What does MAKAB”I stand for?
Megillat Antyiochus (Ner 2 Pasuk 26) brings down that when Yochanan son of Matisyahu came back from the war he built a monument called: MAKAB”I MEMIT HACHAZAKIM.
Traditionally it’s taught to stand for Hashem’s name as in Mi Khamocha Ba…
Here is a novel interpretation based on a different version of the Megilla that adds: he built a monument ‘to his name’ (Al Sh’mo) called MAKAB”I…
According to this version it seems that he was referring to his acronyms: Matisyahu Kohen Ben Yochanan.
The problem though is that we’re dealing with Yochanan the son of Matisyahu and not the opposite!
Comes the Mishna in Gittin 87a (Perek 9 Mishna 6) to the rescue…
It tells us that Yevanim had a different way of signing a Get.
By them, Reuven Ben Shimon meant: the son of Reuven is, Shimon!
We could then very well conceived that Yochanan also signed his name like his contemporary Yevanim: Matisyahu Kohen Ben, is Yochanan!!