And stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill: Good News Bible has “and put the stones in a suitable place on the Temple hill,” while Contemporary English Version says “They piled them in a special place on the temple hill.”

Until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them: Not knowing whether the stones of the legitimate altar were to be considered clean or unclean, they decided to do nothing until a prophet might arise who could speak on God’s behalf and say what should be done. In the meantime the stones were kept handy. According to one ancient source (Mishnah Midot 1.6), the stones were stashed in one of the storerooms of the Temple. The belief at the time was that the age of prophecy had ceased (1Macc 9.27), but there was hope that prophets would reappear in the future (see, for example, Deut 18.15, 18); there is another reference to a hoped-for prophet in 1Macc 14.41. A prophet is someone who speaks on behalf of God, not necessarily someone who predicts the future. Some languages say “God’s messenger” or “God’s spokesperson.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.