground the stones to dust. He thought to himself: "This time they shall not defeat me; my army is numerous, my hand is mighty." However, the G-d of heaven did not think so.
The five sons of Matityahu went to Mizpeh in Gilead, where the house of Israel had been saved in the days of Shmuel Hanavi. They fasted, sat in ashes and prayed to the G-d of heaven for mercy; then a good plan came to their mind. These were their names: Yehudah, the firstborn; Shimon, the second; Yochanan, the third; Yonatan, the fourth; Elazar, the fifth. Their father blessed them, saying: "Yehudah my son, I compare you to Yehudah the son of Yaakov who was likened to a lion. Shimon my son, I compare, you to Shimon the son of Yaakov who slew the men of Shchem. Yochanan my son, I compare you to Avner the son of Ner, general of Israel's army. Yonatan my son, I compare you to Yonatan the son of Shaul who defeated the Philistines. Elazar my son, I compare you to Pinchas the son of Elazar, who was zealous for his G-d and rescued the Israelites." Soon afterwards the five sons of Matityahu attacked the pagan forces, inflicting severe losses upon them. One, of the brothers, Yehudah, was killed.
When the sons of Matityahu discovered that Yehudah had been slain, they returned to their father who asked: "Why did you come back?" They replied: "Our brother Yehudah, who alone equaled all of us, has been killed." "I will join you in the battle against the heathen," Matityahu said, "lest they destroy the house of Israel; why be so dismayed over your brother?" He joined his sons that same day and waged war against the enemy. The G-d of heaven delivered into their hands all swordsmen and archers, army officers and high officials. None of these survived. Others were compelled to seek refuge in the coastal cities. In attacking the elephants, Elazar was engulfed in their dung. His brothers searched for him among the living and the dead, and could not find him. Eventually, however, they did find him.
The Jews rejoiced over the defeat of their enemies, some of whom were burned while others, were hanged on the gallows. Wicked Bagris was included among those who were burned to death. When king Antiochus heard that his governor Bagris and the army officers had been killed, he boarded a ship and fled to the coastal cities. Wherever he came the people rebelled and called him "The Fugitive," so he drowned himself in the sea.
The Hasmoneans entered the Sanctuary, rebuilt the gates, closed the breaches, and cleansed the Temple court from the slain and the impurities. They looked for pure olive oil to light the Menorah, and found only one bottle with the seal of the Kohen Gadol so that they were sure of its purity. Though its quantity seemed sufficient only for one day's lighting, it lasted for eight days owing to the blessing of the G-d of heaven who had established His Name there. Hence, the Hasmoneans and all the Jews alike instituted these eight days as a time of feasting and rejoicing, like any festival prescribed in the Torah, and of kindling lights to commemorate the victories G-d had given them. Mourning and fasting are forbidden on Chanukah, except in the case of an individual's vow which must be discharged. Nevertheless, the Hasmoneans did not prohibit work on this holiday.
From that time on the Greek government was stripped of its renown. The Hasmoneans and their descendants ruled for two hundred and six years, until the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.
And so the Jews everywhere observe this festival for eight days, beginning on the twenty-fifth of Kislev. These days, instituted by Kohanim, Levites and Sages of Temple times, shall be celebrated by their descendants forever.
The Al-mighty Who performed for them a miracle and wonder, may He perform for us miracles and wonders. And we should see the fulfillment of what is written (Michah 7:15) "As in the days when you left the land of Egypt I will show it wonders."
- Scroll of Antiochus, Megillat Antiochus
The Greek monarch Antiochus was a powerful ruler; all the kings heeded him. He subdued many provinces and mighty sovereigns; he destroyed their castles, burned their palaces and imprisoned their men. Since the reign of Alexander there had never been a king like him beyond the Euphrates. He erected a large city on the seacoast to serve as his royal residence, and called it "Antioch" after his own name. Opposite it his governor Bagris founded another city, and called it "City of Bagris" after himself. Such are their names to this day.
In the twenty-third year of his reign, the two hundred and thirteenth year after the Temple had been rebuilt, Antiochus determined to march on Jerusalem. He said to his officers: "You are aware that the Jews of Jerusalem are in our midst. They neither offer sacrifices to our gods nor observe our laws; they abandon the king's laws to practice their own. They hope moreover for the day when kings and tyrants shall be crushed, saying: 'O that our own king might reign over us, that we might rule the sea and the land, so that the entire world would be ours.' It is indeed a disgrace for the royal government to let them remain on the face of the earth. Come now, let us attack them and abolish the covenant made with them: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and circumcision." The proposal pleased his officers and all his host.
Immediately king Antiochus dispatched his governor Nicanor with a large body of troops. He came to the Jewish, city of Jerusalem and massacred many people; he set up a heathen altar in the Temple, concerning which the G-d of Israel had said to his faithful prophets: "There will I establish my residence forever." In that very place they slaughtered a swine and brought its blood into the holy court. When Yochanan ben Matityahu heard of this deed, he was filled with rage and his face changed color. In his heart he drew a plan of action. He then made himself a dagger, two spans long and one span wide, and concealed it under his clothes. He came to Jerusalem and stood at the royal gate, calling to this gate-keepers: "I am Yochanan ben Matityahu; I have come to appear before Nicanor." The guards informed Nicanor that the high priest of the Jews was standing at the door. "Let him enter!" Nicanor said.
Yochanan was admitted to Nicanor, who said: "You are one of the rebels who-rebel against the king and do not care for the welfare of his government!" Yochanan replied: "My lord, I have come to you; whatever you demand I will do." "If you wish to do as I please," said Nicanor, "then take a swine and sacrifice it upon the altar. You shall wear royal clothes and ride the king's own horse; you shall be counted among the king's close friends." To this, Yochanan answered: "My lord, I am afraid of the Israelites; if they hear that I have done such a thing they will stone me. Let everyone leave your presence, so as not to inform them." Immediately Nicanor ordered everybody out.
At, that moment Yochanan ben Matityahu raised his eyes to heaven and prayed; "My G-d and G-d of my fathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, do not hand me over to this heathen; for if he kills me, he will boast in the temple of Dagon that his god has handed me over to him." He advanced three steps toward Nicanor, thrust the dagger into his heart, and flung him fatally wounded into the court of the Temple. "My G-d," Yochanan prayed, "do not count it a sin that I killed this heathen in the Sanctuary; punish thus all the foes who came with him to persecute Judea and Jerusalem." On that day Yochanan set out and fought the enemy, inflicting heavy slaughter on them. The number of those who were slain by him on that day totaled two thousand seven hundred. Upon returning, he erected a column with the inscription: "Maccabee, Destroyer of Tyrants."
When king Antiochus heard that his governor Nicanor had been slain, he was bitterly distressed. He sent for wicked Bagris, the deceiver of his people, and told him: "Do you not know, have you not heard, what the Israelites did to me? They massacred my troops and ransacked my camps! Can you now be sure of your wealth? Will your homes remain yours? Come, let us move against them and abolish the covenant which their G-d made with them: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and circumcision." Then wicked Bagris and his hosts invaded Jerusalem, murdering the population and proclaiming an absolute decree against Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and circumcision. So drastic was the king's edict that when a man was discovered to have circumcised his son, he and his wife were hanged along with the child. A woman gave birth to a son after her husband's death and had him circumcised when he was eight days old. With the child in her arms, she went up on top of the wall of Jerusalem and cried out: "We say to you, wicked Bagris: This covenant of our fathers which you intend to destroy shall never cease from us nor from our children's children." She cast her son down to the ground and flung herself after him so that they died together. Many Israelites of that period did the same, refusing to renounce the covenant of their fathers.
Some of the Jews said to one another: "Come, let us keep Shabbat in a cave lest we violate it." When they were betrayed to Bagris, he dispatched armed men who sat down at the entrance of the cave and said: "You Jews, surrender to us! Eat of our bread, drink of our wine, and do what we do!" But the Jews said to one another: "We remember what we were commanded on Mount Sinai: 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work; on the seventh day you shall rest.' It is better for us to die than to desecrate Shabbat." When the Jews failed to come out, wood was brought and set on fire at the entrance of the cave. About a thousand men and women died there. Later the five sons of Matityahu, Yochanan and his four brothers, set out and routed the hostile forces, whom they drove to the coast; for they trusted in the G-d of heaven.
Wicked Bagris, accompanied by those who had escaped the sword, boarded a ship and fled to king Antiochus. "O king," he said, "you have issued a decree abolishing Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and circumcision in Judea, and now there is complete rebellion there. The five sons of Matityahu cannot be defeated unless they are attacked by all the combined forces; they are stronger than lions, swifter than eagles, braver than bears. Be pleased to accept my advice, and do not fight them with this small army lest you be disgraced in the sight of all the kings. Send letters to all your royal provinces; let all the army officers without exception come with armored elephants." This pleased king Antiochus. He sent letters to all his royal domains, and the chieftains of various clans arrived with armored elephants. Wicked Bagris invaded Jerusalem for the second time. He broke through the wall, shattered the gateway, made thirteen breaches in the Temple, and ground the stones to dust. He thought to himself: "This time they shall not defeat me; my army is numerous, my hand is mighty." However, the G-d of heaven did not think so.
The five sons of Matityahu went to Mizpeh in Gilead, where the house of Israel had been saved in the days of Shmuel Hanavi. They fasted, sat in ashes and prayed to the G-d of heaven for mercy; then a good plan came to their mind. These were their names: Yehudah, the firstborn; Shimon, the second; Yochanan, the third; Yonatan, the fourth; Elazar, the fifth. Their father blessed them, saying: "Yehudah my son, I compare you to Yehudah the son of Yaakov who was likened to a lion. Shimon my son, I compare, you to Shimon the son of Yaakov who slew the men of Shchem. Yochanan my son, I compare you to Avner the son of Ner, general of Israel's army. Yonatan my son, I compare you to Yonatan the son of Shaul who defeated the Philistines. Elazar my son, I compare you to Pinchas the son of Elazar, who was zealous for his G-d and rescued the Israelites." Soon afterwards the five sons of Matityahu attacked the pagan forces, inflicting severe losses upon them. One, of the brothers, Yehudah, was killed.
When the sons of Matityahu discovered that Yehudah had been slain, they returned to their father who asked: "Why did you come back?" They replied: "Our brother Yehudah, who alone equaled all of us, has been killed." "I will join you in the battle against the heathen," Matityahu said, "lest they destroy the house of Israel; why be so dismayed over your brother?" He joined his sons that same day and waged war against the enemy. The G-d of heaven delivered into their hands all swordsmen and archers, army officers and high officials. None of these survived. Others were compelled to seek refuge in the coastal cities. In attacking the elephants, Elazar was engulfed in their dung. His brothers searched for him among the living and the dead, and could not find him. Eventually, however, they did find him.
The Jews rejoiced over the defeat of their enemies, some of whom were burned while others, were hanged on the gallows. Wicked Bagris was included among those who were burned to death. When king Antiochus heard that his governor Bagris and the army officers had been killed, he boarded a ship and fled to the coastal cities. Wherever he came the people rebelled and called him "The Fugitive," so he drowned himself in the sea.
The Hasmoneans entered the Sanctuary, rebuilt the gates, closed the breaches, and cleansed the Temple court from the slain and the impurities. They looked for pure olive oil to light the Menorah, and found only one bottle with the seal of the Kohen Gadol so that they were sure of its purity. Though its quantity seemed sufficient only for one day's lighting, it lasted for eight days owing to the blessing of the G-d of heaven who had established His Name there. Hence, the Hasmoneans and all the Jews alike instituted these eight days as a time of feasting and rejoicing, like any festival prescribed in the Torah, and of kindling lights to commemorate the victories G-d had given them. Mourning and fasting are forbidden on Chanukah, except in the case of an individual's vow which must be discharged. Nevertheless, the Hasmoneans did not prohibit work on this holiday.
From that time on the Greek government was stripped of its renown. The Hasmoneans and their descendants ruled for two hundred and six years, until the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.
And so the Jews everywhere observe this festival for eight days, beginning on the twenty-fifth of Kislev. These days, instituted by Kohanim, Levites and Sages of Temple times, shall be celebrated by their descendants forever.
The Al-mighty Who performed for them a miracle and wonder, may He perform for us miracles and wonders. And we should see the fulfillment of what is written (Michah 7:15) "As in the days when you left the land of Egypt I will show it wonders."
- Scroll of Antiochus, Megillat Antiochus
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Christian Talmud and the Jewish Gospels
The Word of God
In reality, the Talmud is literally 99.999% acceptable to nearly all forms of Christian thought and reflects a sense of ethics and morality that is, in fact, far more strict than any form of Christianity. Those who still object to the .001% of the text which may, or may not, be offensive to Christianity, are lost in the land of irrationality and, God willing, someone will save them from themselves. Anyway, here is ABSOLUTE PROOF of an ancient, very real Judeo-Christian tradition embedded in both the Jewish Talmud and the Christian Gospel of Matthew. For those of you who have ever been mocked or ridiculed by either Jewish or Gentile intellectuals who insist that they has never been a Judeo-Christian tradition, here is your undeniable vindication.
TALMUD: Man has two hands, but he is not to rob with the one and give donations with the other. (Talmud, Midrash Proverbs 11)
GOSPEL: When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:3-4)
TALMUD: Swear not at all, not even to the truth. (Talmud, Tanchum, Vayikra)
GOSPEL: I tell you, Do not swear at all. (Matthew 5:34)
TALMUD: The pure of heart are God's friends. (Talmud, Genesis Rabba 41)
GOSPEL: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
TALMUD: If you intend to put man to rights, put yourself to rights first. (Talmud, Midrash Psalms 53)
GOSPEL: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?...You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)
TALMUD: Have no compunction to chastise where chastisement is called for. It will produce not animosity, but eventually love and peace. (Talmud, Genesis Rabba 54)
GOSPEL: Moreover if your brother should trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he will hear you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:16)
TALMUD: God knows our thoughts before they are formed. (Talmud, Genesis Rabba 9)
GOSPEL: Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:8)
TALMUD: The truth of the Torah is a weapon to its possessor. (Talmud, Numbers Rabba 12)
GOSPEL: Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)
The Judeo-Christian Tradition is real...
TALMUD: One of the characteristics of the righteous is that their yes is yes, and their no is no. (Talmud, Midrash Ruth 7)
GOSPEL: Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No' be 'No', anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37)
TALMUD: Man's eyes and his heart prompt him to sin. (Talmud, Numbers Rabba 17)
GOSPEL: I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)
TALMUD: Adultery can be committed with the eyes. (Talmud, Leviticus Rabba 23)
GOSPEL: I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)
TALMUD: Immediately when a man is born he proceeds into death, when he dies he proceeds into life. (Talmud, Midrash Samuel 23)
GOSPELS: He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)
TALMUD: The Guardian Angels are always near God's throne. (Talmud, Tanchum, Sazrea)
GOSPELS: Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say unto you that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven. (Matthew 18:10)
The Truth of Judeo-Christianity
GOSPEL: Do not worry about how or what you are to say, for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. (Matthew 10:19-20)
TALMUD: No one can imagine the reward of him who accepts all his sorrows and reverses with religious resignation. (Talmud, Tanchum, Kee Saizai)
GOSPEL: Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-12)
TALMUD: What Solomon meant to convey by the words, 'What profit has a man of all his labor which he does under the sun?' (Ecclesiaste 1:2) is that whatever a man may possess on earth, under the sun, he must inevitably part with, but it is different if he provides for himself above the sun, in Heaven. (Talmud, Midrash Ecclesiastes 1)
GOSPEL: A man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?'...Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow me.' (Matthew 19:16-21)
TALMUD: As the sea throws up its debris upon the shores, so the wicked have filthiness upon their mouths. (Talmud, Midrash Psalms 2)
GOSPELS: Jesus asked them. 'Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.' (Matthew 15:16-19)
TALMUD: When no justice is done here below, it will be accomplished from above. (Talmud, Deuteronomy Rabba 5)
GOSPEL: But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:30)
TALMUD: Swear not at all, not even to the truth. (Talmud, Tanchum, Vayikra)
GOSPEL: I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. (Matthew 5:34-36)
TALMUD: To do justice and righteousness is more acceptable to God than sacrifices (Proverbs 21:3)...Sacrifices atoned only for sins committed in error not for presumptuous sin, justice and righteousness atone for all sins. (Talmud, Deuteronmy Rabba 5)
GOSPEL If only you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. (Matthew 12:7)
TALMUD: Let no man boast of his exalted position. Even so great a man as Samuel received a rebuke for his lack of modesty. (Talmud, Midrash Samuel 12)
GOSPEL: Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4)
TALMUD: God will wipe away tears from off all faces (Isaiah 25:8). This means from the faces of non-Jews as well as Jews. (Talmud, Genesis Rabba 26)
GOSPEL: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen...I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles....And in his name shall the Gentiles hope. (Matthew 12:18-21)
TALMUD: The leper, the blind, the abject poor, and those who have no children are as though they are dead. (Talmud, Tanchum,Tsav)
GOSPEL: Another of the disciples said to Him, 'Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.' (Matthew 8:21-22)
TALMUD: When no justice is done here below, it will be accomplished from above. (Talmud, Deuteronomy Rabba 5)
GOSPEL: Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:30)
TALMUD: He who hears himself abused (or cursed) and does not retaliate may be called a saintly man. (Talmud, Midrash Psalms 16)
GOSPEL: I tell you do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matthew 5:38)
TALMUD: The proverb says, 'If you give out your money in usury you will lose what you gain as well as your original capital.' (Talmud, Leviticus Rabba 3)
GOSPEL: For whoever has, to him shall be given and he shall have abundance: but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. (Matthew 13:12)
The Judeo-Christian Wisdom of the Prophets
TALMUD: The righteous are put to more and severer trials than the unrighteous. (Talmud, Tanchum,Vaayro)
GOSPEL: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)
TALMUD: When the prophets went forth on their mission the Holy Spirit rested upon them, awed and surprised their audience, and inspired them with respect for the prophets. (Talmud, Numbers Rabba 10)
GOSPEL: Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness...These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: 'Do not go in the way of the Gentiles...but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel...Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.' (Matthew 10:1-8)
These passages are proof positive that the Christian Gospels were definitively Jewish in origin, reflecting mainstream Jewish thought and sentiment as seen during the lifetime of Joshua (Jesus Christ) that has continued, parallel with Christianity for thousands of years since that time. May the LORD God bless you in the name of St. Judas Maccabaeus.
A Few of the Best Ikons of St. Judas Maccabaeus
The Artworks featuring St. Judas Maccabaeus
The Triumph of Judas Maccabaeus, by Gerrit van Honthorst
The Nine Worthies and the Nine Worthy Women, King David and Judas Maccabeus, by Giacomo Jaquerio
Judas Maccabeus at Maspha, Illustration from 'L'Ancien Testament'
Judas Maccabaeus, a French Engraving
The Triumph of Judas Maccabaeus, by Gerrit van Honthorst
The Nine Worthies and the Nine Worthy Women, King David and Judas Maccabeus, by Giacomo Jaquerio
Judas Maccabeus at Maspha, Illustration from 'L'Ancien Testament'
Judas Maccabaeus, a French Engraving
Saint John the Baptist in front of the King Herod - Jesus Christ Raising the Son of the Widow of Nain - Judas Maccabeus, An Original Wood Engraving, Anonymous, 1891
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Number Seven and Maccabee Christianity
The Seven Mysteries of Joshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ)
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The Number Seven & God the Father
The Seven Days of Creation
I. God creates Light and separates the Light from the Darkness (Genesis 1:1-5)
II. God separates the Waters Above from the Waters Below and creates Heaven (Genesis 1:6-8)
III. God creates the Land, the Seas, and all the Plants (Genesis 1:9-13
IV. God creates the Sun (Day), the Moon (Night), and the Stars. (Genesis 1:14-19)
V. God creates all the Fish and the Birds (Genesis 1:20-23)
VI. God creates all the Animals, Insects, and then Mankind. (Genesis 1:24:31)
VII. God Rests (Genesis 2:1-4)
The Seven Noahide Laws
I. You will not commit idolatry.
II. You will not murder.
III. You will not steal.
IV. You will not commit sexual perversion.
V. You will not commit blasphemy.
VI. You will not eat the flesh of a living animal.
VII. You will establish courts to enforce these laws.
The Seven Colors of the Rainbow
I. Red
II. Orange
III. Yellow
IV. Green
V, Blue
VI. Indigo
VII. Purple
The Seven Archangels of God
I. Uriel
II. Raphael
III. Raguel
IV. Michael
V. Saraqael
VI. Gabriel
VII. Remiel (Book of Enoch 20:1-8)
The Seven Duties of the Archangels
I. Uriel: Rules over the world and over Tartarus.
II. Raphael: Rules over the souls of men.
III. Raguel: Takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries.
IV. Michael: Rules over the best part of mankind and over chaos.
V. Saraqael: Rules over the ghost, who sin in the spirit.
VI. Gabriel: Rules over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim.
VII. Remiel: Rules over those who rise from the Dead. (Book of Enoch 20:1-8)
The Seven Evils God Hates
I. The haughty eyes
II. The lying tongue
III. The hands that shed innocent blood
IV. The heart that devises wicked plans
V. The feet that run rapidly to evil
VI. The false witness who utters lies
VII. The one who spreads strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
The Seven Holy Maccabee Martyrs
I. St. Abim
II. St. Antonius
III. St. Guriah
IV. St. Eleazar
V. St. Eusebon
VI. St. Alimus
VII. St. Marcellus
Their Mother: St. Solomonia
Their Teacher: St. Eleazar
The Seven Catholic Books of the Bible
I. Sirach
II. Tobit
III. Wisdom
IV. Judith
V. First Maccabees
VI. Second Maccabees
VII. Baruch
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Seven & God's Only Son, Joshua (Jesus)
The Seven Sacraments of Maccabee Christianity
I. Baptism
II. Communion
III. Confession
IV. Confirmation
V. Matrimony
VI. Ordination
VII. Anointing
The Seven Sacraments of Maccabee Christianity
The Seven Essential Beliefs of the Apostles' Creed
I. God, the Father
II. Joshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), His only Son
III. The Holy Ghost
IV. The Holy Catholic Church
V. The Communion of Saints
VI. The forgiveness of sins,
VII. The resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
The Seven Catholic Letters of the Bible
I. James
II. Jude
III. First Peter
IV. Second Peter
V. First John
VI. Second John
VII. Third John
The Seven Joys of St. Mary
I. The Annunciation of Joshua
II. The Nativity of Joshua
III. The Gifts of the Three Wise Men
IV. The Resurrection of Joshua
V. The Ascension of Joshua
VI. The Pentecost, or Descent, of the Holy Ghost
VII. The Heavenly Coronation of Mary
The Seven Sorrows of St. Mary
I. The Prophecy about Joshua
II. The Exile of Joshua
III. The Disappearance of Joshua
IV. The Cross-bearing of Joshua
V. The Crucifixion of Joshua
VI. The Dead Body of Joshua
VII. The Burial of Joshua
The Seven Joys of St. Joseph
I. The Message of the Angel (Matthew 1:20)
II. Jesus' Birth itself (Luke 2:7)
III. The Holy Name of Jesus (Matthew 1:25)
IV. Simeon's prophecy that many would rise (Luke 2:34)
V. The Overthrow of Idols (Isaiah 19:1)
VI. Life with Mary and Jesus (Luke 2:39)
VII. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:46)
The Seven Sorrows of St. Joseph
I. The Doubt of Saint Joseph (Matthew 1:19)
II. The Poverty of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:7)
III. The Circumcision (Luke 2:21)
IV. Simeon's Prophecy that many would be lost (Luke 2:34)
V. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14)
VI. The Return from Egypt (Matthew 2:22)
VII. The Loss of the Child Jesus (Luke 2:45)
The Seven Material Deeds of Mercy
I. Feed the Hungry
II. Quench the Thirsty.
III. Clothe the Naked.
IV. Shelter the Homeless
V. Visit the Imprisoned
VI. Comfort the Sick
VII. Bury the Dead
The Seven Spiritual Deeds of Mercy
I. Instruct Ignorance
II. Counsel Doubt
III. Rebuke Sinners
IV. Endure Others Patiently
V. Forgive Others Willingly
VI. Comfort Affliction
VII. Pray for the the Living and the Dead
The Seven Churches of Revelation
I. Ephesus
II. Smyrna
III. Pergamum
IV. Thyatira
V. Sardis
VI. Philadelphia
VII. Laodicea
The Seven Last Words of Christ
I. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)
II. Amen I say to you: 'This day you shall be with me in Paradise.' (Luke 23:43)
III. Woman, behold your son. . . .Behold your mother. (John 19:26-27)
IV. Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? (My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?) (Matthew 27:46)
V. I thirst. (John 19:28)
VI. It is consummated. (John 19:30)
VII. Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46, or Psalm 30:6)
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The Number Seven and the Holy Ghost
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost
I Wisdom
II. Understanding
III. Counsel
IV. Courage
V. Knowledge
VI. Devotion
VII. Fear of the LORD
The Seven Manifestations of the Holy Ghost
I. Love
II. Joy
III. Peace
IV. Long-Suffering
V. Gentleness
VI. Goodness
VII. Faith
The Seven Expressions (or Lamps) of the Holy Ghost
I. Grace
II. Life
III. Adoption
IV. Holiness
V. Supplications
VI. Truth
VII. Glory
The Seven Mysteries of the Holy Ghost
I. The Annunciation (Luke 1:35)
II. The Visitation (Luke 1:42)
III. The Baptism (Luke 3:22)
IV. The Wedding (John 2:1-11)
V.. The Crucifixion (John 19:30)
VI. The Resurrection (John 20:19, 22)
VII. The Pentecost (Acts 2:1)
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The Number Seven, Good and Evil
The Seven Ancient Virtues of God
I. Prudence
II. Justice
III. Temperance
IV. Fortitude
V. Faith
VI. Hope
VII. Love
The Seven Holy Virtues
I. Valour: Pursuit of Courage and Knowledge
II. Generosity: Pursuit of Giving
III. Liberality: Pursuit of Will
IV. Diligence: Pursuit of Ethics
V. Patience: Pursuit of Peace
VI. Kindness: Pursuit of Charity
VII. Humility: Pursuit of Modesty
The Seven Heavenly (Contrary) Virtues
I. Chastity
II. Temperance
III. Charity
IV. Diligence
V. Patience
VI. Kindness
VII. Humility
The Seven Deadly Sins
I. Lust
II. Gluttony
III. Greed
IV. Sloth
V. Wrath
VI. Envy
VII. Pride
The Seven Demons of the Seven Deadly Sins
I. Lucifer = Pride
II. Mammon = Greed
III. Asmodeus = Lust
IV. Leviathan = Envy
V. Beelzebub = Gluttony
VI. Satan/Amon = Wrath
VII. Belphegor = Sloth (Peter Binsfeld, 1589)
The New, Seven Deadly 'Social' Sins
I. Human Experimentation
II. Genetic Manipulation
III. Environmental Pollution
IV. Social Injustice
V. Poverty Causation
VI. Excessive Wealth
VII. Drug Abuse
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The Gospels of Seven
Joshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) Appears to Seven Disciples
Jesus manifested Himself again to (seven of) the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. (John 21:1-2)
The Seven Woes of Joshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) from Matthew 23
I. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. (Matthew 23:13-14)
II. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Matthew 23:15)
III. Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. (Matthew 23:16-22)
IV. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24)
V. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. (Matthew 23:25-26)
VI. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28)
VII. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! (Matthew 23:29-31)
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The Other Sevens
The Seventh Hour Miracle
As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, 'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.' So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, 'Your son lives' and he himself believed and his whole household. (John 4:51-53)
The Village Seven Miles from Jerusalem
Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. (Luke 24:12-14)
The Old Prophetess Married for Seven Years
And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
Seven, the Number of Forgiveness
Seven Times of Forgiveness
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' (Luke 17:3-5)
Seven-Seven Times of Forgiveness
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' (Matthew 18:21-22)
Mary, the Woman with Seven Demons
The Woman Cured of Seven Demons Supports Joshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ)
Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. (Luke 8:1-3)
The Woman Cured of Seven Demons Encounters the Resurrected Joshua (Jesus)
They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. (Mark 16:8-10)
The Miracle of Seven Loaves
Seven Loaves of Bread Feeds Four Thousand with Seven Baskets Left Over
His disciples answered Him, 'Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?' And He was asking them, 'How many loaves do you have?' And they said, 'Seven.' And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces.About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. (Mark 8:4-9)
Joshua (Jesus) Questions the Apostles about the Seven Loaves
'When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?' And they said to Him, 'Seven.' And He was saying to them, 'Do you not yet understand?' (Mark 8:20-21)
Seven Loaves of Bread Feeds Four Thousand Followers (Matthew)
Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, 'I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.' The disciples said to Him, 'Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?' And Jesus said to them, 'How many loaves do you have?' And they said, 'Seven, and a few small fish.' And He directed the people to sit down on the ground and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 15:32-38)
Joshua (Jesus) Questions the Apostles about the Seven Loaves
'Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?' (Matthew 16:10)
The Seven Demons of Lust
The Seven Demons of Nocturnal Emissions (Matthew)
Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came,' and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation. (Matthew 12:43-45)
The Seven Demons of Nocturnal Emissions (Luke)
When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.' (Luke 11:24-26)
The Question of Seven Husbands
The Wife of Seven Husbands (Mark)
Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 'Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her.' Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like Angels in Heaven. But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken." (Mark 12:18-27)
The Wife of Seven Husbands (Luke)
Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), and they questioned Him, saying, 'Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES, having a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and died childless, and the second and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. Finally the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her.' Jesus said to them, 'The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.' Some of the scribes answered and said, "'Teacher, You have spoken well.' (Luke 20:27-39)
The Wife of Seven Husbands (Matthew)
On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, "Teacher, Moses said, 'IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER. Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.' But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. (Matthew 22:23-33)
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The Number Seven and the Apocrypha
The LORD God Choose the Number Seven
The LORD...created all His creatures, and divided time, from time he fixed the years, and from the years..the months, and from the months he appointed the days, and of days he appointed seven. (II Enoch 65:3)
The Seven Original and Final Elements of Man
I. Man's flesh from the Earth
II. His Blood from the Dew
III. His Eyes from the Sun
IV. His Bones from Stone
V. His Intelligence from the swiftness of the angels and from Clouds
VI. His Veins and his Hair from the Grass of the earth
VII. His Soul from the Wind. (II Enoch 30:10)
The Seven Original Elements of Man's Creation
1. Earth
2. Morning Dew
3. Sun
4. Stone
5. Clouds
6. Grass
7. Wind (II Enoch 30:10)
The Seven Organs and Sensations of Man
I. The flesh for hearing
II. the eyes for sight
III. The soul for smelling,
IV. the veins for touching
V. the blood for taste
VI. the bones for endurance
VII. The intelligence for enjoying (II Enoch 30:11)
The Seven Natures of Man
I. Listening
II. Seeing
III. Smelling
IV. Touching
V. Tasting
VI. Enduring
VII. Enjoying (II Enoch 30:11)
The Seven Elements and Natures of Mankind
On the sixth day I commanded my wisdom to create man from seven consistencies: one, his flesh from the earth; two, his blood from the dew; three, his eyes from the sun; four, his bones from stone; five, his intelligence from the swiftness of the angels and from cloud; six, his veins and his hair from the grass of the earth; seven, his soul from my breath and from the wind. And I gave him seven natures: to the flesh hearing, the eyes for sight, to the soul smell, the veins for touch, the blood for taste, the bones for endurance, to the intelligence sweetness [enjoyment]. (II Enoch 30:10-11)
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May the LORD God bless you in the name of St. Judas Maccabaeus.
Jason Nicholas Korning
The Seven Hills of the Beast (Pagan Rome)
The Seven Churches (and Angels) of Revelation
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