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'''Books of the Maccabees''' were originally five books of the Maccabees.<ref name="m">{{Easton|Maccabees}}</ref> The first contains a history of the war of independence, commencing (B.C. 175) in a series of patriotic struggles against the tyranny of [[Antiochus Epiphanes]], and terminating B.C. 135.<ref name="m"/> It became part of the [[Vulgate]] Version of the [[Bible]], and was thus retained among the [[Apocrypha]].<ref name="m"/>

The '''Books of the Maccabees''', according to [[Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)]] "were originally five books of the Maccabees. The first contains a history of the war of independence, commencing (B.C. 175) in a series of patriotic struggles against the tyranny of [[Antiochus Epiphanes]], and terminating B.C. 135. It became part of the [[Vulgate]] Version of the [[Bible]], and was thus retained among the [[Apocrypha]]. The second gives a history of the Maccabees' struggle from B.C. 176 to B.C. 161.  Its object is to encourage and admonish the [[Jews]] to be faithful to the religion of their fathers.

The second gives a history of the Maccabees' struggle from B.C. 176 to B.C. 161.<ref name="m"/> Its object is to encourage and admonish the [[Jews]] to be faithful to the religion of their fathers.<ref name="m"/>

The third does not hold a place in the Apocrypha, but is read in the [[Greek Church]].  Its design is to comfort the Alexandrian Jews in their persecution.  Its writer was evidently an Alexandrian Jew.

The fourth was found in the Library of Lyons, but was afterwards burned. The fifth contains a history of the Jews from B.C. 184 to B.C. 86. It is a compilation made by a Jew after the destruction of [[Jerusalem]], from ancient memoirs, to which he had access.<ref>http://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=Maccabees,%20Books%20of%20the</ref>

 

The fourth was found in the Library of Lyons, but was afterwards burned.<ref name="m"/> The fifth contains a history of the Jews from B.C. 184 to B.C. 86.<ref name="m"/> It is a compilation made by a Jew after the destruction of [[Jerusalem]], from ancient memoirs, to which he had access.<ref name="m"/>

==References==

==References==