HAMMER TIME

Mel Gibson is eyeing another Biblically relates story for the big screen, the account of the Jewish Maccabean revolt:

“The story that’s always fired my imagination ... is the Book of Maccabees,” the actor and director told ABC Radio Networks talk show host Sean Hannity on Tuesday.

“The Maccabees family stood up, and they made war. They stuck by their guns and they came out winning,” he said. “It’s like a Western.”

The Maccabees led a three-year war, some 200 years before the birth of Jesus, against Antiochus IV, a king who forced the Jews to worship Greek gods. The war led to the liberation of Jerusalem and rededication of the Temple that is celebrated in the Hanukkah holiday.

Now had you been in my class at church on Sunday night you would have heard me cover this time between the Testaments. It's a fascinating time in Jewish history, and greatly affects our understanding of the New Testament. The books he looks to is part of the Catholic bible usually referred to by non-Catholics as the Apocrypha. The books are not recognized by Jews or by Protestants as canonical or inspired. They do, however, contain valuable historical information.

Mark D. Roberts provides us with some background on the books that I think many of you will find helpful. He also gives us a nice rundown on everyone who would be mad at Mel because of the movie!