Book of Maccabees

The Book of Maccabees relates the brilliant military strategy of the Jewish fighters in the Chanukah story. Places like WestPoint University and other strategists have studied the brilliance of the Chashmonaim and have tried to apply it to modern day warfare. Nevertheless, the Book of Maccabees was never canonized to become one of the books of Tanach. This is probably because prophecy had ended a few hundred years before. (There were still prophets during the holiday of Purim.) And although there was a Sanhedrin still functioning at that time, the book was not judged as having רוח הקודש. This means that the other twenty four books, do possess רוח הקודש. It is still a good idea to study ספר המכבים, as it allows us to marvel at the great miracles that happened at that time, and we are still witnessing today.