Functional Differentiation in 1 Maccabees: Exploring Second Century BCE Judean Society Through the Character of Jonathan Apphus

Abstract This article is the fourth in a special issue of the Journal of Ancient History, “Social Biographies of the Ancient World.” It notes that the course of events put forth by 1 Maccabees, a composition that is clearly favorable to the Hasmonean dynasty, is remarkable: Jonathan does not seem to hurry to take control of the temple, which had been the main goal of his brother’s previous wars. Moreover, the lack of a high priest, integral to the maintenance of the Judean cult and the source of previous troubles, does not seem to pose a problem. The narrative calls our attention to the processes by which Jonathan gained enough support to take the Judean high priesthood, which 1 Maccabees obfuscates. A look into the forms of capital accrued by Jonathan and the different fields in which they come into play in 1 and 2 Maccabees can expand our understanding of the historical process, in which a relatively minor figure prevails in the Hasmonean memory.