Athenobios

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Athenobios was a Seleucid general of the 2nd century BC. BC mentioned in the 1st book of the Maccabees .

According to the Deuterocanonical 1st Book of Maccabees, Athenobios was a confidante ( φίλος , literally "friend") of King Antiochus VII. He sent him to Palestine to restore Seleucid suzerainty there and to act against the attempts at autonomy of the Jewish high priest family of the Maccabees . Athenobios demanded from the incumbent high priest Simon the return of the cities of Joppa (today Jaffa ) and Gezer , the surrender of the Seleucid garrison in the City of David as well as taxes for all places outside Judea that were in Jewish possession. Alternatively, he wanted to accept a payment of 1000 talents of silver. Since Simon only agreed to surrender 100 talents, Athenobius returned without having achieved anything and Antiochus went over to military action against the Maccabees.

The account of Athenobius' visit to Jerusalem is embellished with literature in Book 1 of the Maccabees in order to illustrate the moral superiority and the historically derived right of the Jews to rule over Palestine. Both positions, first the Seleucid and then the Jewish, are reproduced verbatim. A verse is inserted between the two statements , in which the arrival of Athenobius in Jerusalem and his impressed astonishment in view of the high priestly display of splendor are described. In response to Simon's provocative response to the royal demand, however, the Seleucid ambassador is said to have remained silent and angrily returned to his ruler. These details in the narrative make clear on the one hand the political equality of the Maccabees and thus indirectly also reflect "the self-image and the lifestyle of the later Hasmonean dynasty", under whose rule the 1st Book of Maccabees was created. On the other hand, they are intended to illustrate the “lack of affect control” and uncompromising attitude of the Seleucid opponents.

Since Athenobios is nowhere mentioned outside of the 1st Book of Maccabees, it has been assumed that even with him it is only an invention of the author for the literary decoration of the events.

literature

  • Wolfgang Kletzel: Athenobios 2. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Supplement IV, Stuttgart 1924, column 57 (concise reproduction of the biblical report).
  • John D. Grainger : A Seleukid Prosopography and Gazetteer (= Mnemosyne Supplements. Volume 172). Brill, Leiden / New York / Cologne 1997, ISBN 90-04-10799-1 , p. 84 (concise reproduction of the biblical report).
  • Michael Tilly : 1 Maccabees ( Herder's Theological Commentary on the Old Testament ). Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2015, ISBN 978-3-451-26822-9 , pp. 294-298.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 1 Makk 15 : 28-36  LUT
  2. ↑ a b Michael Tilly: 1 Maccabees ( Herder's Theological Commentary on the Old Testament ). Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2015, ISBN 978-3-451-26822-9 , p. 296.
  3. ↑ Michael Tilly: 1 Maccabees ( Herder's Theological Commentary on the Old Testament ). Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2015, ISBN 978-3-451-26822-9 , p. 297.
  4. ↑ Michael Tilly: 1 Maccabees ( Herder's Theological Commentary on the Old Testament ). Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2015, ISBN 978-3-451-26822-9 , p. 298.
personal data
SURNAME Athenobios
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Seleucid general
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.