Interpreting History

Thursday, November 12, 2009 -- Week of Proper 27, Year One
Charles Simeon, Priest, 1836

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 992)
Psalms [83] or 23, 27 (morning) 85, 86 (evening)
1 Maccabees 1:1-28*
Revelation 19:1-10
Matthew 16:1-12 *found in the Apocrypha

"Red sky at morning; sailors' warning. Red sky at night; sailors' delight." The gospel opens with an old version of that maxim as part of a narrative about proper interpretation. The polemic of this section is directed at two of the competing religious parties that were dominant in Jesus' time, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Along with a third religious party, the Essenes, these differing sects within Judaism had their origins in the Maccabean period. We begin reading an account of that history today.

Another old maxim: "History is written by the victors." Today we begin 1 Maccabees, written to glorify the Hasmonean dynasty established by the Maccabees. It begins in 167 BCE when the Syrian King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (meaning, "god made manifest") returned from war with Egypt and plundered the valuables of the Jerusalem Temple to replenish his funds.

The family of the Maccabees led a violent revolt which produced a century of Jewish independence and a dynasty of Jewish leaders. The book of 1 Maccabees was written during their rule and glorifies their exploits.

Not all Jews, however, agreed that militant action was the appropriate response to Gentile occupation. The book of Daniel was written during the same period and has little place for human militancy. And 2 Maccabees asserts that martyrs who submit to death are just as important as the Maccabean rebels. It is likely that the sect of the Essenes was created largely to oppose the Maccabean rule. The book of Daniel and the movement of the Essenes had an apocalyptic outlook that is absent from the political and military focus of the Maccabeans. And many Jews who were impressed with the learning and civility of Greek philosophy and culture preferred a Hellenized version of Judaism to the zealous militancy of the Hasmoneans. Although the rebellion of 167 BCE was successful, a similar revolt against the Romans, led by Zealots in the tradition of the Maccabees, was disastrous. At that time Jerusalem was sacked; the Temple has never been rebuilt.

There was enough discomfort with the whole history of the Hasmoneans that the book of 1 Maccabees was not included in the Hebrew Bible. A Greek translation of the original Hebrew text did find a place in the Septuagint, the Greek scriptures, which was the Bible that the early Christians used. Thus, a book extolling a history of a militant defense of Judaism was preserved primarily by Christians.

Can violence be religiously justified on behalf of nationalism or religious zeal? 1 Maccabees stands in a strand of history that says "Yes." Many other religious voices, including Jesus, according to the early church, say "No." The history of religious violence is a troubling record. This book we begin today is the victor's account of their successful rebellion. This historical account was finished before Judah was conquered by the Romans in 63 BCE when another victor began to write another history.

There have been times this week as we have been reading Revelation, a book that can be interpreted from a pacifist or from a genocidal perspective, that I have thought, how familiar some of these images and themes would sound to Osama bin Laden. For him, the smoke of the World Trade Center was like the fall of Babylon, something to rejoice.

One historian's hero will be another historian's terrorist. Often one of the most significant distinctions between the two interpretations is religion.

Lowell
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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

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Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville,