1 Maccabees

The Book of 1 Maccabees (pronounced First Maccabees) is a book of the Bible written in Hebrew around the year 100 BC by a Jewish author. It is part of the Old Testament in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity but is generally not seen as canonical in Protestantism. It talks about the period in Jewish history between 175 BC and 134 BC, when the Seleucid Empire ruled over Israel and forced their culture and religion onto the Jewish people. Angry at these developments, many Jews rebelled against the imperialists and overthrew the tyranny. Their struggles and battles form the majority of the Book of 1 Maccabees.