Textual History
The book survives in Arabic, but was probably composed in Hebrew, judging from numerous Hebraisms. As no trace of a Hebrew text exists, some scholars (e.g. Zunz, Heinrich Graetz and Samuel Davidson) consider the work to have been in Arabic from Hebrew memoirs.
The author probably was a Jew living some time after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
The books bears some relationship to the history of Josippon.
The book has never been recognized as canonical by either Jews or Christians.
Read more about this topic: 5 Maccabees
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“The history is always the same the product is always different and the history interests more than the product. More, that is, more. Yes. But if the product was not different the history which is the same would not be more interesting.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)