Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

1,329 texts · Page 118 of 148

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha: ancient Jewish texts composed during the Second Temple period that, while not included in the canonical Hebrew Bible, preserve invaluable traditions about angels, the afterlife, and the end of days.

Bacchides and Moses

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:14

The kind of betrayal that shakes your faith in humanity. That's the kind of situation we find ourselves in with a particular passage from the Book of Maccabees I. We're in the thic...

MosesHoly Land

Faith of Bacchides

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:18

Specifically, we're looking at Maccabees I, chapter 7. Now, remember the context. We're in the thick of the Maccabean Revolt, a fight for religious freedom and Jewish sovereignty a...

Hell/GehennaNoah & FloodTorahHoly Land

Kingdom of Bacchides

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:22

Bacchides, a Syrian general, having installed Alcimus in charge, heads back to the king. It seems like a moment of relative calm, but beneath the surface, things are far from peace...

Holy Land

Judas Maccabeus's Transgression and Nicanor

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:26

Judas Maccabeus and his band of rebels are gaining ground. They're pushing back against the Seleucid Empire, who were trying to Hellenize Judea – basically, force Greek culture and...

TorahHoly Land

Judas Maccabeus and the King

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:31

Let’s set the scene. Nicanor, a general in the Seleucid army, arrives to meet with Judas. On the surface, everything seems peaceful. They exchange greetings, pleasantries perhaps. ...

King DavidTempleShabbat

Covenant of Judas Maccabeus

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:36

That feeling is at the heart of this passage from I Maccabees, Chapter 7. It’s a tense moment, a real clash of worlds. The scene is set with a villain, someone who should know bett...

TemplePrayerCovenant

Judas Maccabeus Among the Heavenly Host

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:40

He's got a whole Syrian army backing him up. Now, contrast that with Judas. He’s not exactly bringing a battalion to this battle. He's in Adasa with just three thousand men. Three....

AngelsTempleHoly LandShabbat

Kingdom of Nicanor and Seleucid

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 7:44

We're talking about Nicanor, a general of the Seleucid Empire, and his clash with the Maccabees. The Seleucids, descendants of Alexander the Great's empire, were ruling over Judea,...

Holy Land

Nicanor's Transgression

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 8:1

We're talking about the aftermath of a major clash, a turning point in their struggle for religious freedom. After a hard-fought battle, they weren't just content with winning. The...

Holy Land