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1.MattathiasandJudah:InDefenseoftheAncestorsReligion
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gentsadoptedguerrillatacticsinoperationsconductedagainsttheirenemies.Anac-
countconcerningthisstageofhostilitiessuggeststhattherebels’energiesandactions
werenottargetedatSyrianforceswhich,withtheirinferiorweaponsandnotraining,
theycouldnothopetobetter(cf.1Macc2:44–48).Norareweledtobelievethatthe
rebelssucceededingaininglastingcontroloveranypartofJudea.Theysetupcamps
inunpopulated,inaccessibleregionsofdesertsormountainsfromwheretheylaunched
theirraids.Theiractionswereaimedchieflyagainstthoseoftheircountrymenwhohad
takenthesideoftheHellenists.Theirhomeswereattacked,paganaltarsweredestroyed.
Manyofthevictimsappealedtotheauthoritiesforprotection,whilethosecapturedby
theguerrillaswereforciblycircumcised.Justhoweffectivethoseactionswereisdif-
ficulttoestimatewithanyconfidence.While1Maccstressessuccess(1Macc2:44–48;
cf.Jos.AJ12.278),themodestnumberoftheinsurgentforcewouldsuggestthatatthat
pointtheydidnothavesignificantimpactonthesituationinJudea.35
Sourcespaintapictureofdevelopmentsthatbetraysanunmistakablyreligiouschar-
acteroftheJewishresistance.ItsforemostaimwastodefendtheJudaicreligionwith
allitstoodforandaruthlessstruggleagainstrenegadesasperpetratorsoftheevilsthey
broughtuponfaithfulJews.36Animportantpartofrebels’operationsweresystematic
attacksagainsttheHellenists.Whilethelatterweretheweakestlinkinthehostilecoali-
tion,selectingthemastargetspermittedinsurgentstoscoresuccesseswhichcouldnot
havebeenattainableagainstSyriantroopsandwhichsentapowerfulpropagandames-
sagemuchneededatthatstageintherevolt.Exposedtoattack,theHellenistsweremade
tofeelvulnerableandconstantlythreatened,anexperiencethatputtothetesttheirfaith
inthepowerandprotectionoftheSyrianking.Fortheinsurgents,theirsuccessesserved
asanintegratingforceandanincentivetoredoubletheirefforts,atthesametimewin-
ningthemthesociety’ssupportneededtosurvivethetryingtimeoforganization-build-
ing.Oneweaknessintheearlystageoftheuprisingwastheadvancedageofitsleader
whichnaturallylimitedthedynamicsofoperations,althoughontheotherhanditcould
beanassetingainingpopularsupport.Theprivationsofcamplifemayhavehastened
Mattathias’death.Accordingtotraditiononhisdeathbed,heentrustedtheleadership
tohiseldestsonSimon(1Macc2:65;Jos.AJ12.283–284),biddinghimtopreservethe
movement’sreligiousfocus.37
YetitwasnotforSimontogivetherevoltaradicalboost:thiswasaccomplished
byhisyoungerbrotherJudahMaccabee(1Macc3:1;cf.Jos.BJ1.37;AJ12.285),after
140;Schürer1985:214n.46;Kampen1988:65ff.;Sievers1990:34,37ff.;Winninge1995:142–146,esp.
144ff.;Schams1998:117–121;Hengel2001:361–372;Saldarini2001:25ff.;vanderKooij2001:235–236,
238;GarciaMartinez2007:59–60.AllweknowabouttheHasidimatthetimeoftherebellionagainstthe
Hellenisticreformislimitedtothreebriefreferences:1Macc2:42;7:13–16;2Macc14:6.GivingtoMat-
tathiastheentirecreditforcreatinganorganizedresistancemovement,asisdoneby1Macc,isnotfully
confirmedbyfactsasbeforehimtherehadalreadyappearedgroupsopposingtheSyrianactioninmany
ways(Dan11:32–34;1Enoch90:9):Davies1977:140;Sievers1990:24ff;Schwartz1993:307ff.).
35Accordingtolegendarytradition,MattathiassucceededindefeatingagreatSyrianforce,freeing
JudeafromAntiochus’armyandrisingtopoweroverthecountry:Jos.BJ1.36–37.
36Nowherein1Maccor2Maccaretheyevernamed,andinsteadreferredtobysuchunfavorable
termsas:thegodless(ἀσsβo{,cf.2Macc4:13;8:2),sinners(ἔθvogἁpαρtαλόv,1Macc1:34;2:44.48),
renegades(ἄvδραgἀvόpoυg,1Macc2:44;3:5.6;υloὶπαράvopoi,1Macc1:11.34)orapostates(ἄvopoί,
1Macc2:44;3:5.6);cf.Sievers1990:34.
371Macc2:50–61;Sievers1990:36–37.
