2 Maccabees : Christian Community Bible

Introduction to 2 Maccabees

The second book of Maccabees is not a continuation of the first book.

Whereas the first book presents the history of the Jewish people during those critical years in a comprehensive and balanced way, this other focuses on a series of facts – and at times, commentaries and stories – allowing the author to emphasize the hopes and suffering of the persecuted believers. This second book, less interesting than the first for historians, is, nevertheless, extremely important in the Bible because of its profound vision of suffering and death and also of God’s justice. This book (with the book of Daniel) affirms the resurrection of the dead, as does the Wisdom of Solomon.

NOTE: excerpted from the introductory material for this book.