The opening verses of 3 Maccabees set the story in the aftermath of the Battle of Raphia (217 BCE ); the significance of this historical setting has been overlooked. The Battle of Raphia is intimately related to the narrative at large in at least three ways. First, 3 Maccabees advocates for a counter-tradition to a stele tradition that arises out of Ptolemy’s victory at Raphia. Second, the story reworks the famous incident of Ptolemy’s elephant retreat at Raphia into a tale of praise for the God of the Jews. And finally, the book is invested with the irony already present in the historical realities of Ptolemy’s short-lived victory.

中文翻译：

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石碑，大象和讽刺：拉斐战役及其作为3个马加比的历史背景的重要性

3只Maccabees的开篇经文是拉斐亚战役（公元前217年）的后果。这种历史背景的重要性已被忽略。拉斐战役至少在三种方面与叙事紧密相关。首先，三位Maccabees提倡与托勒密在拉斐亚（Rafia）的胜利中产生的碑石传统形成反传统。第二，这个故事重塑了托勒密在拉斐亚（Rhapia）的大象撤退的著名事件，变成了赞美犹太人上帝的故事。最后，这本书是对托勒密短暂胜利的历史现实中已经存在的讽刺性进行投资的。