Did the Maccabess Intend to Conquer the Promised Land?

Nov. 30 th , 2015,

Congregation Kehillat Israel, Brookline MA
Speakers: Katell Berthelot (CNRS) and Yonder Gillihan (Boston College)

Professors Berthelot and Gillihan discuss the historicity of the Maccabean wars of conquest and ask if the ancient texts truly support the idea of a planned re-conquest of the biblical Land of Israel.

This event was a debate between Katell Berthelot and Yonder Gillihan in which Berthelot challenged the long-standing scholarly view that the Maccabees intended to conquer the Promised Land. In the podcast recorded live and posted above, Gillihan concedes to Berthelot’s points but nuances her interpretation of Joshua by arguing that the famed Old Testament character played a larger part in the Maccabean conquest than Berthelot acknowledges. The debate sparked lively discussion from the audience (also included in the podcast above). Click here for the handout distributed at the event, a visual and textual record of Berthelot’s evidence, referred to in the podcast.