There is still a fourth book of Maccabees, sometimes men-
tioned by the church fathers. This is in all probability the
book of Maccabees which is to be found among the works of
Josephus, but which does not belong to him, as may be seen
from the gross historical errors which appear in it. It is
found also in many mss. and editions of the Alexandrian



INTRODUCTION. 59

version. That the book has no properly historical, but only a
philosophical tendency, is evident from the title, Trepl a-acfipo-
(Tvvri'i, or avTO/cpaT6po<s Xojia-fiov. The author wishes to treat
of the relation which ought to subsist between the rational
will and the sensuous inapulses. In order to show the possi-
bility of a reckless limitation of the latter, he relates the
histories of the Maccabees from the Maccabean time. Accord-
ing to Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., iii. 10, the book was composed
in the latter half of the first century. In chap. xiii. 14 there
is an allusion to Matt. x. 28, whence, however, we are not at
liberty to conclude that the book was written by a Christian,
against which there are many data.
In the remaining apocryphal books also, especially in those
of Tobit, Judith, Baruch, etc., are to be found many histo-
rical statements ; but on account of the whole historical cha-
racter of the books, and the time and region from which they
went forth — they are mostly Alexandrian productions — these
statements must be used with great caution, and can only
serve to confirm what has been drawn from other sources.
