The season of Hanukkah is a great time to read the books of First and Second Maccabees, which discuss the history surrounding that festival.
Fourth Maccabees is another book worth reading. Written by an anonymous diaspora Jew in the first century AD, this book records an oration prepared for some unnamed occasion (perhaps a Hanukkah celebration). Making skillful use of Greek philosophical thought and rhetoric, the suthor sets out to show that "devout reason [i.e., reason submitted to God and trained by the Torah] is sovereign over the emotions" (1:2).
He argues that God would not have instructed his people to do or not do certain things (e.g., not coveting a neighbor's wife or belongings) if it were not possible to obey. He backs up his argument with examples, including Joseph's overcoming the temptations posed by Potiphar's wife; and (especially) the willingness of the second-century BC priest Eleazar, along with his wife and seven sons, to die rather than eat pork. .
Scholar David deSilva notes several reasons why this book deserves our attention:
- It illustrates the fact that Jews in the Hellenistic period did not necessarily avoid Greek thought. The author brings to bear a strong Greek education in defense of Judaism and the Torah.
- It is a good antidote to the antinomian prejudices held by many Christians. The Torah is presented as a great blessing rather than an impossible burden.
- The book has long provided comfort for those being persecuted for their faith.
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