Sorry I haven’t posted recently. Things have been rather hectic of late. I’m planning to continue my holiness/justice ruminations soon, but in the meantime I thought I’d share some of what I’ve been reading recently—the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament (books that appear in Roman Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox Bibles—either as part of the Old Testament or as a discrete collection between the Testaments or in an Index—but not in the Jewish Tanakh or most Protestant Bibles). The spiritual value of these books varies a fair amount (as does their readability), but there are pretty intriguing things to be found in all of them. Here is a sampling of some of the things that caught my attention from each of the 18 Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical works. Happy reading!

Tobit

[The set-up: The book of Tobit is basically a travelogue that tells the story of a man named Tobit, his son Tobias, the archangel Raphael (who accompanies Tobias on his jouney), and a girl named Sarah (who becomes Tobias' wife). The following passage is a prayer offered by Tobias on his wedding night. I think it's a great prayer, and it's a shame that it's not typically referenced in Evangelical marriage ceremonies.]

Tobit 8:5—7 — [5] And Tobias began to pray, “Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers,
and blessed be thy holy and glorious name for ever.
Let the heavens and all thy creatures bless thee.
[6] Thou madest Adam and gavest him Eve his wife
as a helper and support.
From them the race of mankind has sprung.
Thou didst say, `It is not good that the man should be alone;
let us make a helper for him like himself.’
[7] And now, O Lord, I am not taking this sister of mine because of lust, but with sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with her.”

Judith

 [The set-up: The book of Judith is about a heroine who delivers Israel from the Babylonian general Holofernes by pretending to seduce him and then beheading him. This is Judith's prayer following her deliverance of the Jews from their oppressor. Very reminiscent of the Psalms and Prophets.]

Judith 16:13–16 — [13] I will sing to my God a new song:
O Lord, thou are great and glorious,
wonderful in strength, invincible.
[14] Let all thy creatures serve thee,
for thou didst speak, and they were made.
Thou didst send forth thy Spirit, and it formed them;
there is none that can resist thy voice.
[15] For the mountains shall be shaken to their
foundations with the waters;
at thy presence the rocks shall melt like wax,
but to those who fear thee
thou wilt continue to show mercy.
[16] For every sacrifice as a fragrant offering is a small thing,
and all fat for burnt offerings to thee is
a very little thing,
but he who fears the Lord shall be great for ever.

Additions to Esther

[The set-up: These are additions to the Book of Esther that are found in the ancient Greek versions of the book but not in the Hebrew. This is part of Esther's prayer before she goes to make her request of the king. The numbering of the chapters and verses in these additions is not consistent with the canonical book of Esther. This passage would actually come between Chapters 4 and 5. Pretty cool supplement to the story as most Protestants have typically heard it.]

Add. Esth. 14:5—14 —[5] Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that thou, O Lord, didst take Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers from among all their ancestors, for an everlasting inheritance, and that thou didst do for them all that thou didst promise.
[6] And now we have sinned before thee, and thou hast given us into the hands of our enemies,
[7] because we glorified their gods. Thou art righteous, O Lord!
[8] And now they are not satisfied that we are in bitter slavery, but they have covenanted with their idols
[9] to abolish what thy mouth has ordained and to destroy thy inheritance, to stop the mouths of those who praise thee and to quench thy altar and the glory of thy house,
[10] to open the mouths of the nations for the praise of vain idols, and to magnify for ever a mortal king.
[11] O Lord, do not surrender thy scepter to what has no being; and do not let them mock at our downfall; but turn their plan against themselves, and make an example of the man who began this against us.
[12] Remember, O Lord; make thyself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion!
[13] Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him.
[14] But save us by thy hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but thee, O Lord.

Wisdom of Solomon

[The set-up: This is a wisdom book (same basic style as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) that is attributed to Solomon. This is a very cool passage about the future hope of those who trust in the Lord, and it is one of the relatively few pre-Christian passages of Jewish literature that clearly foresees a future resurrection for the righteous.]

Wisd. Sol. 3:1–9  — [1] But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.
[2] In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be an affliction,
[3] and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.
[4] For though in the sight of men they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.
[5] Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
[6] like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
[7] In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble.
[8] They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them for ever.
[9] Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his elect,
and he watches over his holy ones.

Sirach 

[The set-up: Another wisdom book, very similar to Proverbs in many ways, and equally profound in its ruminations on wisdom and righteousness in some places. I have chosen a few passages, however, that show other sides of the book: a few pithy one-liners, plus a fascinating passage about the proper relationship between trust in God's healing power and reliance on doctors and medicine.] 

Sirach 20:6 — [6] There is one who keeps silent because he has no answer,
while another keeps silent because he knows when to speak.

Sirach 25:16 — [16] I would rather dwell with a lion and a dragon
than dwell with an evil wife.

Sirach 27:12 — [12] Among stupid people watch for a chance to leave,
but among thoughtful people stay on.

Sirach 38:1–14 — [1] Honor the physician with the honor due him,
according to your need of him, for the Lord created him;
[2] for healing comes from the Most High,
and he will receive a gift from the king.
[3] The skill of the physician lifts up his head,
and in the presence of great men he is admired.
[4] The Lord created medicines from the earth,
and a sensible man will not despise them.
[5] Was not water made sweet with a tree
in order that his power might be known?
[6] And he gave skill to men
that he might be glorified in his marvelous works.
[7] By them he heals and takes away pain;
[8] the pharmacist makes of them a compound.
His works will never be finished;
and from him health is upon the face of the earth. 
[9] My son, when you are sick do not be negligent, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.
[10] Give up your faults and direct your hands aright,
and cleanse your heart from all sin.
[11] Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial
portion of fine flour,
and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford.
[12] And give the physician his place, for the Lord created him;
let him not leave you, for there is need of him.
[13] There is a time when success lies in the hands of physicians,
[14] for they too will pray to the Lord
that he should grant them success in diagnosis
and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

Baruch

[The set-up: A short book attributed to Jeremiah's secretary Baruch. This is the final poem, promising restoration to the Jews in exile. Very reminiscent of Isaiah 40.]

Baruch 5:1–9 — [1] Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction,
O Jerusalem, and put on for ever the beauty of the glory from God.
[2] Put on the robe of the righteousness from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting.
[3] For God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
[4] For your name will for ever be called by God,
“Peace of righteousness and glory of godliness.”
[5] Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height
and look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east,
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
[6] For they went forth from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
[7] For God has ordered that every high mountain
and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
[8] The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God’s command.
[9] For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.

The Letter of Jeremiah

[The set-up: An epistle (attributed to Jeremiah) about the follies of idol worship. This passage is fairly representative of the author's pointed argument.]

Let. Jer. 45–70 — 45] They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths; they can be nothing but what the craftsmen wish them to be. 
[46] The men that make them will certainly not live very long themselves; how then can the things that are made by them be gods? 

[47] They have left only lies and reproach for those who come after.
[48] For when war or calamity comes upon them, the priests consult together as to where they can hide themselves and their gods.
[49] How then can one fail to see that these are not gods, for they cannot save themselves from war or calamity?
[50] Since they are made of wood and overlaid with gold and silver, it will afterward be known that they are false.
[51] It will be manifest to all the nations and kings that they are not gods but the work of men’s hands, and that there is no work of God in them.
[52] Who then can fail to know that they are not gods?
[53] For they cannot set up a king over a country or give rain to men.

[54] They cannot judge their own cause or deliver one who is wronged, for they have no power; they are like crows between heaven and earth.
[55] When fire breaks out in a temple of wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver, their priests will flee and escape, but the gods will be burnt in two like beams.
[56] Besides, they can offer no resistance to a king or any enemies. Why then must any one admit or think that they are gods?
[57] Gods made of wood and overlaid with silver and gold are not able to save themselves from thieves and robbers.
[58] Strong men will strip them of their gold and silver and of the robes they wear, and go off with this booty, and they will not be able to help themselves.
[59] So it is better to be a king who shows his courage, or a household utensil that serves its owner’s need, than to be these false gods; better even the door of a house that protects its contents, than these false gods; better also a wooden pillar in a palace, than these false gods.
[60] For sun and moon and stars, shining and sent forth for service, are obedient.
[61] So also the lightning, when it flashes, is widely seen; and the wind likewise blows in every land.
[62] When God commands the clouds to go over the whole world, they carry out his command.
[63] And the fire sent from above to consume mountains and woods does what it is ordered. But these idols are not to be compared with them in appearance or power.
[64] Therefore one must not think that they are gods nor call them gods, for they are not able either to decide a case or to do good to men.
[65] Since you know then that they are not gods, do not fear them.
[66] For they can neither curse nor bless kings;
[67] they cannot show signs in the heavens and among the nations, or shine like the sun or give light like the moon.
[68] The wild beasts are better than they are, for they can flee to cover and help themselves.
[69] So we have no evidence whatever that they are gods; therefore do not fear them.
[70] Like a scarecrow in a cucumber bed, that guards nothing, so are their gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver. 

The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews

[The set-up: The first of three discrete additions to the Book of Daniel. This one records a prayer offered by Azariah (Abednego) in the furnace, as well as a praise song that the three young men sang together in the midst of the flames. This passage is the narrative that sets up the song. Pretty cool view of this very familiar story from a different angle.]

Pr. Az. 23–28 — [23] Now the king’s servants who threw them in did not cease feeding the furnace fires with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brush.

[24] And the flame streamed out above the furnace forty-nine cubits,
[25] and it broke through and burned those of the Chaldeans whom it caught about the furnace.
[26] But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace,
[27] and made the midst of the furnace like a moist whistling wind, so that the fire did not touch them at all or hurt or trouble them.
[28] Then the three, as with one mouth, praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace

Susanna

[The set-up: The second of the three additions to Daniel. Two Jewish elders try to seduce a righteous woman named Susanna, and when she rebuffs their advances, they claim that they caught her in an adulterous act with another man. Just as the people are ready to believe the elders and execute Susanna, Daniel arrives on the scene and employs an interrogation tactic right out of the Columbo/Matlock/Homicide/Law and Order handbook.]

Susanna 51–62 — [51] And Daniel said to them, “Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.”
[52] When they were separated from each other, he summoned one of them and said to him, “You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come home, which you have committed in the past,
[53] pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free, though the Lord said, `Do not put to death an innocent and righteous person.’
[54] Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this: Under what tree did you see them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under a mastic tree.”
[55] And Daniel said, “Very well! You have lied against your own head, for the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately cut you in two.”
[56] Then he put him aside, and commanded them to bring the other. And he said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you and lust has perverted your heart.  [57] This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness.
[58] Now then, tell me: Under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under an evergreen oak.”
[59] And Daniel said to him, “Very well! You also have lied against your own head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to saw you in two, that he may destroy you both.”
[60] Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God, who saves those who hope in him.      [61] And they rose against the two elders, for out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness;
[62] and they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor; acting in accordance with the law of Moses, they put them to death. Thus innocent blood was saved that day.

Bel and the Dragon

[The set-up: The third and final addition to Daniel, which features a scene in which Daniel kills a supposedly-sacred dragon by feeding it cakes made of pitch, fat, and hair which cause its stomach to explode, as well as a completely different lion's den narrative in which Daniel is thrown into the den for six days after killing the dragon and has food brought to him by the prophet Habbakuk. The passage I have chosen, however, is from the beginning of the work (the Bel story), and again illustrates that the great literary sleuths and TV detectives have nothing on Daniel.]

Bel and the Dragon 3–22  — 3] Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they spent on it twelve bushels of fine flour and forty sheep and fifty gallons of wine. 

[4] The king revered it and went every day to worship it. But Daniel worshiped his own God.
[5] And the king said to him, “Why do you not worship Bel?” He answered, “Because I do not revere man-made idols, but the living God, who created heaven and earth and has dominion over all flesh.” 

[6] The king said to him, “Do you not think that Bel is a living God? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?” 

[7] Then Daniel laughed, and said, “Do not be deceived, O king; for this is but clay inside and brass outside, and it never ate or drank anything.”
[8] Then the king was angry, and he called his priests and said to them, “If you do not tell me who is eating these provisions, you shall die.
[9] But if you prove that Bel is eating them, Daniel shall die, because he blasphemed against Bel.” And Daniel said to the king, “Let it be done as you have said.”
[10] Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. 

[11] And the priests of Bel said, “Behold, we are going outside; you yourself, O king, shall set forth the food and mix and place the wine, and shut the door and seal it with your signet.
[12] And when you return in the morning, if you do not find that Bel has eaten it all, we will die; or else Daniel will, who is telling lies about us.”
[13] They were unconcerned, for beneath the table they had made a hidden entrance, through which they used to go in regularly and consume the provisions.
[14] When they had gone out, the king set forth the food for Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring ashes and they sifted them throughout the whole temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door and sealed it with the king’s signet, and departed.
[15] In the night the priests came with their wives and children, as they were accustomed to do, and ate and drank everything.
[16] Early in the morning the king rose and came, and Daniel with him.
[17] And the king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” He answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”
[18] As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table, and shouted in a loud voice, “You are great, O Bel; and with you there is no deceit, none at all.”
[19] Then Daniel laughed, and restrained the king from going in, and said, “Look at the floor, and notice whose footsteps these are.”

[20] The king said, “I see the footsteps of men and women and children.”
[21] Then the king was enraged, and he seized the priests and their wives and children; and they showed him the secret doors through which they were accustomed to enter and devour what was on the table.
[22] Therefore the king put them to death, and gave Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.

1 Esdras

[The set-up: "Esdras" is another version of the name "Ezra," and the book of 1 Esdras is largely a compilation of material that is found in the canonical books of 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. There is, however, one completely unique passage that feels vaguely Shakespearian, in which three bodyguards in the court of King Darius (including Zerubbabel, who eventually led the first wave of exiles who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem) have a debate about what one thing in the world is most powerful, and subsequently present their arguments for the consideration of the king and court. One says that wine is the strongest, since it controls the minds and actions of those who consume it. The second (obviously kissing up) says that the king is the strongest. Zerubbabel says "Women is strongest, but above all things truth is victor." This passage is his speech in defense of his answer.]

1 Esdr. 4:13–41 — [13] Then the third, that is Zerubbabel, who had spoken of women and truth, began to speak:
[14] Gentlemen, is not the king great, and are not men many, and is not wine strong? Who then is their master, or who is their lord? Is it not women?
[15] Women gave birth to the king and to every people that rules over sea and land.
[16] From women they came; and women brought up the very men who plant the vineyards from which comes wine.
[17] Women make men’s clothes; they bring men glory; men cannot exist without women.
[18] If men gather gold and silver or any other beautiful thing, and then see a woman lovely in appearance and beauty,
[19] they let all those things go, and gape at her, and with open mouths stare at her, and all prefer her to gold or silver or any other beautiful thing.
[20] A man leaves his own father, who brought him up, and his own country, and cleaves to his wife.
[21] With his wife he ends his days, with no thought of his father or his mother or his country.
[22] Hence you must realize that women rule over you! “Do you not labor and toil, and bring everything and give it to women? 

[23] A man takes his sword, and goes out to travel and rob and steal and to sail the sea and rivers;
[24] he faces lions, and he walks in darkness, and when he steals and robs and plunders, he brings it back to the woman he loves.
[25] A man loves his wife more than his father or his mother.
[26] Many men have lost their minds because of women, and have become slaves because of them.
[27] Many have perished, or stumbled, or sinned, because of women.
[28] And now do you not believe me? “Is not the king great in his power? Do not all lands fear to touch him?

[29] Yet I have seen him with Apame, the king’s concubine, the daughter of the illustrious Bartacus; she would sit at the king’s right hand
[30] and take the crown from the king’s head and put it on her own, and slap the king with her left hand.
[31] At this the king would gaze at her with mouth agape. If she smiles at him, he laughs; if she loses her temper with him, he flatters her, that she may be reconciled to him.
[32] Gentlemen, why are not women strong, since they do such things?”
[33] Then the king and the nobles looked at one another; and he began to speak about truth:         [34] “Gentlemen, are not women strong? The earth is vast, and heaven is high, and the sun is swift in its course, for it makes the circuit of the heavens and returns to its place in one day.
[35] Is he not great who does these things? But truth is great, and stronger than all things.
[36] The whole earth calls upon truth, and heaven blesses her. All God’s works quake and tremble, and with him there is nothing unrighteous.
[37] Wine is unrighteous, the king is unrighteous, women are unrighteous, all the sons of men are unrighteous, all their works are unrighteous, and all such things. There is no truth in them and in their unrighteousness they will perish.
[38] But truth endures and is strong for ever, and lives and prevails for ever and ever.
[39] With her there is no partiality or preference, but she does what is righteous instead of anything that is unrighteous or wicked. All men approve her deeds,
[40] and there is nothing unrighteous in her judgment. To her belongs the strength and the kingship and the power and the majesty of all the ages. Blessed be the God of truth!”
[41] He ceased speaking; then all the people shouted, and said, “Great is truth, and strongest of all!” 

2 Esdras   

[The set-up: Here's where things get really confusing. The book of 2 Esdras is completely unrelated to the events of Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 Esdras, apart from the fact that it is attributed to the biblical Ezra. Furthermore, it is actually made up of what are generally considered three separate works: 1) A brief opening section that describes Ezra's prophetic calling, and that clearly seems to be the work of a Christian rather than a Jewish author, 2) a lengthy apocalyptic section comprising the bulk of the work, in which Ezra engages in an often-anguished and very thought-provoking dialogue with God concerning issues of justice, mercy, election, judgment, and the eternal destiny of humanity, as well as receiving vivid visions that at times rival those in Daniel and Revelation, and 3) a concluding section consisting of denunciations of pagan nations and predictions of impending persecution and deliverance for God's people. To complicate matters further, the lengthy middle section of 2 Esdras is often referred to as 4 Ezra (with Ezra being 1 Ezra, Nehemiah being 2 Ezra, and 1 Esdras being 3 Ezra), while the short opening and concluding fragments are called 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra respectively. Got all that? Anyway, this passage is one of the dialogues between Ezra and God from the "4 Ezra" part of 2 Esdras. Part of God's reply is quite reminiscent of His speech at the end of the book of Job. ]

2 Esdr. 5:23—40  — 23] And I said, “O sovereign Lord, from every forest of the earth and from all its trees thou hast chosen one vine,
[24] and from all the lands of the world thou hast chosen for thyself one region, and from all the flowers of the world thou hast chosen for thyself one lily,
[25] and from all the depths of the sea thou hast filled for thyself one river, and from all the cities that have been built thou hast consecrated Zion for thyself,
[26] and from all the birds that have been created thou hast named for thyself one dove, and from all the flocks that have been made thou hast provided for thyself one sheep,
[27] and from all the multitude of peoples thou hast gotten for thyself one people; and to this people, whom thou hast loved, thou hast given the law which is approved by all.
[28] And now, O Lord, why hast thou given over the one to the many, and dishonored the one root beyond the others, and scattered thine only one among the many?
[29] And those who opposed thy promises have trodden down those who believed thy covenants.
[30] If thou dost really hate thy people, they should be punished at thy own hands.”
[31] When I had spoken these words, the angel who had come to me on a previous night was sent to me,
[32] and he said to me, “Listen to me, and I will instruct you; pay attention to me, and I will tell you more.”
[33] And I said, “Speak, my lord.” And he said to me, “Are you greatly disturbed in mind over Israel? Or do you love him more than his Maker does?”

[34] And I said, “No, my lord, but because of my grief I have spoken; for every hour I suffer agonies of heart, while I strive to understand the way of the Most High and to search out part of his judgment.”
[35] And he said to me, “You cannot.” And I said, “Why not, my lord? Why then was I born? Or why did not my mother’s womb become my grave, that I might not see the travail of Jacob and the exhaustion of the people of Israel?”

[36] He said to me, “Count up for me those who have not yet come, and gather for me the scattered raindrops, and make the withered flowers bloom again for me;
[37] open for me the closed chambers, and bring forth for me the winds shut up in them, or show me the picture of a voice; and then I will explain to you the travail that you ask to understand.”
[38] And I said, “O sovereign Lord, who is able to know these things except he whose dwelling is not with men?
[39] As for me, I am without wisdom, and how can I speak concerning the things which thou hast asked me?”
[40] He said to me, “Just as you cannot do one of the things that were mentioned, so you cannot discover my judgment, or the goal of the love that I have promised my people.”

Prayer of Manasseh

[The set-up: A prayer of contrition attributed to Manasseh, the most wicked of Judah's kings, whose repentance is described in 2 Chronicles 33:12–19. These are the concluding verses.]

Pr. Man. 11–15 — [11] And now I bend the knee of my heart,
beseeching thee for thy kindness.
[12] I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I know my transgressions.
[13] I earnestly beseech thee,
forgive me, O Lord, forgive me!
Do not destroy me with my transgressions!
Do not be angry with me for ever or lay up evil for me;
do not condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For thou, O Lord, art the God of those who repent,
[14] and in me thou wilt manifest thy goodness;
for, unworthy as I am, thou wilt save me in thy great mercy,
[15] and I will praise thee continually all the days of my life.
For all the host of heaven sings thy praise,
and thine is the glory for ever. Amen.

Psalm 151

[The set-up: An addition to the Psalter that is attributed to David and that references his battle with Goliath. I have included the whole Psalm since it is so short.]

Psalm 151:1–7 — [1] I was small among my brothers, and the youngest in my father’s house; I tended my father’s sheep. 

[2] My hands made a harp,
my fingers fashioned a lyre.
[3] And who will declare it to my Lord?
The Lord himself; it is he who hears.
[4] It was he who sent his messenger
and took me from my father’s sheep,
and anointed me with his anointing oil.
[5] My brothers were handsome and tall,
but the Lord was not pleased with them.
[6] I went out to meet the Philistine,
and he cursed me by his idols.
[7] But I drew his own sword;
I beheaded him, and removed reproach from
the people of Israel.

1 Maccabees

[The set-up: A historical book describing events in Judah between 175 and 134 B.C., during which the Syrian Seleucid Empire (one of the successor states of the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great—who is mentioned by name in 1 Macc. 1:1) dominated the region. The book chronicles the deeds of the five sons of Mattathias, including the famous war hero Judas Maccabeus. Judas and his brothers warred with the Syrians and captured and rededicated the temple, which had been profaned by the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes (an event that is commemorated in the celebration of Hannukah), and their descendants eventually established a quasi-independent Jewish kingdom that lasted until the Romans took over. I have selected two passages: The scene in which Mattathias and his sons launch their rebellion, and an account of the death of one of the sons in a battlefield encounter with an elephant that is highly reminiscent of an Oliphaunt scene from The Lord of the Rings.]

1 Macc. 2:15–28  — [15] Then the king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. 

[16] Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled.
[17] Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: “You are a leader, honored and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers.
[18] Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.”
[19] But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to do his commandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers,
[20] yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers.
[21] Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances.
[22] We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.”
[23] When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command.
[24] When Mattathias saw it, be burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him upon the altar.
[25] At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar.
[26] Thus he burned with zeal for the law, as Phinehas did against Zimri the son of Salu.
[27] Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!”
[28] And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city.

1 Macc. 6:32–47 — [32] Then Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah, opposite the camp of the king.
[33] Early in the morning the king rose and took his army by a forced march along the road to Beth-zechariah, and his troops made ready for battle and sounded their trumpets.
[34] They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, to arouse them for battle.
[35] And they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes; with each elephant they stationed a thousand men armed with coats of mail, and with brass helmets on their heads; and five hundred picked horsemen were assigned to each beast.
[36] These took their position beforehand wherever the beast was; wherever it went they went with it, and they never left it.
[37] And upon the elephants were wooden towers, strong and covered; they were fastened upon each beast by special harness, and upon each were four armed men who fought from there, and also its Indian driver.
[38] The rest of the horsemen were stationed on either side, on the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy while being themselves protected by the phalanxes.
[39] When the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the hills were ablaze with them and gleamed like flaming torches.
[40] Now a part of the king’s army was spread out on the high hills, and some troops were on the plain, and they advanced steadily and in good order.
[41] All who heard the noise made by their multitude, by the marching of the multitude and the clanking of their arms, trembled, for the army was very large and strong.
[42] But Judas and his army advanced to the battle, and six hundred men of the king’s army fell.
[43] And Eleazar, called Avaran, saw that one of the beasts was equipped with royal armor. It was taller than all the others, and he supposed that the king was upon it.
[44] So he gave his life to save his people and to win for himself an everlasting name.
[45] He courageously ran into the midst of the phalanx to reach it; he killed men right and left, and they parted before him on both sides.
[46] He got under the elephant, stabbed it from beneath, and killed it; but it fell to the ground upon him and he died.
[47] And when the Jews saw the royal might and the fierce attack of the forces, they turned away in flight.

2 Maccabees

[The set-up: 2 Maccabees (a little confusingly) begins its historical account slightly earlier than 1 Maccabees (roughly 180 B.C.) and offers a view from a different angle of many of the events that are found in the first half of 1 Maccabees, ending its account around 161 B.C., before the death of Judas Maccabeus (whose death, in 160 B.C., is recorded in the ninth of 1 Maccabees' 16 chapters). I have selected what is undoubtedly the book's most compelling section—the account of seven brothers and their mother who were martyred by Antiochus Epiphanes for refusing to profane themselves with unclean food. This is another of those rare instances in which a pre-Christian Jewish author displays a firm hope in the future resurrection of the righteous dead.]

2 Macc. 7:1–41 — [1] It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine’s flesh.
[2] One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, “What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.”
[3] The king fell into a rage, and gave orders that pans and caldrons be heated.
[4] These were heated immediately, and he commanded that the tongue of their spokesman be cut out and that they scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of the brothers and the mother looked on.
[5] When he was utterly helpless, the king ordered them to take him to the fire, still breathing, and to fry him in a pan. The smoke from the pan spread widely, but the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die nobly, saying,
[6] “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song which bore witness against the people to their faces, when he said, `And he will have compassion on his servants.’”
[7] After the first brother had died in this way, they brought forward the second for their sport. They tore off the skin of his head with the hair, and asked him, “Will you eat rather than have your body punished limb by limb?”
[8] He replied in the language of his fathers, and said to them, “No.” Therefore he in turn underwent tortures as the first brother had done.
[9] And when he was at his last breath, he said, “You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws.”
[10] After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands,
[11] and said nobly, “I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to get them back again.”
[12] As a result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young man’s spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
[13] When he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way.
[14] And when he was near death, he said, “One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!”
[15] Next they brought forward the fifth and maltreated him.
[16] But he looked at the king, and said, “Because you have authority among men, mortal though you are, you do what you please. But do not think that God has forsaken our people.
[17] Keep on, and see how his mighty power will torture you and your descendants!”
[18] After him they brought forward the sixth. And when he was about to die, he said, “Do not deceive yourself in vain. For we are suffering these things on our own account, because of our sins against our own God. Therefore astounding things have happened.
[19] But do not think that you will go unpunished for having tried to fight against God!”
[20] The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable memory. Though she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord.
[21] She encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers. Filled with a noble spirit, she fired her woman’s reasoning with a man’s courage, and said to them,
[22] “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you.
[23] Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.”
[24] Antiochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs.
[25] Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself.
[26] After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son.
[27] But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: “My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you.
[28] I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being.
[29] Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again with your brothers.”
[30] While she was still speaking, the young man said, “What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king’s command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses.
[31] But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not escape the hands of God.
[32] For we are suffering because of our own sins.
[33] And if our living Lord is angry for a little while, to rebuke and discipline us, he will again be reconciled with his own servants.
[34] But you, unholy wretch, you most defiled of all men, do not be elated in vain and puffed up by uncertain hopes, when you raise your hand against the children of heaven.
[35] You have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty, all-seeing God.
[36] For our brothers after enduring a brief suffering have drunk of everflowing life under God’s covenant; but you, by the judgment of God, will receive just punishment for your arrogance.
[37] I, like my brothers, give up body and life for the laws of our fathers, appealing to God to show mercy soon to our nation and by afflictions and plagues to make you confess that he alone is God,
[38] and through me and my brothers to bring to an end the wrath of the Almighty which has justly fallen on our whole nation.”
[39] The king fell into a rage, and handled him worse than the others, being exasperated at his scorn. 

[40] So he died in his integrity, putting his whole trust in the Lord.
[41] Last of all, the mother died, after her sons.

3 Maccabees   

[The set-up: 3 Maccabees (again, confusingly) deals with still an earlier period of Jewish history (beginning in 217 B.C.), during which the Jews were ruled by the Ptolemies of Egypt (another of the successor states of Alexander's Greek Empire). It is hard to see exactly why it was given its title, as it does not deal with Judas Maccabeus or his family at all. Rather, the book chronicles (quite comedically, in some places) the vain attempts of the Egyptian king to persecute the Jews for their refusal to allow him to enter the Holy of Holies in the temple. The passage I have selected is a prayer for deliverance offered by the priest Eleazar, in which he recounts the Lord's faithfulness to some of the earlier heroes of the faith.]

3 Macc. 6:1–15 — [1] Then a certain Eleazar, famous among the priests of the country, who had attained a ripe old age and throughout his life had been adorned with every virtue, directed the elders around him to cease calling upon the holy God and prayed as follows:
[2] “King of great power, Almighty God Most High, governing all creation with mercy,
[3] look upon the descendants of Abraham, O Father, upon the children of the sainted Jacob, a people of your consecrated portion who are perishing as foreigners in a foreign land.
[4] Pharaoh with his abundance of chariots, the former ruler of this Egypt, exalted with lawless insolence and boastful tongue, you destroyed together with his arrogant army by drowning them in the sea, manifesting the light of your mercy upon the nation of Israel.
[5] Sennacherib exulting in his countless forces, oppressive king of the Assyrians, who had already gained control of the whole world by the spear and was lifted up against your holy city, speaking grievous words with boasting and insolence, you, O Lord, broke in pieces, showing your power to many nations.
[6] The three companions in Babylon who had voluntarily surrendered their lives to the flames so as not to serve vain things, you rescued unharmed, even to a hair, moistening the fiery furnace with dew and turning the flame against all their enemies.
[7] Daniel, who through envious slanders was cast down into the ground to lions as food for wild beasts, you brought up to the light unharmed.
[8] And Jonah, wasting away in the belly of a huge, sea-born monster, you, Father, watched over and restored unharmed to all his family.
[9] And now, you who hate insolence, all-merciful and protector of all, reveal yourself quickly to those of the nation of Israel — who are being outrageously treated by the abominable and lawless Gentiles.
[10] Even if our lives have become entangled in impieties in our exile, rescue us from the hand of the enemy, and destroy us, Lord, by whatever fate you choose.
[11] Let not the vain-minded praise their vanities at the destruction of your beloved people, saying, `Not even their god has rescued them.’
[12] But you, O Eternal One, who have all might and all power, watch over us now and have mercy upon us who by the senseless insolence of the lawless are being deprived of life in the manner of traitors.
[13] And let the Gentiles cower today in fear of your invincible might, O honored One, who have power to save the nation of Jacob.
[14] The whole throng of infants and their parents entreat you with tears.
[15] Let it be shown to all the Gentiles that you are with us, O Lord, and have not turned your face from us; but just as you have said, `Not even when they were in the land of their enemies did I neglect them,’ so accomplish it, O Lord.”

4 Maccabees

[The set-up: Finally, we have the book of 4 Maccabees, which, unlike the other 3, is not a historical chronicle at all, but rather a philosophical rumination on the supremacy of reason over the emotions. It gets its name from the fact that the author devotes a significant chunk of his philosophical treatise to a consideration of the martyrdom of the seven brothers in 2 Maccabees 7. This passage outlines his basic argument.]

4 Macc. 1:15–30 — [15] Now reason is the mind that with sound logic prefers the life of wisdom.
[16] Wisdom, next, is the knowledge of divine and human matters and the causes of these.
[17] This, in turn, is education in the law, by which we learn divine matters reverently and human affairs to our advantage.
[18] Now the kinds of wisdom are rational judgment, justice, courage, and self-control.
[19] Rational judgment is supreme over all of these, since by means of it reason rules over the emotions.
[20] The two most comprehensive types of the emotions are pleasure and pain; and each of these is by nature concerned with both body and soul.
[21] The emotions of both pleasure and pain have many consequences.
[22] Thus desire precedes pleasure and delight follows it.
[23] Fear precedes pain and sorrow comes after.
[24] Anger, as a man will see if he reflects on this experience, is an emotion embracing pleasure and pain.
[25] In pleasure there exists even a malevolent tendency, which is the most complex of all the emotions.
[26] In the soul it is boastfulness, covetousness, thirst for honor, rivalry, and malice;
[27] in the body, indiscriminate eating, gluttony, and solitary gormandizing.
[28] Just as pleasure and pain are two plants growing from the body and the soul, so there are many offshoots of these plants,
[29] each of which the master cultivator, reason, weeds and prunes and ties up and waters and thoroughly irrigates, and so tames the jungle of habits and emotions.
[30] For reason is the guide of the virtues, but over the emotions it is sovereign.