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{{Era|CH}}{{ratings}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Covenant Character Infobox
{{References}}
{{Character infobox
|variant=Cov
|name=Maccabeus
|name=Maccabeus
|image=
|image=[[File:Enc22 Maccabeus.jpg|300px]]
|homeworld=[[Doisac]]
|homeworld=[[Doisac]]<ref name="EN">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]''', ''page 254''</ref>
|birth=
|birth=[[2476#February|February 10, 2476]]{{Ref/Reuse|EN}}
|death=February 23, [[2525]]
|death=[[2525#February|February 23, 2525]]
|rank=[[War Chieftain]], [[Ship Master]]/Alpha Jiralhanae
|causeofdeath=
|parents=
|siblings=
|spouses=
|children=
|species=[[Jiralhanae]]
|species=[[Jiralhanae]]
|gender=Male
|gender=Male
|height=
|height=287 centimetres {{C|9 ft 5 in}}{{Ref/Reuse|EN}}
|weapons=[[Fist of Rukt]]
|mass=635 kilograms {{C|1400 lbs}}{{Ref/Reuse|EN}}
|equipment=[[Invincibility]]
|vehicles=* [[Rapid Conversion]] (Cruiser)
* [[Chopper]]
|hair=Grey
|hair=Grey
|eyes=
|eyes=Orange<ref name="mythos">'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page ???''</ref>
|cyber=
|affiliation=[[Covenant]]
|era= 23rd [[Age of Doubt]]
|rank=[[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War chieftain]], [[shipmaster]]
|types=
|sn=
|notable=*Was the uncle of [[Tartarus]].
|notable=
*Was killed by [[Tartarus]] with the [[Fist of Rukt]].
*Led the first Covenant contact with Humans.
*Was the first [[Brute]] to use the [[Brute Chopper|Chopper]].
|affiliation=[[Covenant/Hierarchs]]
|hideb=
}}
}}
'''Maccabeus''' was a [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain]] and one of the few [[Jiralhanae]] [[Ship Master]]s prior to the [[Great Schism]]. He commanded the [[Covenant]] vessel, ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'', a ship that the [[Sangheili]] had "given" him, though the [[Sangheili]] did downgrade it severely, showing their distrust in the [[Jiralhanae]].  However, he upstaged the Sangheili by taking his rebuke in turn. He was not allowed to repair any weapon systems and he was not allowed to have a [[Huragok]] on board. Although he was allowed to have a mechanical lift system on his ship, Maccabeus decided to remove it and replace them with multiple, crude ladders as a deliberate affront to the Sangheili (as the shape of their knees gave them great difficulty when climbing). <ref>''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', page 194</ref> He was honored and respected by his pack for his unshakable faith in the [[Forerunners]]. He was also the uncle to the future [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]], [[Tartarus]].
{{Quote|What is the greater sin, disobedience or desecration?|Maccabeus to [[Dadab]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 307''</ref>}}


Maccabeus was one of the first official representatives of the Covenant to meet with the humans. However, the talks went sour when some overeager [[Unggoy]], lead by [[Tartarus]], broke rank and made an early attack on a group of militia recruits. One [[Unggoy]] attacked a recruit named [[Osmo]]. When [[Osmo]] caught a glimpse of his attacker, he attempted to open fire, but it was already too late. The [[Unggoy]] split [[Osmo]] open across his belly. Maccabeus is also known as the first Jiralhanae to use the vehicle known as the "[[Chopper]]", which was one of four created by the [[Huragok]] [[Lighter Than Some]], which were originally created as a peace offering for the humans. Maccabeus was severely injured in battle when he was hit by [[Sergeant Johnson]]'s [[Warthog]] and was greatly dishonored in this way. After he had bungled the assault on [[Harvest]], his nephew Tartarus challenged him to a duel because Maccabeus had disobeyed orders from the Prophets about glassing [[Harvest]], but had instead continued his search for relics and a possible [[Oracle]], and had caused the deaths of several Jiralhanae, one of which was a friend of [[Tartarus]]. He was then defeated by Tartarus, who became the new Chieftain of the pack and gained Maccabeus' armour.  
'''Maccabeus''' was a [[Jiralhanae]] [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|war chieftain]] and one of the few Jiralhanae [[shipmaster]]s of the [[Covenant]] prior to the [[Great Schism]]. He was honored and respected by his pack for his unshakable faith in the [[Forerunners]]. He was also the uncle and precursor to the future [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae]], [[Tartarus]].


Maccabeus' weapon of choice is the [[Fist of Rukt]], a large hammer with a stone head. He used this ancient cudgel in his duel with [[Tartarus]]. [[Tartarus]] was able to disarm his uncle and use the [[Fist of Rukt]] against him. Maccabeus' last words to [[Tartarus]] were: "Never forget the meaning of this Age(The Age of Doubt), nephew." [[Tartarus]] then crushed Maccabeus' skull while he clung onto a ladder. Maccabeus' body plummeted into the explosions and fires below. [[Tartarus]] returned to Maccabeus' body and stripped him of his Chieftain armor.  
==Biography==
===Early life and career===
Maccabeus ascended to the leadership of [[Maccabeus' clan|his pack]] the way all Jiralhanae did: by challenging his Chieftain, at the time his own father. In a mortal duel, Maccabeus's father submitted to his death, happy to die by the hands of a loved one. He thus gained the right to use the [[Fist of Rukt]], the ancestral weapon of his clan.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 344''</ref> With the war hammer, Maccabeus crushed all opponents that attempted to challenge his command.<ref name="waypointarticle">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/weapons/fist-of-rukt '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Fist of Rukt'']</ref> When the [[Covenant]] discovered Doisac, Maccabeus eagerly embraced the [[San'Shyuum]]'s promise of the [[Great Journey]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 260'': ''He knew the Prophets alone had access to the sacred Oracle on High Charity, and thus it was the height of hubris for him, a low and recent convert, to covet such communion.''</ref>
 
He was given command of the Covenant vessel, ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'', a ship that the [[Sangheili]] had "given" him, though the Sangheili did downgrade it severely, showing their distrust in the Jiralhanae. However, he upstaged the Sangheili by taking his rebuke in turn. He was not allowed to repair any weapon systems and he was not allowed to have a [[Huragok]] on board, instead having [[Yanme'e]] serve as maintenance. Although he was allowed to have a mechanical lift system on his ship, Maccabeus decided to remove it and replace them with multiple, crude ladders as a deliberate affront to the Sangheili, as the digitigrade structure of their legs gave them great difficulty when climbing.<ref name="ch200">'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 200''</ref> Another reason why he preferred the ladders as it enabled more of his crew to travel up ''and'' down simultaneously, and also humbled him.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 194''</ref>
 
===First contact on Harvest===
{{Main|First Battle of Harvest}}
[[File:HM-Jiralhanae.png|thumb|left|250px|Maccabeus with his clan on Harvest.]]
In [[2525|February 2525]], at the command of the [[Prophet of Regret|Vice-Minister of Tranquility]], Maccabeus took ''Rapid Conversion'' to the planet [[Harvest]], site of a supposed Forerunner reliquary. Recovering the [[Deacon]] [[Dadab]] and Huragok [[Lighter Than Some]], Maccabeus was shocked by the Huragok's ability to fix things and eagerly made it chief Engineer, relieving the Yanme'e.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 226''</ref> Maccabeus' assessment of the planet with the ship's [[Luminary]] showed thousands of relics, but the devout Chieftain was soon shocked to learn that Dadab believed that there was an [[Monitor|Oracle]] located on the planet.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 235''</ref> Recovering a pictogram message left by the humans, Maccabeus took four of his pack to the planet to meet with the humans.
 
Maccabeus was one of the first official representatives of the Covenant to meet with the humans. However, the talks went sour when an overeager [[Yull|Unggoy]], led by Tartarus, broke rank and made an early attack on a group of militia recruits. One Unggoy attacked a recruit named [[Osmo]]. When Osmo caught a glimpse of his attacker, he attempted to open fire, but it was already too late. The Unggoy split Osmo open across his belly.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 257''</ref> After confirming that there was an Oracle on the planet, Maccabeus sent a message to the Vice-Minister. However, the response the Chieftain received said that there were no relics or Oracle, and that the aliens were to be destroyed.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 277''</ref>
 
Unable to reconcile the orders of the Prophets with his own faith in the Forerunners' Luminary, Maccabeus decided to continue his search for relics, something which the rest of the pack disagreed with. Descending to [[Gladsheim]] to begin their search, Maccabeus was severely injured in battle when he was hit by [[Avery Johnson|Staff Sergeant Johnson]]'s [[Warthog]] and suffered a broken thigh bone.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 310''</ref> Returning to the ship, Maccabeus found that Lighter Than Some, who wanted to make peace between the Covenant and the humans, had built some plows from a [[Spirit]] damaged when it and Dadab had been brought aboard. Having feared he would be killed for the Huragok's disobedience, Dadab said that they were [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper|vehicles of war]] for the Jiralhanae.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 316''</ref> After Dadab took the Huragok to the [[Tiara]] for safekeeping when the [[Yanme'e]] attacked it, Lighter Than Some made contact with [[Loki]] and set a trap to help the humans escape Harvest.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 330''</ref>
 
===Death===
Being lead to believe that the humans were surrendering the Oracle, Maccabeus took the ''Rapid Conversion'' to Harvest's capital city of [[Utgard]]. However, the ''Rapid Conversion'' was damaged by the planet's [[mass driver]] as the humans fled aboard the Tiara.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 335''</ref> Believing this was enough, Tartarus challenged Maccabeus for dominance of the pack. Having yet to fully heal from his injury, Maccabeus was overwhelmed. Maccabeus' last words to Tartarus were: "Never forget the meaning of this [[Age of Doubt|Age]], nephew." Tartarus then crushed Maccabeus' skull with the Fist of Rukt while he clung onto a ladder. Maccabeus' body plummeted into the explosions and fires below. Tartarus returned to Maccabeus' body and stripped him of his Chieftain armor.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 346''</ref>
 
==Personality and traits==
Maccabeus was deeply religious, often quoting religious scripts. Maccabeus thought that it was belief that made a warrior, not skill.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 196''</ref> When ''[[Rapid Conversion]]'''s [[Luminary]] stated that oracles were located on Harvest's surface, Maccabeus scoured the planet in search for them. Even after most of his pack wished to [[glass]] the planet from orbit to destroy the [[human]]s, he refused to do so as he believed the oracles would get destroyed. Like most [[Jiralhanae]], Maccabeus held a hatred for the [[Sangheili]]. When the Sangheili stripped his ship of most technology, Maccabeus removed the elevator and replaced it with stairs to make it harder for the Sangheili to traverse across the ship.{{Ref/Reuse|ch200}}
 
He often had the [[Unggoy]] aboard the ship prepare a [[Thorn Beast]] meal for him and the other Jiralhanae. His favorite portion of a Thorn Beast was the smallest spine on its back when properly cooked.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 197''</ref>


== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
*Maccabeus wielded the Fist of Rukt before it was outfitted with gravity technology.
*His name may be a reference to the legendary Jewish military hero [[Wikipedia:Judas Maccabeus|Judas Maccabeus]], whose last name is derived from the Aramaic word for hammer. His ceremonial weapon would become all the more appropriate considering the origin of his name.
*His [[energy shields]] were powerful enough to withstand fire from about 30 members of the [[Colonial Militia of Harvest]] wielding [[MA5B assault rifle]]s, and two with [[Prototype BR-55]]s without failing. This may be due to weaker weapons from the Colonial Militia, or that Maccabeus had an early version of the shielding that Tartarus used in his final battle.


*Maccabeus wielded the [[Fist of Rukt]] before it was outfitted with gravity technology.
==Gallery==
*His name may be a reference to the legendary Jewish military hero Judah Maccabaeus, who's last name is derived from the Aramaic word for hammer.
<gallery>
*His favorite food was the smallest thorn of the [[Thorn Beast]] when it was properly cooked because once the Chieftain worked the thorn back and forth in its socket, it would bring a muscle-bed with it along with a tender ball of meat on a crisp and oily cone which was called an appetizer and a dessert.
File:HM-Maccabeus.png|Maccabeus in ''Halo Mythos''.
*In [[Halo: Contact Harvest]], his [[energy shields]] were powerful enough to withstand fire from about 30 members of the [[Colonial Militia of Harvest]] wielding [[MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System]]s and two with [[Prototype BR-55]]s without failing.
File:Enc22-Maccabeus2.png|A cutout of Maccabeus from the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]''.
 
</gallery>


{{Brutes}}
==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}


[[Category:The Covenant]]
[[Category:Jiralhanae characters]]
[[Category:Brutes (Characters)]]
[[Category:Covenant military personnel]]
[[Category:Characters|Maccabeus]]

Latest revision as of 11:31, January 5, 2024

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Maccabeus
An illustration of Maccabeus.
Biographical information

Homeworld:

Doisac[1]

Born:

February 10, 2476[1]

Died:

February 23, 2525 (aged 49)

Personal details

Species:

Jiralhanae

Gender:

Male

Height:

287 centimetres (9 ft 5 in)[1]

Weight:

635 kilograms (1400 lbs)[1]

Hair color:

Grey

Eye color:

Orange[2]

Political and military information

Affiliation:

Covenant

Rank:

War chieftain, shipmaster

 

"What is the greater sin, disobedience or desecration?"
— Maccabeus to Dadab[3]

Maccabeus was a Jiralhanae war chieftain and one of the few Jiralhanae shipmasters of the Covenant prior to the Great Schism. He was honored and respected by his pack for his unshakable faith in the Forerunners. He was also the uncle and precursor to the future Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, Tartarus.

Biography[edit]

Early life and career[edit]

Maccabeus ascended to the leadership of his pack the way all Jiralhanae did: by challenging his Chieftain, at the time his own father. In a mortal duel, Maccabeus's father submitted to his death, happy to die by the hands of a loved one. He thus gained the right to use the Fist of Rukt, the ancestral weapon of his clan.[4] With the war hammer, Maccabeus crushed all opponents that attempted to challenge his command.[5] When the Covenant discovered Doisac, Maccabeus eagerly embraced the San'Shyuum's promise of the Great Journey.[6]

He was given command of the Covenant vessel, Rapid Conversion, a ship that the Sangheili had "given" him, though the Sangheili did downgrade it severely, showing their distrust in the Jiralhanae. However, he upstaged the Sangheili by taking his rebuke in turn. He was not allowed to repair any weapon systems and he was not allowed to have a Huragok on board, instead having Yanme'e serve as maintenance. Although he was allowed to have a mechanical lift system on his ship, Maccabeus decided to remove it and replace them with multiple, crude ladders as a deliberate affront to the Sangheili, as the digitigrade structure of their legs gave them great difficulty when climbing.[7] Another reason why he preferred the ladders as it enabled more of his crew to travel up and down simultaneously, and also humbled him.[8]

First contact on Harvest[edit]

Main article: First Battle of Harvest
Maccabeus and his pack on Harvest in 2525.
Maccabeus with his clan on Harvest.

In February 2525, at the command of the Vice-Minister of Tranquility, Maccabeus took Rapid Conversion to the planet Harvest, site of a supposed Forerunner reliquary. Recovering the Deacon Dadab and Huragok Lighter Than Some, Maccabeus was shocked by the Huragok's ability to fix things and eagerly made it chief Engineer, relieving the Yanme'e.[9] Maccabeus' assessment of the planet with the ship's Luminary showed thousands of relics, but the devout Chieftain was soon shocked to learn that Dadab believed that there was an Oracle located on the planet.[10] Recovering a pictogram message left by the humans, Maccabeus took four of his pack to the planet to meet with the humans.

Maccabeus was one of the first official representatives of the Covenant to meet with the humans. However, the talks went sour when an overeager Unggoy, led by Tartarus, broke rank and made an early attack on a group of militia recruits. One Unggoy attacked a recruit named Osmo. When Osmo caught a glimpse of his attacker, he attempted to open fire, but it was already too late. The Unggoy split Osmo open across his belly.[11] After confirming that there was an Oracle on the planet, Maccabeus sent a message to the Vice-Minister. However, the response the Chieftain received said that there were no relics or Oracle, and that the aliens were to be destroyed.[12]

Unable to reconcile the orders of the Prophets with his own faith in the Forerunners' Luminary, Maccabeus decided to continue his search for relics, something which the rest of the pack disagreed with. Descending to Gladsheim to begin their search, Maccabeus was severely injured in battle when he was hit by Staff Sergeant Johnson's Warthog and suffered a broken thigh bone.[13] Returning to the ship, Maccabeus found that Lighter Than Some, who wanted to make peace between the Covenant and the humans, had built some plows from a Spirit damaged when it and Dadab had been brought aboard. Having feared he would be killed for the Huragok's disobedience, Dadab said that they were vehicles of war for the Jiralhanae.[14] After Dadab took the Huragok to the Tiara for safekeeping when the Yanme'e attacked it, Lighter Than Some made contact with Loki and set a trap to help the humans escape Harvest.[15]

Death[edit]

Being lead to believe that the humans were surrendering the Oracle, Maccabeus took the Rapid Conversion to Harvest's capital city of Utgard. However, the Rapid Conversion was damaged by the planet's mass driver as the humans fled aboard the Tiara.[16] Believing this was enough, Tartarus challenged Maccabeus for dominance of the pack. Having yet to fully heal from his injury, Maccabeus was overwhelmed. Maccabeus' last words to Tartarus were: "Never forget the meaning of this Age, nephew." Tartarus then crushed Maccabeus' skull with the Fist of Rukt while he clung onto a ladder. Maccabeus' body plummeted into the explosions and fires below. Tartarus returned to Maccabeus' body and stripped him of his Chieftain armor.[17]

Personality and traits[edit]

Maccabeus was deeply religious, often quoting religious scripts. Maccabeus thought that it was belief that made a warrior, not skill.[18] When Rapid Conversion's Luminary stated that oracles were located on Harvest's surface, Maccabeus scoured the planet in search for them. Even after most of his pack wished to glass the planet from orbit to destroy the humans, he refused to do so as he believed the oracles would get destroyed. Like most Jiralhanae, Maccabeus held a hatred for the Sangheili. When the Sangheili stripped his ship of most technology, Maccabeus removed the elevator and replaced it with stairs to make it harder for the Sangheili to traverse across the ship.[7]

He often had the Unggoy aboard the ship prepare a Thorn Beast meal for him and the other Jiralhanae. His favorite portion of a Thorn Beast was the smallest spine on its back when properly cooked.[19]

Trivia[edit]

  • Maccabeus wielded the Fist of Rukt before it was outfitted with gravity technology.
  • His name may be a reference to the legendary Jewish military hero Judas Maccabeus, whose last name is derived from the Aramaic word for hammer. His ceremonial weapon would become all the more appropriate considering the origin of his name.
  • His energy shields were powerful enough to withstand fire from about 30 members of the Colonial Militia of Harvest wielding MA5B assault rifles, and two with Prototype BR-55s without failing. This may be due to weaker weapons from the Colonial Militia, or that Maccabeus had an early version of the shielding that Tartarus used in his final battle.

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 254
  2. ^ Halo Mythos, page ???
  3. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 307
  4. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 344
  5. ^ Halo Waypoint: Fist of Rukt
  6. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 260: He knew the Prophets alone had access to the sacred Oracle on High Charity, and thus it was the height of hubris for him, a low and recent convert, to covet such communion.
  7. ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 200
  8. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 194
  9. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 226
  10. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 235
  11. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 257
  12. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 277
  13. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 310
  14. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 316
  15. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 330
  16. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 335
  17. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 346
  18. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 196
  19. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 197
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