Today in Biblical History
Did Antiochus's Government Actually Prohibit Shabbath?
Primary: 1 Maccabees 1:45 · Additional: 2 Maccabees 6:11 · Period: Antiochus IV
What the ancient record says
1 Maccabees identifies Shabbath among observances ordered profaned. 2 Maccabees reports a group secretly gathered in caves to observe the seventh day; they were discovered and burned together, not defending themselves because of their regard for the day.
The text explicitly states their purpose: to observe the seventh day secretly.
Read it for yourself. 1 Maccabees 1:45; 2 Maccabees 6:11.
Evidence strength: Strong ancient literary evidence, two Maccabean accounts preserve different parts of the same persecution environment.
Question answered: Was Shabbath observance actually prohibited? Yes, and 2 Maccabees preserves an account of people burned after secretly gathering to observe the seventh day.