Writing History in the Hasmonaean Court

ore than four hundred years after the kingdom of Judah was destroyed .IV.Land its inhabitants led off into exile, a sovereign state arose once again with its capital in Jerusalem and its sanctuary on Zion.The events which occasioned this new kingdom were recorded in the book of First Maccabees.Composed under the auspices of the royal court, First Maccabees is an example of history-writing, that is, it is a narrative of past events, but its status as critical historiography has been challenged by scholars.This challenge to its critical stance is not accompanied by a corresponding criticism of its presentation of historical data; First Maccabees is generally accepted as a reliable account of the first generation of Hasmonaean leadership.In order to achieve this standard of historicity, the author of First Maccabees must have employed some critical methods in the composition of his text, most basic criteria for the use and examination of sources.This technique can be seen most clearly in the places in the text where source documents have been inserted whole.This paper will examine the historical context of the diplomatic correspondence embedded within the narrative, its inscription in the text, the authenticity of the documents themselves, and their accessibility for our author.The dating of First Maccabees relies upon two events.The terminus post quem is the last event recorded, the death of Simon and the ascension of his son, John Hyrcanus, in 135/4 B.C.E.The terminus ante quem is the invasion of Pompey in 63 B.C.E., after which point expressing positive relations with the Romans was no longer an option.Several scholars give a date surrounding the death of John Hyrcanus in 104, citing "xat xa kouid Ttbv k6yo)v Icoawou" (1M 16.23) as an indication his reign was over when

Political science · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · History · Law · Mormonism, Religion, and History

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  Open Access•Erich S Gruen•Construct of Identity in…•2016

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