Abstract

The Maccabees: Martyrs of the Old and New Testaments
Archimandrite Youhanna El Mecherki

The present study aims at reassessing the roots of the veneration of the Maccabees in the city of Antioch prior to the fourth century A.D., through the investigation of textual, liturgical, geographical, and theological evidence, as these are recorded in patristic sources and in the historical writings of the time. This work proceeds from the hypothesis that such veneration did not emerge suddenly in the fourth century, but rather constitutes a gradual and deeply rooted development, the beginnings of which go back to a period earlier than that century.
On the basis of the available sources and relevant bibliography, the study demonstrates that Antioch had already, prior to the Christianization of the Empire, been a place where the memory of the Maccabees was cultivated, and that their veneration was founded upon an interpretive approach and understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. The study concludes that the veneration of the Maccabees represents a decisive key to understanding the formation of Christian identity in Antioch, confirming its authenticity; and this makes it necessary to reconsider the prevailing theories regarding the time of appearance and the theological content of this veneration.

KEYWORDS: Maccabees, Antioch, Martyrdom, Testament, Veneration.