Judas Machabeus
| Judah Maccabee | |
|---|---|
Judah from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum"
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| Born | Modiin, Judea |
| Died | March 160 BCE Elasa, near modern day Ramallah |
| Allegiance | Hasmonean |
| Service/ |
Maccabees |
| Years of service | 167–160 BCE |
| Battles/wars | Maccabean revolt |
| Relations | Father – Mattathias Brothers – Jonathan, John, Simon, Eleazar |
Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabaeus, Hebrew: יהודה המכבי,Yehudah ha-Makabi) was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE).
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah ("Dedication") commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC, after Judah Maccabeus removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses.
Judah was the third son of Mattathias the Hasmonean, a Jewish priest from the village of Modiin. In 167 BC Mattathias, together with his sons Judah, Eleazar, Simon, John, and Jonathan, started a revolt against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who since 175 BC had issued decrees that forbade Jewish religious practices. After Mattathias's death in 166 BC, Judah assumed leadership of the revolt in accordance with the deathbed disposition of his father. The First Book of Maccabees praises Judah's valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made Judah a natural choice for the new commander.
In the early days of the rebellion, Judah received a surname Maccabee. Several explanations have been put forward for this surname. One suggestion is that the name derives from the Aramaic maqqaba ("makebet" in modern Hebrew), "hammer" or "sledgehammer" (cf. the cognomen of Charles Martel, the 8th century Frankish leader), in recognition of his ferocity in battle. Others believe it is in reference to his weapon of choice.
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