Hasideans

The Hasideans ( Hasidæans or Assideans , Greek asidaioi ) were a Jewish religious party which commenced to play an important role in political life only during the time of the Maccabean wars , although it had existed for quite some time previous. They are mentioned only three times in the books of the Maccabees .

The Hasideans ( , Hasidim ha-Rishonim , Greek Ἀσιδαῖοι , also transcribed Hasidæans , Assideans , Hassideans or Assideans ) were a Jewish religious party which played an important role in political life only during the time of the Maccabean wars , although it had existed for quite some time previous. The Hasideans are mentioned only three times in the books of the Maccabees . As a result, they have been the object of much scholarly speculation. Opinions are divided as to whether the Hasideans were the predecessors of the Pharisees , the Essenes or both. "The Identity of the Hasideans of 1 and 2 Maccabees: A Re-examination of the Topic with a Focus on the History of Scholarship." PhD diss., University of Georgia, 2009.

The Hasideans ( , Hasidim ha-Rishonim , Greek Ἀσιδαῖοι or Asidaioi , also transcribed as Hasidaeans and Assideans ) were a Jewish group during the Maccabean Revolt that took place from around 167–142 BCE. The Hasideans are mentioned three times in the books of the Maccabees , the main contemporary sources from the period. According to the book 1 Maccabees , during the early phases of the anti-Jewish decrees and persecution proclaimed by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes , some Hasideans joined up with Mattathias the Hasmonean as he martialed forces and allies for his rebellion (~167–166 BCE). Later on, during the term of High Priest Alcimus , some Hasideans apparently trusted Alcimus's promises at first and attempted to negotiate a settlement with the government, but were betrayed and executed (~161 BCE). In the book 2 Maccabees , Judas Maccabeus is described as the leader of the Hasideans and of them all as troublemakers disrupting the peace, but by Alcimus, a source the book considers untrustworthy and corrupt. The Hasideans have been the object of much scholarly speculation: were they a specific group with a coherent ideology, or merely a generic term for "the faithful"? If they were a group, what was their religious and political stance? What happened to them after the Maccabean Revolt concluded? Were they predecessors of the Pharisees , the Essenes , both, or neither? Scholars have come to different conclusions: from seeing them as religious "moderates" whose main goal was the preservation of traditionalist Judaism against Hellenism (but not necessarily for establishing a separate independent political state) to seeing them as simply as a very religious group who were betrayed.