2 Maccabees 8 - Summary

Holy city at the centre of the story: plundered by Antiochus, freed by Judas, and the place where Nicanor's head is hung up

Sanctuary defended against Heliodorus, profaned and dedicated to Jupiter, cleansed on the twenty-fifth of Casleu, then threatened by Nicanor

Home of the Jews to whom the opening letters are written, and the land of Antiochus's campaigns

Seleucid capital, near which Onias is murdered at Daphne, and to which Nicanor flees after his first defeat

Land where the priests hid the altar fire at the exile, and from which Antiochus returns in disgrace before his death

The mountain from which Moses saw the heritage of God, where Jeremiah is said to have hidden the tabernacle and the ark in a cave

Babylon was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews into exile here for 70 years. Daniel and his friends served in the Babylonian court. The Tower of Babel, where God confused human language, was built in this region. In Revelation, Babylon symbolizes worldly power opposed to God.

Antioch in Syria was the third largest city in the Roman Empire and became a major center of early Christianity. It was here that believers were first called "Christians." The church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. The city was known for its diverse population of Jews and Gentiles worshipping together.