John Gaddi
Encyclopedia
John Gaddi was the oldest of the sons of Mattathias
, and brother of Judas Maccabeus
. His 'nickname' Gaddi is a Hebrew term, meaning "My Fortune". He was one of the leaders of the revolt of the Maccabees
in the 2nd century BC.
the son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. He had five sons, John surnamed Gaddi, Simon called Thassi, Judas
called Maccabeus, Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus." (1 Maccabees
2:1-5 RSV-CE)
. It is as follows: "With these words he (Judas) filled them with good courage and made them ready to die for their laws and their country; then he divided his army into four parts. He appointed his brothers also, Simon and Joseph and Jonathan, each to command a division, putting fifteen hundred men under each. Besides, he appointed Eleazar to read from the holy book, and gave the watchword, "God's Help"; then, leading the first division himself, he joined battle with Nicanor
." (2 Maccabees
8:21-23 RSV-CE) Just after this battle, as the Talmud
, Josephus
, 1 Maccabees
4:36-59, and 2 Maccabees
10:1-8; the brothers recaptured and rededicated the Temple of Jerusalem, starting the Festival of Dedication (or as it's more commonly known, Hanukkah
.)
: "And Jonathan sent his brother as leader of the multitude and begged the Nabateans, who were his friends, for permission to store with them the great amount of baggage which they had. But the sons of Jambri from Medeba came out and seized John and all that he had, and departed with it. After these things it was reported to Jonathan and Simon his brother, 'The sons of Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and are conducting the bride, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan, from Nadabath with a large escort.' And they remembered the blood of John their brother, and went up and hid under cover of the mountain." (1 Maccabees
9:35-38 RSV-CE)
Mattathias
Mattathias ben Johanan was a Jewish priest whose role in the Jewish revolt against the Syrian Greeks is related in the Books of the Maccabees...
, and brother of Judas Maccabeus
Judas Maccabeus
Judah Maccabee was a Kohen and a son of the Jewish priest Mattathias...
. His 'nickname' Gaddi is a Hebrew term, meaning "My Fortune". He was one of the leaders of the revolt of the Maccabees
Maccabees
The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
in the 2nd century BC.
First Historical Reference
He was first mentioned with along with his father and brothers, in this way: "In those days MattathiasMattathias
Mattathias ben Johanan was a Jewish priest whose role in the Jewish revolt against the Syrian Greeks is related in the Books of the Maccabees...
the son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. He had five sons, John surnamed Gaddi, Simon called Thassi, Judas
Judas Maccabeus
Judah Maccabee was a Kohen and a son of the Jewish priest Mattathias...
called Maccabeus, Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus." (1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees
The First book of Maccabees is a book written in Hebrew by a Jewish author after the restoration of an independent Jewish kingdom, about the latter part of the 2nd century BC. The original Hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the Greek translation contained in the Septuagint...
2:1-5 RSV-CE)
Possible Reference in 2 Maccabees
The next reference is in the Jewish historical work 2 Maccabees2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees is a deuterocanonical book of the Bible, which focuses on the Jews' revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes and concludes with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 BC by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work....
. It is as follows: "With these words he (Judas) filled them with good courage and made them ready to die for their laws and their country; then he divided his army into four parts. He appointed his brothers also, Simon and Joseph and Jonathan, each to command a division, putting fifteen hundred men under each. Besides, he appointed Eleazar to read from the holy book, and gave the watchword, "God's Help"; then, leading the first division himself, he joined battle with Nicanor
Nicanor
- Ancient history :* Nicanor , 4th century BCE; an officer of Cassandrus* Nicanor , 4th century BCE; Macedonian officer, governor of Media under Antigonus...
." (2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees is a deuterocanonical book of the Bible, which focuses on the Jews' revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes and concludes with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 BC by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work....
8:21-23 RSV-CE) Just after this battle, as the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
, 1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees
The First book of Maccabees is a book written in Hebrew by a Jewish author after the restoration of an independent Jewish kingdom, about the latter part of the 2nd century BC. The original Hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the Greek translation contained in the Septuagint...
4:36-59, and 2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees is a deuterocanonical book of the Bible, which focuses on the Jews' revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes and concludes with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 BC by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work....
10:1-8; the brothers recaptured and rededicated the Temple of Jerusalem, starting the Festival of Dedication (or as it's more commonly known, Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
.)
Death
The final references to John Gaddi are the events surrounding his death. This is the account found in 1 Maccabees1 Maccabees
The First book of Maccabees is a book written in Hebrew by a Jewish author after the restoration of an independent Jewish kingdom, about the latter part of the 2nd century BC. The original Hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the Greek translation contained in the Septuagint...
: "And Jonathan sent his brother as leader of the multitude and begged the Nabateans, who were his friends, for permission to store with them the great amount of baggage which they had. But the sons of Jambri from Medeba came out and seized John and all that he had, and departed with it. After these things it was reported to Jonathan and Simon his brother, 'The sons of Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and are conducting the bride, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan, from Nadabath with a large escort.' And they remembered the blood of John their brother, and went up and hid under cover of the mountain." (1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees
The First book of Maccabees is a book written in Hebrew by a Jewish author after the restoration of an independent Jewish kingdom, about the latter part of the 2nd century BC. The original Hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the Greek translation contained in the Septuagint...
9:35-38 RSV-CE)
See also
- Simon Thassi
- Judas MaccabeusJudas MaccabeusJudah Maccabee was a Kohen and a son of the Jewish priest Mattathias...
- Eleazar Avaran
- Jonathan Apphus
- MattathiasMattathiasMattathias ben Johanan was a Jewish priest whose role in the Jewish revolt against the Syrian Greeks is related in the Books of the Maccabees...
- The Books of Maccabees