3 Maccabees

This chapter examines the Third Book of Maccabees with an eye toward its unique contribution to the Apocrypha. By way of orientation, various historical and textual issues are discussed that place the text in the late first century BCE or early first century CE. Additional focus is given to the role of women in the narrative, especially the figure of Arsinoë, who plays a decisive part in the opening Battle of Raphia. The chapter then turns to the theology of 3 Maccabees and highlights its emphasis on prayer, divine intervention, and the identity of the Jewish people living under a tyrannical king.