2nd Dec new adds and update

The book of Philippeisios has been updated with larger print, background map of Phillipi, highlight key words.

Read the book of Philippeisios

Our Assembly Youth Camp the young people will be studying the book of Philippeisios, it is the book that teaches how to deal with buggy problem within the Assembly, little petty issue should not be left unresolved. With help of Moshiach we should be overcome and be delivered out of the situation.

Also the during this Hannukah season I have added a link to the cover page

Hebrew Text: מגילת אנטיוכוס -חנוכה Maccabees

"The First Book of the Maccabees covers the period of forty years from the accession of Antiochus (175 B.C.) to the death of Shimon the Maccabee (135 B.C.). Its contents are as follows: Ch. i. 1-9 is a brief historical introduction; i. 10-ii. 70 treats of the rise of the Maccabean revolt; iii. 1-ix. 22 is devoted to the Maccabean struggle under Yehuda; ix. 23-xii. 53, to the fortunes of Israel under Yonatan; xiii. 1-xvi. 24, to the administration of Shimon. The events are followed with intense interest and sympathy. At times the enthusiasm of the writer rises to a high pitch and breaks out into poetry of a genuine Semitic character (comp. iii. 3-9). The style is simple, terse, restrained, and objective, modeled throughout on that of the historical books of the Tanach. The fact that just proportions are observed in treating the different parts of the narrative proves the author to have been a writer of considerable skill. He dates all events in terms of the Seleucid era.

It is clear from the Semitic idioms which occur throughout the work that it was composed in a Semitic language (see, for example, ii. 40, iv. 2), and certain passages indicate with great clearness that the original language was Hebrew (see ii. 39, iii. 19). To this fact Origen and Jerome also bear testimony, though it is possible that the version or paraphrase known to them was Aramaic.

The Greek version seems to be a literal one, often preserving the Semitic, and sometimes even the Hebrew, idiom; but it is clear, and probably it is, on the whole, a satisfactory translation. It is transmitted in three uncial manuscripts of the Septuagint—the Codex Sinaiticus, the Codex Alexandrinus, and the Codex Venetus—as well as in several cursives."

IMPORTANT NOTE: since the only text we have today for this book was translated and transmitted by Christian sources, the present text may well contain intentional errors.

1 Maccabees

The contents of the book can be summarized as follows:

• Chapter 1-2: The hellenization of Judah and the non-violent resistance by Mattathias;
• Chapter 3-9: Military actions by Judas the Maccabaean ('battle hammer'): after 166, he defeats the Seleucid armies three times and liberates Jerusalem, where the temple is purified; more operations; Judas' defeat and death in 161;
• Chapter 9-12: Continued warfare, led by Judas' brother Jonathan (160-143), who, benefiting from wars of succession in the Seleucid Empire, restores the fortunes of the Jewish nationalists and adds to their territories;
• Chapter 13-16: The third brother, Simon, achieves political independence, and founds the Hasmonaean dynasty

/ 2 Maccabees

The contents of the book can be summarized as follows:

• Chapter 1-2: Introductory letters, introduction.
• Chapter 3-10: The Temple is miraculously saved from looting; tensions between two high priests; interference by Antiochus IV Epiphanes; military actions by Judas the Maccabaean ('battle hammer'); death of Antiochus; the Temple purified; Chanukah.
• Chapter 10-14: War against Lysias; another war against Lysias; Judas recognized by Antiochus V Eupator; accession of Demetrius I Soter; war against Nicanor; his defeat.

Information the Hellenistic world