John Gaddi

John Gaddi (Hebrew: Johanan or Yohanan) (d. ) was a son of Mattathias the Hasmonean and brother of Judas Maccabeus. The Hasmonean family lead the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire which ruled Judea in the 160s BCE. John's activities are not as well-documented as his other brothers. He is usually considered to have been the eldest of Mattathias's five sons. He died around 160 or 159 BCE.

Alternative forms of his cognomen "Gaddi" include "Gaddis" and "Gaddim".

Primary sources 1 Maccabees 2 Almost everything that is known of John comes from the book 1 Maccabees, a dynastic history of the Hasmoneans written after the Maccabean Revolt was successful and the Hasmoneans had established an independent kingdom. The historian Josephus's work Jewish Antiquities Books 12 and 13 also mention John, but it appears to be largely paraphrasing 1 Maccabees, Josephus's main source for the period. 1 Maccabees introduces Mattathias and his sons in chapter 2:

It is usually assumed that the order of the sons given is from eldest to youngest. None of the cognomens given to the sons are directly explained, although Gaddi is a name that appears in the Bible in Numbers 13:11. One suggestion for what "Gaddi" might refer to is relating to the word gad as a term for "fortune" (such as the usage by the deity Gad), suggesting it meant something like "Lucky". Another possibility is Gaddi as a term for "grain" / "produce", perhaps suggesting John may have been a farmer.

In general, the assumption is that something is poorly phrased or mistaken in this passage, and that 1 Maccabees as a dynastic history of the Hasmoneans is trustworthy as to John's name and the number of brothers. Thus, rather than a mysterious sixth brother named "Joseph", either "Joseph" is an error by the author or a scribe for "John" if it was meant that each of the Hasmonean brothers commanded a division, or it is a reference to "Joseph, son of Zechariah", a commander mentioned in 1 Maccabees 5.

1 Maccabees 9 The final references to John Gaddi are the events surrounding his death. Judas Maccabeus died at the Battle of Elasa, usually dated to Nisan (April) 160 BCE. Afterward, the victorious Seleucid army under General Bacchides continued to pursue the retreating Maccabees. After an unclear length of time, the Maccabee force crossed the Jordan River and sought shelter with the Nabateans (Arabs) of the region. According to 1 Maccabees 9:

Nothing is known of Jambri or his family; "Medaba" was the name of a city in Moab. It seems they plundered the treasure and supplies John had been put in charge of safeguarding, although "baggage" in the era could also refer to noncombatants such as refugees. It is unclear whether John immediately died, or he perhaps was held in captivity or suffered mortal wounds, given that the narrative waits a bit to confirm his death.