2 Maccabees

Chapter 1

1 The Jewish brothers in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea, to their Jewish brothers in Egypt, greetings and good peace.

2 May God do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, his faithful servants;

3 and may he give you all a heart to worship him and to do his will with a great heart and a willing soul;

4 and may he open your heart to his law and his commandments, and may he make peace,

5 and hearken to your prayers and be reconciled to you, and may he not forsake you in an evil time.

6 And now we are here praying for you.

7 In the reign of Demetrius, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you in the distress and in the crisis that came upon us in those years, from the time when Jason and those with him revolted from the holy land and the kingdom,

8 and burned the gate and shed innocent blood. And we prayed to the Lord and were heard, and we offered sacrifice and fine flour, and we lit the lamps and set out the loaves.

9 And now see that you keep the days of the festival of booths in the month of Chislev. In the one hundred and eighty-eighth year.

10 Those in Jerusalem and those in Judea, and the senate, and Judas, to Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy, who is of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt, greetings and good health.

11 Having been saved by God from great dangers, we thank him greatly, as those arrayed in battle against a king;

12 for he himself cast out those who arrayed themselves against the holy city.

13 For when the leader came into Persia, together with the force that accompanied him, which seemed irresistible, they were cut to pieces in the temple of Nanaea, by a deception employed by the priests of Nanaea.

14 For under pretext of marrying her, Antiochus came to the place, together with the friends who were with him, in order to take the money in great quantity by way of a dowry;

15 and when the priests of the temple of Nanaea had set it out, and he had entered with a few men into the precinct of the shrine, they shut up the temple as soon as Antiochus had gone in,

16 and opening the secret door in the ceiling, they hurled stones and struck down the leader like a thunderbolt, and cutting them in pieces and cutting off their heads, they threw them to those outside.

17 Blessed in all things be our God, who delivered up the impious.

18 Since we are about to celebrate the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth of Chislev, we thought it necessary to inform you, so that you also may celebrate the festival of booths and of the fire, given when Nehemiah, who built both the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices.

19 For when our fathers were being led away to Persia, the pious priests of that time took some of the fire of the altar and secretly hid it in the hollow of a well that had the appearance of being dry, in which they secured it so that the place was unknown to all.

20 But after many years had passed, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, having been sent by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden it for the fire. And when they informed us that they had not found fire but thick liquid, he ordered them to draw it up and bring it.

21 And when the materials for the sacrifices had been brought up, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid over the wood and what was laid upon it.

22 And when this was done and some time had passed, and the sun, which had before been clouded over, shone out, a great fire blazed up, so that all marveled.

23 And while the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests offered prayer—both the priests and everyone, Jonathan leading and the rest responding, as did Nehemiah.

24 And the prayer was to this effect: "O Lord, Lord God, creator of all things, who art fearful and strong and just and merciful, the only king and gracious one,

25 the only provider, the only just and almighty and eternal one, who savest Israel from every evil, who madest the fathers thy chosen ones and sanctified them,

26 accept this sacrifice on behalf of all thy people Israel, and preserve thy portion and consecrate it.

27 Gather together our scattered people, set free those who are in slavery among the nations, look upon those who are despised and abhorred, and let the nations know that thou art our God.

28 Torment those who oppress us and act insolently in their arrogance.

29 Plant thy people in thy holy place, as Moses said."

30 And the priests sang the hymns.

31 And when the materials of the sacrifice were consumed, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured upon large stones.

32 And when this was done, a flame blazed up; but when the light from the altar shone back, it was consumed.

33 And when the matter became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that in the place where the priests who had been deported had hidden the fire, the liquid had appeared, with which Nehemiah and his companions had purified the materials of the sacrifice,

34 the king, after verifying the matter, enclosed the place and made it sacred.

35 And with those whom the king favored, he exchanged many valuable gifts.

36 And Nehemiah and his companions called this nephthar, which is interpreted "purification"; but by most people it is called nephthai.

Chapter 2

1 It is found in the records that Jeremiah the prophet commanded those who were being carried away to take some of the fire, as has been indicated,

2 and how the prophet, having given them the law, charged those being carried away not to forget the commandments of the Lord, and not to be led astray in their thoughts when they saw gold and silver statues and the adornment surrounding them;

3 and saying other such things, he exhorted them that the law should not depart from their hearts.

4 And it was in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should accompany him; and how he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and beheld the inheritance of God.

5 And Jeremiah came and found a cave-dwelling, and he brought the tent and the ark and the altar of incense in there, and he blocked up the entrance.

6 And some of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but they could not find it.

7 But when Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and said, "The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows mercy.

8 And then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord will appear, and the cloud, as it was shown in the time of Moses, and as Solomon also asked that the place might be greatly consecrated."

9 It was also made clear that, possessing wisdom, he offered the sacrifice of dedication and of the completion of the temple.

10 Just as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the parts of the sacrifice, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire came down and consumed the whole burnt offerings.

11 And Moses said, "Because the sin offering had not been eaten, it was consumed."

12 Likewise Solomon also kept the eight days.

13 The same things were also related in the records and in the memoirs concerning Nehemiah, and how he founded a library and collected the books about the kings and the prophets, and the writings of David, and letters of kings concerning votive offerings.

14 In the same way Judas also collected all the books that had been scattered because of the war that had come upon us, and they are in our possession.

15 So if you have need of them, send people to fetch them for you.

16 Since, then, we are about to celebrate the purification, we have written to you; you will therefore do well to keep the days.

17 And it is God who has saved all his people and restored the inheritance to all, and the kingship and the priesthood and the consecration,

18 as he promised through the law; for we hope in God that he will soon have mercy on us and gather us together from everywhere under heaven into the holy place, for he has rescued us from great evils and has purified the place.

19 Now the story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the greatest temple, and the dedication of the altar,

20 and further the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator,

21 and the manifestations that came from heaven to those who fought bravely and with honor on behalf of Judaism, so that though few in number they plundered the whole land and pursued the barbarian hordes,

22 and recovered the temple famed throughout the whole world, and freed the city, and restored the laws that were about to be abolished, the Lord with all graciousness being merciful to them

23 all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyrene in five books, we shall attempt to condense into a single work.

24 For considering the flood of numbers and the difficulty that exists for those who wish to plunge into the narratives of history because of the mass of material,

25 we have taken thought to provide delight for those who wish to read, ease for those who are inclined to commit things to memory, and profit for all who come upon it.

26 And for us who have undertaken the toil of abridgment it is no easy matter, but a task of sweat and sleepless nights,

27 just as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and seeks the benefit of others; nevertheless, for the sake of the gratitude of the many we shall gladly endure the toil,

28 leaving the exact investigation of each matter to the original author, while laboring to follow the outlines of the abridgment.

29 For just as the architect of a new house must attend to the whole construction, while the one who undertakes to do encaustic painting and decoration must examine only what is needed for adornment, so, I think, it is with us also.

30 To enter into the subject, to make a survey of the discussions, and to inquire minutely into details belongs to the original historian;

31 but to pursue brevity of expression and to forgo the exhaustive treatment of the matter must be granted to the one who makes the paraphrase.

32 Here, then, let us begin the narrative, adding only so much to what has already been said; for it is foolish to be lengthy before the history, and to abridge the history itself.

Chapter 3

1 While the holy city was inhabited in complete peace, and the laws were kept as well as possible on account of the piety of Onias the high priest and his hatred of wickedness,

2 it came about that even the kings themselves honored the place and glorified the temple with the most magnificent gifts,

3 so that even Seleucus, the king of Asia, supplied from his own revenues all the expenses required for the services of the sacrifices.

4 But a certain Simon, of the tribe of Benjamin, who had been appointed administrator of the temple, quarreled with the high priest about the regulation of the marketplace in the city.

5 And being unable to prevail over Onias, he went to Apollonius son of Tharseas, who at that time was governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia,

6 and reported that the treasury in Jerusalem was full of untold sums of money, so that the quantity of the funds was beyond counting, and that they did not belong to the account of the sacrifices, but that it was possible for these to fall under the king's authority.

7 When Apollonius met with the king, he informed him about the money that had been reported to him; and the king, appointing Heliodorus, who was in charge of his affairs, sent him with orders to carry out the removal of the aforementioned money.

8 Immediately Heliodorus set out on his journey, under the pretense of inspecting the cities of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, but in fact to carry out the king's purpose.

9 Upon arriving in Jerusalem, having been kindly received by the high priest of the city, he set forth the information that had been given, and made clear why he had come; and he inquired whether these things were truly so.

10 The high priest explained that there were deposits belonging to widows and orphans,

11 and also some belonging to Hyrcanus son of Tobias, a man of very high standing, such was the slander of the impious Simon and that in all there were four hundred talents of silver and two hundred of gold;

12 and that it was utterly impossible that wrong should be done to those who had trusted in the holiness of the place and in the dignity and inviolability of the temple honored throughout the whole world.

13 But Heliodorus, because of the royal orders he had, said that in any case these funds must be confiscated for the royal treasury.

14 So having appointed a day, he went in to arrange the inspection of these matters; and there was no small distress throughout the whole city.

15 The priests, prostrating themselves before the altar in their priestly vestments, called upon heaven, upon him who had given the law concerning deposits, to preserve these things safe for those who had deposited them.

16 And whoever saw the appearance of the high priest was wounded at heart; for his countenance and the change in his color revealed the anguish in his soul.

17 For a certain dread and shuddering of the body had come over the man, through which the pain lodged in his heart became evident to those who looked upon him.

18 Moreover, people rushed out of their houses in droves to make a public supplication, because the place was about to come into contempt.

19 The women, girded with sackcloth beneath their breasts, thronged the streets; and the maidens who were kept indoors ran together, some to the gates, some to the walls, and some peered out through the windows;

20 and all, stretching out their hands toward heaven, made their entreaty.

21 It was pitiful to see the prostration of the mixed multitude, and the anxious expectation of the high priest in his great agony.

22 So they called upon the almighty Lord to keep the entrusted deposits safe with all security for those who had entrusted them.

23 But Heliodorus proceeded to carry out what had been decided.

24 But when he was already present there with his bodyguard at the treasury, the Sovereign of spirits and of all authority made a great manifestation, so that all who had dared to accompany him, struck with terror at the power of God, were reduced to faintness and cowardice.

25 For there appeared to them a horse with a terrifying rider, adorned with most splendid trappings, and rushing furiously it struck at Heliodorus with its forehooves; and its rider appeared to have golden armor.

26 And two other young men also appeared to him, remarkable in strength, most beautiful in appearance, and splendidly attired, who, standing on either side of him, scourged him unceasingly, inflicting many blows upon him.

27 When he fell suddenly to the ground and was enveloped in deep darkness, they snatched him up and put him on a litter,

28 and the man who had just entered the aforementioned treasury with a great retinue and all his bodyguard they carried away helpless to aid himself, they having clearly recognized the sovereign power of God.

29 And he, through the divine intervention, lay speechless, deprived of all hope and salvation,

30 while they blessed the Lord who had gloriously honored his own place; and the temple, which a little before had been full of fear and confusion, was filled with joy and gladness at the manifestation of the almighty Lord.

31 Quickly some of Heliodorus' companions begged Onias to call upon the Most High and to grant life to the man who lay utterly at his last breath.

32 The high priest, fearing that the king might suppose that some foul play against Heliodorus had been perpetrated by the Jews, offered a sacrifice for the man's recovery.

33 While the high priest was making the atonement, the same young men appeared again to Heliodorus, dressed in the same garments, and standing there they said, "Give great thanks to Onias the high priest, for on his account the Lord has granted you your life;

34 and you, having been scourged from heaven, proclaim to all the mighty power of God." Having said these things, they vanished.

35 Then Heliodorus, having offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made the greatest vows to him who had preserved his life, and having bidden farewell to Onias, marched back with his forces to the king.

36 And he testified to all men of the works of the greatest God which he had seen with his own eyes.

37 When the king asked Heliodorus what sort of man would be suitable to be sent once more to Jerusalem, he said,

38 "If you have any enemy or plotter against your affairs, send him there, and you will receive him back well scourged, if indeed he survives at all, because there is truly some power of God about the place.

39 For he who has his dwelling in heaven watches over that place and defends it, and he strikes and destroys those who come to do it harm."

40 And thus proceeded the matters concerning Heliodorus and the protection of the treasury.

Chapter 4

1 But the aforementioned Simon, who had become an informer against the money and against his country, slandered Onias, alleging that it was he who had incited Heliodorus and had been the contriver of these evils,

2 and he dared to call the benefactor of the city, the guardian of his fellow countrymen, and the zealot for the laws a plotter against the state.

3 When the enmity had advanced so far that murders were even being committed by one of Simon's approved agents,

4 Onias, seeing the danger of the contention, and that Apollonius son of Menestheus, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, was increasing the malice of Simon,

5 went to the king, not as an accuser of his fellow citizens, but looking to the common and private advantage of the whole people;

6 for he saw that without royal providence it was impossible for the state to attain peace any longer, and that Simon would not cease from his folly.

7 But when Seleucus had departed this life and Antiochus, called Epiphanes, had taken over the kingdom, Jason the brother of Onias obtained the high priesthood by corruption,

8 promising to the king, in a petition, three hundred and sixty talents of silver and, from another source of revenue, eighty talents.

9 In addition to these he promised to pay another hundred and fifty, if he were granted authority to establish a gymnasium and a body of ephebes, and to enroll the men of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch.

10 When the king had assented and Jason had gained control of the office, he immediately shifted his countrymen over to the Greek way of life.

11 He set aside the royal privileges established for the Jews through John, the father of Eupolemus who had made the embassy to the Romans for friendship and alliance, and, destroying the lawful constitutions, he introduced customs contrary to the law.

12 For he gladly founded a gymnasium right under the citadel itself, and, subjecting the noblest of the young men, brought them under the Greek hat.

13 There was such a height of Hellenism and advance of foreign ways, because of the surpassing impurity of Jason, that impious man and no true high priest,

14 that the priests were no longer eager about the services of the altar, but, despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened to take part in the unlawful proceedings in the wrestling arena after the summons of the discus,

15 setting at naught their ancestral honors and deeming Greek glories the finest.

16 For this reason a grievous calamity beset them, and those whose ways of life they envied and whom they wished to imitate in every respect became their enemies and avengers.

17 For it is no light thing to act impiously against the divine laws; but the following time will make this clear.

18 When the quinquennial games were being held at Tyre and the king was present,

19 the vile Jason sent envoys, as being Antiochenes of Jerusalem, carrying three hundred drachmas of silver for the sacrifice to Hercules; but those who carried the money thought it not right to use it for a sacrifice, because it was not fitting, but to apply it to some other expense.

20 So this money fell, as far as the sender intended, to the sacrifice of Hercules; but on account of its carriers, to the construction of triremes.

21 When Apollonius son of Menestheus had been sent to Egypt for the enthronement of King Philometor, Antiochus, learning that he had become hostile to his affairs, took thought for his own security; wherefore, coming to Joppa, he went on to Jerusalem.

22 Being magnificently received by Jason and the city, he was ushered in with torchlight and shouts, and thereafter marched with his army into Phoenicia.

23 After a period of three years Jason sent Menelaus, the brother of the aforementioned Simon, to carry the money to the king and to complete records concerning necessary business.

24 But he, being introduced to the king and having exalted him with an air of authority, secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver.

25 Having received the royal orders, he arrived, bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood, but having the passions of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage beast.

26 So Jason, who had supplanted his own brother, being supplanted by another, was driven as a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites.

27 Menelaus held the office, but paid regularly none of the money promised to the king;

28 and when Sostratus, the commander of the citadel, made demand for it, for to him belonged the collection of the revenues, for this reason the two of them were summoned by the king,

29 and Menelaus left as his deputy in the high priesthood Lysimachus his own brother, and Sostratus left Crates, the commander of the Cypriots.

30 While such things were going on, it happened that the people of Tarsus and Mallus revolted because their cities had been given as a gift to Antiochis, the king's concubine.

31 So the king came in haste to settle matters, leaving as his deputy Andronicus, one of the men in high office.

32 Menelaus, thinking he had got a favorable opportunity, appropriated some gold vessels of the temple and presented them to Andronicus; and others he had already sold to Tyre and the cities round about.

33 When Onias had clear knowledge of these things, he exposed them, having withdrawn to a place of sanctuary at Daphne, which lies near Antioch.

34 Whereupon Menelaus, taking Andronicus aside privately, urged him to lay hands on Onias; and he, coming to Onias, and persuading him by deceit, and giving him his right hand with oaths, persuaded him, though he remained suspicious, to come forth from the sanctuary; and immediately he shut him up and killed him, without regard for justice.

35 For this reason not only Jews, but many also of other nations, were indignant and grieved at the unjust murder of the man.

36 When the king returned from the regions of Cilicia, the Jews in the city, together with the Greeks who shared their hatred of the wickedness, appealed to him concerning the unreasonable killing of Onias.

37 So Antiochus, grieved at heart and moved to pity, and shedding tears because of the sobriety and great good conduct of the deceased,

38 and inflamed with anger, immediately stripped Andronicus of his purple robe, tore off his garments, and led him around through the whole city to the very place where he had committed the impiety against Onias, and there dispatched the murderer, the Lord repaying him the punishment he deserved.

39 Now when many sacrileges had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the consent of Menelaus, and the report had spread abroad, the multitude gathered against Lysimachus, many gold vessels having already been carried off.

40 As the crowds were rising up and were filled with rage, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men and began unjust acts of violence, under the leadership of a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years and no less in folly;

41 Perceiving the attack of Lysimachus, some seized stones, others thick pieces of wood, and some, grabbing handfuls of the ashes lying nearby, hurled them pell-mell at Lysimachus and his men.

42 As a result they wounded many of them, struck down some, and drove them all to flight, and the temple-robber himself they overpowered beside the treasury.

43 Concerning these matters a charge was brought against Menelaus.

44 When the king arrived at Tyre, the three men sent by the senate presented their case before him.

45 Menelaus, already as good as beaten, promised a substantial sum of money to Ptolemy son of Dorymenes to win over the king.

46 So Ptolemy, taking the king aside into a certain colonnade as if to refresh himself, changed his mind,

47 and he acquitted Menelaus, the man responsible for all the evil, of the charges, while upon those poor wretches, who, even had they pleaded before Scythians, would have been discharged uncondemned, he pronounced a sentence of death.

48 So those who had spoken in defense of the city and the people and the sacred vessels quickly suffered the unjust penalty.

49 For this reason even the Tyrians, in their hatred of the wickedness, provided magnificently for their burial.

50 But Menelaus, thanks to the greed of those in power, remained in office, growing in wickedness, established as a great plotter against his fellow citizens.

Chapter 5

1. About this time Antiochus made his second expedition into Egypt.

2. And it happened that throughout the whole city, for almost forty days, there appeared through the air horsemen charging, wearing garments interwoven with gold, and armed with lances in companies, and drawings of swords,

3. and squadrons of horses drawn up in array, and attacks and countercharges from both sides, and movements of shields, and multitudes of pikes, and hurlings of missiles, and flashings of golden ornaments, and armor of every kind.

4. Therefore all prayed that the apparition might have been for good.

5. But when a false rumor arose that Antiochus had departed this life, Jason took no fewer than a thousand men and suddenly made an assault upon the city; and when those on the wall were driven together and the city was at last already being taken, Menelaus fled for refuge into the citadel.

6. But Jason kept slaughtering his own fellow citizens without mercy, not considering that success against one's own kindred is the greatest misfortune, but imagining that he was setting up trophies over enemies and not over countrymen.

7. Yet he did not gain control of the government, but in the end received only shame from his conspiracy, and departed again as a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites.

8. Finally, then, he met a miserable end. Accused before Aretas the ruler of the Arabs, fleeing from city to city, pursued by all men, hated as an apostate from the laws, and abhorred as the executioner of his country and his fellow citizens, he was cast ashore in Egypt;

9. and he who had driven many from their own country perished in a foreign land, having sailed to the Lacedaemonians in hope of finding shelter there because of their kinship.

10. And he who had cast out multitudes to lie unburied was himself unmourned, and had no funeral rites of any kind, nor any place in the tomb of his fathers.

11. When news of what had happened reached the king, he concluded that Judea was in revolt; therefore, setting out from Egypt raging like a wild beast in his soul, he took the city by force of arms,

12. and commanded his soldiers to cut down without mercy those who came in their way, and to slay those who went up into the houses.

13. So there was killing of young and old, destruction of men, women, and children, slaughter of maidens and infants.

14. Within the space of three whole days eighty thousand were destroyed, forty thousand in hand-to-hand fighting, and no fewer than those slain were sold into slavery.

15. Not content with this, he dared to enter the most holy temple in all the earth, having as his guide Menelaus, who had become a traitor both to the laws and to his country,

16. taking the sacred vessels with his polluted hands, and sweeping away with his profane hands the things that had been dedicated by other kings for the increase and glory and honor of the place.

17. And Antiochus was lifted up in his mind, not perceiving that because of the sins of those who dwelt in the city the Lord was angered for a little while, and therefore his eye was turned away from the place.

18. But had it not happened that they were involved in many sins, this man, like Heliodorus who was sent by King Seleucus to inspect the treasury, would have been scourged as soon as he came forward and turned back from his rashness.

19. But the Lord did not choose the nation for the sake of the place, but the place for the sake of the nation.

20. Therefore the place itself, having shared in the calamities that befell the nation, afterward partook of its benefits; and that which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty was restored again in all its glory when the great Lord was reconciled.

21. So Antiochus, having carried off eighteen hundred talents from the temple, hurried away to Antioch, thinking in his arrogance that he could make the land navigable and the sea passable on foot, because of the haughtiness of his heart.

22. And he left governors to afflict the people: at Jerusalem, Philip, by race a Phrygian, and in character more barbarous than him who appointed him;

23. and at Gerizim, Andronicus; and besides these Menelaus, who worse than the others lorded it over his fellow citizens, having a hostile disposition toward his Jewish countrymen.

24. And he sent Apollonius, the captain of the Mysians, with an army of twenty-two thousand, commanding him to slay all those of full age and to sell the women and the younger men.

25. And he, coming to Jerusalem and pretending to be a man of peace, waited until the holy day of the Sabbath, and finding the Jews at rest, he ordered his men to arm themselves,

26. and put to the sword all who came out to see the spectacle, and running into the city with armed men, he slew great multitudes.

27. But Judas, who was also called Maccabaeus, being about the tenth of a group, withdrew into the wilderness and lived in the mountains after the manner of wild beasts with those who were with him; and they continued feeding on herbs, so that they might not share in the defilement.

Chapter 6

1 Not long after this, the king sent an old Athenian to compel the Jews to depart from their ancestral laws and no longer to live according to the laws of God,

2 and also to defile the temple in Jerusalem and to call it after Zeus Olympius, and the one on Gerizim, as those who dwelt in that place happened to be, after Zeus Xenios.

3 Harsh and utterly grievous was this onslaught of evil.

4 For the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and besides brought in things that were not fitting.

5 The altar was filled with abominable offerings forbidden by the laws.

6 It was not possible to keep the sabbath, nor to observe the ancestral feasts, nor even simply to confess oneself to be a Jew;

7 and they were driven by bitter compulsion to the monthly celebration of the king's birthday to partake of the sacrifices, and when the feast of Dionysus came, they were compelled to march in procession for Dionysus, wearing wreaths of ivy.

8 A decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities, at the suggestion of Ptolemy, that they should adopt the same policy toward the Jews and make them partake of the sacrifices,

9 and should slaughter those who did not choose to change over to Greek customs. Thus one could see the misery that had come upon them.

10 For two women were brought up for having circumcised their children; and they hanged their infants from their breasts, paraded them publicly around the city, and hurled them down from the wall.

11 Others who had gathered together nearby in the caves to keep the seventh day in secret were betrayed to Philip and were burned together, because their reverence for that most holy day restrained them from defending themselves.

12 I therefore urge those who read this book not to be disheartened by these calamities, but to consider that these punishments were not for the destruction but for the discipline of our race.

13 For indeed, that the impious are not left alone for long, but immediately fall under punishment, is a sign of great kindness.

14 For the Lord does not deal with us as with the other nations, waiting patiently to punish them until they have reached the full measure of their sins; thus he judged it should be with us,

15 in order that he might not take vengeance on us later, when our sins have reached their height.

16 Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us; and though he disciplines us with calamity, he does not forsake his own people.

17 Let this suffice as a reminder to us; after these few words we must return to the narrative.

18 Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man already advanced in age and most noble in appearance, was being compelled to open his mouth and eat swine's flesh.

19 But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with defilement, went of his own accord to the rack,

20 first spitting out the flesh, coming forward in the manner in which those must come who have the courage to reject what it is not lawful to taste, even for the natural love of life.

21 Those in charge of that unlawful sacrificial meal, because of their long acquaintance with the man, took him aside privately and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as it was proper for him to eat, and only pretend that he was eating the flesh of the sacrifice that the king had commanded,

22 so that by doing this he might be released from death, and on account of his old friendship with them might receive kind treatment.

23 But he, adopting a noble resolve, worthy of his years and the dignity of his old age and the gray hairs he had attained with distinction, and of his most excellent conduct from childhood, and above all of the holy and God-given law, declared himself accordingly, telling them to send him quickly to Hades.

24 "For it is not worthy of our years to dissemble, lest many of the young suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to a foreign way of life,

25 and they themselves, on account of my dissembling and for the sake of this brief and momentary life, be led astray because of me, while I acquire defilement and a stain upon my old age.

26 For even if for the present I should escape punishment at the hands of men, yet whether living or dead I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty.

27 Therefore, by manfully departing from life now, I shall show myself worthy of my old age,

28 and shall have left to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws." And having said this, he went at once to the rack.

29 And those who a little before had shown him goodwill changed it to ill will, because they considered the words he had spoken to be sheer madness.

30 As he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: "To the Lord, who has holy knowledge, it is evident that, though I might have been released from death, I endure cruel pains in my body under scourging, but in my soul I gladly suffer these things because of my fear of him."

31 So in this manner he passed away, leaving in his death an example of nobility and a memorial of virtue, not only to the young but to the great mass of his nation.

Chapter 7

1 It also came to pass that seven brothers, together with their mother, were arrested and compelled by the king, while being tortured with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine's flesh.

2 But one of them, becoming their spokesman, said thus: "What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers."

3 The king, becoming enraged, ordered pans and cauldrons to be heated.

4 When these were heated at once, he commanded that the tongue of the one who had been their spokesman be cut out, and that they scalp him and cut off his extremities, while the rest of his brothers and his mother looked on.

5 When he was rendered utterly useless, he ordered him, still breathing, to be brought to the fire and fried in the pan. And as the smoke from the pan spread abroad, they exhorted one another together with their mother to die nobly, saying thus:

6 "The Lord God is watching over us and in truth is comforted concerning us, just as Moses declared in the song that testifies to their face, saying, 'And he will be comforted over his servants.'"

7 When the first had died in this manner, they brought the second forward for their mockery, and having torn off the skin of his head with the hair, they asked him, "Will you eat, before your body is punished limb by limb?"

8 But he answered in the language of his fathers and said, "No." Therefore he too received the next torture in turn, as the first had.

9 And when he was at his last breath, he said, "You accursed wretch, you release us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for his laws, to an everlasting renewal of life."

10 After him the third was mocked, and when he was asked for his tongue, he quickly put it out and courageously stretched forth his hands,

11 and nobly said, "I received these from heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to receive them again."

12 So that the king himself and those with him were astounded at the young man's spirit, for he counted his sufferings as nothing.

13 And when he too had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth in the same way.

14 And when he was near death, he said thus: "It is preferable, when dying at the hands of men, to look for the hopes given by God of being raised again by him; but for you there will be no resurrection to life."

15 Next they brought forward the fifth and maltreated him.

16 But he looked at the king and said, "Having power among men, though you are mortal, you do what you will; but do not think that our nation has been forsaken by God.

17 But hold on, and behold his great might, how he will torment you and your descendants."

18 After him they brought the sixth, and when he was about to die he said, "Do not deceive yourself in vain; for we suffer these things on our own account, having sinned against our own God; astounding things have happened.

19 But do not think that you will go unpunished for having attempted to fight against God."

20 But the mother was exceedingly marvelous and worthy of honorable memory, who, watching her seven sons perish within the span of a single day, bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord.

21 She encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble spirit, and stirring up her womanly reasoning with manly courage, she said to them:

22 "I do not know how you appeared in my womb, nor was it I who granted you spirit and life, nor did I arrange the elements of each of you.

23 Therefore the Creator of the world, who fashioned the origin of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give back to you both spirit and life again, since you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his laws."

24 But Antiochus, thinking himself despised, and suspecting the reproachful tone of her voice, while the youngest still survived, not only appealed to him with words, but also assured him with oaths that he would make him both rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers, and that he would take him as a friend and entrust him with public affairs.

25 But since the young man paid no attention whatever, the king summoned the mother and urged her to be a counselor to the youth for his salvation.

26 After he had urged her at length, she undertook to persuade her son.

27 But leaning close to him, mocking the cruel tyrant, she said thus in the language of her fathers: "My son, have pity on me, who carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and reared you, and brought you up to this age, and sustained you.

28 I beg you, my child, look up at heaven and earth and see everything that is in them, and know that God did not make them out of things that existed; and in the same way the race of men comes into being.

29 Do not fear this executioner, but prove worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in God's mercy I may receive you back again with your brothers."

30 While she was still speaking, the young man said, "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses.

31 But you, who have devised every kind of evil against the Hebrews, will by no means escape the hands of God.

32 For we are suffering because of our own sins.

33 And if our living Lord has been angry for a little while, to rebuke and discipline us, he will again be reconciled with his own servants.

34 But you, O unholy man, most defiled of all mankind, do not be vainly puffed up, blustering with uncertain hopes, raising your hand against the children of heaven.

35 For you have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty, all-seeing God.

36 For our brothers, after enduring brief suffering, have fallen under God's covenant of everlasting life; but you, by the judgment of God, will bear the just penalties of your arrogance.

37 And I, like my brothers, give up both body and soul for the laws of our fathers, calling upon God to show mercy soon to our nation, and by trials and plagues to make you confess that he alone is God,

38 and through me and my brothers to bring to an end the wrath of the Almighty that has justly fallen on our whole nation."

39 The king fell into a rage, and dealt with this one worse than the others, being embittered at his scorn.

40 So he too died undefiled, trusting entirely in the Lord.

41 Last of all, after her sons, the mother died.

42 Let this then be enough said concerning the eating of sacrifices and the extreme tortures.

Chapter 8

1 But Judas, who was also called Maccabeus, and those with him, entering the villages secretly, called together their kinsmen, and, taking in those who had remained in Judaism, gathered about six thousand men.

2 And they called upon the Lord to look upon the people trampled down by all, and to have compassion also on the temple profaned by ungodly men, 3 and to have mercy on the city being destroyed and about to be leveled to the ground, and to hearken to the blood that cried out to him,

4 and to remember also the lawless destruction of the innocent infants, and the blasphemies committed against his name, and to show his hatred of evil.

5 And when Maccabeus had organized his band, he was already irresistible to the Gentiles, for the wrath of the Lord had turned to mercy.

6 Coming unexpectedly upon towns and villages, he burned them, and seizing strategic positions, he put to flight not a few of the enemy,

7 taking especially the nights as allies for such attacks. And talk of his valor spread everywhere.

8 But Philip, seeing that the man was gaining ground little by little, and advancing more and more frequently in his successes, wrote to Ptolemy, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, to come to the aid of the king's affairs.

9 And he, promptly appointing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of the first friends, sent him, having put under his command Gentiles of all nations, not fewer than twenty thousand, to root out the whole race of Judea; and he joined with him also Gorgias, a general and a man experienced in matters of war.

10 And Nicanor determined to make up for the king the tribute due to the Romans, two thousand talents, from the captivity of the Jews.

11 And immediately he sent to the cities on the seacoast, inviting them to the purchase of Jewish slaves, promising to hand over ninety persons for a talent, not expecting the judgment from the Almighty that was about to overtake him.

12 But word came to Judas concerning the invasion of Nicanor; and when he informed those with him of the arrival of the army,

13 those who were cowardly and distrustful of the justice of God ran away and removed themselves.

14 But others sold all that remained to them, and together besought the Lord to rescue those sold by the impious Nicanor before he even met them;

15 and if not for their own sake, yet for the sake of the covenants with their fathers, and because of the invocation of his holy and glorious name upon them.

16 And Maccabeus, gathering those about him, six thousand in number, exhorted them not to be terrified by the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the Gentiles who were coming against them unjustly, but to fight nobly,

17 setting before their eyes the outrage lawlessly committed by them against the holy place, and the torment of the derided city, and moreover the overthrow of their ancestral way of life.

18 "For they," he said, "trust in arms and in acts of daring, but we trust in the Almighty God, who is able with a single nod to strike down both those coming against us and the whole world."

19 And recounting to them also the acts of help that had come in the times of their ancestors, and that against Sennacherib, how one hundred eighty-five thousand perished,

20 and the battle that took place in Babylonia against the Galatians, how all who came to the engagement were eight thousand, with four thousand Macedonians, and when the Macedonians were hard pressed, the eight thousand destroyed the hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that came to them from heaven, and took great spoil.

21 Having by these words made them courageous and ready to die for the laws and their fatherland, he divided the army into four parts.

22 He appointed also his brothers as leaders of each division, Simon and Joseph and Jonathan, putting under each of them fifteen hundred men,

23 and besides also Eleazar; and having read aloud the sacred book and given the watchword, "God's help," he himself, leading the first company, joined battle with Nicanor.

24 And since the Almighty was their ally, they slaughtered more than nine thousand of the enemy, and wounded and maimed in their limbs the greater part of Nicanor's army, and forced them all to flee.

25 And they took the money of those who had come to purchase them; and after pursuing them for a considerable distance, they turned back, being constrained by the hour;

26 for it was the day before the sabbath, and for that reason they did not continue long in pursuing them.

27 And having collected the arms of the enemy and stripped off their spoils, they occupied themselves with the sabbath, abundantly blessing and giving thanks to the Lord who had preserved them to that day, having appointed for them a beginning of mercy.

28 And after the sabbath, having distributed some of the spoils to those who had been tortured, and to the widows and orphans, they divided the remainder among themselves and their children.

29 And when they had done these things and made common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be fully reconciled with his servants.

30 And joining battle with the forces of Timothy and Bacchides, they killed more than twenty thousand of them, and got possession of exceedingly high strongholds, and divided very much plunder, making equal shares for themselves and for those who had been tortured, and the orphans and widows, and also the aged.

31 And having carefully collected the arms of the enemy, they stored them all in strategic places, and the rest of the spoils they carried to Jerusalem.

32 And they killed the commander of Timothy's forces, a most unholy man, who had greatly grieved the Jews.

33 And while celebrating the victory in their fatherland, they burned those who had set fire to the sacred gates, together with Callisthenes, who had fled into one little house; and so he received the reward worthy of his impiety.

34 But the thrice-accursed Nicanor, who had brought the thousand merchants for the sale of the Jews,

35 having been humbled with the help of the Lord by those whom he had reckoned to be of least account, laid aside his splendid garments, and making his way alone across country like a runaway slave, arrived at Antioch, having succeeded beyond all measure in the destruction of his army.

36 And he who had undertaken to make good the tribute to the Romans from the captivity of those in Jerusalem proclaimed that the Jews had a champion, and that for this reason the Jews were invulnerable, because they followed the laws ordained by him.

Chapter 9

1 About that time it happened that Antiochus had retreated in disorder from the region of Persia.

2 For he had entered the city called Persepolis and attempted to rob the temple and to hold the city; whereupon the multitude rushed to the defense with arms and routed him, and so it came about that Antiochus, put to flight by the inhabitants, made a shameful retreat.

3 While he was at Ecbatana, news came to him of what had happened to Nicanor and the forces of Timothy.

4 Transported with rage, he resolved to make the Jews pay for the injury done by those who had put him to flight; so he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping until he completed the journey. But the judgment of heaven rode with him, for in his arrogance he said, "When I get there I will make Jerusalem a common graveyard of Jews."

5 But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and invisible blow. As soon as he stopped speaking, he was seized with incurable pain in his bowels and with sharp internal tortures

6 and that very justly, for he had tortured the bowels of others with many strange afflictions.

7 Yet he in no way ceased from his insolence, but was filled even more with arrogance, breathing fire in his rage against the Jews and giving orders to hasten the journey. And it came about that he fell out of his chariot as it was rushing along, and the fall was so hard that every limb of his body was racked.

8 Thus he who only a little while before had thought in his superhuman arrogance that he could command the waves of the sea, and had imagined that he could weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, was brought down to earth and carried in a litter, making the power of God manifest to all.

9 So that worms swarmed even from the body of the impious man, and while he was still living in anguish and pain, his flesh rotted away, and because of the stench the whole army was oppressed by his decay.

10 And no one was able to carry the man who a little while before had thought he could touch the stars of heaven, because of the unbearable weight of the stench.

11 Then it was that, broken in spirit, he began to lose much of his arrogance and to come to his senses under the scourge of God, being tormented with pain at every moment.

12 And when he could not even endure his own stench, he said this: "It is right to be subject to God, and no mortal should think that he is equal to God."

13 Then the abominable fellow made a vow to the Lord, who would no longer have mercy on him, saying

14 that the holy city, which he had been hastening to level to the ground and to make a common graveyard, he would declare free;

15 and the Jews, whom he had not considered worthy even of burial, but had planned to throw out with their children for the birds and wild beasts to eat, he would make all of them equal to citizens of Athens;

16 and the holy temple, which he had formerly plundered, he would adorn with the finest offerings, and all the sacred vessels he would restore many times over, and the expenses incurred for the sacrifices he would provide from his own revenues;

17 and in addition to all this he would also become a Jew and would visit every inhabited place to proclaim the power of God.

18 But when his sufferings did not in any way abate, for the just judgment of God had come upon him, he gave up all hope for himself and wrote to the Jews the following letter, in the form of a supplication, which ran thus:

19 "To his worthy Jewish citizens, Antiochus, king and general, sends hearty greetings and good wishes for their health and prosperity.

20 If you and your children are well and your affairs are as you wish, I am glad. As my hope is in heaven,

21 I remember with affection your esteem and goodwill. On my way back from the region of Persia I suffered an annoying illness, and I have deemed it necessary to take thought for the common security of all.

22 I do not despair of my condition, but have great hope of escaping from my illness;

23 but observing that my father, on the occasions when he made expeditions into the upper country, appointed his successor,

24 so that, if anything unexpected happened or any unwelcome news came, the people throughout the realm would know to whom the government had been left, and so not be troubled;

25 and moreover, because I know that the princes along the borders and the neighbors of my kingdom keep watching for opportunities and awaiting what will happen, I have appointed my son Antiochus to be king, whom I have often entrusted and commended to most of you when I hastened off to the upper satrapies; and I have written to him what is written below.

26 I therefore urge and beg you to remember the public and private services rendered to you and to maintain your present goodwill, each of you, toward me and my son.

27 For I am sure that he will follow my policy and will treat you with moderation and kindness."

28 So the murderer and blasphemer, having endured the most intense suffering, such as he had inflicted on others, came to the end of his life by a most pitiable fate, among the mountains in a strange land.

29 And Philip, one of his companions, brought his body home; but fearing the son of Antiochus, he withdrew to Ptolemy Philometor in Egypt.

Chapter 10

1 Now Maccabeus and those with him, the Lord leading them on, recovered the temple and the city,

2 and they tore down the altars that had been built in the marketplace by the foreigners, and also the sacred precincts.

3 And having purified the temple, they made another altar, and striking fire from stones and taking fire from these, they offered sacrifices after a period of two years, and they set up incense and lamps and the showbread.

4 When they had done these things, falling on their faces they besought the Lord that they might never again fall into such evils, but that, if they should ever sin, they might be disciplined by him with gentleness and not be handed over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.

5 And it happened that on the same day on which the temple had been profaned by foreigners, the purification of the temple took place, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which is Chislev.

6 And they celebrated eight days with gladness, in the manner of the feast of tabernacles, remembering how, a short time before, they had kept the feast of tabernacles living in the mountains and in the caves like wild beasts.

7 Therefore, carrying wands wreathed with ivy and beautiful branches, and also palm fronds, they offered up hymns to him who had prospered the purifying of his own place.

8 And they decreed by public edict and vote for the whole nation of the Jews to celebrate these days every year.

9 Such, then, was the end of Antiochus who was called Epiphanes.

10 Now we will set forth what happened under Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of that impious man, briefly summing up the evils that attended the wars.

11 For this man, upon succeeding to the kingdom, appointed over the affairs of state a certain Lysias, chief governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia.

12 For Ptolemy, called Macron, taking the lead in observing justice toward the Jews because of the wrong that had been done to them, tried to conduct affairs with them peaceably.

13 Whereupon, being accused by the Friends before Eupator, and hearing himself called traitor at every turn because he had abandoned Cyprus, which had been entrusted to him by Philometor, and had gone over to Antiochus Epiphanes, and having failed to hold his authority honorably, he took poison and ended his life.

14 And Gorgias, having become governor of the region, maintained mercenaries and at every turn kept up war against the Jews.

15 And together with him the Idumeans also, being in control of strategic strongholds, harassed the Jews, and receiving those who had been banished from Jerusalem, they undertook to keep up war.

16 But Maccabeus and his men, having made supplication and besought God to be their ally, rushed upon the strongholds of the Idumeans,

17 and attacking them vigorously they gained control of the places, and beat back all who fought on the wall, and slaughtered those who fell into their hands, and they killed no fewer than twenty thousand.

18 And when no fewer than nine thousand had fled together into two exceedingly strong towers provided with everything needed for a siege,

19 Maccabeus, leaving Simon and Joseph, and also Zacchaeus and his men, in sufficient numbers for the siege of these, himself departed to places where there was urgent need. 20 But Simon's men, out of greed for money, were persuaded by some of those in the towers with silver, and receiving seventy thousand drachmas, they let some slip through.

21 When word of what had happened was brought to Maccabeus, gathering the leaders of the people he accused them of having sold their brothers for money by releasing their enemies against them.

22 So he put these men to death as having become traitors, and immediately captured the two towers.

23 And prospering in everything he took in hand with his arms, he destroyed in the two strongholds more than twenty thousand.

24 But Timothy, who had previously been defeated by the Jews, gathering foreign forces in great multitude and mustering not a few of the horses of Asia, came as though to take Judea by force of arms.

25 But as he drew near, Maccabeus and his men, in supplication to God, sprinkled earth on their heads and girded their loins with sackcloth,

26 and falling down at the foot of the altar's base, they besought him to be gracious to them and to be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declares.

27 And rising from their prayer, they took up their arms and advanced a considerable distance from the city; and drawing near to the enemy, they halted by themselves.

28 And just as the dawn was breaking, the two sides joined battle, the one having as a pledge of success and victory, along with valor, their refuge in the Lord, the other making rage the leader of their struggles.

29 And when the battle grew fierce, there appeared to the enemy from heaven five magnificent men on horses with golden bridles, leading the Jews,

30 and they took Maccabeus between them, and sheltering him with their own armor kept him unwounded, while they hurled arrows and thunderbolts against the enemy, so that, confounded with blindness, they were cut down, filled with confusion.

31 And twenty thousand five hundred were slaughtered, and six hundred cavalry.

32 And Timothy himself fled into a stronghold called Gazara, an exceedingly strong fortress, where Chaereas was in command.

33 But Maccabeus and his men gladly besieged the fortress for four days.

34 And those inside, trusting in the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly and hurled forth lawless words.

35 But at the dawning of the fifth day, twenty young men of Maccabeus's company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, attacked the wall manfully, and with beastlike fury cut down whomever they met;

36 and others, likewise climbing up during the diversion against those inside, set fire to the towers, and kindling fires burned the blasphemers alive; while others broke through the gates, and admitting the rest of the force, took possession of the city.

37 And they slaughtered Timothy, who had hidden himself in a cistern, and his brother Chaereas, and Apollophanes.

38 And when they had accomplished these things, with hymns and thanksgivings they blessed the Lord who greatly benefits Israel and gives them the victory.

Chapter 11

1 A very short time afterward, Lysias, the king's guardian and kinsman and the one in charge of the government, being greatly grieved at what had happened,

2 gathered together about eighty thousand men and all his cavalry and came against the Jews, intending to make the city a dwelling place for Greeks,

3 and to levy tribute on the temple, as on the sacred precincts of the other nations, and to put the high priesthood up for sale every year,

4 taking no account whatever of the power of God, but puffed up with his tens of thousands of infantry, his thousands of cavalry, and his eighty elephants.

5 Entering Judea and drawing near to Beth-zur, which was a fortified place about five stadia from Jerusalem, he pressed it hard.

6 When Maccabeus and his men learned that he was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people, with lamentations and tears, besought the Lord to send a good angel to save Israel.

7 Maccabeus himself was the first to take up arms, and he urged the others to risk their lives with him to help their brothers; and together they rushed forth eagerly.

8 And there, while they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman appeared at their head, clothed in white and brandishing weapons of gold.

9 Together they all blessed the merciful God and were strengthened in spirit, ready to wound not only men but the fiercest beasts and walls of iron.

10 They advanced in battle order, having their ally from heaven, for the Lord had shown them mercy.

11 Hurling themselves like lions upon the enemy, they laid low eleven thousand of them and sixteen hundred horsemen, and forced all the rest to flee.

12 Most of them escaped wounded and stripped, and Lysias himself escaped by shameful flight.

13 But as he was not without understanding, pondering to himself the defeat that had befallen him and perceiving that the Hebrews were invincible because the mighty God fought on their side,

14 he sent to them and persuaded them to settle everything on just terms, promising that he would also persuade the king, urging him to become their friend.

15 Maccabeus agreed to all that Lysias proposed, having regard for the common good; for whatever Maccabeus delivered in writing to Lysias concerning the Jews, the king granted.

16 The letter written to the Jews by Lysias was to this effect: "Lysias to the people of the Jews, greetings.

17 John and Absalom, who were sent by you, having delivered the document appended below, made petition concerning the matters indicated in it.

18 Whatever things needed to be brought before the king I have made clear to him, and what was possible he has granted.

19 If, then, you maintain your goodwill toward the government, I shall try in the future also to be a source of good things for you.

20 Concerning these matters and their details I have ordered these men and my envoys to confer with you.

21 Farewell. The one hundred and forty-eighth year, the twenty-fourth day of Dioscorinthius."

22 The king's letter ran thus: "King Antiochus to his brother Lysias, greetings.

23 Now that our father has gone to the gods, we desire that the subjects of the kingdom be undisturbed in caring for their own affairs.

24 We have heard that the Jews do not consent to our father's change to Greek customs, but prefer their own way of life and ask that their own customs be allowed them.

25 Choosing, therefore, that this nation also should be free from disturbance, we determine that their temple be restored to them and that they live according to the customs of their ancestors.

26 You will do well, therefore, to send word to them and give them pledges of friendship, so that they may know our policy and be of good cheer and go on happily in the conduct of their own affairs."

27 To the nation the king's letter was as follows: "King Antiochus to the senate of the Jews and to the other Jews, greetings.

28 If you are well, it is as we wish; we also are in good health.

29 Menelaus has informed us that you wish to return home and attend to your own affairs.

30 Therefore those who go home by the thirtieth day of Xanthicus will have our pledge of friendship and full permission

31 for the Jews to use their own food and laws, just as formerly, and none of them shall be molested in any way for what may have been done in ignorance.

32 And I have also sent Menelaus to encourage you.

33 Farewell. The one hundred and forty-eighth year, the fifteenth of Xanthicus."

34 The Romans also sent them a letter, which read thus: "Quintus Memmius and Titus Manius, envoys of the Romans, to the people of the Jews, greetings.

35 Concerning what Lysias the kinsman of the king has granted you, we also give our consent.

36 But as to the matters that he decided should be referred to the king, as soon as you have considered them, send someone at once, so that we may set them forth as befits you; for we are on our way to Antioch.

37 Therefore make haste and send some men, so that we too may learn what your opinion is.

38 Farewell. The one hundred and forty-eighth year, the fifteenth of Xanthicus."

Chapter 12

1 When these agreements had been made, Lysias departed to the king, and the Jews went about their farming.

2 But of the local governors, Timothy and Apollonius the son of Gennaeus, and also Hieronymus and Demophon, and besides these Nicanor the governor of Cyprus, would not let them live in peace and go about in quiet.

3 And the people of Joppa perpetrated an act of impiety of this magnitude: they invited the Jews who lived among them to embark, with their wives and children, on boats which they had provided, as though there were no ill will toward them,

4 and this in accordance with the public decree of the city. And when they accepted, as men wishing to live peaceably and suspecting nothing, they took them out to sea and drowned them, no fewer than two hundred.

5 When Judas learned of the cruelty done to his countrymen, he gave orders to the men with him,

6 and calling upon God, the righteous judge, he came against the murderers of his brethren, and burned the harbor by night and set fire to the boats, and ran through with the sword those who had taken refuge there.

7 But since the town was closed up, he withdrew, intending to come again and root out the whole community of the people of Joppa.

8 And learning that the people of Jamnia meant to do the same thing to the Jews who dwelt among them,

9 he attacked the Jamnites by night and set fire to the harbor together with the fleet, so that the glow of the light was visible at Jerusalem, two hundred and forty stades away.

10 When they had drawn off nine stades from there, as they were making their march against Timothy, Arabs attacked him, no fewer than five thousand, with five hundred horsemen.

11 And when a hard battle had taken place and Judas' men had prevailed by the help that came from God, the defeated nomads begged Judas to give them pledges of friendship, promising to give cattle and to help them in other ways.

12 Judas, supposing that they might indeed be useful in many things, agreed to make peace with them; and having received pledges they departed to their tents.

13 He also attacked a certain city fortified with earthworks and walled around, and inhabited by peoples of all nations; its name was Caspin.

14 Those inside, trusting in the strength of the walls and their store of provisions, behaved rather insolently toward Judas' men, reviling them and moreover blaspheming and saying things that were not lawful.

15 But Judas' men, calling upon the great Sovereign of the world, who without rams or engines of war cast down Jericho in the days of Joshua, hurled themselves like wild beasts against the wall.

16 And taking the city by the will of God, they made unspeakable slaughter, so that the adjacent lake, which was two stades wide, appeared to be running over, filled with blood.

17 Departing thence seven hundred and fifty stades, they made their way to Charax, to the Jews called Toubiani.

18 They did not find Timothy in that region, for he had by then left the region without accomplishing anything, but had left behind a garrison, and a very strong one, in a certain place.

19 But Dositheus and Sosipater, of Maccabeus' commanders, marched out and destroyed those whom Timothy had left in the stronghold, more than ten thousand men.

20 And Maccabeus, arranging the army about him in cohorts, set commanders over the cohorts, and hastened against Timothy, who had with him a hundred and twenty thousand infantry and two thousand five hundred cavalry.

21 When Timothy learned of Judas' approach, he sent off in advance the women and children and the rest of the baggage to a place called Carnaim; for the place was hard to besiege and difficult of access because of the narrowness of all its approaches.

22 But when Judas' first cohort appeared, and dread fell upon the enemy, and fear came upon them from the manifestation of him who sees all things, they rushed into flight, carried this way and that, so that they were often wounded by their own men and pierced by the points of their own swords.

23 And Judas pressed the pursuit the more vigorously, running the wicked through, and destroyed as many as thirty thousand men.

24 Timothy himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater's men, and with much cunning begged them to let him go safe, on the ground that he held the parents of many of them and the brothers of others, and these would suffer if no regard were had for them.

25 And when he had pledged with many assurances the agreement to restore them unharmed, they released him for the sake of the safety of their brethren.

26 Then going out against Carnaim and the temple of Atargatis, he slaughtered twenty-five thousand people.

27 After the rout and destruction of these, he marched also against Ephron, a fortified city in which Lysias dwelt with multitudes of every nation; and stalwart young men stationed before the walls fought vigorously, and there were there great stores of engines and missiles.

28 But calling upon the Sovereign who with might shatters the strength of enemies, they took the city into their hands, and laid low as many as twenty-five thousand of those within.

29 Setting out from there, they hastened to Scythopolis, which lies six hundred stades from Jerusalem.

30 But when the Jews who dwelt there bore witness to the goodwill the Scythopolitans had shown them, and their kindly treatment in times of misfortune,

31 they gave thanks and exhorted them to be well disposed toward their race in the future also, and went up to Jerusalem, as the feast of weeks was close at hand.

32 After the so-called Pentecost, they hastened against Gorgias, the governor of Idumea.

33 And he came out with three thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry.

34 And when they had drawn up in battle, it happened that a few of the Jews fell.

35 But a certain Dositheus, one of Bacenor's men, a strong man on horseback, laid hold of Gorgias, and gripping his cloak was dragging him along by main force, wishing to take the accursed man alive; but one of the Thracian horsemen bore down upon him and cut off his shoulder, and Gorgias escaped to Marisa.

36 As Esdris' men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and leader in the battle;

37 and beginning in his native tongue the battle cry with hymns, he fell unexpectedly upon Gorgias' men and put them to flight.

38 Then Judas, taking his army, came to the city of Adullam; and as the seventh day was coming on, they purified themselves there according to custom and kept the sabbath.

39 On the following day, when it had become necessary, Judas' men came to take up the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs.

40 But under the tunic of each of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear; and it became clear to all that it was for this reason that these men had fallen.

41 So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous judge, who makes hidden things manifest,

42 and turned to supplication, praying that the sin that had been committed might be wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, having seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.

43 And taking up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice for sin, acting therein very well and honorably, taking thought for the resurrection;

44 for if he had not expected that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.

45 But if he was looking to the most excellent reward laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be released from their sin.

Chapter 13

1 In the one hundred and forty-ninth year, word came to Judas and his men that Antiochus Eupator was coming against Judea with great forces,

2 and with him Lysias, his guardian and the one in charge of affairs, each having a Greek force of one hundred and ten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with scythes.

3 Menelaus also joined them, and with great dissembling he urged Antiochus on, not for the salvation of his country, but because he thought he would be established in office.

4 But the King of kings aroused the anger of Antiochus against the scoundrel; and when Lysias informed him that this man was the cause of all the evils, he ordered them to take him to Beroea and put him to death, as is the custom in that place.

5 Now there is in that place a tower fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it had a rim running around it that sloped precipitously on all sides into the ashes.

6 There they all push to destruction anyone guilty of sacrilege or notorious for certain other crimes.

7 By such a fate it came about that the lawless Menelaus died, not even gaining burial in the earth

8 and very justly; for since he had committed many sins against the altar, whose fire and ashes were holy, in ashes he received his death.

9 Now the king, barbarous in his intentions, was coming to show the Jews things far worse than what had been done in his father's time.

10 When Judas learned of this, he ordered the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that now, if ever, he would come to the aid of those who were about to be deprived of the law, their country, and the holy temple,

11 and that he would not allow the people, who had just barely revived, to fall into the hands of the blasphemous Gentiles.

12 When they had all done this together and had implored the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and prostration for three days without ceasing, Judas encouraged them and ordered them to be ready.

13 After consulting privately with the elders, he resolved to march out and decide the matter with God's help before the king's army could invade Judea and get possession of the city.

14 So, committing the outcome to the Creator of the world, and exhorting those with him to fight nobly to the death for the laws, the temple, the city, the country, and the commonwealth, he pitched camp near Modein.

15 Giving those with him the watchword "God's victory," with a picked force of the bravest young men he attacked the king's pavilion by night and slew as many as two thousand men in the camp, and stabbed the leading elephant together with its keeper.

16 In the end they filled the camp with terror and confusion and withdrew in triumph.

17 This happened just as day was dawning, because of the Lord's protection that helped him.

18 The king, having had a taste of the Jews' boldness, tried strategy in attacking their positions.

19 He advanced against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews; he was turned back, he struck against it, he was defeated.

20 Judas sent in to the garrison whatever was necessary.

21 But Rhodocus, a man from the Jewish ranks, betrayed the secrets to the enemy; he was sought out, arrested, and imprisoned.

22 The king negotiated a second time with the people of Beth-zur, gave and received pledges of friendship, withdrew, attacked Judas and his men, was defeated;

23 he learned that Philip, who had been left in charge of affairs in Antioch, had revolted; he was dismayed, called in the Jews, submitted and swore to observe all their rights, came to terms and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and showed generosity to the holy place.

24 He received Maccabeus, and left Hegemonides as governor from Ptolemais to Gerar.

25 He went to Ptolemais; the people of Ptolemais were indignant over the treaty, for they were enraged and wanted to annul its terms.

26 Lysias came forward to the platform, made the best possible defense, convinced them, appeased them, made them well-disposed, and set out for Antioch. Thus went the king's attack and withdrawal.

Chapter 14

1 After a period of three years, word came to Judas and his men that Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, having sailed in through the harbor of Tripolis with a strong force and a fleet,

2 had taken possession of the country, having made away with Antiochus and his guardian Lysias.

3 Now a certain Alcimus, who had formerly been high priest, but had willfully defiled himself in the times of separation, realizing that there was no way whatsoever for him to find safety or to have access again to the holy altar,

4 came to King Demetrius in the one hundred and fifty-first year, presenting to him a golden crown and a palm branch, and besides these some of the customary olive branches of the temple; and that day he kept quiet.

5 But having found an opportunity that furthered his own madness, when he was called into a council by Demetrius and asked in what disposition and purpose the Jews stood, he replied to this:

6 "Those of the Jews called Hasideans, whose leader is Judas Maccabeus, are keeping up war and stirring up sedition, not allowing the kingdom to attain stability.

7 Therefore, having been deprived of my ancestral glory, I mean the high priesthood, I have now come here,

8 first with a genuine concern for the king's interests, and second with regard also for my own fellow citizens; for through the folly of those I have mentioned our whole nation suffers no small misfortune.

9 Since you are acquainted, O king, with all these matters, take thought both for the country and for our beleaguered nation, according to the gracious kindness which you show toward all.

10 For as long as Judas survives, it is impossible for the state to attain peace."

11 When such things had been said by this man, the rest of the king's Friends, who were hostile to Judas, quickly inflamed Demetrius still more.

12 And immediately choosing Nicanor, who had been in command of the elephants, and appointing him governor of Judea, he sent him out,

13 giving orders to do away with Judas himself, to scatter those with him, and to install Alcimus as high priest of the greatest temple.

14 And the Gentiles throughout Judea who had fled before Judas flocked in droves to Nicanor, thinking that the misfortunes and calamities of the Jews would mean prosperity for themselves.

15 But when they heard of Nicanor's coming and the attack of the Gentiles, they sprinkled dust upon themselves and prayed to him who established his own people forever, and who always upholds his own portion with a manifest presence.

16 And at the command of their leader, Judas set out from there at once and engaged them at the village of Dessau.

17 Now Simon, the brother of Judas, had encountered Nicanor, but had suffered a slight setback owing to the sudden consternation caused by the enemy.

18 Nevertheless Nicanor, hearing of the valor of Judas and his men and their courage in battles for their country, shrank from deciding the issue by bloodshed.

19 Therefore he sent Posidonius and Theodotus and Mattathias to give and receive pledges of friendship.

20 When these terms had been fully considered, and the leader had communicated them to the people, and it appeared that they were of one mind, they agreed to the covenant.

21 And they appointed a day on which they would meet by themselves in the same place; and a chariot came forward from each side, and they set chairs of state.

22 Judas posted armed men in readiness at strategic points, lest some treachery should suddenly come from the enemy; and they held the appropriate conference.

23 Nicanor stayed in Jerusalem and did nothing out of place, but dismissed the flocking crowds that had gathered.

24 And he kept Judas always in his presence; he was warmly attached to the man.

25 He urged him to marry and to have children; so he married, settled down, and shared the common life.

26 But Alcimus, seeing the goodwill between them, took the covenants that had been made and went to Demetrius, saying that Nicanor was disloyal to the government, for he had appointed Judas, the plotter against the kingdom, to be his successor.

27 The king, becoming enraged and provoked by the slanders of that utter scoundrel, wrote to Nicanor, saying that he was displeased with the covenants, and commanding him to send Maccabeus to Antioch as a prisoner without delay.

28 When this message came to Nicanor, he was confounded and grieved that he should annul the agreed terms when the man had done no wrong.

29 But since it was not possible to oppose the king, he watched for an opportunity to accomplish this by a stratagem.

30 But Maccabeus, noticing that Nicanor was behaving more harshly toward him, and that his customary meeting with him had become ruder, concluded that this harshness came from no good motive; so gathering not a few of his men, he went into hiding from Nicanor.

31 When the other realized that he had been nobly outmaneuvered by the man, he went to the greatest and holy temple while the priests were offering the customary sacrifices and ordered them to hand the man over.

32 And when they declared with oaths that they did not know where the man he sought might be,

33 he stretched out his right hand toward the sanctuary and swore this oath: "If you do not hand Judas over to me as a prisoner, I will level this shrine of God to the ground, and tear down the altar, and build here a splendid temple to Dionysus."

34 Having said this, he departed; but the priests, stretching out their hands toward heaven, called upon him who is always the defender of our nation, saying:

35 "You, O Lord of all things, who have need of nothing, were pleased that a temple for your dwelling should be among us;

36 and now, O holy One, Lord of all holiness, keep undefiled forever this house that has so recently been purified."

37 Now a certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor—a man who loved his fellow citizens, was very well spoken of, and for his goodwill was called father of the Jews.

38 For in former times, in the days of separation, he had been accused of Judaism, and had risked body and life for Judaism with all earnestness.

39 Nicanor, wishing to make plain the enmity he bore toward the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him;

40 for he thought that by arresting him he would inflict a blow on them.

41 But when the troops were about to capture the tower and were forcing the courtyard door and ordering fire to be brought to set the doors alight, Razis, being surrounded, fell upon his own sword,

42 preferring to die nobly rather than to fall into the hands of the wicked and to be outraged in a manner unworthy of his own nobility.

43 But in the haste of the struggle he missed the stroke, and as the crowds were pouring in through the doorways, he ran up bravely onto the wall and manfully hurled himself down into the crowds.

44 As they quickly drew back and a space opened, he fell in the middle of the empty place.

45 Still breathing and inflamed with anger, he rose up, and though his blood gushed forth in streams and his wounds were grievous, he ran through the crowds and, standing upon a steep rock,

46 now completely drained of blood, he tore out his entrails, and taking them in both hands he hurled them at the crowds; and calling upon him who is master of life and spirit to give these back to him again, he departed this life in this manner.

Chapter 15

1 Now Nicanor, learning that Judas and his men were in the regions around Samaria, resolved to attack them with complete safety on the day of rest.

2 But when the Jews who were compelled to follow him said, "Do not by any means destroy them so savagely and barbarously, but give honor to the day which He who sees all things has honored and hallowed above other days,"

3 the thrice-accursed wretch asked whether there was a sovereign in heaven who had commanded the keeping of the sabbath day.

4 And when they declared, "It is the living Lord himself, the sovereign in heaven, who ordered the observance of the seventh day,"

5 the other replied, "And I am a sovereign upon the earth, who command the taking up of arms and the performance of the king's business." Nevertheless he did not succeed in carrying out his wicked design.

6 So Nicanor, holding his head high with all boastfulness, had determined to erect a public trophy of victory over Judas and his men.

7 But Maccabeus never ceased to trust with all confidence that he would obtain help from the Lord,

8 and he exhorted his men not to fear the attack of the Gentiles, but, keeping in mind the aid which had come to them from heaven in former times, to expect even now the victory which would be theirs from the Almighty.

9 And encouraging them from the law and the prophets, and reminding them also of the struggles they had brought to a successful end, he made them the more eager.

10 And when he had aroused their courage, he gave his orders, at the same time pointing out the faithlessness of the Gentiles and their violation of oaths.

11 And arming each of them not so much with the security of shields and spears as with the encouragement of good words, he cheered them all by relating a dream worthy of belief, a kind of waking vision.

12 And what he saw was this: Onias, who had been high priest, a noble and good man, modest in bearing, gentle in manner, one who spoke fittingly, and who had been trained from childhood in all that belongs to virtue — this man, stretching out his hands, was praying for the whole body of the Jews.

13 Then in the same manner there appeared a man distinguished by his gray hair and dignity, and marvelous and most majestic was the authority about him.

14 And Onias answered and said, "This is a man who loves his brethren, who prays much for the people and the holy city — Jeremiah, the prophet of God."

15 Then Jeremiah stretched out his right hand and gave to Judas a golden sword, and as he gave it he addressed him thus:

16 "Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with which you shall shatter your adversaries."

17 Encouraged by the words of Judas, so noble and so capable of arousing to valor and of making manly the souls of the young, they determined not to remain in camp, but to bear themselves nobly and, engaging with all courage, to decide the matter, because the city and the sanctuary and the temple were in danger.

18 For their concern for wives and children, and also for brothers and kinsmen, lay upon them less heavily; but their greatest and first fear was for the consecrated temple.

19 And those who were shut up in the city were in no small anguish, being troubled about the encounter in the open country.

20 And when all were now awaiting the coming decision, and the enemy had already joined battle, and the army was drawn up, and the beasts had been stationed in a suitable position, and the cavalry posted on the flanks,

21 Maccabeus, perceiving the presence of the multitudes and the varied array of arms and the ferocity of the beasts, stretched out his hands toward heaven and called upon the Lord who works wonders, knowing that victory does not come by arms, but that, as he judges fit, he gains the victory for those who are worthy.

22 And calling upon him he spoke in this manner: "You, O Master, sent your angel in the time of Hezekiah, king of Judea, and he slew as many as one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the camp of Sennacherib;

23 so now, O Sovereign of the heavens, send a good angel before us to bring fear and trembling.

24 By the might of your arm may those be struck down who come with blasphemy against your holy people." And with these words he ended.

25 Now Nicanor and his men advanced with trumpets and battle songs,

26 but Judas and his men joined battle with the enemy with invocations and prayers.

27 And fighting with their hands while praying to God in their hearts, they laid low no fewer than thirty-five thousand, being greatly gladdened by the manifestation of God.

28 And when the action was over and they were returning with joy, they recognized Nicanor lying fallen in his full armor.

29 Then there arose shouting and tumult, and they blessed the Sovereign Lord in the language of their fathers.

30 And he who in body and soul had been the foremost champion of his fellow citizens, who had preserved his youthful goodwill toward his countrymen, ordered them to cut off Nicanor's head and his hand with the arm, and carry them to Jerusalem.

31 And when he arrived there, having called together his countrymen and stationed the priests before the altar, he sent for those who were in the citadel.

32 And displaying the head of the vile Nicanor and the hand of the blasphemer, which he had boastfully stretched out against the holy house of the Almighty,

33 he cut out the tongue of the impious Nicanor and said he would give it piecemeal to the birds, and hang up the rewards of his folly opposite the temple.

34 And they all, looking toward heaven, blessed the Lord who had manifested himself, saying, "Blessed is he who has kept his own place undefiled."

35 And he hung Nicanor's head from the citadel, a sign, evident and manifest to all, of the help of the Lord.

36 And they all decreed by public vote never to let this day pass unobserved, but to keep as notable the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is called Adar in the Syrian tongue, the day before Mordecai's day.

37 Such, then, was the outcome of the affair of Nicanor, and since from those times the city has been held by the Hebrews, I too will here bring my account to an end.

38 If it is well and aptly composed, that is what I myself desired; but if poorly and indifferently, that was all I could attain.

39 For just as it is harmful to drink wine alone, and likewise water again, whereas wine mixed with water is sweet and produces a delightful pleasure, so also the style of the composition delights the ears of those who read the work. And here shall be the end.