E06956: The Homily (memrā) on the Maccabean Martyrs (pre-Christian Jewish martyrs of Antioch, S00303) is written in Syriac during the late 5th/early 6th c. by Jacob of Serugh (c. 451-521). It celebrates the story of the martyrdom of the nine pre-Christian martyrs, while putting emphasis on the relevance of their martyrdom for Christians.

Jacob of Serugh, Homily on the Maccabean Martyrs

Summary:

The main body of the Homily (pp. 349-358) recounts the story of the martyrdom of the seven Jewish young men, their mother Shmuni, and priest Eleazar under the king Antiochus, and constitutes a paraphrase of the biblical account as it appears in the Books of Maccabees. The primary theological rationale of the Homily, expressed in the introductory (pp. 347-349) and concluding sections (pp. 359-360), is that although the Maccabees suffered before the coming of Christ, no Christian should undervalue their martyrdom, because they sacrificed their lives out of love for Christ.