to the "Books of Maccabees" except for the fact that it cites some quotations which are contained in 1 and 2 Maccabees, and it also describes the same events which are described in 1 and 2 Maccabees. First vs Second Books of Maccabees The books of First and Second Maccabees contain similar accounts. Each book was written in a literary style which is noticeably different, but the narratives which are contained in both of the books are similar. In First Maccabees, the author presents a sober historical account of the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV. In contrast, the author of the Second Book of Maccabees presents a heavily dramatic and theologically dense account of a period of time which is shorter but overlapping (180-161 BC). In Second Maccabees, the author portrays Judas Maccabaeus and the martyrs who fight alongside him as champions; they earn divine favor as a result. The author of First Maccabees presents an objective and sobering account, taking influence from the authors of the Hebrew Bible. Second Maccabees is noticeably dramatic and emotional. First Maccabees begins with the rise and legitimacy of the Hasmonean dynasty, originating with an account of the life of the Jewish priest Mattathias, a forefather of the Maccabean revolt. Second Maccabees begins with two letters, Epistle I and Epistle II. See also Meqabyan References Historical books