The Book of 2 Maccabees

Not a sequel but a parallel account of the same revolt, condensed from a longer lost work and written in ornate Greek. Where 1 Maccabees is dry, this is impassioned: martyrdoms told at length, angelic interventions, and open theological argument.

Testament

Old (15 chapters)

Type

Deuterocanon

Date

Late second or early first century BC.

The martyrs

Chapters 6-7 tell of Eleazar and of a mother and her seven sons killed for refusing to eat pork. These passages shaped the Christian theology of martyrdom more than almost any other Old Testament text.

Resurrection, stated plainly

The martyrs die expecting to be raised bodily. This is one of the clearest resurrection statements in the Old Testament and part of why the book matters doctrinally well beyond its history.

Key verses (KJV)

“And when he was at the last gasp, he said, Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life.” — 2 Maccabees 7:9 (KJV)

“And also in that he perceived that there was great favour laid up for those that died godly, it was an holy and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.” — 2 Maccabees 12:45 (KJV)

How to read 2 Maccabees

It does not continue 1 Maccabees, so do not read it as chapter 17 onwards. Chapters 6-7 are the ones that have carried the book for two thousand years.

Read 2 Maccabees on your iPhone

Read the full book of 2 Maccabees in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.

More Old Testament books

• The Book of Tobit
• The Book of Judith
• The Book of Wisdom of Solomon
• The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
• The Book of Baruch

Frequently asked questions

What is the Book of 2 Maccabees about?

2 Maccabees is a book of Deuterocanon, running to 15 chapters. Its main threads: The martyrs; Resurrection, stated plainly.

Who wrote the Book of 2 Maccabees?

An anonymous epitomist, abridging a five-volume history by Jason of Cyrene that has not survived. He says so himself, and apologises for the difficulty of the task.

Where does 2 Maccabees come in the Bible?

2 Maccabees is one of the seven deuterocanonical books — part of the Catholic and Orthodox Old Testament, and printed in the Apocrypha of some Protestant Bibles rather than in the canon. That is why a Protestant Bible has 66 books and a Catholic one 73.