ny ways the most
severe; but then it gave to the world some of the noblest martyrs. The
early Christians who perished for their faith were inspired by the example
of their Master and by the hope of blessed, individual immortality. To the
Jews of the Greek period, however, the great calamity that overtook them
came as a sudden and unexpected blow. No clear hope of immortality at
first inspired them, for, like Ben Sira and the earlier teachers of the
race, the majority of them probably regarded the life beyond death as a
passionless existence in the land of darkness. Even the expectation of
family or racial immortality seemed denied by the dark outlook. They died
as did Eleazar, the aged scribe, simply because of their devotion to the
God and laws of their fathers, and because that loyalty meant more to them
than life.

Section CIX. THE EFFECT OF PERSECUTION ON THE JEWS

[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:1-4]
At that time arose Mattathias the son of John the son of Simeon, a priest
of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem; and he dwelt in Modein. And he had
five sons, John, who was surnamed Gaddis, Simon, who was called Thassi,
Judas, who was called Maccabeus, Eleazar, who was called Avaran, Jonathan,
who was called Apphus.

[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:5-14]
When he saw the sacrilegious acts that were being committed in Judah and
in Jerusalem, he said,

Woe to me! Why was I born
To see the ruin of my people,
And the ruin of the holy city,
And to dwell there while it was being given into the hands of the foe,
The sanctuary into the hands of foreigners?
The temple has become as though it had no glory,
Its splendid vessels have been carried into captivity.
Her children have been slain in the streets,
Her young men by the sword of the enemy.
What people has not taken possession of her palace,
And seized upon her spoils?
All her adornments have been taken away,
From freedom she has been reduced to slavery.
And now our holy things, our beauty and our glory have been laid waste,
And the heathen have polluted them.
Why should we still live?

And Mattathias and his son tore their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and
mourned bitterly.

[Sidenote: I Macc. 2:15-22]
Now the king's officers who were enforcing the apostasy, came into the
city of Modein to sacrifice. And many of Israel went over to them, but
Mattathias and his sons offered resistance. Then the king's officers said
to Mattathias, You are a ruler and a man honored in this city an