Revisiting Sabbath Observance during the Great Jewish Revolt (66–73/74 CE)

Abstract In contemporary scholarship, debate persists over whether Mattathias the Hasmonean’s authorization of defensive warfare on the Sabbath to preserve life (1 Macc 2:39–41) constituted a significant halakic innovation, as suggested by Josephus (A.J. 12.277; 14.63–64), and the extent to which this ruling was embraced by the broader Jewish population. In this article, I aim to contribute to this discussion by critically examining how Josephus engages—whether explicitly or implicitly—with questions of Sabbath observance during the Great Jewish Revolt (66–73/74 CE). In particular, I seek to delineate the range of documented Jewish positions on the permissibility of engaging in military activity on the Sabbath during the war, and to offer a systematic analysis of the religious justifications invoked in support of those views. I further argue that Mattathias’s ruling was subject to diverse interpretations and that the principle of preserving life, although central, was not the sole factor considered in decisions to override Sabbath prohibitions.