Mattathias

Mattathias
An imaginary depiction of Mattathias from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum (1553)
Leader of the Maccabees
SuccessorJudas Maccabeus
Died166–165 BCE
Burial
IssueJudas Maccabeus
Eleazar Avaran
Simon Thassi
John Gaddi
Jonathan Apphus
DynastyHasmonean
ReligionJudaism

Mattathias ben Johanan (Hebrew: מַתִּתְיָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן יוֹחָנָן, Mattīṯyāhū haKōhēn ben Yōḥānān; died 166–165 BCE)[1] was a Kohen (Jewish priest) who helped spark the Maccabean Revolt against the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. Mattathias's story is related in the deuterocanonical book of 1 Maccabees and in the writings of Josephus. Mattathias is accorded a central role in the story of Hanukkah and, as a result, is named in the Al HaNissim prayer Jews add to the Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) and the Amidah during the festival's eight days.

  1. ^ "Mahlon H. Smith". Virtualreligion.net. Retrieved 2014-02-07.

Developed by StudentB