Victor L. Parker, «Judas Maccabaeus' Campaigns against Timothy», Vol. 87 (2006) 457-476
Both 1 and 2 Maccabees mention various campaigns of Judas Maccabaeus against
an opponent called Timothy. The author argues that although 1 Maccabees in
several instances does provide more accurate detail, 2 Maccabees’ presentation
of these campaigns as chronologically discrete has the greater historical
plausibility. Additionally, 2 Maccabees alone preserves a record of a third,
historically plausible campaign against Timothy. Overall, 2 Maccabees deserves
more esteem as an historical source than it commonly receives.
476 Victor L. Parker
fighting between the Jewish rebels and their neighbours would, in fact,
provide excellent grounds for Lysias — despite his negotiated
settlement of 164 B.C. (73) — to invade Judaea once more.
Finally, we may also suggest that Judas was not likely to engage in
raids into Idumaea or the Transjordan when a large Seleucid army was
in Judaea to concentrate his mind wonderfully. Precisely when Judas
was thus occupied, of course, his hostile neighbours may well have
seen their chance to settle old scores without fear of reprisal (74).
Therefore it should not surprise that as soon as Judas had warded off a
major Seleucid force, he began to campaign in the surrounding areas
against these enemies. Small-scale fighting — whether ignoble
(retaliatory?) plundering raids (75) or somewhat nobler attempts to
rescue harried fellow Jews — was thus not only feasible solely in the
absence of large Seleucid armies (76), but ought also to have flared
precisely then. Frankly we should expect such fighting to ebb and flow
according to major Seleucid campaigns: the repetitive character of
battles against the same foes all over again finds therein its most
natural explanation.
Univ. of Canterbury – Dept. of Classics Victor L. PARKER
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch; New Zealand
SUMMARY
Both 1 and 2 Maccabees mention various campaigns of Judas Maccabaeus against
an opponent called Timothy. The author argues that although 1 Maccabees in
several instances does provide more accurate detail, 2 Maccabees’ presentation
of these campaigns as chronologically discrete has the greater historical
plausibility. Additionally, 2 Maccabees alone preserves a record of a third,
historically plausible campaign against Timothy. Overall, 2 Maccabees deserves
more esteem as an historical source than it commonly receives.
(73) 2 Macc 11,13-15.16b-21.
(74) We should not underestimate the depth of hostility between neighbouring
peoples with a long and common history of border disputes and familial feuds.
While many things might reignite such disputes, the opportunity to kick an
opponent when he was down, in accordance with the dictates of the baser instincts
of human nature, surely provided an irresistible temptation.
(75) We need not minimise Judas’ need to finance the rebellion, and plunder
could easily have played a rôle.
(76) Cf. GALLING, “Judäaâ€, 43.