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The First Book of Maccabees was written in Hebrew by a Jew from Jerusalem, probably around the beginning of the first century before Christ. However, only translations are extant as well as the Greek text that provides faith for the Church. In his work, the author details almost half a century of Jewish history, from 175–134 B.C., that is, from the accession of Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the throne of Syria until the death of Simon Maccabeus.
A conscientious writer, he sets down the events according to their chronological order, except for a few particulars. Like the historiographers of antiquity, he selects his facts, loves to put them in a dramatic form, inflates the numbers, and places eloquent discourses on the lips of his heroes.
We will not reprove him if he takes some liberties when he transcribes archival letters and documents about which he probably knows nothing more than the essential content. To express his enthusiasm and his emotion, he turns poet.
However, his political tendencies render him partial: he has too much ingenuous admiration for the Romans (who will not hesitate to occupy Palestine without much regard!) and approves without reserve the champions of independence, his compatriots. By contrast, he is indignant against the undertakings of the kings of Syria and frequently treats them with excessive severity.
Despite this partisan position, he remains a serious and objective historian, reports what he has seen, and utilizes the testimonies of contemporaries and official documents. This historian is also a believer, convinced that Providence guides and sustains the unexpected rebirth of his people.
As is the case with the Book of Esther, God—out of respect—is never named; he is evoked by the word “Heaven.” But it is he who favors the bold maneuvers of Judas and his brothers; it is he who brings about the victory. The allusions to the law, the temple, and the covenant, as well as the prayers of the combatants, bear witness to his presence.
In brief, the soul of this new holy war is the Lord. As in the time of Joshua and David, it is the covenant that is in question in this reconquest. The faith of Israel remains basically the same as of old, but it is expressed in a new way: the zeal for the Law, the worship at the temple, the horror of uncleanness, and the curses of the Gentiles; this is what characterizes these Jews of the second century B.C.
Moreover, the religious revolt in its beginnings is colored little by little with political ambitions. The author does not seem to be shaken by it, while certain religious movements are disturbed. This is perhaps the gravest lacuna in an interesting and human story that exudes heroism and combines the intransigence of faith with the passion for freedom.
The First Book of Maccabees may be divided a follows:
I: A Great Danger for the Faith (1:1-64)
II: The Great Days of the Resistance (2:1—6:63)
III: The Rise of the Hasmoneans (7:1—16:24)