„Ten, kto patrzył na twarz arcykapłana, miał przeszyty umysł”. Żydzi wobec niebezpieczeństwa profanacji świątyni (2Mch 3,14-22)

The author shows how the Jewish community in Jerusalem is scrupulousabout their own religion and their allegiance to God and His Temple. On theother hand, 2 Macc reveals a Hellenistic orientation by viewing the Templeas that of the city, as is shown by the progression city-place-Temple (cf. 3:1-3)and by reference to the high priest of the city (cf. 3:9).Our section (3:14-22) focuses on the author’s intention to involve theauditorium in the action, as he highlights the tragic emotion experienced.The classification of roles in the description of the population of the cityis interesting. The priests in their formal attire form a distinct group withthe greatest attention (two verses) given to describing the grief of the highpriest. The males participate in the public supplication (3:18), while themarried women express their grief with bared breasts and sackcloth aroundtheir waists, symbolising their role as child-bearers.The unified narrative conforms to the general pattern of a deity’s defenceof his temple: attackers approach, the defenders ask the deity for help and thedeity responds. There are many examples of this type of narrative such asthe defence of Delphi by Apollo against marauding Persians in 480 B.C.E.,the story told by Herodotus (8:35-39).