Can Judaism Survive a Jewish State? Modern Perspectives on 1 & 2 Maccabees

April 13 th , 2016,

Congregation Kehillath Israel, Brookline MA
Speakers: Daniel Schwartz (Hebrew University), Jonathan Klawans (Boston University), and Robert Doran (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

Professors Schwartz, Doran, and Klawans consider the different perspectives on political autonomy found in 1 and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees presents Hasmonean autonomy as evidence of supreme piety; 2 Maccabees, in contrast, shows little interest in Hasmonean rule per se and instead emphasizes priestly practice and personal devotion. Do the differences reflect disagreements about the relationship of piety and politics? Can a modern perspective help clarify the intersections between religious freedom, political power, and territory?