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Writing Archive

2 Maccabees

Essays, commentary, and Bible-study writing carried over from the original site and organized for easier reading.

2 Maccabees Chapter 8: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

March 09, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 8: Bible Study by Atheists

2 Maccabees 8 is what happens when the text decides God apparently loves guerrilla warfare, revenge, and a good old-fashioned body count. In this episode, the hosts dig into Judas Maccabeus rallying 6,000 rebels,…

2 Maccabees Chapter 6: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

February 23, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 6: Bible Study by Atheists

Antiochus (a.k.a. Mr. Forced-Assimilation) decides the Jews aren’t Greek enough, so he sends an Athenian envoy to “fix” that—by outlawing Jewish law, rebranding temples for Olympian Zeus, and basically turning Jerusalem into a frat…

2 Maccabees Chapters 1 – 5 Q&A: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

February 21, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapters 1 – 5 Q&A: Bible Study by Atheists

Second Maccabees kicks off like a group text from Jerusalem to the Jewish diaspora in Egypt—basically: “Hey fam, come celebrate the Temple rededication… also here’s some bonus lore.” And by “lore,” we mean sacred…

2 Maccabees Chapter 5: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

February 13, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 5: Bible Study by Atheists

Forty-ish days of sky cavalry (yes, literal “cavalry appeared in the midst of the sky” vibes) kicks off 2 Maccabees 5, and it’s immediately giving “ancient mass hallucination” more than “divine revelation.” While Antiochus…

2 Maccabees Chapter 4: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

February 06, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 4: Bible Study by Atheists

Welcome back to Sacrilegious Discourse, where we read the Bible so you don’t have to. This week 2 Maccabees Chapter 4 delivers the spiritual equivalent of a corrupt city council meeting… with bonus nude…

2 Maccabees Chapter 3: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

January 27, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 3: Bible Study by Atheists

Jerusalem’s supposedly vibing in “unbroken peace” until one petty bureaucratic snitch decides the temple treasury looks a little too stacked—and runs to the Seleucid power structure like a hall monitor on a sugar high.…

2 Maccabees Chapter 2: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

January 26, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 2: Bible Study by Atheists

Snowpocalypse hit Ohio, the schedule got wobbly, and somehow that still wasn’t the most chaotic thing in this episode. We kick off 2 Maccabees Chapter 2 with a very real moment, our hearts are…

2 Maccabees Chapter 1: Bible Study by Atheists

Latest Episode

January 19, 2026

2 Maccabees Chapter 1: Bible Study by Atheists

Welcome to Second Maccabees, Chapter 1, aka “First Maccabees, but make it churchy.” The crew kicks off with the Jews in Jerusalem sending a very official “hey fam” letter to the Jews in Egypt……

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