August 1 + The 7 Holy Machabees

The 7 Holy Machabees (Abim, Antonius, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonus, Alimus and Marcellus) their mother, Solomonia, and their teacher, Eleazar were martyred under the Syrian King Antiochus IV in the year 166 BC. All the events of their story comes directly from the Old Testament in the 2nd Book of Machabees Chapter 7.

The king loved pagan and Hellenistic customs, and held Jewish customs in contempt. He did everything possible to turn people from the Law of Moses and from their covenant with God. He desecrated the Temple, placed a statue of the pagan god Zeus there, and forced the Jews to worship it. Many people abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but there were also those who continued to believe that the Savior would come.

A ninety-year-old elder, the scribe and teacher Eleazar, was brought to trial for his faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. He suffered tortures and died in Jerusalem.

The disciples of Eleazar, the 7 Machabee brothers and their mother, Solomonia, also displayed great faith and courage. They were eventually brought to trial in Antioch by King Antiochus. They fearlessly acknowledged themselves as followers of the True God, and refused to eat pork, which was forbidden by the Law.

The eldest brother acted as spokesmen for the rest, saying that they preferred to die rather than break the Law. He was subjected to fierce tortures in sight of his brothers and their mother. His tongue was cut out, he was scalped, and his hands and feet were cut off. A cauldron and a large frying pan were then heated, and the first brother was thrown into the frying pan where he offered his soul up to God.

The next five brothers were tortured one after the other. The seventh and youngest brother was the last one left alive. King Antiochus suggested to their mother, Solomonia, that she persuade the boy to obey him, so that her last son at least would be spared. Instead, the brave mother told him to imitate the courage of his brothers.

After all her seven children had been murdered, Solomonia stood over their bodies, raised up her hands in prayer to God and died.

The martyric death of the Machabees inspired Judas Machabeus and he led a revolt against King Antiochus. With God’s help, he was victorious, and then purified the Temple in Jerusalem. He also destroyed the altars which the pagans had set up in the streets.

Many Church Fathers preached sermons on the 7 Machabees, including St. Cyprian of Carthage, St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Gregory Nazianzus and St. John Chrysostom. St. Solomonia is remembered with high regard for her religious steadfastness, teaching her sons to keep to their faith, even if it meant execution.