The books of 1 and 2 Maccabees were never included in the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh. However, they can be found in the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Bibles.
Many reasons are responsible for the exclusion of these books and other deuterocanonical books from the Hebrew Bible, including historical events and theological and doctrinal issues.
If you want to learn more about why these books are not part of your Bible, keep reading this article, as we will discuss them in detail.
Why was the book of Maccabees removed from the Bible?
This question might look strange to someone who attends the Roman Catholic church.
That is because Maccabees are a part of their Bible and must have been used by priests to teach during masses. However, a Protestant Christian might be surprised about the existence of other books in the Bible apart from the 66 books in which they are conversant.
In other words, the Roman Catholic and the Protestant churches have different Bibles.
The major difference is that while the Protestant Bible has 66 books, the Roman Catholic Bible has 73 books, meaning there are 7 additional books.
These additional books are known as the deuterocanonical books.
They are Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus), 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, and Wisdom. But why do we have different Bibles even though we claim we serve the same God?
Well, even though most Christians have similarities, there are doctrinal beliefs peculiar to certain bodies that are not accepted by others.
For example, Catholics pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus, while Protestants believe all prayers should be directed to God through Jesus Christ, who is our advocate or intercessor.
For the purpose of this study, other issues come up when considering why Maccabees are not found in the Bible. Let’s take a look at some:
Language of composition
Language played a key role during the translation of ancient manuscripts that became the Bible we have today.
These manuscripts were written in different languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
The Hebrews only consider manuscripts originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic as fit for being added to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament and Greek of the New Testament.
However, those written in Greek were added to the Catholic Bible (Old Testament). Maccabees is one of the books written in Greek.
When the protestant reformers wanted to have a Bible that would align with their beliefs and doctrines, they incorporated books written in Hebrew language into their Bible but rejected those written in Greek.
That is why Bible versions like the King James version, New International Version, etc., have only 66 books, unlike their Catholic counterpart.
Theological and doctrinal issues
Beyond the language of composition, theological stance and doctrinal issues play critical roles in the exclusion of the book of Maccabees from the Bible.
Although Catholics and Protestants believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, some of their religious activities do not align.
Some of the doctrines the protestants frown at are in the book of Maccabees.
One of these doctrinal issues is prayers and sacrifices for the dead.
The Maccabees discusses a concept called purgatory.
According to the book Maccabees, atonement can be made for those who have died so they may be delivered from their sins (2 Maccabees 12:39-45).
In other words, there is still a chance or possibility of forgiveness after death for those who died as sinners.
Therefore, those who died and are in purgatory still have the chance to reign with Jesus Christ by virtue of prayers and sacrifice offered by the living.
The Catholics believe in purgatory and pray for the dead. However, the Protestants have a contrary view, which is that Christ’s sacrifice is the ultimate sacrifice that washes sins once and for all. Also, the protestants believe that once dead, the next thing is judgment.
Therefore, there is no second chance anywhere.
So, sacrifices and prayers for the dead are futile.
The church should channel its energies toward comforting, helping, and praying for the loved ones of the deceased.
Hebrews 9:27-28 says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
This doctrinal clash played a pivotal role in the exclusion of the book of Maccabees from the Protestant Bible.
Another doctrinal issue is why Maccabees is not included in the concept of the intercession of the saints.
According to 2 Maccabees 15:11-16 and 2 Maccabees 15:37-38, Judas Maccabeus, one of the characters in the book of Maccabees, had a vision where Onias, a righteous high priest who had died, appeared to him, praying with outstretched hands for the Jews.
Based on this event and probably others, the Catholic church believes in the prayer of the saints (holy people who have died).
One of the major controversies in Catholicism is the prayers offered to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who has been labeled as an intercessor of the church.
The Catholics believe that Mary receives prayers offered to her and presents them before Jesus.
The entire logic is based upon the fact that a mother’s love and words can compel anyone, including Jesus, to act toward a course.
The Catholic church also prays to saints like Peter, Thomas, Joseph, Francis, etc.
However, the protestant theology does not believe in offering prayers to any holy person except Jesus Christ.
According to Romans 8:34, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
These differing theological views are one of the reasons the book of Maccabees is not included in the protestant Bible.
Literary style issues
Another reason the book of Maccabees was not included is because the reformers believed it was not inspired by God.
What that means is that the book is conceived through human imagination or actual events but is not meant for spiritual edification.
The reformers probably reached this conclusion based on the fact that the first and second books of Maccabees made little reference to God, making it more about the Jews and their revolt against the Seleucid rule in the second century BCE and not their relationship and devotion to God.
The books focus on the rise of the Maccabean family and their military campaigns against the Seleucid Empire aimed at restoring Jewish religious practices and political independence.
The Book of Maccabees, therefore, is a historical book detailing events using a religious lens.
It was written by Jason of Cyrene, a Hellenistic Jewish author. This is unlike other books of the Bible attributed to Bible characters who had a direct relationship with God, with their spiritual journeys recorded in detail.
For example, Genesis to Deuteronomy is attributed to Moses, while the epistles in the New Testament were written by the Apostle Paul.
These two men evidently have a close relationship with God and are known to live holy lives.
Therefore, their writing can be said to be heavily influenced by God. However, the same cannot be said about the book of Maccabees. Therefore, the reformers or Pentecostal Christians did not regard them as inspired scripture when they were compiling the books that made the Bible.
They are labeled good for reading but not for establishing doctrines.
It is also worth noting that Martin Luther, the key figure of the Protestant Reformation, stated that some facts in the book of Maccabees and other deuterocanonical books are inaccurate.
Not only that, he considered them figurative works, born out of imagination, to be appreciated but not taken seriously.
He also submitted that they included and promoted superstitions and not faith.
For example, when talking about Tobit (of the deuterocanonical), he said, “I take the book of Tobit to be a comedy concerning women, an example for house-government. Many ridiculous things are contained in this book, especially about the three nights, and the liver of the broiled fish, wherewith the devil was scared and driven away.”
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David Akeju is a Christian writer who believes in the transformational power of God’s Word. His articles and books have been published on global platforms, and thousands of lives have been touched. He works with pastors and ministers, churches and ministries, and brands.