Date

4-29-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)

Chair

Benjamin Laird

Disciplines

Christianity | Religion

Abstract

Research on Second Maccabees has increased over the past century, especially since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Much of this scholarship has been confined to discussion of historical, literary, or thematic topics within the confines of the work or in relation to the Old Testament. Little scholarship, comparably, exists regarding the themes of Second Maccabees in relationship to early Christian beliefs expressed in the New Testament.

This body of research seeks to address this gap by tracing the evolution of major themes from Second Maccabees through the first century CE and examining the presence of those themes within the New Testament. The four themes addressed in this dissertation are the temple cult and priesthood, the influence of Hellenization and Greco-Roman culture, martyrdom, and resurrection theology. The expression of these themes in Second Maccabees demonstrates an evolution from their portrayal in the Old Testament and ushers in changes that are visible in the first century CE world and the New Testament. Thus, Second Maccabees provides a bridge between the expression of these themes in the Old and New Testaments. Second Maccabees also describes contemporary events and attitudes regarding these themes that may have contributed to the development of early Christian thought as demonstrated in the New Testament.

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