Judas Maccabaeus

1 9.9

A Jewish leader who led a revolt against foreign rulers and took back Jerusalem

proper noun
/ˈdʒuːdəs ˌmækəˈbeɪəs/

: Judas Macabeo

The story of Judas Maccabaeus is recounted in the first and second books of Maccabees.

Examples

Handel composed an oratorio called Judas Maccabaeus, celebrating the hero's victories.
Many Jewish families discuss Judas Maccabaeus during Hanukkah celebrations.
The story of Judas Maccabaeus is told in the books of Maccabees.
Did Judas Maccabaeus really perform miracles during the revolt?
Handel composed an oratorio called Judas Maccabaeus, celebrating the hero's victories.
Many Jewish families discuss Judas Maccabaeus during Hanukkah celebrations.
The story of Judas Maccabaeus is recounted in the first and second books of Maccabees.

Synonyms

Judas Maccabeus

vsJudas Maccabaeus

1 9.9

A Jewish leader who led a revolt in Judea about 166 BC and took back Jerusalem

is the same figure but named using an alternate classical spelling

Surface Forms

Judas Maccabaeus main

Morphology

Judas + Maccabaeus

This is a proper name composed of two personal-name elements that carry no compositional semantic contribution to the historical role described. A B1 learner who 'knows' the name parts would not be able to derive that this refers to a specific Jewish leader who led a revolt; proper names are language-specific and non-compositional, so the meaning is not inferable from the constituents.

Etymology

Judas Maccabaeus was a Jewish leader who, long ago around 161 BC, led a small group of fighters to recapture Jerusalem. Think of him as a brave leader who 'struck' the enemy like a hammer; his followers were called Maccabees, so his name today stands for a hero who fights to 'free' his people.