The story of the martyrdom of Chana and her seven sons is recorded in several sources. The primary sources are the Talmud (Gitin 57b), the Midrash Rabba (Eicha 1:50), the book of Maccabees II (chap. 7), and Yossipon (chap. 19). (Yossipon is a historical work which is traditionally ascribed to Josephus, there is some question as to whether he actually authored it.) There are some significant variations in the different versions of the story. (For example, the only source which names the mother Chana is Yossipon, most of the sources do not tell us her name. The Midrash Rabba version states that her name was Miriam. It is possible that there were actually two different stories.) The following recounting of the story follows the version from the Talmud with some modifications based on the other sources.
Chana and her seven sons were captured and brought before the evil King Antiochus. The eldest was brought forward and commanded to bow down to an idol (according to both the Talmud and Midrash. Yossipon and the book of Maccabees says that they were commanded to eat pig meat). The son refused, stating, "It is written in the Torah "I am HaShem your God" (Shemos (Exodus) 20:2)." They took him out and killed him.
(Maccabees and Yossipon describe the manner of execution in detail. Yossipon writes that when the king heard the eldest son's refusal, he became very angry. He commanded that an iron pan be brought and placed upon the fire. He then ordered that the son's tongue should be cut out, his arms and legs should be cut off, and he should be scalped, and that all of these pieces should be placed in the hot frying pan. This was to be done in front of the family. He then ordered that the son, who was still alive, should be placed in the pan himself. When the son was close to death Antiochus ordered that the fire be removed so that the son would not die quickly. This was done to terrify the other members of the family.)
The second son was then brought before the king. He was ordered to bow down to the idol and he refused, stating, "The Torah says, "You shall not have any other gods before me" (Shemos 20:3)." He was then taken out and killed.
The third son was then brought before the king. He was ordered to bow down to the idol and he refused, stating, "The Torah says "Do not bow down to another god" (Shemos 24:14)." He was then taken out and killed.
The fourth son was then brought before the king. He was ordered to bow down to the idol and he refused, stating, "The Torah says "He who sacrifices to any god other than HaShem shall be destroyed" (Shemos 22:19)." He was then taken out and killed.
The fifth son was then brought before the king. He was ordered to bow down to the idol and he refused, stating, "The Torah says "Hear Israel, HaShem is our God, HaShem is one." (Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4)." He was then taken out and killed.
The sixth son was then brought before the king. He was ordered to bow down to the idol and he refused, stating, "The Torah says "Know today and take to heart, that HaShem is God, in the sky above and the below, there is no other." (Devarim 4:39)." He was then taken out and killed.
The seventh, youngest son was then brought before the king. The Midrash Raba states that this boy was two and a half years old. He was ordered to bow down to the idol and he refused, stating, "The Torah says "You have, today, declared HaShem to be your God... and HaShem has, today, declared you to be His special people" (Devarim 26:17-18). We have already promised HaShem not to exchange Him for another god, and He has promised us not to exchange us for another nation." The king said to the boy, "I will throw my seal (or ring) on the floor, bend down and pick it up so that the people will say that you have accepted the authority of the king." The boy responded, "Woe on you, King! Woe on you, King! If your own honor is so important, how much more so the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He!" They took him out to be killed.
His mother said to them, "Give him to me so I may kiss him a little." She said to him, "My son, go tell Avraham your father, you bound one son to the altar, I bound seven, [yours was only a test, mine were for real. - Midrash Rabba]"
A few days later the mother went mad and fell off a roof to her death. A heavenly voice said, "a happy mother of sons" (Tehillim (Psalms) 113:9).
© Eliezer C. Abrahamson
