Aluzje literackie w teologicznej ocenie działań arcykapłana Szymona w 1 Mch 14,5

Each biblical book reveals its theological message in a very diverse literary way. The analyzed verse of 1 Macc 14:5, similarly to the other verses of the book, was written in the form of a cento, a well-known literary genre used in antiquity. This cento combines expressions in the verses of the earlier Old Testament books and builds its own theological message. Thus an intertextual allusion is built upon the complete textual con-formity of the verses from 1 Macc and the cited expressions. The literary context is crucial for the choice of the allusion. This context influences the carrying theological capacity of the verses and what they bring in the construction of a new message. The allusions reveal the actual meaning of the described events in a theological context. The revelation of the hagiographer’s intention enables the reader to accurately evaluate the conduct of particular characters, in this case Simon Maccabaeus, the high priest of Jews in the times of the Maccabean revolt.