Biblical canon
The Knights of the Maccabees was founded in London, Ontario by members of the Order of the Foresters. They based their name, ceremonies and rituals on the Maccabees, a group of Jewish rebels against the Seleucid Empire whose exploits are described in the Books of the Maccabees, considered part of the Biblical canon in Catholicism, but apocryphal in Judaism and Protestant Christianity. The first convention was held on August 7, 1878.