sanctuary

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “sanctuary” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with opatulika or “separated place.” This is understood in a religious setup as a place designated for worship. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:37

As noted in the comments on the previous verse, poetry begins here.

On every side of the sanctuary they shed innocent blood: The Greek word for sanctuary is the same one occurring in the previous verse and in the next line. Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model for this line, saying “They killed innocent people all around the temple.”

They even defiled the sanctuary probably refers to Gentiles defiling the Temple by entering its Holy Place, where only Jews were allowed to enter. This presupposes that at least some Gentiles were in the fort (see the comments on verse 34). Defiled the sanctuary means they made the Temple no longer holy.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• All around the Temple they killed innocent people;
they also made the Temple itself unclean [or, When they finished, the Temple was no longer holy].

• All around the Temple they killed innocent people;
the murderers made it unclean [or, left it unholy].

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.