that became popular in the Hellenistic period. Aristeas here puts on display his command of Greek literary practices, evidently familiar also to his Jewish readership.
\nThe third section consists largely of a speech by Eleazer, in which he explains at length some of the more unusual customs of the Jews, setting them scornfully against the idolatry of the Greeks and stressing the distinctiveness and superiority of the Jews. Aristeas here subtly and perhaps mischievously subverts some of the impression given in the earlier sections about the convergence of the cultures.
\nThe fourth portion, the longest and thus evidently one to which readers are expected to pay special attention, is the description of the symposium (par. 172\u2013300). The description of the weeklong question- and-answer session features repetitive, clich\u00e9-ridden questions, numbing and gratuitous allusions to God, and the comical deference of the king, all of which exhibit the author\u2019s cynical manipulation of a standard Greek institution (the symposium).
\nThe final section (par. 300\u2013322) at last gets to the translation itself. Aristeas describes the deliberations of the scholars in a fashion reminiscent of the type of scholarship practiced in the Alexandrian Museum, again showing off his learning. And the conclusion of the treatise, with its stress on the definitive character of the translation and its warm welcome by the Jewish community of Alexandria, affirms the authority of the LXX for Diaspora Jews everywhere.
\nAristeas delivers his narrative in a sober and serious tone. Yet a closer reading can detect an undertone of oblique mockery and subversiveness. The portrait of Ptolemy II Philadelphus provides an example. Although the text stresses his munificence, his cultivated tastes, and his encouragement that made the whole enterprise possible, it also leaves a more cynical impression. The king\u2019s awestruck posture (bowing seven times to the scrolls of the Law, supplying extravagant gifts to the Temple, providing a kosher meal for the visitors, praising the answer of every Jewish scholar no matter how banal, and ordering an annual festival to commemorate the translation) borders on caricature. The author even injects a surprising number of subtle and indirect criticisms of Ptolemy, his extravagance, his acquisitiveness, his inconsistent attitudes, and his gullibility. The Letter exhibits nuanced angles, wide learning, and diverse objectives.<\/p>\n
SUGGESTED READING<\/p>\n
Barclay, J. M. G. Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora from Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE to 117 CE) Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1996, 138\u201350.
\nBickerman, E. J. The Jews in the Greek Age. Cambridge ma: Harvard University Press, 1988, 101\u201316.
\nDines, J. M. The Septuagint. London: T. & T. Clark, 2004, 27\u201339.
\nGruen, E. S. Heritage and Hellenism: The Reinvention of Jewish Tradition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998, 206\u201322.
\nHadas, M. Aristeas to Philocrates (Letter of Aristeas). New York: Harper Brothers, for the Dropsie College of Hebrew and Cognate Learning, 1951, 1\u201390.
\nHonigman, S. The Septuagint and Homeric Scholarship in Alexandria: A Study in the Narrative of the Letter of Aristeas. London: Routledge, 2003.
\nJohnson, S. R. Historical Fictions and Hellenistic Jewish Identity. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004, 11\u201313, 34\u201338.
\nSch\u00fcrer, E. The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 BC to 135 AD). Revised edition, vol. 3, pt. 1, by G. Vermes, F. Millar, and M. Goodman. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1986, 677\u201387.
\nWasserstein, A., and D. J. Wasserstein. The Legend of the Septuagint: From Classical Antiquity to Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, 1\u201350.<\/p>\n
TRANSLATION<\/p>\n
1Inasmuch as the account of our deputation to Eleazar, the High Priest of the Jews, is worth narrating, Philocrates, and because you set a high value, as you constantly remind me, on hearing the motives and purposes of our mission, I have endeavored to set the matter forth clearly. I appreciate your characteristic love of learning, 2for it is indeed man\u2019s highest function \u201cever to add knowledge, ever to acquire it,\u201d either through researches or by actual experience of affairs. It is thus that a pure state of soul is fashioned, by seizing upon what is fairest; and in its pursuit of piety, the greatest good of all, it enjoys an unerring gauge for its guidance. 3It was because of my predilection for the careful study of religious matters that I offered myself for the embassy to the man mentioned above, who is highly esteemed both by his countrymen and by others for his worth and renown, and who possesses the greatest usefulness for his countrymen, those with him and those in other places, for the translation of the divine Law, for it exists among them written on parchments in Hebrew characters. 4This embassy, then, I undertook with alacrity, when I had seized the opportunity of speaking to the king concerning those who had been transported to Egypt from Judaea by the king\u2019s father when he first acquired possession of the city and took over the government of Egypt. It is worthwhile to inform you of these things also. 5I am confident that you in particular, because of your tendency toward holiness and the outlook of those men who live according to the holy Law, will gladly listen to what I purpose to reveal, for you have only lately come over to us from the island and are eager to hear whatever contributes to the soul\u2019s edification. 6On a previous occasion also I transmitted to you an exposition of matters I deemed worthy of record concerning the race of the Jews which I received from the most erudite High Priests in the most erudite land of Egypt. 7To you who are a lover of learning in matters capable of benefiting the mind it is right to communicate these things. Gladly would I communicate them to all who are like-minded, but in particular to you, whose convictions are genuine and who are not only proven my natural brother in character but also at one with me in striving for the good. 8For neither the charm of gold nor any other of the embellishments prized by the vainglorious confers as great benefit as education and attention devoted to culture. But not to weary you with a long extended introduction, I shall resume the thread of my narrative.
\n9When Demetrius of Phalerum was put in charge of the king\u2019s library he was assigned large sums of money with a view to collecting, if possible, all the books in the world; and by arranging purchases and transcriptions he carried the king\u2019s design to completion as far as he was able. 10When he was asked, in my presence, about how many thousands of books were already collected, he replied, \u201cAbove two hundred thousand, Your Majesty; and in a short while I shall exert every effort for the remainder, to round out the number of half a million. I am informed that the laws of the Jews also are worthy of transcription and of being included in your library.\u201d 11\u201cWhat is to prevent you from doing so?\u201d the king replied; \u201call the necessary means are at your disposal.\u201d But Demetrius said, \u201cTranslation is required; in the country of the Jews they use a peculiar script, just as the Egyptians employ their arrangements of letters, and they have their own language. They are supposed to use Syrian, but that is not the case, for theirs is another dialect.\u201d When the king learned these particulars, he gave word that a letter should be addressed to the High Priest of the Jews, in order that the design above mentioned might be carried to completion.
\n12 Now I thought was the opportune moment for proffering the matter concerning which I had often petitioned Sosibius of Tarentum and Andreas, chiefs of the bodyguard, namely, the emancipation of those who had been carried away from Judaea by the king\u2019s father. He had overrun the whole of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, exploiting his good fortune and prowess, and had transplanted some and made others captive, reducing all to subjection by terror; it was on this occasion that he transported more than a hundred thousand persons from the country of the Jews to Egypt. 13Of these he armed some thirty thousand chosen men and settled them in garrisons in the country. Previously many had come into the country along with the Persian, and even before this others had been sent out as auxiliaries to fight in the army of Psammetichus against the king of the Ethiopians; but these were not so numerous a body as Ptolemy son of Lagus transported. 14As has been said, then, he selected and armed those that were fittest in age and outstanding in ruggedness, but the remaining bulk, those too old and too young and also the women, he reduced to bondage, not out of his own individual choice indeed, but because he was overborne by his soldiers, in return for the services which they had rendered in military action.
\nNow when I had procured a pretext for their release, as signified above, I addressed arguments to the king somewhat as follows: 15\u201cSurely it would be illogical, Your Majesty, to be proven inconsistent by our deeds. For inasmuch as the legislation which we propose not only to transcribe but also to translate is laid down for all Jews, what justification shall we have for our mission when a large multitude subsists in slavery in your realm? Rather with a perfect and bountiful spirit release those who are afflicted in wretchedness, for the same God who has given them their law guides your kingdom also, as I have learned in my researches. 16God, the overseer and creator of all things, whom they worship, is he whom all men worship, and we too, Your Majesty, though we address him differently, as Zeus and Dis; by these names men of old not unsuitably signified that he through whom all creatures receive life and come into being is the guide and lord of all. Surpass all men, then, in magnanimity of spirit, and grant liberty to those oppressed in bondage.\u201d
\n17The king refrained himself for a little while, and I prayed inwardly to God to dispose his mind for a general release. Human beings, since they are creatures of God, are by him turned and swayed; and therefore repeatedly and in various terms I called upon him who rules the heart that the king might be constrained to fulfill my petition. 18For I had high hope, in presenting an argument concerning the deliverance of men, that God would effect the fulfillment of my petition; when men piously believe that what they do is for the sake of justice and the promotion of good deeds, then God, who is LORD of all, guides their actions and their designs. 19The king then raised his head, showing a friendly countenance, and said, \u201cHow many thousands do you suppose there will be?\u201d Andreas, who was standing in attendance, declared, \u201cA little more than a hundred thousand.\u201d \u201cIt is but a small matter indeed,\u201d the king said, \u201cthat Aristeas asks of us.\u201d Sosibius and others of those present said, \u201cSurely it is worthy of your magnanimity that you dedicate the release of these people as a thank offering to God the Greatest.\u201d Greatly as you have been honored by him who rules all things, and greatly as you have been distinguished above your forefathers, it is fitting if you make your thank offering very great.\u201d 20The king was delighted, and ordered that an addition be made to the soldiers\u2019 stipends, that twenty drachmas be paid for each slave, that a decree should be issued concerning these matters, and the registers be constituted forthwith. Generous was the zeal he displayed; God fulfilled our whole desire and constrained him to liberate not only those who had accompanied his father\u2019s army, but also any that were there previously or had been brought into the kingdom subsequently. It was pointed out that the donation was in excess of four hundred talents.
\n21I think it not unprofitable to put the text of the decree on record. Thus the munificence of the king, whom God enabled to become a means of deliverance to a numerous multitude, will be far more manifest and explicit. It ran as follows: 22\u201cAll persons who took the field with our father against the regions of Syria and Phoenicia and in the invasion of the country of the Jews came into possession of Jewish slaves and have brought them over to our city and country or have sold them to others\u2014and likewise if any such were in the country previously or introduced subsequently\u2014those holding them shall release them straightway, receiving forthwith compensation of twenty drachmas for each slave, the soldiers with the payment of their stipend, and others from the royal bank. 23For it is our belief that these persons were made prisoner contrary to the will of our father and to propriety, and that it was to military recklessness that the despoliation of their country and the removal of the Jews themselves to Egypt was due. The booty which accrued to the soldiers on the field of battle was sufficient; hence the further oppression of the people was wholly inequitable. 24Therefore, since it is our professed purpose to award justice to all men, and more particularly to those who are unreasonably tyrannized, and since we strive in every respect to deal fairly with all men in accordance with justice and piety, we have decreed that so many Jewish persons as are held in bondage in whatever manner anywhere in the kingdom their owners shall release upon receipt of the stipulated sum. No one shall be in any way negligent in the discharge of this obligation. Lists shall be submitted to the officials placed in charge of this matter within three days from the posting up of this decree, and the persons involved shall be produced at once. 25For we have determined that it is advantageous both for ourselves and for the realm for this business to be accomplished. Any who wish may give information concerning recalcitrants, on condition that the informer acquire ownership of the culprit; the property of the defaulters shall be confiscated to the royal purse.\u201d
\n26The decree as submitted to be read over to the king contained all the rest with the exception of the clause \u201cIf any such were in the country previously or introduced subsequently,\u201d and the king himself, indulging his munificence and magnanimity, made the addition. He also ordered that the several amounts be assigned in a lump sum to the paymasters of the forces and to the royal bankers. 27Thus the matter was decreed and went into force in seven days. The grant amounted to more than six hundred and sixty talents, for many children at the breast were emancipated along with their mothers. When the question was raised whether the sum of twenty drachmas should be paid out for these also, the king ordered that this should be done, so completely did he give effect to his decision in every detail.
\n28Now when this business was finished, he bade Demetrius to submit a statement concerning the transcription of the Jewish books. These kings used to administer all their business through decrees and with great precaution; nothing was done negligently or casually. I have therefore put on record copies of the memorial and the letters and also an inventory of the lavish gifts and a description of each, for each was outstanding in magnificence and artistic execution. Here is the copy of the memorial:
\n29\u201cTo the great king, from Demetrius: At Your Majesty\u2019s bidding with respect to the completion of the collection of books in the library, that those which are wanting should be added to the collection and that those in disrepair should receive the proper attention, my efforts in the charge have not been cursory, and I now submit the following statement to you. 30The books of the Law of the Jews together with some few others are wanting. It happens that they are written in Hebrew characters and in the Hebrew tongue, and they have been committed to writing somewhat carelessly and not adequately, according to the testimony of experts, for they have never benefited by a king\u2019s forethought. 31It is necessary that these books too, in an emended form, should be given a place in your library, for their legislation is most philosophical and flawless, inasmuch as it is divine. It is for this reason that authors and poets and the mass of historians have abstained from mentioning these aforesaid books and the men who have lived and are living in accordance with them, because the views set forth in them have a certain holiness and sanctity, as Hecataeus of Abdera says. 32If it seems good to Your Majesty, therefore, a letter shall be written to the High Priest at Jerusalem requesting him to dispatch elders who have led exemplary lives and are expert in their own law, six from each tribe, so that when we have examined wherein the majority agree and have obtained an accurate translation we may lay it up in a distinguished manner worthy of the subject matter and of your benevolence. Fare well forever.\u201d
\n33When this memorial had been submitted, the king bade that a letter be written to Eleazar concerning these matters, informing him also of the liberation of the captives. For the construction of bowls and flagons and a table and libation cups he presented gold fifty talents in weight and seventy talents of silver and a great quantity of stones\u2014he bade the treasurers allow the craftsmen to select the materials they preferred\u2014and for sacrifices and other purposes he presented as much as a hundred talents of coined money.
\n34Of the construction of the gifts I shall give you an account when I have done with the copies of the letters. The purport of the king\u2019s letter was as follows:
\n35\u201cKing Ptolemy to Eleazar the High Priest, greeting and good health. Whereas it is come about that many Jews have been settled in our country, some forcibly removed from Jerusalem by the Persians during their period of power and others who came into Egypt as captives in the train of our father\u201436of these he enrolled many in the armed forces at higher than ordinary pay, and likewise when he judged their chief men to be loyal he gave them fortresses which he built, so that the native Egyptians might be in awe of them; and we too, since we have assumed the realm, meet all men in a very humane manner but your countrymen to a special degree\u201437we, then, have given liberty to above a hundred thousand captives, paying their owners proper market prices and making good whatever injury may have been inflicted through the impulses of the mob. Our resolve in this matter was to do a pious deed and to dedicate a thank offering to God the Most High, who has preserved our kingdom in tranquility and in the mightiest esteem throughout the inhabited world. Those in the flower of their age, moreover, we have enrolled in our forces, and to those capable of being about our person and worthy of the trust of the royal court we have assigned offices of state. 38Now since we desire to show favor to these and to all the Jews in the world and to their posterity we have resolved that your Law should be translated into Greek writing from the Hebrew tongue in use among you, so that these writings should find a place in our library along with other royal books. 39It will be a courteous act, therefore, and one worthy of our own zeal if you will choose elders of exemplary life who possess skill in the law and ability to translate, six from each tribe, so that it may be discovered wherein the majority agree, for the investigation concerns a matter of great weight. We think that we shall bear off great renown by the accomplishment of this task. 40We have sent upon this business Andreas, of the keepers of the bodyguard, and Aristeas, men whom we hold in honor, to converse with you. They bring with them dedicatory offerings for the Temple, and for sacrifices and other purposes a hundred talents of silver. And if you should write us concerning any desires of yours, you would gratify us and act as friendship requires; be assured that your wishes shall be fulfilled most speedily. Farewell.\u201d
\n41To this letter Eleazar replied as well as might be in the terms following: \u201cEleazar the High Priest to his true friend King Ptolemy, greeting. Yourself fare well, and Queen Arsinoe your sister, and the children; so will it be well and as we wish; we too are in good health. 42When we received your letter we rejoiced greatly because of your resolution and your goodly plan, and we assembled our entire people and read it out to them, in order that they might know the piety you cherish for our God. We displayed also the flagons which you sent, twenty of gold and thirty of silver, the five bowls, the table for dedication, and for the offering of sacrifices and whatever repairs the Temple might require a hundred talents of silver. 43These gifts were brought by Andreas, who holds a place of honor with you, and by Aristeas, true gentlemen both, outstanding in culture, and in every respect worthy of your own conduct and righteousness. They have also communicated your message to us, and from our lips have heard a reply in accordance with your letter. 44Whatever is to your advantage, even if it be contrary to nature, we shall hearken; for to do so is a mark of friendship and affection. You too have vouchsafed our countrymen great and unforgettable benefits in many ways. 45We have therefore straightway offered sacrifices on your behalf and on behalf of your sister and children and friends, and the entire multitude prayed that your affairs might always turn out as you desire, and that God LORD of all might preserve your kingdom in peace with honor, and that the transcription of the holy Law might come about to your advantage and with security. 46And in the presence of all we selected elders good and true, six from each tribe, with whom we have sent the book of the Law. We shall be obliged to you, righteous king, if you enjoin that when the transcription of the books is completed the men may be restored to us again in safety. Farewell.\u201d
\n47Their names are, of the first tribe, Joseph, Hezekiah, Zechariah, Johanan, Hezekiah, Elisha; of the second, Judah, Simeon, Samuel, Adaiah, Mattathias, Eschlemias; of the third, Nehemiah, Joseph, Theodosius, Besai, Araunah, Dakis; 48of the fourth, Jonathan, Heber, Elisha, Hananiah, Zechariah, Hilkiah; of the fifth, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Sabbatai, Simeon, Levi; of the sixth, Judah, Joseph, Simeon, Zechariah, Samuel, Selemiah; 49of the seventh, Sabbatai, Zedekiah, Jacob, Isaac, Jesse, Nattai; of the eighth, Theodosius, Jason, Joshua, Theodotus, Johanan, Jonathan; of the ninth, Theophilus, Abraham, Arsamus, Jason, Endemias, Daniel; 50of the tenth, Jeremiah, Eliezer, Zechariah, Baneas, Elisha, Dathaius; of the eleventh, Samuel, Joseph, Judah, Jonathan, Caleb, Dositheus; of the twelfth, Isael, Johanan, Theodosius, Arsamus, Abietes, Ezekiel. In all, seventy-two.\u201d 51Such, then, was the reply to the king\u2019s letter given by Eleazar and his colleagues.
\nI shall now give a detailed description of the works of art, as I promised. They were wrought with extraordinary artistry, for the king made generous grants and supervised the craftsmen at every step, so that they could neglect no part of the work or perform it indifferently. First I shall explain the construction of the table. 52Originally the king was eager to build it up to colossal dimensions, but he ordered inquiries to be made of persons in the locality concerning the size of the previous table which stood in the Temple at Jerusalem, 53and when they reported the proportions he inquired further whether he should build on a larger scale. Some informants, both priests and others, said there was nothing to prevent him, but he declared that he wished, indeed, to increase the proportions fivefold, but that he doubted whether such a table might be useless for priestly ministrations. 54It was not his desire that his offering should merely be deposited in the Temple; it would afford him far greater satisfaction if the appropriate ministrations were duly performed by the proper ministers upon the furniture which he had provided. 55Nor, he added, was it for lack of gold that the proportions of the earlier work had been made small, but it was apparently for some reason that the scale was thus limited. If there had been authority for it, there would have been no skimping. Hence the correct measure must neither be deviated from nor surpassed. 56But as for diversity in artistic ingenuity, he ordered that it be applied in lavish measure, for his own conceptions were majestic and he possessed an excellent natural gift for perceiving the effects objects would present. Where there was no prescription in Scripture he ordered the construction to follow principles of beauty; where there were written prescriptions their measurements were to be adhered to.
\n57And so they fashioned a table \u201ctwo cubits in length and a cubit and a half in height,\u201d making the construction \u201cof pure gold\u201d and solid on every side; I mean, gold was not overlaid upon other material, but a solid metal plate was put in place. 58And they made \u201ca border of a handbreadth round about,\u201d with \u201crails that revolved\u201d bearing a design of ropes worked in relief, the design being marvelously engraved on the three sides, for the rails were triangular. 59Upon each side the fashioning of the design had the same arrangement, so that whichever way they were the appearance they presented was the same; as the rail rested on the border, the slope toward the table itself was beautifully worked, though it was the outward slope which met the eye of one approaching. 60Thus it came about that in whichever direction it was turned the bevel where the two slopes met held the uppermost place, since, as we have said, it was constructed in triangular form. There were arrangements of precious stones in the rail itself, between the rope work; set one stone beside another, the braid they formed was inimitable. 61All were fastened by golden pins through perforations for security, and at the angles clamps bound them firmly in place. 62Along the border round about, slanting upward to the view, an egg pattern set with precious stones was worked; this was excellently modeled with regular embossed flutings arranged close by one another around the whole table. 63Beneath the raised pattern of the egg design the craftsmen made a garland of all kinds of fruit; visibly projecting were clusters of grapes and ears of grain, and also dates and apples, olives and pomegranates, and the like. They worked stones of the colors of the several species to resemble the shapes of the fruits mentioned, and attached them to the gold around the sides of the whole table. 64Next to the system of the garland there was work similar to that of the egg pattern and the rest of the fluted and relief work, for the table was made for use on either side according to choice, so that the rail and the border were in position in the portion toward the feet also. 65For they made the solid metal sheet, four fingers in thickness over the whole breadth of the table, in such a way that the legs could be inserted in it, these being fitted with pins and clamps to be attached to the border, so that the table might be used on either surface, according to choice. In appearance, then, an identical aspect was presented, the construction being ambivalent.
\n66On the surface of the table they worked a meander pattern in relief, with precious stones of many sorts projecting in its midst, carbuncles and emeralds and also onyx and other species of outstanding beauty. 67Next to the arrangement of the meander there was placed a marvelous design of open network, which gave a rhombus-like effect to the middle of the table; inlaid into this were rock crystal and amber, affording spectators an inimitable sight.
\n68The legs they made with capitals of lily shape, the lilies making a bend underneath the table, and the upright leaves being the part in view. 69The base of the leg which rested on the floor was entirely of carbuncle, a handbreadth high and eight fingers in width, having the character of a shoe in appearance; upon it the whole mass of the leg rested. 70And they represented ivy intertwined with acanthus growing out of the stone and encircling the leg, together with a grapevine and its clusters, all worked in stone, right up to the top; the style of the four legs was the same. All the parts were carefully made and fitted, the ingenious art corresponding to truth to such a superlative degree that if a breath of wind blew, the leaves stirred in their place; so closely was every detail modeled on reality. 71The face of the table they made in three pieces, as it were a triptych, joined together by dovetailing secured with pegs in the thickness of the construction, and the junctures of the members they made invisible and undiscoverable. The thickness of the whole table was no less than half a cubit, so that the construction of the whole amounted to many talents. 72For since the king was resolved to add nothing to the dimensions, the expenditure that would have been necessary for a larger structure he devoted to greater elaboration; and the whole was completed in a marvelous and memorable style, according to his desire, inimitable in its art and superlative in its beauty.
\n73Of the bowls two were of gold construction, with a pattern of scales executed in relief from the base halfway up, and with stones artfully set between the scales. 74Then above this was a meander a cubit in height, with its surface wrought out of variegated stones, displaying elaborate skill along with beauty. Above this was channeling upon which was a plaiting of lozenges, presenting the aspect of net work up to the brim. 75In the middle were bosses of stones of different sorts, the kinds arranged alternately, not less than four fingers broad, and they were a crowning touch to the manifest beauty. On the crown of the brim a pattern of lilies with their blossoms and interwoven clusters of grapes was fashioned all around. 76Such was the construction of the bowls of gold, and they held above twenty gallons each. The silver bowls had a smooth surface, giving the effect, indeed, of a mirror, and remarkable for that very fact, so that anything brought near them was reflected more distinctly than in actual mirrors. 77But it is not possible to describe the true impression of the works of art when they had been completed. For when they were finished and the vessels were placed one after the other\u2014I mean first a silver bowl, then a gold, then again a silver and a gold\u2014the character of the spectacle was altogether indescribable, and those who came to view it could not tear themselves from it, so dazzling and entrancing was the sight. 78Variety was the keynote of the spectacle\u2019s effect. For if one looked at the gold work by itself there was enchantment together with astonishment as the mind was continually directed to each bit of artistry in succession. And again when one wished to turn his gaze to the display of silver vessels, everything around was brilliantly reflected, whatever position one took, and produced even greater delight in the spectators. So the artistry manifested in the works is wholly indescribable.
\n79The golden flagons they engraved with vine garlands in the middle, and around the lip they entwined in relief a wreath of ivy and myrtle and olive, setting it with precious stones. The rest of the relief work they carried out in assorted patterns, considering it a point of honor to make everything correspond to the majesty of the king\u2019s renown. 80In general, neither in the royal treasuries nor in any other was there the like of these works in costliness and artistic skill. No little thought was bestowed upon them by the king, for he loved reputation for things beautifully made. 81Frequently he would neglect public business and would carefully supervise the craftsmen, so that they might execute their productions in a matter befitting the place to which they were to be sent. Hence everything turned out magnificently, being worthy at once of the king who was sending them and of the High Priest who was the governor of the place. 82For so unstinting was the supply of stones, being large in size and no fewer than five thousand in number, and so supreme was the quality of workmanship in every detail, that the expenditure in stones and artistic workmanship was five-fold the value of the gold.
\n83I have presented the description of these gifts to you because I believed it was essential. What follows contains an account of our journey to Eleazar; but first I shall describe the position of the whole country. When we reached the region we beheld the city situated in the center of all Judaea upon a mountain which rises to a lofty height. 84Upon its crest stood the Temple in its splendor; and there were three encompassing walls, above seventy cubits in height and of a breadth and length in keeping with the structure of the edifice. The whole was built with a lavishness and sumptuousness beyond all precedent. 85From the construction of the doorway and its fastenings to the door-posts and the solidity of the lintel it was obvious that no expense had been spared. 86The style of the curtain corresponded in every respect to the door; especially when the fabric was kept in unceasing motion by the current of wind beneath, since, the current being from below, the curtain bulged out from the bottom to its highest extent, the spectacle was highly agreeable and hard to tear oneself from. 87The altar was built in keeping with the size of the place and of the offerings consumed upon it by fire, and the ascent was on a similar scale. The ascent was gradual, from a proper regard for decency, and the ministering priests were swathed in \u201ccoats of fine linen\u201d reaching to the ankles. 88The edifice looks toward the east, and its back to the west. The entire floor is paved with stones and slopes downward to the appropriate places, to admit the flushing with water in order to wash away the blood of the sacrifices; for many myriads of beasts are offered on the days of the festivals. 89The water supply is inexhaustible, for an abundant natural spring pours forth within the Temple area, and there are furthermore marvelous underground reservoirs passing description, to a distance of five stades, as was pointed out, round the foundations of the Temple; of these each had innumerable pipes, so that the various channels converged at the several reservoirs. 90The floors and sides of these reservoirs, they explained, were overlaid with lead, and above them a great mass of plaster was laid, everything being made secure. There are numerous outlets, they said, at the foot of the altar, invisible to all except those engaged in the ministration, so that the vast accumulation of sacrificial blood is cleansed away in the twinkling of an eye. 91I am myself convinced of the system of reservoirs, and I shall show how my belief was confirmed. They took me more than four stades out of the city, and at a certain place bade me bend over and listen to the rushing noise of the meeting of the waters. Thus the size of the cisterns was made evident to me, as I have described them.
\n92In its exhibition of strength and in its orderly and silent performance the ministration of the priests could in no way be surpassed. All of them, self-bidden, carry out labors involving great toil, and each has his appointed charge. Their service is unceasing, some attending to the wood, others the oil, others the fine wheat flour, others the business of spices, and still others the portions of flesh for burnt offerings, employing extraordinary strength in this task. 93For with both hands they grasp the legs of the calves, almost all of which weigh more than two talents each, and then with marvelous deftness they fling them to a considerable height with their two hands, and they never fail of placing the victim correctly. The portions of the sheep and the goats are similarly remarkable for their weight and fat, for always those whose business it is choose beasts that are flawless and especially plump, and then the procedure mentioned is carried out. 94For the rest there is a place set apart for them where those who are relieved from duty take seats. When this happens some of those who had had an interval of rest readily rise up, though no one gives an order for them to serve. 95Complete silence prevails, so that one might suppose that not a person was present in the place, though those performing the service amount to some seven hundred\u2014besides the great multitude of persons bringing sacrifices to be offered\u2014but everything is done with reverence and in a manner worthy of the great divinity.
\n96We were struck with great astonishment when we beheld Eleazar at his ministration, and his apparel, and the visible glory conferred by his being garbed in the \u201ccoat\u201d which he wears and the stones that adorn his person. For there are \u201cbells of gold\u201d upon the \u201cskirts of the robe\u201d giving out a peculiar musical sound, and on either side of these are \u201cpomegranates\u201d broidered \u201cwith flowers,\u201d marvelously colorful. 97He was girt with a rich and magnificent \u201cgirdle,\u201d woven with the most beautiful colors. And \u201cupon his breast\u201d he wears what is called the \u201coracle,\u201d in which are set \u201ctwelve stones\u201d of various species, soldered with gold, with \u201cthe names\u201d of the heads of the tribes, according to their original constitution, each of them flashing forth indescribably with the natural color of its own peculiar character. 98Upon his head he has the \u201ctiara\u201d as it is called, and on top of this the inimitable \u201cmitre,\u201d bearing \u201cengraven\u201d in sacred letters upon a \u201cplate of gold\u201d set between his eyebrows the name of God filled with glory. He is adjudged worthy of these things in his ministrations. 99The total effect of the whole arouses awe and emotional excitement, so that one would think he had passed to some other sphere outside the world. I venture to affirm positively that any man who witnesses the spectacle I have recounted will experience amazement and astonishment indescribable, and his mind will be deeply moved at the sanctity attaching to every detail.
\n100To obtain a thorough knowledge of everything we ascended the citadel of the city which lies hard by and looked about. It is situated on a very lofty spot and is fortified with a number of towers which are built of large blocks of stone right up to the very top, as a protection, so we were informed, for the precincts of the Temple, 101so that in case of any attack or revolution or enemy invasion no one could make his way into the walls which encompass the Temple. On the towers of the citadel are set artillery and various other engines of war, and their lofty eminence commands the aforesaid walls. 102The towers are guarded, furthermore, by the most loyal of men, who have given demonstrative proof of devotion to their country. These men had orders not to quit the citadel, except on festivals, and then only by turns, nor did they permit anyone to enter. 103Very scrupulous care was exercised even when they received an order from their leader to admit any visitors and sightseers, as happened in our case, for though we were unarmed and only two, they would barely admit us to study the arrangements for the sacrifices. 104They said they were pledged to such conduct by oaths: they had all sworn, and of necessity and religious scruple they fulfilled the stipulation of their oath, that though they were five hundred they would not admit more than five persons at the same time; for the citadel was the whole defense of the Temple, and he that founded it had thus secured its protection.
\n105The extent of the city is moderate, its compass being about forty stades, as far as one may conjecture. In the position of its towers and of the thoroughfares, some of which appear above and some below, with the cross-streets cutting through them, it has the familiar aspects of a theater, for, the city being built upon a mountain, its parts rise above one another, 106and there are stairs to the thoroughfares. Some persons make their way at the higher level and some underneath, and they are careful to keep apart as they go, so that those in a state of purification may touch nothing improper.
\n107Not without reason did the original founders build their city of convenient proportions, but with wise insight. For the country is large and good, and some parts, those in Samaria so-called and those adjacent to the Idumaeans\u2019 country, are level plain, but others, in the center, are mountainous, and unremitting attention to agriculture and care of the soil is essential for these latter parts to obtain crops in plenty also. Since such attention is given, the whole of the aforementioned country is cultivated in various ways and with abundant yield. 108In cities that have great size and consequently prosperity it has come about that their population is teeming while the countryside is neglected, because everyone is minded to seek enjoyment, all men being constitutionally prone to pleasure. 109This is what happened to Alexandria, which surpasses all other cities in size and wealth. People from the country visiting the city and then remaining there for a long while reduced agriculture to a sorry pass. 110Hence the king, to prevent their remaining, ordained that their sojourns should not exceed twenty days, and he also issued injunctions in writing to the officials that if it were necessary to summon any their cases were to be decided within five days. 111Considering the matter of great importance, he ordained that judges of assizes with their bailiffs sit in every district, so that the farmers and their agents might not, while seeking profits, diminish the city\u2019s granary, I mean the produce of agriculture.
\n112We have been led to this digression by the admirable exposition of the matters dealt with which we received from Eleazar. The diligence of their agriculturists is indeed great. Their country is plentifully wooded with numerous olive trees, and rich in cereal crops and pulse, and also in vines and honey. Date palms and other fruit trees are beyond reckoning among them. 113They have plentiful cattle of all varieties, and their pastures are lush. Hence they recognized that the rural districts required a dense population, and they laid the city and the villages out in proportion. 114A great volume of spices, precious stones, and gold is brought into the region by the Arabs. For the country is adapted for commerce as well as agriculture, and the city is rich in crafts and lacks none of the things imported by sea. 115It also has harbors well situated to supply its needs, those at Ascalon, Joppa, and Gaza, and likewise Ptolemais, which was founded by the king. It is centrally located with reference to the places just mentioned, and not far distant from them. The country enjoys everything in abundance, being well watered everywhere and possessing great security. 116Around it flows the river called Jordan, whose stream never fails. Originally the country comprised no less than six million aroura (but afterward the neighboring peoples encroached upon it) and six hundred thousand men each became holders of hundred-aroura lots. About the time of harvest the river rises, like the Nile, and irrigates much of the land. 117The stream empties into another river in the district of Ptolemais, and this flows into the sea. Other mountain torrents, as they are called, flow down and take in the parts about Gaza and the district of Azotus. 118The country is encircled by natural defenses, so that it is hard to penetrate and impracticable for large numbers, because the passes are narrow, being flanked by steep cliffs and deep ravines; the whole mountain range which surrounds the entire country is rugged.
\n119It was also said that there were originally mines of copper and iron in the adjacent mountains of Arabia. But these mines fell into disuse at the time of the Persian rule, those in charge at the time spreading the false report that their exploitation was unprofitable and extravagant, 120in order to prevent the country from being spoiled for the sake of mining the said metals and possibly being expropriated by the power of the Persians; by raising the false report they removed the occasion for their entering those regions.<\/p>\n
I have now given you such a summary description of these matters as was essential, my dear brother Philocrates, and in what follows I shall give you an account of the translation. 121Eleazar, then, selected men most excellent and of outstanding scholarship, to be expected in persons of such distinguished parentage. They had not only acquired proficiency in the literature of the Jews, but had bestowed no slight study on that of the Greeks also. 122They were therefore well qualified to be sent on embassies, and performed this office whenever there was need. They possessed great natural talent for conferences and discussions pertaining to the Law. They zealously cultivated the quality of the mean (and that is the best course), and eschewing a crude and uncouth disposition, they likewise avoided conceit and the assumption of superiority over others. In conversation it was their principle to listen attentively and to reply appropriately to every question. All of them observed this behavior, and it was in such conduct that they most desired to surpass one another; all were worthy of their leader and of his virtue. 123One could see how they loved Eleazar and he them from the distress of their parting. Besides writing the king on the subject of their safe return, Eleazar besought Andreas and me too to exert our efforts in the matter as far as we were able. 124And though we promised to take careful heed of the matter he said he was still deeply distressed, for he knew how the king in his love of excellence regarded it a very great gain, wherever he heard of a man surpassing others in culture and intellect, to summon him to himself. 125Indeed I have heard of a fine saying of his, that by having about himself just and prudent men he would have the greatest protection for his kingdom, for friends frankly advise what is best. This was surely true of the men Eleazar sent. 126And he pledged his word on oath that he would not let the men go if there were any other need of a private nature that impelled him; it was only for the common benefit of all his countrymen that he was sending them on this mission. 127A good life, he said, consists in the observance of the laws, and this is attained by hearkening much better than by reading. From these and similar remarks that he added it is evident what his disposition toward these men was.
\n128It is worthwhile to mention briefly the explanations he gave in reply to our inquiries, for I believe that most men feel some curiosity concerning passages in the law dealing with food and drink, and animals regarded as unclean. 129When we inquired, then, why it was that, creation being one, some things are regarded as unclean for food and some even to the touch (for the Law is scrupulous in most things, but in these doubly scrupulous), he began his reply as follows:
\n130\u201cYou observe what far-reaching effects are exercised by conversation and association; by associating with the evil, men become perverted and are miserable through all of life; but if they consort with the wise and prudent, then from a state of ignorance they acquire amendment for their lives. 131Our lawgiver, then, in the first place laid down the principles of piety and justice and expounded them point by point, not alone by prohibitions but by commandments, and he made clear the discomfitures and visitations that would be inflicted by God upon the guilty. 132But first of all he taught that God is one, and that his power is made manifest in all things, and that every place is filled with his sovereignty, and that nothing done by men on earth secretly escapes his notice, but that all that anyone does and all that is to be is manifest to him. 133When he had elaborated these points and made them plain he showed that even if a man but think of compassing some evil, and not alone if he actually do it, he could not escape notice; thus throughout the Law he displayed the power of God.
\n134\u201cAfter he set down these premises he showed that all other men except ourselves believe that there are many gods, though they are themselves much more powerful than the gods they vainly revere. 135They make idols of stone and wood and declare that these are images of persons who made discoveries useful in life, and these they worship, though their senselessness is obvious. 136That anyone should be made a god because of some invention he has contrived is altogether foolish; for such persons only took things already created and put them together and showed that they possessed further usefulness, but they did not themselves create the objects. Hence to deify men like themselves is idle and foolish. 137Even at this day there are many who are more inventive and more learned than the men of old, and yet they would never hasten to worship them. And yet those who devise and fashion such fables consider that they are the wisest of the Greeks. 138What need even to speak of other infatuated people, Egyptians and their like, who have put their reliance in wild beasts and most creeping creatures and animals, and worship these, and to these offer sacrifice, whether alive or dead?
\n139\u201cWhen therefore our lawgiver, equipped by God for insight into all things, had surveyed each particular, he fenced us about with impregnable palisades and with walls of iron, to the end that we should mingle in no way with any of the other nations, remaining pure in body and in spirit, emancipated from vain opinions, revering the one and mighty God above the whole of creation. 140Whence the priests who are the guides of the Egyptians, have looked closely into many things and are conversant with affairs, have named us \u201cmen of God,\u201d a title applicable to none others but only to him who reveres the true God. The rest are men of food and drink and raiment, 141for their whole disposition has recourse to these things. With our countrymen, however, these things are reckoned as of nothing worth, but throughout the whole of life their contemplation is of the sovereignty of God. 142And therefore, so that we should be polluted by none nor be infected with perversions by associating with worthless persons, he has hedged us about on all sides with prescribed purifications in matters of food and drink and touch and hearing and sight. 143In general all things are to the natural reason similarly constituted, being all administered by a single power, and yet in each and every case there is a profound logic for our abstinence from the use of some things and our participation in the use of others. For the sake of illustration I will run over one or two details and provide an explanation.
\n144\u201cDo not accept the exploded [discredited] idea that it was out of regard for \u201cmice\u201d and the \u201cweasel\u201d and other such creatures that Moses ordained these laws with such scrupulous care; not so, these laws have all been solemnly drawn up for the sake of justice, to promote holy contemplation and the perfecting of character. 145For of the winged creatures of which we make use all are gentle and distinguished by cleanliness and they feed on grain and pulse, such as pigeons, doves, locusts, partridges, and also geese and all similar fowl. 146But of the winged creatures which are forbidden you will find that they are wild and carnivorous and with their strength oppress the rest and procure their food with injustice at the expense of the tame fowl mentioned above. And not only these, but they also seize lambs and kids, and they do violence to men too, both the dead and the living. 147Through these creatures then, by calling them \u201cunclean,\u201d he set up a symbol that those for whom the legislation was drawn up must practice righteousness in spirit and oppress no one, trusting in their own strength, nor rob anyone of anything, but must guide their lives in accordance with justice, just as the gentle creatures among the birds above mentioned consume pulses that grow upon the earth and do not tyrannize to the destruction of their kindred.
\n148\u201cBy such examples, then, the lawgiver has commended to men of understanding a symbol that they must be just and achieve nothing by violence, nor, confiding in their own strength, must they oppress others. 149For if it is lawful not even to touch the creatures aforementioned because of their several natures, how must we not in every way guard our characters from degenerating to a similar state? 150All the regulations concerning what is permissible with reference to these and other creatures, then, he has set forth by way of allegory. For the \u201cparting of the hoof\u201d and the \u201ccloven foot\u201d is a symbol to discriminate in each of our actions with a view to what is right; 151for the strength of the whole body and its energy depend upon the shoulders and legs. He constrains, us by taking note through these symbols, to do all things with discrimination and with a view to righteousness. An additional signification is that we are set apart from all men. 152For most of the rest of mankind defile themselves by their promiscuous unions, working great unrighteousness, and whole countries and cities pride themselves on these vices. Not only do they have intercourse with males, but they even defile mothers and daughters. But we have been kept apart from such things.
\n153 \u201cFurther, men who possess the aforementioned trait of separation the lawgiver has characterized as possessing the trait of memory also. For \u201cwhatsoever parteth the hoof and cheweth the cud\u201d to thinking men clearly signifies memory. 154For the chewing of the cud is nothing else than recalling life and its subsistence, since life appears to subsist through taking food. 155And therefore does he admonish us through Scripture, when he says, \u201cThou shalt well remember what great and marvelous things the LORD thy God did in thee\u201d; when clearly understood they do indeed appear \u201cgreat and glorious.\u201d In the first place there is the articulation of the body and the means for digesting food, and the distribution of the members, 156but much more does the orderly arrangement of the senses, the working and invisible movement of the intellect, its acuteness in conforming action to any situation and its discovery of arts, indicate infinite scope. 157Therefore he exhorts us to bear in mind that the capacities mentioned are preserved in their ordering by divine power. For every time and every place he has appointed for calling to mind continually God the ruler and preserver. 158For instance, in the case of food and drink he bids us partake of them after having first offered a portion as sacrifice. Yes, and he has set us a mark of remembrance in our clothing, and similarly he has ordained for us that we place the chapters \u201cupon our doorposts and gates\u201d to serve as a remembrance of God. 159And he has expressly bidden us to \u201cbind them for a sign upon the hands,\u201d signifying plainly that every action must be carried out with justice and that we must retain remembrance of our composition and above all fear of God. 160He bids us to meditate upon God\u2019s devisings \u201cwhen thou liest down and when thou risest up,\u201d not in word only but in reviewing in thought also the movement and impression men receive when they come to a state of sleep, and then their awakening, reflecting what a divine and incomprehensible thing this interchange is.
\n161 You have now received demonstration of the high worth of the doctrine concerning separation and memory, according to our exegesis of the parting of the hoof and the chewing of the cud. The legislation was not laid down at random or by some caprice of the mind, but with a view to truth and as a token of right reason. 162For by detailed injunctions concerning food and drink and touch he bids us to do nothing and hearken to nothing heedlessly, and not, by misusing the power of reason, to resort to injustice. 163In the case of animals too the same principle may be discovered. The character of \u201cthe weasel and the mouse\u201d and the rest of those enumerated is injurious. 164Mice ravage and injure everything, not only for their own feeding but in such a way that whatever they have set about injuring they make wholly useless to man. 165The breed of weasels is peculiar, for besides the propensity mentioned they have a defiling characteristic: they conceive through the ears and give birth through the mouth. 166And hence a similar characteristic in man is impure: when they have given body in speech to what they have received through hearing and have entangled others in evils, they have engendered no ordinary uncleanness and are themselves utterly tainted with the pollution of their impiety. Your king is quite right in putting such persons to death, as I am informed he does.\u201d
\n167And I said, \u201cI suppose you mean the informers; he does indeed consistently visit torments and painful forms of death upon them.\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d he replied, \u201cit is these men I mean. To watch for the destruction of men is an unholy thing. 168Our law forbids us to injure anyone, by word or deed.\u201d
\nThe points I have briefly run over have shown you that all these norms have been regulated with a view to justice and that nothing has been set down through Scripture heedlessly or in the spirit of myth, but rather in order that throughout our life and in our actions we may practice justice toward all men, being mindful of the sovereignty of God. 169All that is said of food, then, and of unclean creeping things and of animals is directed toward justice and just intercourse among men.
\n170To me he seemed to make a defense in every respect excellent. With reference to the calves and rams and he-goats which were brought for sacrifice he added, moreover, that men must take these from the herds and flocks, and must sacrifice tame animals and nothing wild, so that those who offer the sacrifices, bearing in mind the symbolic meaning of the legislator, might be conscious of no arrogance in themselves. For it is of the entire character of his own soul that he who brings a sacrifice makes offering. 171His discourse on these matters too I believe it is worthwhile to set down. And therefore have I have been induced, knowing your love of learning, my dear Philocrates, to clarify the sanctity and the inherent character of the law.
\n172And so Eleazar, after he had offered sacrifice and had chosen the men and prepared many gifts for the king, sent us on our way in great security. 173When we reached Alexandria word of our arrival was brought to the king. Upon our admission to the court Andreas and I gave friendly greeting to the king and delivered the letters from Eleazar. 174Being very eager to receive the delegates, the king gave orders that all the other officials be dismissed, and that the men be summoned. 175This procedure struck everyone as strange, for it was the custom that that those who came on official business gained access to the royal presence on the fifth day, while visitors from kings and prominent cities were barely admitted to the court in thirty days. But he thought that these men who had come were worthy of higher honor and rightly judged the eminence of him who had sent them, and so, dismissing all persons he considered superfluous, he waited, walking to and fro, to greet them on their arrival. 176They entered, then, with the gifts which had been sent and the precious parchments in which the Law was inscribed in Jewish letters with writing of gold, the material being wonderfully worked and the joinings of the leaves being made imperceptible; and when the king saw the men he began to put questions concerning the books. 177When they had uncovered the rolls and had unrolled the parchments the king paused for a considerable space, and after bowing deeply some seven times said, \u201cI thank you, good sirs, and him that sent you even more, but most of all I thank God whose holy words these are.\u201d 178And when all with one accord, both those newly come and those already present, exclaimed in a single voice, \u201cExcellent, Your Majesty!\u201d he was moved to tears out of the fullness of his joy. For the strain of the spirit and the tension of honor constrain to tears upon attainment of success. 179He bade them put the rolls back in their places, and only then did he greet the men, saying, \u201cIt was right, my God-fearing friends, first to pay homage to those treasures for whose sake I summoned you, and thereafter to extend the right hand to you; therefore have I done this thing first. 180This day upon which you have come I regard as a great day, and each year through all the length of my life it shall be held in high esteem. It happens, moreover, to fall on the day of our victory over Antigonus in the battle at sea. Therefore I shall also wish to dine with you this day. 181Everything,\u201d he added, \u201cshall be prepared in keeping with your usages, and for me also along with you.\u201d When they had shown their satisfaction he ordered the best lodgings to be assigned to them, near the citadel, and the banquet to be made ready.
\n182And so the seneschal [steward] Nicanor summoned Dorotheus, in whose province these visitors fell, and ordered him to carry out the preparation in every particular. For such was the arrangement instituted by the king, which you may observe in use even now. For as many states as there are which employ special usages in drink and food and mode of reclining, so many officials were assigned, and then whenever guests visited the reigning king preparations were made according to their usages, so that there should be nothing to discomfort them and they could pass the time in good cheer. This practice was followed in the case of these visitors. 183The man Dorotheus was extremely attentive in his charge. He laid out all the stores under his administration which were set apart for the receptions of such guests. The couches he arranged in two rows, as the king had bidden; for he had ordered him to have half the men recline at his right and the others after his own couch, leaving nothing undone to show the men honor.
\n184When they had taken their places he bade Dorotheus to carry out the practices used by all his visitors from Judaea. He therefore declined the services of the sacred heralds and the sacrificial ministers and the others who usually offered prayers, and called upon Elisha, the eldest of the priests who had come with us, to offer a prayer, and he arose and spoke these memorable words: 185\u201cMay Almighty God fill your Majesty full of the good things which he has created, and grant uninterrupted and lifelong possession of them to you and your wife and children and those like-minded with you.\u201d 186At these words there was a burst of applause, and shouts and joyful jubilation continued for a considerable time. Then they addressed themselves to the enjoyment of what had been prepared. All the table service was performed by Dorotheus\u2019s staff, among whom were royal pages and persons who had been honored by the king.
\n187When, after an interval, an opportunity offered, the king asked the man who occupied the first place at table (their positions at table were arranged according to seniority) how he might preserve his kingdom unimpaired to the end. 188He paused for a moment and replied, \u201cYou would maintain it best by imitating the constant gentleness of God. For by exercising long-suffering patience and dealing with those who merit punishment more gently than they deserve, you will turn them from wickedness and bring them to repentance.\u201d
\n189The king commended him, and asked the next man what was his best course in all his actions. And he answered that if he observed justice to all men he would in each case act for the best for himself, reflecting that every thought is clear to God. \u201cBy making your starting point the fear of God you would nowhere fail.\u201d
\n190Him too he gave his cordial assent, and asked the next man how he might keep his friends like-minded with himself. And this man said, \u201cIf they observe you taking great forethought for the multitudes over whom you rule. This you will do by noticing how God acts beneficently to the human race, providing them with health and food and all other things in due season.\u201d
\n191He expressed his approval of this, and asked his neighbor how, in his audiences and judicial decisions, he might obtain good report even from those who failed in their suits. And he said, \u201cIf you show yourself impartial to all in speech and never deal arrogantly or tyrannically with offenders. 192This you will do if you regard the methods of God. Their petitions are fulfilled for the worthy, and for those who fail the harmfulness of their petitions is made clear to them by dreams or events; God does not smite them according to their shortcomings or according to the greatness of his strength, but he uses forbearance.\u201d
\n193He complimented him warmly also, and then asked the man next how he might be invincible in warfare. And he answered, \u201cIf he did not place his trust in numbers and strength but called always upon God to direct his undertakings, while he himself followed justice in all his dealings.\u201d
\n194He welcomed this saying, and asked of the next man how he might be formidable to his enemies. He replied, \u201cIf, while maintaining large preparations in arms and forces, he would realize that these were ineffective for producing any conclusive result over a long period; for God also, by granting reprieves and displaying his sovereign power, implants awe into every mind.\u201d
\n195He commended him also, and asked his neighbor what would be the highest good for his life. And that man declared, \u201cThe realization that God rules all things, and that in our fairest achievements it is not we ourselves who accomplish our intentions, but God in his sovereignty consummates and guides the actions of us all.\u201d
\n196He agreed that this man too had spoken well, and asked the next how he might preserve all his status intact and in the end transmit it unaltered to his descendants. And he said, \u201cBy praying always to God to receive good impulses for future actions, and by admonishing your descendants not to be dazzled by fame and by wealth, for it is God who bestows these gifts, and it is not through themselves that they have preeminence over all.\u201d
\n197He expressed his agreement with these sentiments, and inquired of the man who followed how he could endure whatever befell with equanimity. That man declared, \u201cIf you adopt the notion that all men have been fashioned by God to share in the greatest evils as in the greatest good, and it is not possible for a human being to be without a part in these things. But God gives stout-heartedness, and him one must supplicate.\u201d
\n198This man too the king complimented warmly, and said that all had approved themselves well. \u201cI shall put a question to yet one more,\u201d he added, \u201cand then stop for the present, so that we may address ourselves to enjoyment and pass the time agreeably. In the six succeeding days I shall gain further instruction from each in turn of those that remain.\u201d 199Thereupon he asked the man, \u201cWhat is the goal of courage?\u201d And he replied, \u201cTo carry out correct counsels in the hour of danger in accordance with one\u2019s purpose. But your counsels, Your Majesty, are all good, and are carried out by God to your advantage.\u201d
\n200When all had expressed approval and signified it by applause, the king said to the philosophers, of whom not a few were present, \u201cI think the virtue of these men is extraordinary and their understanding very great, for having questions of such a sort addressed to them they have given proper replies on the spur of the moment, all of them making God the starting point of their reasoning.\u201d 201And the philosopher Menedemus of Eretria said, \u201cTrue, Your Majesty; for inasmuch as all things are governed by providence, and these men are right in holding that man is a creature of God, it follows that all power and beauty of discourse have their starting point from God.\u201d 202The king expressed his assent, the speeches ceased, and they turned to festivity. And when evening drew on the party broke up.
\n203On the day following the seating and the program of the banquet were carried out according to the same arrangement. When the king thought the time had come for putting queries to the men, he asked questions of the men next in order to those who had given answers on the preceding day. 204He began by addressing the conversation to the eleventh man, for those who had been questioned the day previous were ten. When silence obtained, he asked how he might remain rich. 205The man to whom this question was directed paused for a little and then said, \u201cIf he did nothing unworthy of his rule, never behaved licentiously, never incurred expenses for empty and foolish things, but by benefactions drew his subjects to be well disposed toward him; for God is the author of blessings to all men; and his example must be followed.\u201d
\n206The king commended this man, and asked the next how he might observe truth. To this he responded, \u201cBy recognizing that lying brings great disgrace upon all men, but to a far greater degree upon kings. For since they have authority to do what they choose, to what end should they lie? And this Your Majesty must take to heart, that God is a lover of truth.\u201d
\n207This too he gave his warm approval, and directing his glance at another asked, \u201cWhat is the teaching of wisdom?\u201d And the next man replied, \u201cJust as you do not wish evils to befall you, but to participate in all that is good, so you should deal with those subject to you and with offenders, and you should admonish good men and true very gently, for God deals with all men with gentleness.\u201d
\n208He commended him, and asked of the man next after him how he might be humane. And that man said, \u201cBy observing that the race of man comes to maturity and even to birth at the cost of much time and suffering; one must therefore not punish men on slight provocation nor inflict injuries upon them, realizing that human life is comprised of pains and penalties. Taking all things into consideration, then, you will turn to mercy, for God too is merciful.\u201d
\n209He gave this man his approval, and inquired of the one next in order, \u201cWhat is the most essential quality of kingship?\u201d \u201cTo keep oneself incorruptible,\u201d he replied, \u201cto be sober the greater part of life, to honor justice, and to make friends of this character; for God too is a lover of righteousness.\u201d
\n210He applauded this man, and said to the next, \u201cWherein does piety consist?\u201d That man declared, \u201cIn the realization that God is working in and has knowledge of all things at all times, and that no man doing injustice or working evil can escape his notice; for as God is the benefactor of the whole world, so would you, imitating him, be void of offense.\u201d
\n211He approved of this man, and said to the next, \u201cWhat is the essence of kingship?\u201d He declared, \u201cTo rule oneself well, and not to be carried away by wealth and fame into unseemly and extravagant desires\u2014if you would reckon well. For to you all things needful are possible; God, to whom nothing is needful, is also gentle. Do you think such thoughts as become a man, and do not reach after many things, but only such as are sufficient for kingship.\u201d
\n212He complimented this man, and asked the next how his deliberations might be for the best. That man responded, \u201cIf in everything he constantly set justice before him and regarded injustice as deprivation of life; for God also always promises the greatest blessings to the just.\u201d
\n213He commended this man, and asked the man next in order how he might be undisturbed in his sleep. He declared, \u201cYou have asked a question hard to answer, for in sleep we are not able to bring our true selves into play, but are held fast by sensations in which reason has no part. 214In our minds we have the experience of actually seeing the things which pass before us, but we are unreasonable if we suppose that we are indeed on shipboard traversing the sea or borne aloft on wings and passing to other climes and doing other such things which we then suppose to be taking place. 215Nevertheless, insofar as I for my part have been able to arrive at a solution, this is my understanding of the matter. In every way, Your Majesty, you must make piety the objective of whatever you say and do, so that you may be certain in your own mind that, adhering to virtue, you do not choose to grant favors contrary to reason nor, abusing your power, set justice aside. 216For as a rule, the same business to which a man gives his attention while awake, his mind occupies itself with in sleep also, and he who has his every thought and action set toward the best ends is well directed both awake and asleep. And therefore with you there is always tranquility.\u201d
\n217This man too he extolled, and said to the next, \u201cSince yours is the tenth turn to answer, when you have made your response we shall turn to the meal.\u201d Then he asked, \u201cHow can we avoid doing anything unworthy of ourselves?\u201d 218And he said, \u201cAlways look to your own fame and eminence, so that what you say and think may be in keeping with them, knowing that all men over whom you rule think and talk about you. 219You ought not to show yourself inferior to the actors, for they look to the role they must play and suit their actions to it. You, however, are not playing a part, but are truly king, God having granted you the leadership which your character merits.\u201d
\n220When the king had graciously applauded loud and long, the guests were urged to take some rest. And when the discourse with these men was ended, they addressed themselves to the next order of the banquet.
\n221On the succeeding day the same order was followed, and when the king judged the time was come for making inquiries of the men he asked the first in turn of those left for questioning, \u201cWhat is the highest rule?\u201d 222That man declared, \u201cTo rule oneself and not to be carried away by passions. In the temper of all men there is some innate proclivity. 223In the majority it is likely that the cant is toward food and drink and pleasure, while for kings it is acquisition of territory and extent of fame. Yet in all things moderation is a good principle. What God gives take and hold; do not long for what is out of reach.\u201d
\n224The king was pleased with what he had said, and asked his neighbor how he might be beyond envy. After a pause he declared, \u201cIf you reflect, first of all, that it is God who apportions fame and great wealth to all kings, and that no one is king by his own power. All men wish to partake of this glory, but they cannot, for it is a gift of God.\u201d
\n225He commended the man in many words, and asked the next how he might despise his enemies. And he said, \u201cIf you have practiced benevolence toward all men and have achieved friendships, you need reckon with no man. But to stand in all men\u2019s favor and to receive a good gift from God, that is of all things the best.\u201d
\n226He commended these sentiments, and bade the next man reply to the question how he might retain his renown. He said, \u201cIf you are liberal and munificent to all, with kind attentiveness and acts of grace, you will never lack renown; but that these qualities abide with you, call always upon God.\u201d
\n227He congratulated him, and asked the next with whom one should vie in liberality. That man declared, \u201cThat we must be liberal to those who are friendly disposed toward us is the opinion of all men; but I hold that we should show a bounteous liberality to those of an opposite opinion, so that by this means we might win them over to what is right and advantageous to themselves. But one must entreat God that these things be brought to pass, for he rules the minds of all men.\u201d
\n228He agreed with these words, and bade the sixth man answer the query, \u201cTo whom should favor be shown?\u201d That man responded, \u201cTo parents always, for God has given the greatest commandment concerning honor to parents. Next he reckons the state of friendship, for he calls \u2018a friend the equal of a man\u2019s soul.\u2019 But you do well in turning all men to friendship to yourself.\u201d
\n229He spoke kindly to this man also, and asked the man following, \u201cWhat is of like value with beauty?\u201d And he said \u201cPiety, for piety is the first degree of beauty; its power is love, love is the gift of God. This you possess, embracing in it all that is good.\u201d
\n230He applauded his reply very warmly, and asked the next how, after a failure, he might regain possession of the esteem he had had before. That man declared, \u201cFor you it is not possible to fail, for in all men you have inseminated favor, which burgeons into good will, which is the best of armor and when retained affords the greatest security. 231But if any do fail, they must no longer do the things in which they fail, but beget friendships and act justly. But to be a worker of good deeds and not of the opposite sort is a gift of God.\u201d
\n232He was well satisfied with these remarks, and asked the next man how he might be beyond grief. He declared, \u201cBy injuring no man and helping all men and following righteousness, for the fruits of righteousness procure freedom from grief. 233But one must supplicate God that unforeseen blows may not stun us, I mean such things as death and diseases and griefs and the like. But you, who are firm in piety, none of these tribulations may approach.\u201d
\n234He commended him handsomely also, and asked the tenth man, \u201cWhat is the highest form of glory?\u201d And he said, \u201cTo honor God, and that not by offerings and sacrifices but by purity of spirit and of the devout conviction that all things are fashioned and administered by God according to his will. And this is your abiding belief, as all men may discern from your actions in the past and in the present.\u201d
\n235Then with a fuller voice the king greeted them all and spoke kindly to them, with the others present, especially the philosophers, joining in the commendation. For in their conduct and discourse these men were far in advance of the philosophers, for they made their starting point from God. And after this the king proceeded to show his kindly feelings by drinking healths.
\n236On the following day, as the order of the banquet took the same course, when the king\u2019s opportunity came he began to question those next in order to the ones who had already given responses, and said to the first, \u201cCan wisdom be taught?\u201d And he replied, \u201cThe soul\u2019s constitution is such, by divine power, that it can accept all that is good and reject what is the contrary.\u201d
\n237He expressed his assent, and asked of his neighbor, \u201cWhat contributes most to health?\u201d That man declared, \u201cTemperance; but this cannot be attained unless God disposes the mind to it.\u201d
\n238He spoke kindly to this man, and asked the next how one might render due thanks to parents. And he said, \u201cBy not distressing them; but this is not possible unless God becomes the mind\u2019s guide toward all that is best.\u201d
\n239He agreed fully with this man, and asked the next how he might become a ready listener. That man answered, \u201cBy understanding that knowledge is all profitable, so that whatever befall you may choose something you have heard and apply it to the crisis, with God\u2019s guiding hand; for it remains that the consummation of all deeds are his.\u201d
\n240He commended this man, and asked the next how he might avoid doing anything contrary to law. To this he declared, \u201cIf you know that God put the thoughts in the mind of the lawgivers for the sake of preserving the lives of men you will become a follower of them.\u201d
\n241He approved of this man, and said to the next, \u201cWhat is the advantage of kinship?\u201d And he explained, \u201cIf we consider that we ourselves lose by the misfortunes that befall them and share in our kin\u2019s suffering, the strength of kinship is evident. 242If we react in this way, our esteem and attainments will rise in their regard, for an active and kindly sympathy is in itself an indissoluble bond in all circumstances. But in their day of prosperity we should crave nothing of them, but supplicate God to give them every boon.\u201d
\n243He approved of this man as he had done the rest, and asked another, \u201cHow is fearlessness attained?\u201d And he said, \u201cWhen the mind is conscious that it has done no evil, God directing it so that all its counsels are good.\u201d
\n244He assented to this man, and of another asked how he might have right reason always at hand. He answered, \u201cIf he looked always at the misfortunes of men, understanding that God takes away prosperity and advances others to fame and honor.\u201d
\n245He cordially approved this man also, and requested his neighbor to answer the question how he might avoid turning either to ease or pleasure. \u201cBy being always aware,\u201d he replied, \u201cthat he is ruler of a large kingdom and leader of great multitudes, and that his mind must not be occupied with anything else but think always of the care of these charges; and he must pray God that he neglect none of his duties.\u201d
\n246He commended this man also and asked the tenth how he might detect those that used guile in their dealings with him. And he told him, \u201cBy observing closely whether the deportment of those about him was forthright and whether orderly conduct was maintained in receptions and councils and other social contacts, and by seeing that they did not exceed the limits of propriety in congratulations and other aspects of behavior. But God will lead Your Majesty\u2019s mind to what is best.\u201d
\n247He applauded them all and commended them by name, and the others present did likewise, and then they turned to merry-making.
\n248On the succeeding day he seized the opportune moment and asked the man next in order, \u201cWhat is the grossest negligence?\u201d To this he declared, \u201cIf a man is indifferent to his children and does not devote every effort to their education. For we always pray to God not so much for ourselves as for our offspring, that all blessings be theirs. But to desire that children be imbued with temperance comes about by the power of God.\u201d
\n249He declared that he had spoken well, and asked another how he might be a lover of his country. \u201cBy keeping in mind,\u201d he answered, \u201cthat it is good to live and die in one\u2019s country. Residence abroad brings contempt upon poor men, and upon rich disgrace, as though they were in exile for some wickedness. By bestowing benefits upon all men, then, as you constantly do\u2014God giving you favor with all\u2014you will show yourself a lover of your country.\u201d
\n250When he had listened to this man, he inquired of the one next in order how he might live amicably with his wife. \u201cBy realizing,\u201d he declared, \u201cthat the female sex are rash and energetic in pursuing their desires and fickle through fallacious reasoning and of naturally weak constitution. One must deal with them sanely, and not, by opposing them, provoke quarrel. 251Life is steered straight when the pilot knows to what haven he must set his course; but by invoking God life has a pilot always.\u201d
\n252He expressed his agreement with this man, and asked the next how he might be free of error. He declared, \u201cBy acting always with gravity and deliberation and not being persuaded by slanders but oneself testing what is said, and by administering questions of petitions with judgment and through judgment granting them, you will be free of error, Your Majesty. But to hold such convictions and to behave accordingly requires divine power.\u201d
\n253He was delighted with these remarks, and asked the next man how he might be beyond outbursts of wrath. To this he replied, \u201cBy realizing that he had power over all things, even, if he indulged his wrath, of inflicting death. But it would be an unprofitable and grievous thing if he deprived many of life because his power was paramount. 254And when all men were his subjects and none opposed him, to what end should he fall into a rage? You must realize,\u201d he added, \u201cthat God governs the whole world with kindliness and without any passion; his example, Your Majesty, you must follow.\u201d
\n255He declared that this response was excellent, and inquired of the man who followed, \u201cWhat is good counsel?\u201d \u201cActing correctly in all things,\u201d he explained, \u201cand with deliberation, comparing also the injurious effects of following the opposite course, so that after studying every point we may be well advised and our purpose be fulfilled. But what is most important, by God\u2019s sovereignty every counsel of yours shall have fulfillment, for you practice piety.\u201d
\n256He remarked that he too had spoken correctly, and asked another, \u201cWhat is philosophy?\u201d \u201cIt is to deliberate well over every contingency,\u201d he explained, \u201cand not to be carried away by impulses, but to ponder the injuries which are the outcome of the passions, and to perform the duties of the moment properly, with emotions moderated. But to acquire a regard for these things we must pray to God.\u201d
\n257Him too he complimented, and asked another how he might obtain acceptance in a sojourn abroad. \u201cBy becoming everyone\u2019s equal,\u201d he declared, \u201cand by behaving rather as an inferior than as a superior to those among whom you sojourn. For God accepts alike what is humble in nature, and the human race deals kindly with the lowly.\u201d
\n258He expressed assent to these words, and asked another man how he might so build that his works would abide in the future. To this he answered, \u201cIf he would make his structures great and majestic, so that those who viewed them would spare them for their beauty, and if he neglected no one who wrought such works, and did not coerce others to perform his requirements without pay. 259For if he reflected that God treats the human race considerately, supplying them with health and perceptivity and other gifts, he would himself emulate this principle and render due reward for laborious toil. And works consummated in righteousness are also abiding.\u201d
\n260He declared that this man too had spoken well, and asked the tenth, \u201cWhat is the fruit of wisdom?\u201d And he said, \u201cTo be conscious of no wrong-doing, and to lead one\u2019s life in sincerity. 261For from these things there will accrue to you the highest joy and tranquility of soul, mighty king, and fair hopes in God, while you wield power over your realm in piety.\u201d
\nAfter hearing them, all expressed approval with loud applause, and then the king, filled with joy, turned to the drinking of healths.
\n262On the next day the program of the banquet was carried forward as before, and when the opportunity came the king put questions to those that were left. To the first man he said, \u201cHow may one avoid yielding to pride?\u201d 263His response was, \u201cBy preserving equality and reminding himself at each turn that he is a man as well as a leader of men. And God humbles the proud, and the gentle and humble he exalts.\u201d
\n264He spoke kindly to him, and asked the next man, \u201cWho should be employed as counselors?\u201d \u201cThose who have been proven in many affairs,\u201d he declared, \u201cand preserved their good-will to him unblemished, and all who shared his principles. To further these ends a manifestation of God is vouchsafed to those who are worthy.\u201d
\n265He commended him, and asked another, \u201cWhat is the most essential possession for a king?\u201d \u201cIndulgence and love to his subjects,\u201d was the response, \u201cfor by these an indissoluble bond of good-will arises. But it is God who brings it about that these things should come to pass as you would choose.\u201d
\n266He complimented him, and inquired of another, \u201cWhat is the goal of discourse?\u201d And that one declared, \u201cTo convince one\u2019s opponent by pointing out his errors in an attitude of deference. For in this way you will win your hearer over, not by contradicting him, but by using praise in order to persuade. But it is by the working of God that persuasion succeeds.\u201d
\n267He declared that he had spoken well, and asked another how, the multitudes in his kingdom being of such diverse origins, he might live amicably with them. \u201cBy assuming the proper role for each,\u201d he replied, \u201ctaking justice as a guide; for so indeed you do, since God grants you right judgment.\u201d
\n268He felicitated this man cordially, and said to the next, \u201cWhat are the proper objects of grief?\u201d To this he responded, \u201cThe accidents which befall our friends, when we see that they are protracted and ineluctable. For those that are dead, on the other hand, and released from evil, reason prescribes no grief. Yet all men do grieve, thinking only of themselves and their own interests. But escape from every evil comes to pass only by the power of God.\u201d
\n269He declared that this response was as it should be, and asked the next man, \u201cHow does ill repute arise?\u201d That one declared, \u201cWhen overweening pride and forwardness incessant lead the way, dishonor and ruin of reputation follow close. But God is the LORD of all reputation, and inclines it whither he will.\u201d
\n270The substance of this man\u2019s answer too he confirmed and asked the next, \u201cTo whom is it fitting to entrust oneself?\u201d \u201cTo those who attend upon you because of good-will,\u201d he replied, \u201cand not because of fear or opportunism, calculating everything from the motive of profit. For the one is a token of love, the other of ill will and time-serving, and the man whose impulse is to advance his own interest is by nature a traitor. But you have the good-will of all men, since God gives you good counsel.\u201d
\n271He said that this response was very sage, and asked the next man, \u201cWhat preserves a kingdom?\u201d In reply he declared, \u201cCare and watchfulness that no wrong be inflicted by those who are set in positions of authority over the people. And such is your practice, for God has bestowed grave reflection upon you.\u201d
\n272He made a heartening remark to this man, and asked the next, \u201cWhat protects favor and honor?\u201d And he said, \u201cVirtue, for virtue is the consummation of good works, but rejects the evil; just as you preserve your generous deportment toward all men, by the gift you have of God.\u201d
\n273He accepted this with gracious favor, and asked the eleventh (for there were two more than seventy) how he might be peaceable in soul even during war. And he explained, \u201cBy realizing that no wrong has been done to any of your subjects and that all will join in the struggle in return for benefits received, knowing that even if they lay down their lives their dependents are in your tutelage. 274For you never fail to make reparation to all, God having bestowed a noble temper upon you.\u201d
\nHe applauded loudly and expressed his hearty approval, and then drank generous healths to each of them and turned to enjoyment, sharing the men\u2019s society with merriment and gladness.
\n275On the seventh of the days more bountiful preparation was made, for many others from the cities were admitted (there were many ambassadors present), and when the opportune moment came the king put a question to the first man of those left, asking how he could avoid being deceived. 276That man said, \u201cBy scrutinizing the speaker and the speech and the subject, and by asking, over a period of time, the same question in different forms. But the position of an acute intellect and the capacity to judge each detail is a fair gift of God; and this gift Your Majesty possesses.\u201d
\n277The king applauded loudly, and asked the next man, \u201cWhy do the majority of men not embrace virtue?\u201d \u201cBecause all men are by nature intemperate and have an innate propensity to pleasure. It is for this reason that injustice burgeons and the mass of covetousness. 278But the virtuous state restrains those that are drifting to a state of self-indulgence, and bids them give preference to self-control and justice. But God is the guide of all these things.\u201d
\n279The king said that this man had made a good response, and asked, \u201cWhose guidance ought kings follow?\u201d And he declared, \u201cThe guidance of the laws, so that by just dealing they may repair the lives of men; just as you, by such conduct, have laid the foundations for an eternal memorial of yourself, through following the divine commandment.\u201d
\n280He said that this man too had spoken well, and asked his neighbor, \u201cWhom should we appoint chief magistrates?\u201d And he replied, \u201cThose who have a hatred of evil and emulate the conduct of their ruler and do what is just, so that they might possess good repute always; just as you, mighty king, fulfill justice, God having bestowed upon you a crown of righteousness.\u201d
\n281After voicing his approval of this man, he looked to his neighbor and said, \u201cWhom shall we appoint commanders over our forces?\u201d And he replied, \u201cMen outstanding in courage and justice, and more concerned to save their men than to win a victory by reckless disregard for life. For just as God benefits all men, so do you, in emulation of him, benefit those subject to you.\u201d
\n282He affirmed that he had made a good response, and asked another, \u201cWhat man is worthy of admiration?\u201d And he declared, \u201cHe that is furnished with renown and wealth and power, and yet is in spirit on an equality with all men; just as you are justly admired for so acting, since God grants you the capacity for attaining these things.\u201d
\n283He assented to this man also, and said to the next, \u201cUpon what matters ought kings spend most of their time?\u201d And he said, \u201cIn reading and in studying the records of official journeys such as are drawn up for the use of kings, for the people\u2019s amelioration and preservation. By so doing you have acquired renown unattainable to others, since God consummates your desires.\u201d
\n284He was emphatic in his address to him, and asked the next man what he should make his pastimes in hours of relaxation and ease. And he declared, \u201cTo watch plays performed with propriety and to set before one\u2019s eyes scenes from life presented with decency and restraint is profitable to one\u2019s life and appropriate; for even in such things there is some edification, 285since even out of the slightest matters frequently some desirable point finds demonstration. But you have practiced every restraint, and express your philosophy in your actions, being honored by God through noble excellence.\u201d
\n286He was highly pleased with these sentiments, and said to the ninth, \u201cHow ought one conduct himself in banquets?\u201d And he declared, \u201cOne ought invite lovers of learning and men capable of suggesting what may be useful to the realm and the lives of its subjects\u2014more harmonious and sweeter music you could not find. 287For such men are beloved of God, since they have cultivated their minds for the fairest ends; and such, indeed, is your practice also, since all your doings are directed by God.\u201d
\n288He was delighted by these sentiments, and inquired of the man following, \u201cWhich is best for the people, that a commoner be set over them as king, or a king of royal descent?\u201d That man declared, \u201cThe noblest by nature. 289For there are kings sprung of kings who prove cruel and harsh to their subjects; much more is this true of certain commoners, who have had experience of evils and have shared poverty, and who, when they came to rule over multitudes, turned out to be harder rulers than the unholy tyrants. 290But as I said before, a good disposition which has had a share in culture is capable of bearing rule; just as you show yourself a great king, not so much by attending to the renown of your rule and to wealth, as because you surpass all men in gentleness and humanity, God having bestowed these gifts upon you.\u201d
\n291He commended this man at considerable length, and then asked the man who was last of all, \u201cWhat is the greatest thing in kingship?\u201d To this he answered, \u201cFor the subjects to subsist always in a state of peace, and to procure justice quickly in their suits. 292These things come to pass because of the ruler, when he is one who hates evil and loves good and counts it important to save a man\u2019s life. Just so do you regard injustice as the greatest evil, and by governing justly in all respects have built yourself an imperishable fame, since God grants you possession of a mind pure and untainted by any evil.\u201d
\n293When this man was finished there was a burst of applause, with ejaculations and jubilations, for a considerable space. And when it stopped the king took a goblet and poured a toast in honor of all present and of the words that had been spoken. In conclusion he said, \u201cThe greatest blessings have accrued to me by your coming here, 294For I have profited greatly by the doctrine which you have grounded for me with reference to kingship.\u201d
\nHe then enjoined that three talents of silver be given to each one, and also the slave who should hand it to him. All shouted their approval, and the banquet was filled with joy, while the king addressed himself to festivity unalloyed.
\n295If I have been tedious in this account, my dear Philocrates, forgive me. I admired beyond measure the way in which the men on the spur of the moment framed responses which required long meditation; 296since their interrogator had carefully pondered each question while the respondents replied to the queries one after the other, they seemed admirable to me, and also to the others present, but especially to the philosophers. I suppose that everyone likely to get hold of this account will find it incredible. 297But to falsify concerning matters extant in writing is churlish. Indeed, if I were to pass over any point, it would be an impiety in a subject of this sort. But I describe the event exactly as it happened, solemnly acquitting myself of all error. Accordingly I endeavored to procure particulars of what transpired from those persons who transcribe the proceedings at the king\u2019s audiences and in his banquets, so impressed was I with the power of their discourse. 298For it is the custom, as you surely are aware, to record in writing everything said and done from the moment the king begins to give audience until he retires to bed\u2014a good and useful practice. 299On the day following, before audiences commence, the actions taken and the remarks uttered on the previous day are read through, and if any procedure is found incorrect it receives rectification. 300As I have said, then, I obtained accurate information on all particulars from the archives, and have recorded it in writing because I know how you cherish useful learning.
\n301After three days Demetrius took the men with him and crossed the breakwater, seven stades long, to the island; then he crossed over the bridge and proceeded to the northerly parts. There he called a meeting in the mansion built by the seashore, magnificently appointed and in a secluded situation, and called upon the men to carry out the business of translation, all necessary appliances having been well provided. 302And so they proceeded to carry it out, making all details harmonize by mutual comparisons. The appropriate result of the harmonization was reduced to writing under the direction of Demetrius. 303The sessions would last until the ninth hour, and afterward they would break up to take care of their bodily needs, all their requirements being lavishly supplied. 304In addition, everything that was prepared for the king Dorotheus arranged for them also, for he had been so instructed by the king. Every day they would come to the court early in the morning, and when they had made their salutation to the king they departed to their own place. 305When they had washed their hands in the sea, as is the custom of all Jews, and had offered prayer to God, they addressed themselves to the interpretation and clarification of each passage. 306I questioned them on this point too, why it was that they washed their hands before praying. And they explained that it was in witness that they had done no wrong, since the hands are the organs of all activity; in such beautiful and holy spirit do they make all things symbols of righteousness and truth. 307Thus, as we have said before, they foregathered every day to this spot, so delightful for its seclusion and its clear light, and carried out their appointed task. And so it came about that the work of transcription was completed in seventy-two days, as if this coincidence had been the result of some design.
\n308When the work was concluded Demetrius assembled the community of the Jews at the place where the translation was executed, and read it out to the entire gathering, the translators too being present; these received a great ovation from the community also, in recognition of the great service for which they were responsible. 309And they accorded Demetrius a similar reception, and requested him to have a transcription of the entire Law made and to present it to their rulers. 310When the rolls had been read the priests and the elders of the translators and some of the corporate body and the leaders of the people rose up and said, \u201cInasmuch as the translation has been well and piously made and is in every respect accurate, it is right that it should remain in its present form and that no revision of any sort take place.\u201d 311When all had assented to what had been said, they bade that an imprecation be pronounced, according to their custom, upon any who should revise the text by adding or transposing anything whatever in what had been written down, or by making any excision; and in this they did well, so that the work might be preserved imperishable and unchanged always.
\n312When these proceedings were reported to the king he rejoiced greatly, for he thought that the purpose he cherished had been securely carried out. The whole work was read out to him also, and he marveled exceedingly at the intellect of the lawgiver. To Demetrius he said, \u201cHow has it not occurred to any of the historians or poets to make mention of such enormous achievements?\u201d 313And he said, \u201cBecause the Law is holy and has come into being through God; some of those to whom the thought did occur were smitten by God and desisted from the attempt.\u201d 314Indeed, he said, he had heard Theopompus say that when he was on the point of introducing into his history certain matter which had previously been translated from the Law, too rashly, he suffered a derangement of the mind for more than thirty days; upon the abatement of the disorder he implored God that the cause of what had befallen be made plain to him, 315and when it was signified to him in a dream that it was his meddlesome desire to disclose divine matters to common men, he desisted, and was thereupon restored to health. 316\u201cAnd of Theodectes also, the tragic poet, I have heard,\u201d he added, \u201cthat when he was on the point of introducing into one of the plays something recorded in the Book, his vision was afflicted with a cataract. Conceiving the suspicion that this was the reason for his calamity, he implored God and after many days recovered.\u201d
\n317When the king heard the account of these things from Demetrius, as I have said before, he bowed deeply and gave orders that great care be taken of the books and that they be watched over reverently. 318He also urged the translators to make visits to him, after they had been restored to Judaea. It was but just, he said, for them to be sent home; but if they visited him he would treat them as friends, as it was his solemn obligation to do, and they would receive rich marks of his consideration. 319He ordered that preparations for their sending off be seen to, treating the men munificently. To each he gave three costumes of the highest quality, and two talents of gold, and a sideboard of a talent\u2019s weight, and complete furnishings for the dining room. 320To Eleazar he sent, with their escort, ten couches with legs of silver, and all their appurtenances, and a sideboard of thirty talents, and ten costumes, and a purple robe, and a magnificent crown, and a hundred webs of fine woven linen, and shallow bowls, and plates, and two mixing bowls of gold as a dedicatory offering. 321He also wrote a letter urging that if any of the men chose to return to him Eleazar might not prevent, for he accounted it a privilege to associate with cultured men, and would rather lavish his wealth upon such men than on vanities.
\n322You have the story, my dear Philocrates, just as I promised. I believe such an account will afford you greater pleasure than the books of the romancers. For you are devoted to the study of things capable of profiting the mind, and you occupy most of your time with such things. I shall try to write down whatever else is worth telling, so that their perusal may win you your wish\u2019s highest prize.<\/p>\n
1 Maccabees<\/p>\n
Lawrence H. Schiffman<\/p>\n
The book 1 Maccabees presents an account of the history of Judea from 175 to 134 BCE. It describes the background of the Maccabean revolt, the revolt itself, the exploits of Judah the Maccabee (in Greek, Judas Maccabeus), and the efforts of his brothers Jonathan and Simon to permanently reestablish Jewish nationalism and religious practice.
\nThe author is clearly a believing Jew, who emphasizes the piety of Judah\u2019s family, the Hasmoneans, and their trust in God. At the same time, he gives full credit for their success to their own sagacity and tenaciousness. The author seeks to highlight the excellence of the Hasmonean dynasty and in this respect may be seen as an official historian of this dynasty. He sees the Maccabees as emulating various biblical figures and presents a defense for the charismatic leadership the Hasmoneans provided. Judah\u2019s piety is especially emphasized in the prayers and speeches attributed to him. The author sees this family as selected by God to bring about the deliverance of Israel from the empire of the Seleucid kings.
\nOver and over the author emphasizes the antinomian character of the Jewish opponents of the Maccabees\u2014they are \u201clawless men.\u201d All opponents of the Hasmoneans are seen as motivated only by the basest of motives and allied against the way of God\u2019s Torah.<\/p>\n
Authorship and History<\/p>\n
It is generally agreed that 1 Maccabees was originally written in Hebrew. Even though no manuscripts or fragments still exist in Hebrew, the Greek text of 1 Maccabees has the unmistakable style of a rather literal translation from the Hebrew. Moreover, the church father Origen (3rd century CE) claimed that the Hebrew title of 1 Maccabees was Sarbethsabaniel. This puzzling title is difficult to interpret but may be a somewhat corrupt rendering of Hebrew sar bet El (\u201cPrince of the House of God\u201d), or sfar bet sarbanai\u2019e (\u201cBook of the House of the Resisters of God\u201d). Most Greek manuscripts simply term the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees Makkabaion A and Makkabaion B. By the 2nd century CE, Ta Makkabaika (\u201cThe Things Maccabean\u201d or \u201cMaccabean Histories\u201d) was the designation for both 1 and 2 Maccabees. Early church father Clement of Alexandria (2nd century CE) termed 1 Maccabees to Biblion ton Makkabaikon (\u201cThe Book of Things Maccabean\u201d) and 2 Maccabees he ton Makkabaikon epitome (\u201cThe Epitome of Things Maccabean\u201d). Although \u201cMaccabee\u201d (meaning \u201chammer\u201d) was originally the nickname of the hero Judah, the use of the title \u201cMaccabean Histories\u201d led to the custom of referring to all of the heroes of the book as \u201cMaccabees.\u201d
\nVirtually all scholars take the view that the book must have been written before the Roman conquest of Judea in 63 BCE, since the Romans are presented in 1 Maccabees as friends and allies of the Hasmoneans. The author\u2019s knowledge of the period of John Hyrcanus requires that he wrote not much before John\u2019s death in 104 BCE. The most probable date for the composition of 1 Maccabees, therefore, is the first decades of the 1st century BCE. Goldstein dates the composition to the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (103\u201376 BCE), but not later than 90 BCE.
\nNumerous historical documents are included in this work to prove the legitimacy of Hasmonean rule within the context of the Seleucid Empire and contemporary international law. In addition, the author has included various poetic extracts that must come from poems that circulated in that period. Beyond this, the various theories regarding the sources of 1 Maccabees are speculative.<\/p>\n
Significance<\/p>\n
Not only was 1 Maccabees composed in Hebrew, but it was also written in a style imitating that of biblical historiography. Translated into Greek, 1 Maccabees was known to the 1st-century CE Jewish historian Josephus, who used it as the basis of his account in Jewish Antiquities. It is possible that the last two chapters of 1 Maccabees were not available to Josephus, since he seems to lack adequate sources for the reign of Simon. The Greek translation was included in the Hellenistic biblical canon of the Greek-speaking Jews and was therefore preserved in the canon of the Christian church. Knowledge of this book was widespread among the church fathers. Yet the contents of 1 Maccabees began to circulate among Jews only in the Middle Ages, indirectly through a Latin translation. 1 Maccabees, like 2 Maccabees, must be sharply distinguished from the medieval Jewish composition Scroll of Antiochus or Scroll of the Hasmoneans, first mentioned by the Jewish scholar Saadia Gaon (882\u2013942 CE).
\nThe author of 1 Maccabees was certainly influenced by the style of the biblical historiographical books, especially the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. Judah\u2019s accomplishments are often described in ways evocative of the triumphs of Saul, Jonathan, and David. Like the historiographical books of the Bible, 1 Maccabees has a prominent chronologic framework, though the dates are given in accordance with the Seleucid Era, which began with the capture of Babylon in 312 BCE by the former general of Alexander the Great, Seleucus 1. As a source for reconstructing the events of the period, historians have generally held 1 Maccabees in high regard, considering it to be earlier and more trustworthy than 2 Maccabees. In certain respects, however, the evidence and approach of 2 Maccabees must be preferred. Specific instances will be discussed throughout the commentary. The author of 1 Maccabees appears to be quite familiar with the practices of the Seleucid Empire. On the other hand, he seems to exaggerate numbers greatly and takes the opportunity, like all historians of his period, to place speeches of his own composition in the mouths of his heroes.<\/p>\n
GUIDE TO READING<\/p>\n
1 Maccabees tells the story of the leadership of Mattathias and three of his five sons in turn:<\/p>\n
1:1\u201364. Background of the Revolt
\n2:1\u201369. Mattathias\u2019s Revolt
\n3:1\u20139:22. Judah\u2019s Struggle for Liberation
\n9:23\u201312:53. The Leadership of Jonathan
\n13:1\u201316:24. The Rule of Simon<\/p>\n
The author brings his account to an end with the accession of Simon\u2019s son, John Hyrcanus, and the beginnings of the rule of the next generation.<\/p>\n
SUGGESTED READING<\/p>\n
Bar-Kochva, B. Judas Maccabaeus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
\nBickerman, E. J. The God of the Maccabees. Translated by H. Moehring. Leiden: Brill, 1979.
\nGoldstein, J. A. 1 Maccabees. Anchor Bible 41. Garden City: Doubleday, 1983.
\nHengel, M. Judaism and Hellenism. Translated by J. Bowden. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974.
\nSchalit, A., ed. The Hellenistic Age. New Brunswick NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1972.
\nTcherikover, V. Hellenistic Civilization and the Jews. Translated by S. Applebaum. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1966.
\nTedesche, S., and S. Zeitlin. The First Book of Maccabees. New York: Harper, 1950.<\/p>\n
TRANSLATION<\/p>\n
1.1After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated Darius, king of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of Greece.) 2He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth. 3He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. When the earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up. 4He gathered a very strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to him.
\n5After this he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. 6So he summoned his most honored officers, who had been brought up with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. 7And after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died.
\n8Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. 9They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their sons after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth. 10From them came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.
\n11In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled many, saying, \u201cLet us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us.\u201d 12This proposal pleased them, 13and some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. 14So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, 15and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.
\n16When Antiochus saw that his kingdom was established, he determined to become king of the land of Egypt, that he might reign over both kingdoms. 17So he invaded Egypt with a strong force, with chariots and elephants and cavalry and with a large fleet. 18He engaged Ptolemy king of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned and fled before him, and many were wounded and fell. 19And they captured the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he plundered the land of Egypt.
\n20After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred and forty-third year. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. 21He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. 22He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. 23He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures which he found. 24Taking them all, he departed to his own land. He committed deeds of murder, and spoke with great arrogance.<\/p>\n
25Israel mourned deeply in every community,
\n26rulers and elders groaned,
\nmaidens and young men became faint,
\nthe beauty of women faded.
\n27Every bridegroom took up the lament;
\nshe who sat in the bridal chamber was mourning.
\n28Even the land shook for its inhabitants,
\nand all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.<\/p>\n
29Two years later the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute, and he came to Jerusalem with a large force. 30Deceitfully he spoke peaceable words to them, and they believed him; but he suddenly fell upon the city, dealt it a severe blow, and destroyed many people of Israel. 31He plundered the city, burned it with fire, and tore down its houses and its surrounding walls. 32And they took captive the women and children, and seized the cattle. 33Then they fortified the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel. 34And they stationed there a sinful people, lawless men. These strengthened their position; 35they stored up arms and food, and collecting the spoils of Jerusalem they stored them there, and became a great snare.<\/p>\n
36It became an ambush against the sanctuary,
\nan evil adversary of Israel continually.
\n37On every side of the sanctuary they shed innocent blood;
\nthey even defiled the sanctuary.
\n38Because of them the residents of Jerusalem fled;
\nshe became a dwelling of strangers;
\nshe became strange to her offspring,
\nand her children forsook her.
\n39Her sanctuaryary became desolate as a desert;
\nher feasts were turned into mourning,
\nher Sabbaths into a reproach,
\nher honor into contempt.
\n40Her dishonor now grew as great as her glory;
\nher exaltation was turned into mourning.<\/p>\n
41Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, 42and that each should give up his customs. 43All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. 44And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, 45to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane Sabbaths and feasts, 46to defile the sanctuary and the priests, 47to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, 48and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, 49so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances. 50\u201cAnd whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.\u201d 51In such words he wrote to his whole kingdom. And he appointed inspectors over all the people and commanded the cities of Judah to offer sacrifice, city by city.
\n52Many of the people, every one who forsook the law, joined them, and they did evil in the land; 53they drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had.
\n54Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege upon the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah, 55and burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. 56The books of the law which they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. 57Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if any one adhered to the law, the decree of the king condemned him to death. 58They kept using violence against Israel, against those found month after month in the cities. 59And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar which was upon the altar of burnt offering.
\n60According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, 61and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers\u2019 necks. 62But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. 63They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. 64And very great wrath came upon Israel.
\n2.1In those days Mattathias the son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. 2He had five sons, John surnamed Gaddi, 3Simon called Thassi, 4Judas called Maccabeus, 5Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus. 6He saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem, 7and said,<\/p>\n
\u201cAlas! Why was I born to see this,
\nthe ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city,
\nand to dwell there when it was given over to the enemy,
\nthe sanctuary given over to aliens?
\n8Her temple has become like a man without honor;
\n9her glorious vessels have been carried into captivity.
\nHer babes have been killed in her streets,
\nher youths by the sword of the foe.
\n10What nation has not inherited her palaces
\nand has not seized her spoils?
\n11All her adornment has been taken away;
\nno longer free, she has become a slave.
\n12And behold, our holy place, our beauty,
\nand our glory have been laid waste;
\nthe Gentiles have profaned it.
\n13Why should we live any longer?\u201d
\n14And Mattathias and his sons rent their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned greatly.<\/p>\n
15Then the king\u2019s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. 16Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. 17Then the king\u2019s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: \u201cYou are a leader, honored and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers.18Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.\u201d
\n19But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: \u201cEven if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to do his commandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers, 20yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers. 21Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. 22We will not obey the king\u2019s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.\u201d
\n23When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king\u2019s command. 24When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him upon the altar. 25At the same time he killed the king\u2019s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. 26Thus he burned with zeal for the law, as Phinehas did against Zimri the son of Salu.
\n27Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: \u201cLet every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!\u201d 28And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city. 29Then many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to the wilderness to dwell there, 30they, their sons, their wives, and their cattle, because evils pressed heavily upon them. 31And it was reported to the king\u2019s officers, and to the troops in Jerusalem the city of David, that men who had rejected the king\u2019s command had gone down to the hiding places in the wilderness. 32Many pursued them, and overtook them; they encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the Sabbath day. 33And they said to them, \u201cEnough of this! Come out and do what the king commands, and you will live.\u201d 34But they said, \u201cWe will not come out, nor will we do what the king commands and so profane the Sabbath day.\u201d 35Then the enemy hastened to attack them. 36But they did not answer them or hurl a stone at them or block up their hiding places, 37for they said, \u201cLet us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth testify for us that you are killing us unjustly.\u201d 38So they attacked them on the Sabbath, and they died, with their wives and children and cattle, to the number of a thousand persons.
\n39When Mattathias and his friends learned of it, they mourned for them deeply. 40And each said to his neighbor: \u201cIf we all do as our brethren have done and refuse to fight with the Gentiles for our lives and for our ordinances, they will quickly destroy us from the earth.\u201d 41So they made this decision that day: \u201cLet us fight against every man who comes to attack us on the Sabbath day; let us not all die as our brethren died in their hiding places.\u201d 42Then there united with them a company of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel, every one who offered himself willingly for the law. 43And all who became fugitives to escape their troubles joined them and reinforced them. 44They organized an army, and struck down sinners in their anger and lawless men in their wrath; the survivors fled to the Gentiles for safety. 45And Mattathias and his friends went about and tore down the altars; 46they forcibly circumcised all the uncircumcised boys that they found within the borders of Israel. 47They hunted down the arrogant men, and the work prospered in their hands. 48They rescued the law out of the hands of the Gentiles and kings, and they never let the sinner gain the upper hand.
\n49Now the days drew near for Mattathias to die, and he said to his sons: \u201cArrogance and reproach have now become strong; it is a time of ruin and furious anger. 50Now, my children, show zeal for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of our fathers.
\n51\u201cRemember the deeds of the fathers, which they did in their generations; and receive great honor and an everlasting name. 52Was not Abraham found faithful when tested, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness? 53Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment, and became lord of Egypt. 54Phinehas our father, because he was deeply zealous, received the covenant of everlasting priesthood. 55Joshua, because he fulfilled the command, became a judge in Israel. 56Caleb, because he testified in the assembly, received an inheritance in the land. 57David, because he was merciful, inherited the throne of the kingdom forever. 58Elijah because of great zeal for the law was taken up into heaven. 59Hannaniah, Azariah, and Mishael believed and were saved from the flame. 60Daniel because of his innocence was delivered from the mouth of the lions.
\n61\u201cAnd so observe, from generation to generation, that none who put their trust in him will lack strength. 62Do not fear the words of a sinner, for his splendor will turn into dung and worms. 63Today he will be exalted, but tomorrow he will not be found, because he has returned to the dust, and his plans will perish. 64My children, be courageous and grow strong in the law, for by it you will gain honor.
\n65\u201cNow behold, I know that Simeon your brother is wise in counsel; always listen to him; he shall be your father. 66Judas Maccabeus has been a mighty warrior from his youth; he shall command the army for you and fight the battle against the peoples. 67You shall rally about you all who observe the law, and avenge the wrong done to your people. 68Pay back the Gentiles in full, and heed what the law commands.\u201d 69Then he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers. 70He died in the one hundred and forty-sixth year and was buried in the tomb of his fathers at Modein. And all Israel mourned for him with great lamentation.
\n3.1Then Judas his son, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place. 2All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel.<\/p>\n
3He extended the glory of his people.
\nLike a giant he put on his breastplate;
\nhe girded on his armor of war and waged battles,
\nprotecting the host by his sword.
\n4He was like a lion in his deeds,
\nlike a lion\u2019s cub roaring for prey.
\n5He searched out and pursued the lawless;
\nhe burned those who troubled his people.
\n6Lawless men shrank back for fear of him;
\nall the evildoers were confounded;
\nand deliverance prospered by his hand.
\n7He embittered many kings,
\nbut he made Jacob glad by his deeds,
\nand his memory is blessed forever.
\n8He went through the cities of Judah;
\nhe destroyed the ungodly out of the land;
\nthus he turned away wrath from Israel.
\n9He was renowned to the ends of the earth;
\nhe gathered in those who were perishing.<\/p>\n
10But Apollonius gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. 11When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. 12Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle the rest of his life.
\n13Now when Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful men who stayed with him and went out to battle, 14he said, \u201cI will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions, who scorn the king\u2019s command.\u201d 15And again a strong army of ungodly men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the sons of Israel.
\n16When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company. 17But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, \u201cHow can we, few as we are, fight against so great and strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today.\u201d 18Judas replied, \u201cIt is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. 19It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from heaven. 20They come against us in great pride and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil us; 21but we fight for our lives and our laws. 22He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them.\u201d
\n23When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him. 24They pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines. 25Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and terror fell upon the Gentiles round about them. 26His fame reached the king, and the Gentiles talked of the battles of Judas.
\n27When King Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered; and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army. 28And he opened his coffers and gave a year\u2019s pay to his forces, and ordered them to be ready for any need. 29Then he saw that the money in the treasury was exhausted, and that the revenues from the country were small because of the dissension and disaster which he had caused in the land by abolishing the laws that had existed from the earliest days. 30He feared that he might not have such funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts which he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings. 31He was greatly perplexed in mind, and determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues from those regions and raise a large fund.
\n32He left Lysias, a distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the king\u2019s affairs from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt. 33Lysias was also to take care of Antiochus his son until he returned. 34And he turned over to Lysias half of his troops and the elephants, and gave him orders about all that he wanted done. As for the residents of Judea and Jerusalem, 35Lysias was to send a force against them to wipe out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem; he was to banish the memory of them from the place, 36settle aliens in all their territory, and distribute their land. 37Then the king took the remaining half of his troops and departed from Antioch his capital in the one hundred and forty-seventh year. He crossed the Euphrates river and went through the upper provinces.
\n38Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, mighty men among the friends of the king, 39and sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded. 40So they departed with their entire force, and when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain. 41When the traders of the region heard what was said to them, they took silver and gold in immense amounts, and fetters, and went to the camp to get the sons of Israel for slaves. And forces from Syria and the land of the Philistines joined with them.
\n42Now Judas and his brothers saw that misfortunes had increased and that the forces were encamped in their territory. They also learned what the king had commanded to do to the people to cause their final destruction. 43But they said to one another, \u201cLet us repair the destruction of our people, and fight for our people and the sanctuary.\u201d 44And the congregation assembled to be ready for battle, and to pray and ask for mercy and compassion.<\/p>\n
45Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness;
\nnot one of her children went in or out.
\nThe sanctuary was trampled down,
\nand the sons of aliens held the citadel;
\nit was a lodging place for the Gentiles.
\nJoy was taken from Jacob;
\nthe flute and the harp ceased to play.<\/p>\n
46So they assembled and went to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, because Israel formerly had a place of prayer in Mizpah. 47They fasted that day, put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads, and rent their clothes. 48And they opened the book of the law to inquire into those matters about which the Gentiles were consulting the images of their idols. 49They also brought the garments of the priesthood and the firstfruits and the tithes, and they stirred up the Nazirites who had completed their days; 50and they cried aloud to heaven, saying,<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat shall we do with these?
\nWhere shall we take them?
\n51Thy sanctuary is trampled down and profaned,
\nand thy priests mourn in humiliation.
\n52And behold, the Gentiles are assembled against us to destroy us;
\nthou knowest what they plot against us.
\n53How will we be able to withstand them,
\nif thou dost not help us?\u201d<\/p>\n
54Then they sounded the trumpets and gave a loud shout. 55After this Judas appointed leaders of the people, in charge of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens. 56And he said to those who were building houses, or were betrothed, or were planting vineyards, or were fainthearted, that each should return to his home, according to the law. 57Then the army marched out and encamped to the south of Emmaus. 58And Judas said, \u201cGird yourselves and be valiant. Be ready early in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. 59It is better for us to die in battle than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary. 60But as his will in heaven may be, so he will do.\u201d
\n4.1Now Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this division moved out by night 2to fall upon the camp of the Jews and attack them suddenly. Men from the citadel were his guides. 3But Judas heard of it, and he and his mighty men moved out to attack the king\u2019s force in Emmaus 4while the division was still absent from the camp. 5When Gorgias entered the camp of Judas by night, he found no one there, so he looked for them in the hills, because he said, \u201cThese men are fleeing from us.\u201d
\n6At daybreak Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, but they did not have armor and swords such as they desired. 7And they saw the camp of the Gentiles, strong and fortified, with cavalry round about it; and these men were trained in war. 8But Judas said to the men who were with him, \u201cDo not fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge. 9Remember how our fathers were saved at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh with his forces pursued them. 10And now let us cry to heaven, to see whether he will favor us and remember his covenant with our fathers and crush this army before us today. 11Then all the Gentiles will know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel.\u201d
\n12When the foreigners looked up and saw them coming against them, 13they went forth from their camp to battle. Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets 14and engaged in battle. The Gentiles were crushed and fled into the plain, 15and all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumea, and to Azotus and Jamnia; and three thousand of them fell. 16Then Judas and his force turned back from pursuing them, 17and he said to the people, \u201cDo not be greedy for plunder, for there is a battle before us; 18Gorgias and his force are near us in the hills. But stand now against our enemies and fight them, and afterward seize the plunder boldly.\u201d
\n19Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared, coming out of the hills. 20They saw that their army had been put to flight, and that the Jews were burning the camp, for the smoke that was seen showed what had happened. 21When they perceived this they were greatly frightened, and when they also saw the army of Judas drawn up in the plain for battle, 22they all fled into the land of the Philistines. 23Then Judas returned to plunder the camp, and they seized much gold and silver, and cloth dyed blue and sea purple, and great riches. 24On their return they sang hymns and praises to heaven, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 25Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.
\n26Those of the foreigners who escaped went and reported to Lysias all that had happened. 27When he heard it, he was perplexed and discouraged, for things had not happened to Israel as he had intended, nor had they turned out as the king had commanded him. 28But the next year he mustered sixty thousand picked infantrymen and five thousand cavalry to subdue them. 29They came into Idumea and encamped at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
\n30When he saw that the army was strong, he prayed, saying, \u201cBlessed art thou, O Savior of Israel, who didst crush the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of thy servant David, and didst give the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and of the man who carried his armor. 31So do thou hem in this army by the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be ashamed of their troops and their cavalry. 32Fill them with cowardice; melt the boldness of their strength; let them tremble in their destruction. 33Strike them down with the sword of those who love thee, and let all who know thy name praise thee with hymns.\u201d
\n34Then both sides attacked, and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men; they fell in action. 35And when Lysias saw the rout of his troops and observed the boldness which inspired those of Judas, and how ready they were either to live or to die nobly, he departed to Antioch and enlisted mercenaries, to invade Judea again with an even larger army.
\n36Then said Judas and his brothers, \u201cBehold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.\u201d 37So all the army assembled and they went up to Mount Zion. 38And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. 39Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes. 40They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to heaven. 41Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
\n42He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, 43and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. 44They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. 45And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, 46and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them. 47Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. 48They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts. 49They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. 50Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. 51They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.
\n52Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, 53they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering which they had built. 54At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. 55All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed heaven, who had prospered them. 56So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness; they offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. 57They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and furnished them with doors. 58There was very great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was removed.
\n59Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.
\n60At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers round about, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them down as they had done before. 61And he stationed a garrison there to hold it. He also fortified Beth-zur, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea.
\n5.1When the Gentiles round about heard that the altar had been built and the sanctuary dedicated as it was before, they became very angry, 2and they determined to destroy the descendants of Jacob who lived among them. So they began to kill and destroy among the people. 3But Judas made war on the sons of Esau in Idumea, at Akrabattene, because they kept lying in wait for Israel. He dealt them a heavy blow and humbled them and despoiled them. 4He also remembered the wickedness of the sons of Baean, who were a trap and a snare to the people and ambushed them on the highways. 5They were shut up by him in their towers; and he encamped against them, vowed their complete destruction, and burned with fire their towers and all who were in them. 6Then he crossed over to attack the Ammonites, where he found a strong band and many people with Timothy as their leader. 7He engaged in many battles with them and they were crushed before him; he struck them down. 8He also took Jazer and its villages; then he returned to Judea.
\n9Now the Gentiles in Gilead gathered together against the Israelites who lived in their territory, and planned to destroy them. But they fled to the stronghold of Dathema, 10and sent to Judas and his brothers a letter which said, \u201cThe Gentiles around us have gathered together against us to destroy us. 11They are preparing to come and capture the stronghold to which we have fled, and Timothy is leading their forces. 12Now then come and rescue us from their hands, for many of us have fallen, 13and all our brethren who were in the land of Tob have been killed; the enemy have captured their wives and children and goods, and have destroyed about a thousand men there.\u201d
\n14While the letter was still being read, behold, other messengers, with their garments rent, came from Galilee and made a similar report; 15they said that against them had gathered together men of Ptolemais and Tyre and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, \u201cto annihilate us.\u201d 16When Judas and the people heard these messages, a great assembly was called to determine what they should do for their brethren who were in distress and were being attacked by enemies. 17Then Judas said to Simon his brother, \u201cChoose your men and go and rescue your brethren in Galilee; I and Jonathan my brother will go to Gilead.\u201d 18But he left Joseph, the son of Zechariah, and Azariah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces, in Judea to guard it; 19and he gave them this command, \u201cTake charge of this people, but do not engage in battle with the Gentiles until we return.\u201d 20Then three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee, and eight thousand to Judas for Gilead.
\n21So Simon went to Galilee and fought many battles against the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were crushed before him. 22He pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais, and as many as three thousand of the Gentiles fell, and he despoiled them. 23Then he took the Jews of Galilee and Arbatta, with their wives and children, and all they possessed, and led them to Judea with great rejoicing.
\n24Judas Maccabeus and Jonathan his brother crossed the Jordan and went three days\u2019 journey into the wilderness. 25They encountered the Nabateans, who met them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their brethren in Gilead: 26\u201cMany of them have been shut up in Bozrah and Bosor, in Alema and Chaspho, Maked and Carnaim\u201d\u2014all these cities were strong and large\u201427\u201cand some have been shut up in the other cities of Gilead; the enemy are getting ready to attack the strongholds tomorrow and take and destroy all these men in one day.\u201d 28Then Judas and his army quickly turned back by the wilderness road to Bozrah; and he took the city, and killed every male by the edge of the sword; then he seized all its spoils and burned it with fire.
\n29He departed from there at night, and they went all the way to the stronghold of Dathema. 30At dawn they looked up, and behold, a large company, that could not be counted, carrying ladders and engines of war to capture the stronghold, and attacking the Jews within. 31So Judas saw that the battle had begun and that the cry of the city went up to heaven with trumpets and loud shouts, 32and he said to the men of his forces, \u201cFight today for your brethren!\u201d 33Then he came up behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets and cried aloud in prayer. 34And when the army of Timothy realized that it was Maccabeus, they fled before him, and he dealt them a heavy blow. As many as eight thousand of them fell that day.
\n35Next he turned aside to Alema, and fought against it and took it; and he killed every male in it, plundered it, and burned it with fire. 36From there he marched on and took Chaspho, Maked, and Bosor, and the other cities of Gilead.
\n37After these things Timothy gathered another army and encamped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the stream. 38Judas sent men to spy out the camp, and they reported to him, \u201cAll the Gentiles around us have gathered to him; it is a very large force. 39They also have hired Arabs to help them, and they are encamped across the stream, ready to come and fight against you.\u201d And Judas went to meet them.
\n40Now as Judas and his army drew near to the stream of water, Timothy said to the officers of his forces, \u201cIf he crosses over to us first, we will not be able to resist him, for he will surely defeat us. 41But if he shows fear and camps on the other side of the river, we will cross over to him and defeat him.\u201d 42When Judas approached the stream of water, he stationed the scribes of the people at the stream and gave them this command, \u201cPermit no man to encamp, but make them all enter the battle.\u201d 43Then he crossed over against them first, and the whole army followed him. All the Gentiles were defeated before him, and they threw away their arms and fled into the sacred precincts at Carnaim. 44But he took the city and burned the sacred precincts with fire, together with all who were in them. Thus Carnaim was conquered; they could stand before Judas no longer.
\n45Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites in Gilead, the small and the great, with their wives and children and goods, a very large company, to go to the land of Judah. 46So they came to Ephron. This was a large and very strong city on the road, and they could not go round it to the right or to the left; they had to go through it. 47But the men of the city shut them out and blocked up the gates with stones. 48And Judas sent them this friendly message, \u201cLet us pass through your land to get to our land. No one will do you harm; we will simply pass by on foot.\u201d But they refused to open to him. 49Then Judas ordered a proclamation to be made to the army that each should encamp where he was. 50So the men of the forces encamped, and he fought against the city all that day and all the night, and the city was delivered into his hands.
\n51He destroyed every male by the edge of the sword, and razed and plundered the city. Then he passed through the city over the slain. 52And they crossed the Jordan into the large plain before Beth-shan.
\n53And Judas kept rallying the laggards and encouraging the people all the way till he came to the land of Judah. 54So they went up to Mount Zion with gladness and joy, and offered burnt offerings, because not one of them had fallen before they returned in safety.
\n55Now while Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and Simon his brother was in Galilee before Ptolemais, 56Joseph, the son of Zechariah, and Azariah, the commanders of the forces, heard of their brave deeds and of the heroic war they had fought. 57So they said, \u201cLet us also make a name for ourselves; let us go and make war on the Gentiles around us.\u201d 58And they issued orders to the men of the forces that were with them, and they marched against Jamnia. 59And Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle. 60Then Joseph and Azariah were routed, and were pursued to the borders of Judea; as many as two thousand of the people of Israel fell that day. 61Thus the people suffered a great rout because, thinking to do a brave deed, they did not listen to Judas and his brothers. 62But they did not belong to the family of those men through whom deliverance was given to Israel.
\n63The man Judas and his brothers were greatly honored in all Israel and among all the Gentiles, wherever their name was heard. 64Men gathered to them and praised them. 65Then Judas and his brothers went forth and fought the sons of Esau in the land to the south. He struck Hebron and its villages and tore down its strongholds and burned its towers round about. 66Then he marched off to go into the land of the Philistines, and passed through Marisa. 67On that day some priests, who wished to do a brave deed, fell in battle, for they went out to battle unwisely. 68But Judas turned aside to Azotus in the land of the Philistines; he tore down their altars, and the graven images of their gods he burned with fire; he plundered the cities and returned to the land of Judah.
\n6.1King Antiochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard that Elymais in Persia was a city famed for its wealth in silver and gold. 2Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks. 3So he came and tried to take the city and plunder it, but he could not, because his plan became known to the men of the city 4and they withstood him in battle. So he fled and in great grief departed from there to return to Babylon.
\n5Then some one came to him in Persia and reported that the armies which had gone into the land of Judah had been routed; 6that Lysias had gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; that the Jews had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils which they had taken from the armies they had cut down; 7that they had torn down the abomination which he had erected upon the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Beth-zur, his city.
\n8When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He took to his bed and became sick from grief, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned. 9He lay there for many days, because deep grief continually gripped him, and he concluded that he was dying. 10So he called all his friends and said to them, \u201cSleep departs from my eyes and I am downhearted with worry. 11I said to myself, \u2018To what distress I have come! And into what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and beloved in my power.\u2019 12But now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem. I seized all her vessels of silver and gold; and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason. 13I know that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me; and behold, I am perishing of deep grief in a strange land.\u201d
\n14Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and made him ruler over all his kingdom. 15He gave him the crown and his robe and the signet, that he might guide Antiochus his son and bring him up to be king. 16Thus Antiochus the king died there in the one hundred and forty-ninth year. 17And when Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus the king\u2019s son to reign. Lysias had brought him up as a boy, and he named him Eupator.
\n18Now the men in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary. They were trying in every way to harm them and strengthen the Gentiles. 19So Judas decided to destroy them, and assembled all the people to besiege them. 20They gathered together and besieged the citadel in the one hundred and fiftieth year; and he built siege towers and other engines of war. 21But some of the garrison escaped from the siege and some of the ungodly Israelites joined them. 22They went to the king and said, \u201cHow long will you fail to do justice and to avenge our brethren? 23We were happy to serve your father, to live by what he said and to follow his commands. 24For this reason the sons of our people besieged the citadel and became hostile to us; moreover, they have put to death as many of us as they have caught, and they have seized our inheritances. 25And not against us alone have they stretched out their hands, but also against all the lands on their borders. 26And behold, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to take it; they have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur; 27and unless you quickly prevent them, they will do still greater things, and you will not be able to stop them.\u201d
\n28The king was enraged when he heard this. He assembled all his friends, the commanders of his forces and those in authority. 29And mercenary forces came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the seas. 30The number of his forces was a hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants accustomed to war. 31They came through Idumea and encamped against Beth-zur, and for many days they fought and built engines of war; but the Jews sallied out and burned these with fire, and fought manfully.
\n32Then Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah, opposite the camp of the king. 33Early in the morning the king rose and took his army by a forced march along the road to Beth-zechariah, and his troops made ready for battle and sounded their trumpets. 34They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, to arouse them for battle. 35And they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes; with each elephant they stationed a thousand men armed with coats of mail, and with brass helmets on their heads; and five hundred picked horsemen were assigned to each beast. 36These took their position beforehand wherever the beast was; wherever it went they went with it, and they never left it. 37And upon the elephants were wooden towers, strong and covered; they were fastened upon each beast by special harness, and upon each were four armed men who fought from there, and also its Indian driver. 38The rest of the horsemen were stationed on either side, on the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy while being themselves protected by the phalanxes. 39When the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the hills were ablaze with them and gleamed like flaming torches.
\n40Now a part of the king\u2019s army was spread out on the high hills, and some troops were on the plain, and they advanced steadily and in good order. 41All who heard the noise made by their multitude, by the marching of the multitude and the clanking of their arms, trembled, for the army was very large and strong. 42But Judas and his army advanced to the battle, and six hundred men of the king\u2019s army fell. 43And Eleazar, called Avaran, saw that one of the beasts was equipped with royal armor. It was taller than all the others, and he supposed that the king was upon it. 44So he gave his life to save his people and to win for himself an everlasting name. 45He courageously ran into the midst of the phalanx to reach it; he killed men right and left, and they parted before him on both sides. 46He got under the elephant, stabbed it from beneath, and killed it; but it fell to the ground upon him and he died. 47And when the Jews saw the royal might and the fierce attack of the forces, they turned away in flight.
\n48The soldiers of the king\u2019s army went up to Jerusalem against them, and the king encamped in Judea and at Mount Zion. 49He made peace with the men of Beth-zur, and they evacuated the city, because they had no provisions there to withstand a siege, since it was a sabbatical year for the land. 50So the king took Beth-zur and stationed a guard there to hold it. 51Then he encamped before the sanctuary for many days. He set up siege towers, engines of war to throw fire and stones, machines to shoot arrows, and catapults. 52The Jews also made engines of war to match theirs, and fought for many days. 53But they had no food in storage, because it was the seventh year; those who found safety in Judea from the Gentiles had consumed the last of the stores. 54Few men were left in the sanctuary, because famine had prevailed over the rest and they had been scattered, each to his own place.
\n55Then Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus while still living had appointed to bring up Antiochus his son to be king, 56had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had gone with the king, and that he was trying to seize control of the government. 57So he quickly gave orders to depart, and said to the king, to the commanders of the forces, and to the men, \u201cWe daily grow weaker, our food supply is scant, the place against which we are fighting is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom press urgently upon us. 58Now then let us come to terms with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation, 59and agree to let them live by their laws as they did before; for it was on account of their laws which we abolished that they became angry and did all these things.\u201d
\n60The speech pleased the king and the commanders, and he sent to the Jews an offer of peace, and they accepted it. 61So the king and the commanders gave them their oath. On these conditions the Jews evacuated the stronghold. 62But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw what a strong fortress the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders to tear down the wall all around. 63Then he departed with haste and returned to Antioch. He found Philip in control of the city, but he fought against him, and took the city by force.
\n7.1In the one hundred and fifty-first year Demetrius the son of Seleucus set forth from Rome, sailed with a few men to a city by the sea, and there began to reign. 2As he was entering the royal palace of his fathers, the army seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring them to him. 3But when this act became known to him, he said, \u201cDo not let me see their faces!\u201d 4So the army killed them, and Demetrius took his seat upon the throne of his kingdom.
\n5Then there came to him all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel; they were led by Alcimus, who wanted to be high priest. 6And they brought to the king this accusation against the people: \u201cJudas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends, and have driven us out of our land. 7Now then send a man whom you trust; let him go and see all the ruin which Judas has brought upon us and upon the land of the king, and let him punish them and all who help them.\u201d
\n8So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king\u2019s friends, governor of the province Beyond the River; he was a great man in the kingdom and was faithful to the king. 9And he sent him, and with him the ungodly Alcimus, whom he made high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance on the sons of Israel. 10So they marched away and came with a large force into the land of Judah; and he sent messengers to Judas and his brothers with peaceable but treacherous words. 11But they paid no attention to their words, for they saw that they had come with a large force.
\n12Then a group of scribes appeared in a body before Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for just terms. 13The Hasideans were first among the sons of Israel to seek peace from them, 14for they said, \u201cA priest of the line of Aaron has come with the army, and he will not harm us.\u201d 15And he spoke peaceable words to them and swore this oath to them, \u201cWe will not seek to injure you or your friends.\u201d 16So they trusted him; but he seized sixty of them and killed them in one day, in accordance with the word which was written,<\/p>\n
17\u201cThe flesh of thy saints and their blood
\nthey poured out round about Jerusalem,
\nand there was none to bury them.\u201d<\/p>\n
18Then the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, \u201cThere is no truth or justice in them, for they have violated the agreement and the oath which they swore.\u201d
\n19Then Bacchides departed from Jerusalem and encamped in Beth-zaith. And he sent and seized many of the men who had deserted to him, and some of the people, and killed them and threw them into a great pit. 20He placed Alcimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to help him; then Bacchides went back to the king.
\n21Alcimus strove for the high priesthood, 22and all who were troubling their people joined him. They gained control of the land of Judah and did great damage in Israel. 23And Judas saw all the evil that Alcimus and those with him had done among the sons of Israel; it was more than the Gentiles had done. 24So Judas went out into all the surrounding parts of Judea, and took vengeance on the men who had deserted, and he prevented those in the city from going out into the country. 25When Alcimus saw that Judas and those with him had grown strong, and realized that he could not withstand them, he returned to the king and brought wicked charges against them.
\n26Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honored princes, who hated and detested Israel, and he commanded him to destroy the people. 27So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force, and treacherously sent to Judas and his brothers this peaceable message, 28\u201cLet there be no fighting between me and you; I shall come with a few men to see you face to face in peace.\u201d 29So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. But the enemy were ready to seize Judas. 30It became known to Judas that Nicanor had come to him with treacherous intent, and he was afraid of him and would not meet him again. 31When Nicanor learned that his plan had been disclosed, he went out to meet Judas in battle near Caphar-salama. 32About five hundred men of the army of Nicanor fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.
\n33After these events Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the sanctuary, and some of the elders of the people, to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being offered for the king. 34But he mocked them and derided them and defiled them and spoke arrogantly, 35and in anger he swore this oath, \u201cUnless Judas and his army are delivered into my hands this time, then if I return safely I will burn up this house.\u201d And he went out in great anger. 36Then the priests went in and stood before the altar and the temple, and they wept and said,<\/p>\n
37\u201cThou didst choose this house to be called by thy name,
\nand to be for thy people a house of prayer and supplication.
\n38Take vengeance on this man and on his army,
\nand let them fall by the sword;
\nremember their blasphemies,
\nand let them live no longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
39Now Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped in Beth-horon, and the Syrian army joined him. 40And Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men. Then Judas prayed and said, 41\u201cWhen the messengers from the king spoke blasphemy, thy angel went forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians. 42So also crush this army before us today; let the rest learn that Nicanor has spoken wickedly against the sanctuary, and judge him according to this wickedness.\u201d
\n43So the armies met in battle on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. The army of Nicanor was crushed, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle. 44When his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their arms and fled. 45The Jews pursued them a day\u2019s journey, from Adasa as far as Gazara, and as they followed kept sounding the battle call on the trumpets. 46And men came out of all the villages of Judea round about, and they out-flanked the enemy and drove them back to their pursuers, so that they all fell by the sword; not even one of them was left. 47Then the Jews seized the spoils and the plunder, and they cut off Nicanor\u2019s head and the right hand which he so arrogantly stretched out, and brought them and displayed them just outside Jerusalem.48The people rejoiced greatly and celebrated that day as a day of great gladness. 49And they decreed that this day should be celebrated each year on the thirteenth day of Adar. 50So the land of Judah had rest for a few days.
\n8.1Now Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were very strong and were well-disposed toward all who made an alliance with them, that they pledged friendship to those who came to them, 2and that they were very strong. Men told him of their wars and of the brave deeds which they were doing among the Gauls, how they had defeated them and forced them to pay tribute, 3and what they had done in the land of Spain to get control of the silver and gold mines there, 4and how they had gained control of the whole region by their planning and patience, even though the place was far distant from them. They also subdued the kings who came against them from the ends of the earth, until they crushed them and inflicted great disaster upon them; the rest paid them tribute every year. 5Philip, and Perseus king of the Macedonians, and the others who rose up against them, they crushed in battle and conquered. 6They also defeated Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who went to fight against them with a hundred and twenty elephants and with cavalry and chariots and a very large army. He was crushed by them; 7they took him alive and decreed that he and those who should reign after him should pay a heavy tribute and give hostages and surrender some of their best provinces, 8the country of India and Media and Lydia. These they took from him and gave to Eumenes the king. 9The Greeks planned to come and destroy them, 10but this became known to them, and they sent a general against the Greeks and attacked them. Many of them were wounded and fell, and the Romans took captive their wives and children; they plundered them, conquered the land, tore down their strongholds, and enslaved them to this day.
\n11The remaining kingdoms and islands, as many as ever opposed them, they destroyed and enslaved; 12but with their friends and those who rely on them they have kept friendship. They have subdued kings far and near, and as many as have heard of their fame have feared them. 13Those whom they wish to help and to make kings, they make kings, and those whom they wish they depose; and they have been greatly exalted. 14Yet for all this not one of them has put on a crown or worn purple as a mark of pride, 15but they have built for themselves a senate chamber, and every day three hundred and twenty senators constantly deliberate concerning the people, to govern them well. 16They trust one man each year to rule over them and to control all their land; they all heed the one man, and there is no envy or jealousy among them.
\n17So Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome to establish friendship and alliance, 18and to free themselves from the yoke; for they saw that the kingdom of the Greeks was completely enslaving Israel. 19They went to Rome, a very long journey; and they entered the senate chamber and spoke as follows: 20\u201cJudas, who is also called Maccabeus, and his brothers and the people of the Jews have sent us to you to establish alliance and peace with you, that we may be enrolled as your allies and friends.\u201d 21The proposal pleased them, 22and this is a copy of the letter which they wrote in reply, on bronze tablets, and sent to Jerusalem to remain with them there as a memorial of peace and alliance:
\n23\u201cMay all go well with the Romans and with the nation of the Jews at sea and on land forever, and may sword and enemy be far from them. 24If war comes first to Rome or to any of their allies in all their dominion, 25the nation of the Jews shall act as their allies wholeheartedly, as the occasion may indicate to them. 26And to the enemy who makes war they shall not give or supply grain, arms, money, or ships, as Rome has decided; and they shall keep their obligations without receiving any return. 27In the same way, if war comes first to the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall willingly act as their allies, as the occasion may indicate to them. 28And to the enemy allies shall be given no grain, arms, money, or ships, as Rome has decided; and they shall keep these obligations and do so without deceit. 29Thus on these terms the Romans make a treaty with the Jewish people. 30If after these terms are in effect both parties shall determine to add or delete anything, they shall do so at their discretion, and any addition or deletion that they may make shall be valid.
\n31\u201cAnd concerning the wrongs which King Demetrius is doing to them we have written to him as follows, \u2018Why have you made your yoke heavy upon our friends and allies the Jews? 32If now they appeal again for help against you, we will defend their rights and fight you on sea and on land.\u2019 \u201d
\n9.1When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judah a second time, and with them the right wing of the army. 2They went by the road which leads to Gilgal and encamped against Mesaloth in Arbela, and they took it and killed many people. 3In the first month of the one hundred and fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem; 4then they marched off and went to Berea with twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry.
\n5Now Judas was encamped in Elasa, and with him were three thousand picked men. 6When they saw the huge number of the enemy forces, they were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from the camp, until no more than eight hundred of them were left. 7When Judas saw that his army had slipped away and the battle was imminent, he was crushed in spirit, for he had no time to assemble them. 8He became faint, but he said to those who were left, \u201cLet us rise and go up against our enemies. We may be able to fight them.\u201d 9But they tried to dissuade him, saying, \u201cWe are not able. Let us rather save our own lives now, and let us come back with our brethren and fight them; we are too few.\u201d 10But Judas said, \u201cFar be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our brethren, and leave no cause to question our honor.\u201d
\n11Then the army of Bacchides marched out from the camp and took its stand for the encounter. The cavalry was divided into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, as did all the chief warriors. 12Bacchides was on the right wing. Flanked by the two companies, the phalanx advanced to the sound of the trumpets; and the men with Judas also blew their trumpets. 13The earth was shaken by the noise of the armies, and the battle raged from morning till evening.
\n14Judas saw that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right; then all the stouthearted men went with him, 15and they crushed the right wing, and he pursued them as far as Mount Azotus. 16When those on the left wing saw that the right wing was crushed, they turned and followed close behind Judas and his men. 17The battle became desperate, and many on both sides were wounded and fell. 18Judas also fell, and the rest fled.
\n19Then Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in the tomb of their fathers at Modein, 20and wept for him. And all Israel made great lamentation for him; they mourned many days and said,<\/p>\n
21\u201cHow is the mighty fallen,
\nthe savior of Israel!\u201d<\/p>\n
22Now the rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars and the brave deeds that he did, and his greatness, have not been recorded, for they were very many.
\n23After the death of Judas, the lawless emerged in all parts of Israel; all the doers of injustice appeared. 24In those days a very great famine occurred, and the country deserted with them to the enemy. 25And Bacchides chose the ungodly and put them in charge of the country. 26They sought and searched for the friends of Judas, and brought them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them and made sport of them. 27Thus there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them.
\n28Then all the friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan, 29\u201cSince the death of your brother Judas there has been no one like him to go against our enemies and Bacchides, and to deal with those of our nation who hate us. 30So now we have chosen you today to take his place as our ruler and leader, to fight our battle.\u201d 31And Jonathan at that time accepted the leadership and took the place of Judas his brother.
\n32When Bacchides learned of this, he tried to kill him. 33But Jonathan and Simon his brother and all who were with him heard of it, and they fled into the wilderness of Tekoa and camped by the water of the pool of Asphar. 34Bacchides found this out on the Sabbath day, and he with all his army crossed the Jordan. 35And Jonathan sent his brother as leader of the multitude and begged the Nabateans, who were his friends, for permission to store with them the great amount of baggage which they had. 36But the sons of Jambri from Medeba came out and seized John and all that he had, and departed with it.
\n37After these things it was reported to Jonathan and Simon his brother, \u201cThe sons of Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and are conducting the bride, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan, from Nadabath with a large escort.\u201d 38And they remembered the blood of John their brother, and went up and hid under cover of the mountain. 39They raised their eyes and looked, and saw a tumultuous procession with much baggage; and the bridegroom came out with his friends and his brothers to meet them with tambourines and musicians and many weapons. 40Then they rushed upon them from the ambush and began killing them. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled to the mountain; and they took all their goods. 41Thus the wedding was turned into mourning and the voice of their musicians into a funeral dirge. 42And when they had fully avenged the blood of their brother, they returned to the marshes of the Jordan.
\n43When Bacchides heard of this, he came with a large force on the Sabbath day to the banks of the Jordan. 44And Jonathan said to those with him, \u201cLet us rise up now and fight for our lives, for today things are not as they were before. 45For look! the battle is in front of us and behind us; the water of the Jordan is on this side and on that, with marsh and thicket; there is no place to turn. 46Cry out now to heaven that you may be delivered from the hands of our enemies.\u201d 47So the battle began, and Jonathan stretched out his hand to strike Bacchides, but he eluded him and went to the rear. 48Then Jonathan and the men with him leaped into the Jordan and swam across to the other side, and the enemy did not cross the Jordan to attack them. 49And about one thousand of Bacchides\u2019s men fell that day.
\n50Bacchides then returned to Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judea: the fortress in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Beth-horon, and Bethel, and Timnath, and Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls and gates and bars. 51And he placed garrisons in them to harass Israel. 52He also fortified the city of Beth-zur, and Gazara, and the citadel, and in them he put troops and stores of food. 53And he took the sons of the leading men of the land as hostages and put them under guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.
\n54In the one hundred and fifty-third year, in the second month, Alcimus gave orders to tear down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary. He tore down the work of the prophets! 55But he only began to tear it down, for at that time Alcimus was stricken and his work was hindered; his mouth was stopped and he was paralyzed, so that he could no longer say a word or give commands concerning his house. 56And Alcimus died at that time in great agony. 57When Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he returned to the king, and the land of Judah had rest for two years.
\n58Then all the lawless plotted and said, \u201cSee! Jonathan and his men are living in quiet and confidence. So now let us bring Bacchides back, and he will capture them all in one night.\u201d 59And they went and consulted with him. 60He started to come with a large force, and secretly sent letters to all his allies in Judea, telling them to seize Jonathan and his men; but they were unable to do it, because their plan became known. 61And Jonathan\u2019s men seized about fifty of the men of the country who were leaders in this treachery, and killed them.
\n62Then Jonathan with his men, and Simon, withdrew to Bethbasi in the wilderness; he rebuilt the parts of it that had been demolished, and they fortified it. 63When Bacchides learned of this, he assembled all his forces, and sent orders to the men of Judea. 64Then he came and encamped against Bethbasi; he fought against it for many days and made machines of war.
\n65But Jonathan left Simon his brother in the city, while he went out into the country; and he went with only a few men. 66He struck down Odomera and his brothers and the sons of Phasiron in their tents. 67Then he began to attack and went into battle with his forces; and Simon and his men sallied out from the city and set fire to the machines of war. 68They fought with Bacchides, and he was crushed by them. They distressed him greatly, for his plan and his expedition had been in vain. 69So he was greatly enraged at the lawless men who had counseled him to come into the country, and he killed many of them. Then he decided to depart to his own land.
\n70When Jonathan learned of this, he sent ambassadors to him to make peace with him and obtain release of the captives. 71He agreed, and did as he said; and he swore to Jonathan that he would not try to harm him as long as he lived. 72He restored to him the captives whom he had formerly taken from the land of Judah; then he turned and departed to his own land, and came no more into their territory. 73Thus the sword ceased from Israel. And Jonathan dwelt in Michmash. And Jonathan began to judge the people, and he destroyed the ungodly out of Israel.
\n10.1In the one hundred and sixtieth year Alexander Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus, landed and occupied Ptolemais. They welcomed him, and there he began to reign. 2When Demetrius the king heard of it, he assembled a very large army and marched out to meet him in battle. 3And Demetrius sent Jonathan a letter in peaceable words to honor him; 4for he said, \u201cLet us act first to make peace with him before he makes peace with Alexander against us, 5for he will remember all the wrongs which we did to him and to his brothers and his nation.\u201d 6So Demetrius gave him authority to recruit troops, to equip them with arms, and to become his ally; and he commanded that the hostages in the citadel should be released to him.
\n7Then Jonathan came to Jerusalem and read the letter in the hearing of all the people and of the men in the citadel. 8They were greatly alarmed when they heard that the king had given him authority to recruit troops. 9But the men in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he returned them to their parents.
\n10And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and restore the city. 11He directed those who were doing the work to build the walls and encircle Mount Zion with squared stones, for better fortification; and they did so. 12Then the foreigners who were in the strongholds that Bacchides had built fled; 13each left his place and departed to his own land. 14Only in Beth-zur did some remain who had forsaken the law and the commandments, for it served as a place of refuge.
\n15Now Alexander the king heard of all the promises which Demetrius had sent to Jonathan, and men told him of the battles that Jonathan and his brothers had fought, of the brave deeds that they had done, and of the troubles that they had endured. 16So he said, \u201cShall we find another such man? Come now, we will make him our friend and ally.\u201d 17And he wrote a letter and sent it to him, in the following words:
\n18\u201cKing Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greeting.
\n19We have heard about you, that you are a mighty warrior and worthy to be our friend. 20And so we have appointed you today to be the high priest of your nation; you are to be called the king\u2019s friend\u201d (and he sent him a purple robe and a golden crown) \u201cand you are to take our side and keep friendship with us.\u201d
\n21So Jonathan put on the holy garments in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year, at the feast of tabernacles, and he recruited troops and equipped them with arms in abundance.
\n22When Demetrius heard of these things he was grieved and said, 23\u201cWhat is this that we have done? Alexander has gotten ahead of us in forming a friendship with the Jews to strengthen himself. 24I also will write them words of encouragement and promise them honor and gifts, that I may have their help.\u201d 25So he sent a message to them in the following words:
\n\u201cKing Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
\n26Since you have kept your agreement with us and have continued your friendship with us, and have not sided with our enemies, we have heard of it and rejoiced. 27And now continue still to keep faith with us, and we will repay you with good for what you do for us. 28We will grant you many immunities and give you gifts.
\n29\u201cAnd now I free you and exempt all the Jews from payment of tribute and salt tax and crown levies, 30and instead of collecting the third of the grain and the half of the fruit of the trees that I should receive, I release them from this day and henceforth. I will not collect them from the land of Judah or from the three districts added to it from Samaria and Galilee, from this day and for all time. 31And let Jerusalem and her environs, her tithes and her revenues, be holy and free from tax. 32I release also my control of the citadel in Jerusalem and give it to the high priest, that he may station in it men of his own choice to guard it. 33And every one of the Jews taken as a captive from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom, I set free without payment; and let all officials cancel also the taxes on their cattle.
\n34\u201cAnd all the feasts and Sabbaths and new moons and appointed days, and the three days before a feast and the three after a feast\u2014let them all be days of immunity and release for all the Jews who are in my kingdom. 35No one shall have authority to exact anything from them or annoy any of them about any matter.
\n36\u201cLet Jews be enrolled in the king\u2019s forces to the number of thirty thousand men, and let the maintenance be given them that is due to all the forces of the king. 37Let some of them be stationed in the great strongholds of the king, and let some of them be put in positions of trust in the kingdom. Let their officers and leaders be of their own number, and let them live by their own laws, just as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.
\n38\u201cAs for the three districts that have been added to Judea from the country of Samaria, let them be so annexed to Judea that they are considered to be under one ruler and obey no other authority but the high priest. 39Ptolemais and the land adjoining it I have given as a gift to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, to meet the necessary expenses of the sanctuary. 40I also grant fifteen thousand shekels of silver yearly out of the king\u2019s revenues from appropriate places. 41And all the additional funds which the government officials have not paid as they did in the first years, they shall give from now on for the service of the temple. 42Moreover, the five thousand shekels of silver which my officials have received every year from the income of the services of the temple, this too is canceled, because it belongs to the priests who minister there. 43And whoever takes refuge at the temple in Jerusalem, or in any of its precincts, because he owes money to the king or has any debt, let him be released and receive back all his property in my kingdom.
\n44\u201cLet the cost of rebuilding and restoring the structures of the sanctuary be paid from the revenues of the king. 45And let the cost of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it round about, and the cost of rebuilding the walls in Judea, also be paid from the revenues of the king.\u201d
\n46When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they did not believe or accept them, because they remembered the great wrongs which Demetrius had done in Israel and how he had greatly oppressed them. 47They favored Alexander, because he had been the first to speak peaceable words to them, and they remained his allies all his days.
\n48Now Alexander the king assembled large forces and encamped opposite Demetrius. 49The two kings met in battle, and the army of Demetrius fled, and Alexander pursued him and defeated them. 50He pressed the battle strongly until the sun set, and Demetrius fell on that day. 51Then Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy king of Egypt with the following message:
\n52\u201cSince I have returned to my kingdom and have taken my seat on the throne of my fathers, and established my rule\u2014for I crushed Demetrius and gained control of our country; 53I met him in battle, and he and his army were crushed by us, and we have taken our seat on the throne of his kingdom\u201454now therefore let us establish friendship with one another; give me now your daughter as my wife, and I will become your son-in-law, and will make gifts to you and to her in keeping with your position.\u201d
\n55Ptolemy the king replied and said, \u201cHappy was the day on which you returned to the land of your fathers and took your seat on the throne of their kingdom. 56And now I will do for you as you wrote, but meet me at Ptolemais, so that we may see one another, and I will become your father-in-law, as you have said.\u201d 57So Ptolemy set out from Egypt, he and Cleopatra his daughter, and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year. 58Alexander the king met him, and Ptolemy gave him Cleopatra his daughter in marriage, and celebrated her wedding at Ptolemais with great pomp, as kings do.
\n59Then Alexander the king wrote to Jonathan to come to meet him. 60So he went with pomp to Ptolemais and met the two kings; he gave them and their friends silver and gold and many gifts, and found favor with them. 61A group of pestilent men from Israel, lawless men, gathered together against him to accuse him; but the king paid no attention to them. 62The king gave orders to take off Jonathan\u2019s garments and to clothe him in purple, and they did so. 63The king also seated him at his side; and he said to his officers, \u201cGo forth with him into the middle of the city and proclaim that no one is to bring charges against him about any matter, and let no one annoy him for any reason.\u201d 64And when his accusers saw the honor that was paid him, in accordance with the proclamation, and saw him clothed in purple, they all fled. 65Thus the king honored him and enrolled him among his chief friends, and made him general and governor of the province. 66And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem in peace and gladness.
\n67In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year Demetrius the son of Demetrius came from Crete to the land of his fathers. 68When Alexander the king heard of it, he was greatly grieved and returned to Antioch. 69And Demetrius appointed Apollonius the governor of Coelesyria, and he assembled a large force and encamped against Jamnia. Then he sent the following message to Jonathan the high priest:
\n70\u201cYou are the only one to rise up against us, and I have become a laughingstock and reproach because of you. Why do you assume authority against us in the hill country? 71If you now have confidence in your forces, come down to the plain to meet us, and let us match strength with each other there, for I have with me the power of the cities. 72Ask and learn who I am and who the others are that are helping us. Men will tell you that you cannot stand before us, for your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land. 73And now you will not be able to withstand my cavalry and such an army in the plain, where there is no stone or pebble, or place to flee.\u201d
\n74When Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, his spirit was aroused. He chose ten thousand men and set out from Jerusalem, and Simon his brother met him to help him. 75He encamped before Joppa, but the men of the city closed its gates, for Apollonius had a garrison in Joppa. 76So they fought against it, and the men of the city became afraid and opened the gates, and Jonathan gained possession of Joppa.
\n77When Apollonius heard of it, he mustered three thousand cavalry and a large army, and went to Azotus as though he were going farther. At the same time he advanced into the plain, for he had a large troop of cavalry and put confidence in it.
\n78Jonathan pursued him to Azotus, and the armies engaged in battle. 79Now Apollonius had secretly left a thousand cavalry behind them. 80Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind him, for they surrounded his army and shot arrows at his men from early morning till late afternoon. 81But his men stood fast, as Jonathan commanded, and the enemy\u2019s horses grew tired.
\n82Then Simon brought forward his force and engaged the phalanx in battle (for the cavalry was exhausted); they were overwhelmed by him and fled, 83and the cavalry was dispersed in the plain. They fled to Azotus and entered Beth-dagon, the temple of their idol, for safety. 84But Jonathan burned Azotus and the surrounding towns and plundered them; and the temple of Dagon, and those who had taken refuge in it he burned with fire. 85The number of those who fell by the sword, with those burned alive, came to eight thousand men.
\n86Then Jonathan departed from there and encamped against Askalon, and the men of the city came out to meet him with great pomp. 87And Jonathan and those with him returned to Jerusalem with much booty. 88When Alexander the king heard of these things, he honored Jonathan still more; 89and he sent to him a golden buckle, such as it is the custom to give to the kinsmen of kings. He also gave him Ekron and all its environs as his possession.
\n11.1Then the king of Egypt gathered great forces, like the sand by the seashore, and many ships; and he tried to get possession of Alexander\u2019s kingdom by trickery and add it to his own kingdom. 2He set out for Syria with peaceable words, and the people of the cities opened their gates to him and went to meet him, for Alexander the king had commanded them to meet him, since he was Alexander\u2019s father-in-law. 3But when Ptolemy entered the cities he stationed forces as a garrison in each city.
\n4When he approached Azotus, they showed him the temple of Dagon burned down, and Azotus and its suburbs destroyed, and the corpses lying about, and the charred bodies of those whom Jonathan had burned in the war, for they had piled them in heaps along his route. 5They also told the king what Jonathan had done, to throw blame on him; but the king kept silent. 6Jonathan met the king at Joppa with pomp, and they greeted one another and spent the night there. 7And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river called Eleutherus; then he returned to Jerusalem.
\n8So King Ptolemy gained control of the coastal cities as far as Seleucia by the sea, and he kept devising evil designs against Alexander. 9He sent envoys to Demetrius the king, saying, \u201cCome, let us make a covenant with each other, and I will give you in marriage my daughter who was Alexander\u2019s wife, and you shall reign over your father\u2019s kingdom. 10For I now regret that I gave him my daughter, for he has tried to kill me.\u201d 11He threw blame on Alexander because he coveted his kingdom. 12So he took his daughter away from him and gave her to Demetrius. He was estranged from Alexander, and their enmity became manifest.
\n13Then Ptolemy entered Antioch and put on the crown of Asia. Thus he put two crowns upon his head, the crown of Egypt and that of Asia. 14Now Alexander the king was in Cilicia at that time, because the people of that region were in revolt. 15And Alexander heard of it and came against him in battle. Ptolemy marched out and met him with a strong force, and put him to flight. 16So Alexander fled into Arabia to find protection there, and King Ptolemy was exalted. 17And Zabdiel the Arab cut off the head of Alexander and sent it to Ptolemy. 18But King Ptolemy died three days later, and his troops in the strongholds were killed by the inhabitants of the strongholds. 19So Demetrius became king in the one hundred and sixty-seventh year.
\n20In those days Jonathan assembled the men of Judea to attack the citadel in Jerusalem, and he built many engines of war to use against it. 21But certain lawless men who hated their nation went to the king and reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel. 22When he heard this he was angry, and as soon as he heard it he set out and came to Ptolemais; and he wrote Jonathan not to continue the siege, but to meet him for a conference at Ptolemais as quickly as possible.
\n23When Jonathan heard this, he gave orders to continue the siege; and he chose some of the elders of Israel and some of the priests, and put himself in danger, 24for he went to the king at Ptolemais, taking silver and gold and clothing and numerous other gifts. And he won his favor. 25Although certain lawless men of his nation kept making complaints against him, 26the king treated him as his predecessors had treated him; he exalted him in the presence of all his friends. 27He confirmed him in the high priesthood and in as many other honors as he had formerly had, and made him to be regarded as one of his chief friends. 28Then Jonathan asked the king to free Judea and the three districts of Samaria from tribute, and promised him three hundred talents. 29The king consented, and wrote a letter to Jonathan about all these things; its contents were as follows:
\n30\u201cKing Demetrius to Jonathan his brother and to the nation of the Jews, greeting. 31This copy of the letter which we wrote concerning you to Lasthenes our kinsman we have written to you also, so that you may know what it says.
\n32\u2019King Demetrius to Lasthenes his father, greeting.
\n33To the nation of the Jews, who are our friends and fulfil their obligations to us, we have determined to do good, because of the good will they show toward us. 34We have confirmed as their possession both the territory of Judea and the three districts of Aphairema and Lydda and Rathamin; the latter, with all the region bordering them, were added to Judea from Samaria. To all those who offer sacrifice in Jerusalem, we have granted release from the royal taxes which the king formerly received from them each year, from the crops of the land and the fruit of the trees. 35And the other payments henceforth due to us of the tithes, and the taxes due to us, and the salt pits and the crown taxes due to us\u2014from all these we shall grant them release. 36And not one of these grants shall be canceled from this time forth forever. 37Now therefore take care to make a copy of this, and let it be given to Jonathan and put up in a conspicuous place on the holy mountain.\u2019 \u201d
\n38Now when Demetrius the king saw that the land was quiet before him and that there was no opposition to him, he dismissed all his troops, each man to his own place, except the foreign troops which he had recruited from the islands of the nations. So all the troops who had served his fathers hated him. 39Now Trypho had formerly been one of Alexander\u2019s supporters. He saw that all the troops were murmuring against Demetrius. So he went to Imalkue the Arab, who was bringing up Antiochus, the young son of Alexander, 40and insistently urged him to hand Antiochus over to him, to become king in place of his father. He also reported to Imalkue what Demetrius had done and told of the hatred which the troops of Demetrius had for him; and he stayed there many days.
\n41Now Jonathan sent to Demetrius the king the request that he remove the troops of the citadel from Jerusalem, and the troops in the strongholds; for they kept fighting against Israel. 42And Demetrius sent this message to Jonathan, \u201cNot only will I do these things for you and your nation, but I will confer great honor on you and your nation, if I find an opportunity. 43Now then you will do well to send me men who will help me, for all my troops have revolted.\u201d 44So Jonathan sent three thousand stalwart men to him at Antioch, and when they came to the king, the king rejoiced at their arrival.
\n45Then the men of the city assembled within the city, to the number of a hundred and twenty thousand, and they wanted to kill the king. 46But the king fled into the palace. Then the men of the city seized the main streets of the city and began to fight. 47So the king called the Jews to his aid, and they all rallied about him and then spread out through the city; and they killed on that day as many as a hundred thousand men. 48They set fire to the city and seized much spoil on that day, and they saved the king. 49When the men of the city saw that the Jews had gained control of the city as they pleased, their courage failed and they cried out to the king with this entreaty, 50\u201cGrant us peace, and make the Jews stop fighting against us and our city.\u201d 51And they threw down their arms and made peace. So the Jews gained glory in the eyes of the king and of all the people in his kingdom, and they returned to Jerusalem with much spoil.
\n52So Demetrius the king sat on the throne of his kingdom, and the land was quiet before him. 53But he broke his word about all that he had promised; and he became estranged from Jonathan and did not repay the favors which Jonathan had done him, but oppressed him greatly. 54After this Trypho returned, and with him the young boy Antiochus who began to reign and put on the crown. 55All the troops that Demetrius had cast off gathered around him, and they fought against Demetrius, and he fled and was routed. 56And Trypho captured the elephants and gained control of Antioch. 57Then the young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying, \u201cI confirm you in the high priesthood and set you over the four districts and make you one of the friends of the king.\u201d 58and he sent him gold plate and a table service, and granted him the right to drink from gold cups and dress in purple and wear a gold buckle. 59Simon his brother he made governor from the Ladder of Tyre to the borders of Egypt.
\n60Then Jonathan set forth and traveled beyond the river and among the cities, and all the army of Syria gathered to him as allies. When he came to Askalon, the people of the city met him and paid him honor. 61From there he departed to Gaza, but the men of Gaza shut him out. So he besieged it and burned its suburbs with fire and plundered them. 62Then the people of Gaza pleaded with Jonathan, and he made peace with them, and took the sons of their rulers as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. And he passed through the country as far as Damascus. 63Then Jonathan heard that the officers of Demetrius had come to Kadesh in Galilee with a large army, intending to remove him from office. 64He went to meet them, but left his brother Simon in the country. 65Simon encamped before Beth-zur and fought against it for many days and hemmed it in. 66Then they asked him to grant them terms of peace, and he did so. He removed them from there, took possession of the city, and set a garrison over it.
\n67Jonathan and his army encamped by the waters of Gennesaret. Early in the morning they marched to the plain of Hazor, 68and behold, the army of the foreigners met him in the plain; they had set an ambush against him in the mountains, but they themselves met him face to face. 69Then the men in ambush emerged from their places and joined battle. 70All the men with Jonathan fled; not one of them was left except Mattathias the son of Absalom and Judas the son of Chalphi, commanders of the forces of the army. 71Jonathan rent his garments and put dust on his head, and prayed. 72Then he turned back to the battle against the enemy and routed them, and they fled. 73When his men who were fleeing saw this, they returned to him and joined him in the pursuit as far as Kadesh, to their camp, and there they encamped. 74As many as three thousand of the foreigners fell that day. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.
\n12.1Now when Jonathan saw that the time was favorable for him, he chose men and sent them to Rome to confirm and renew the friendship with them. 2He also sent letters to the same effect to the Spartans and to other places. 3So they went to Rome and entered the senate chamber and said, \u201cJonathan the high priest and the Jewish nation have sent us to renew the former friendship and alliance with them.\u201d 4And the Romans gave them letters to the people in every place, asking them to provide for the envoys safe conduct to the land of Judah.
\n5This is a copy of the letter which Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:
\n6\u201cJonathan the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people to their brethren the Spartans, greeting.
\n7Already in time past a letter was sent to Onias the high priest from Arius, who was king among you, stating that you are our brethren, as the appended copy shows. 8Onias welcomed the envoy with honor, and received the letter, which contained a clear declaration of alliance and friendship. 9Therefore, though we have no need of these things, since we have as encouragement the holy books which are in our hands, 10we have undertaken to send to renew our brotherhood and friendship with you, so that we may not become estranged from you, for considerable time has passed since you sent your letter to us. 11We therefore remember you constantly on every occasion, both in our feasts and on other appropriate days, at the sacrifices which we offer and in our prayers, as it is right and proper to remember brethren. 12And we rejoice in your glory. 13But as for ourselves, many afflictions and many wars have encircled us; the kings round about us have waged war against us. 14We were unwilling to annoy you and our other allies and friends with these wars, 15for we have the help which comes from heaven for our aid; and we were delivered from our enemies and our enemies were humbled. 16We therefore have chosen Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason, and have sent them to Rome to renew our former friendship and alliance with them. 17We have commanded them to go also to you and greet you and deliver to you this letter from us concerning the renewal of our brotherhood. 18And now please send us a reply to this.\u201d
\n19This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Onias:
\n20\u201cArius, king of the Spartans, to Onias the high priest, greeting.
\n21It has been found in writing concerning the Spartans and the Jews that they are brethren and are of the family of Abraham. 22And now that we have learned this, please write us concerning your welfare; 23we on our part write to you that your cattle and your property belong to us, and ours belong to you. We therefore command that our envoys report to you accordingly.\u201d
\n24Now Jonathan heard that the commanders of Demetrius had returned, with a larger force than before, to wage war against him. 25So he marched away from Jerusalem and met them in the region of Hamath, for he gave them no opportunity to invade his own country. 26He sent spies to their camp, and they returned and reported to him that the enemy were being drawn up in formation to fall upon the Jews by night. 27So when the sun set, Jonathan commanded his men to be alert and to keep their arms at hand so as to be ready all night for battle, and he stationed outposts around the camp. 28When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were prepared for battle, they were afraid and were terrified at heart; so they kindled fires in their camp and withdrew. 29But Jonathan and his men did not know it until morning, for they saw the fires burning.
\n30Then Jonathan pursued them, but he did not overtake them, for they had crossed the Eleutherus river. 31So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs who are called Zabadeans, and he crushed them and plundered them. 32Then he broke camp and went to Damascus, and marched through all that region.
\n33Simon also went forth and marched through the country as far as Askalon and the neighboring strongholds. He turned aside to Joppa and took it by surprise, 34for he had heard that they were ready to hand over the stronghold to the men whom Demetrius had sent. And he stationed a garrison there to guard it.
\n35When Jonathan returned he convened the elders of the people and planned with them to build strongholds in Judea, 36to build the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and to erect a high barrier between the citadel and the city to separate it from the city, in order to isolate it so that its garrison could neither buy nor sell. 37So they gathered together to build up the city; part of the wall on the valley to the east had fallen, and he repaired the section called Chaphenatha. 38And Simon built Adida in the Shephelah; he fortified it and installed gates with bolts.
\n39Then Trypho attempted to become king in Asia and put on the crown, and to raise his hand against Antiochus the king. 40He feared that Jonathan might not permit him to do so, but might make war on him, so he kept seeking to seize and kill him, and he marched forth and came to Beth-shan. 41Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand picked fighting men, and he came to Beth-shan. 42When Trypho saw that he had come with a large army, he was afraid to raise his hand against him. 43So he received him with honor and commended him to all his friends, and he gave him gifts and commanded his friends and his troops to obey him as they would himself. 44Then he said to Jonathan, \u201cWhy have you wearied all these people when we are not at war? 45Dismiss them now to their homes and choose for yourself a few men to stay with you, and come with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you as well as the other strongholds and the remaining troops and all the officials, and will turn round and go home. For that is why I am here.\u201d
\n46Jonathan trusted him and did as he said; he sent away the troops, and they returned to the land of Judah. 47He kept with himself three thousand men, two thousand of whom he left in Galilee, while a thousand accompanied him. 48But when Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the men of Ptolemais closed the gates and seized him, and all who had entered with him they killed with the sword.
\n49Then Trypho sent troops and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan\u2019s soldiers. 50But they realized that Jonathan had been seized and had perished along with his men, and they encouraged one another and kept marching in close formation, ready for battle. 51When their pursuers saw that they would fight for their lives, they turned back. 52So they all reached the land of Judah safely, and they mourned for Jonathan and his companions and were in great fear; and all Israel mourned deeply. 53And all the nations round about them tried to destroy them, for they said, \u201cThey have no leader or helper. Now therefore let us make war on them and blot out the memory of them from among men.\u201d
\n13.1Simon heard that Trypho had assembled a large army to invade the land of Judah and destroy it, 2and he saw that the people were trembling and fearful. So he went up to Jerusalem, and gathering the people together 3he encouraged them, saying to them, \u201cYou yourselves know what great things I and my brothers and the house of my father have done for the laws and the sanctuary; you know also the wars and the difficulties which we have seen. 4By reason of this all my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I alone am left. 5And now, far be it from me to spare my life in any time of distress, for I am not better than my brothers. 6But I will avenge my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, for all the nations have gathered together out of hatred to destroy us.\u201d
\n7The spirit of the people was rekindled when they heard these words, 8and they answered in a loud voice, \u201cYou are our leader in place of Judas and Jonathan your brother. 9Fight our battles, and all that you say to us we will do.\u201d 10So he assembled all the warriors and hastened to complete the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it on every side. 11He sent Jonathan the son of Absalom to Joppa, and with him a considerable army; he drove out its occupants and remained there.
\n12Then Trypho departed from Ptolemais with a large army to invade the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him under guard. 13And Simon encamped in Adida, facing the plain. 14Trypho learned that Simon had risen up in place of Jonathan his brother, and that he was about to join battle with him, so he sent envoys to him and said, 15\u201cIt is for the money that Jonathan your brother owed the royal treasury, in connection with the offices he held, that we are detaining him. 16Send now a hundred talents of silver and two of his sons as hostages, so that when released he will not revolt against us, and we will release him.\u201d
\n17Simon knew that they were speaking deceitfully to him, but he sent to get the money and the sons, lest he arouse great hostility among the people, who might say, 18\u201cBecause Simon did not send him the money and the sons, he perished.\u201d 19So he sent the sons and the hundred talents, but Trypho broke his word and did not release Jonathan.
\n20After this Trypho came to invade the country and destroy it, and he circled around by the way to Adora. But Simon and his army kept marching along opposite him to every place he went. 21Now the men in the citadel kept sending envoys to Trypho urging him to come to them by way of the wilderness and to send them food. 22So Trypho got all his cavalry ready to go, but that night a very heavy snow fell, and he did not go because of the snow. He marched off and went into the land of Gilead. 23When he approached Baskama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there. 24Then Trypho turned back and departed to his own land.
\n25And Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried him in Modein, the city of his fathers. 26All Israel bewailed him with great lamentation, and mourned for him many days. 27And Simon built a monument over the tomb of his father and his brothers; he made it high that it might be seen, with polished stone at the front and back. 28He also erected seven pyramids, opposite one another, for his father and mother and four brothers. 29And for the pyramids he devised an elaborate setting, erecting about them great columns, and upon the columns he put suits of armor for a permanent memorial, and beside the suits of armor carved ships, so that they could be seen by all who sail the sea. 30This is the tomb which he built in Modein; it remains to this day.
\n31Trypho dealt treacherously with the young king Antiochus; he killed him 32and became king in his place, putting on the crown of Asia; and he brought great calamity upon the land. 33But Simon built up the strongholds of Judea and walled them all around, with high towers and great walls and gates and bolts, and he stored food in the strongholds. 34Simon also chose men and sent them to Demetrius the king with a request to grant relief to the country, for all that Trypho did was to plunder. 35Demetrius the king sent him a favorable reply to this request, and wrote him a letter as follows,
\n36\u201cKing Demetrius to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews, greeting. 37We have received the gold crown and the palm branch which you sent, and we are ready to make a general peace with you and to write to our officials to grant you release from tribute. 38All the grants that we have made to you remain valid, and let the strongholds that you have built be your possession. 39We pardon any errors and offenses committed to this day, and cancel the crown tax which you owe; and whatever other tax has been collected in Jerusalem shall be collected no longer. 40And if any of you are qualified to be enrolled in our bodyguard, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.\u201d
\n41In the one hundred and seventieth year the yoke of the Gentiles was removed from Israel, 42and the people began to write in their documents and contracts, \u201cIn the first year of Simon the great high priest and commander and leader of the Jews.\u201d
\n43In those days Simon encamped against Gazara and surrounded it with troops. He made a siege engine, brought it up to the city, and battered and captured one tower. 44The men in the siege engine leaped out into the city, and a great tumult arose in the city. 45The men in the city, with their wives and children, went up on the wall with their clothes rent, and they cried out with a loud voice, asking Simon to make peace with them; 46they said, \u201cDo not treat us according to our wicked acts but according to your mercy.\u201d 47So Simon reached an agreement with them and stopped fighting against them. But he expelled them from the city and cleansed the houses in which the idols were, and then entered it with hymns and praise. 48He cast out of it all uncleanness, and settled in it men who observed the law. He also strengthened its fortifications and built in it a house for himself.
\n49The men in the citadel at Jerusalem were prevented from going out to the country and back to buy and sell. So they were very hungry, and many of them perished from famine. 50Then they cried to Simon to make peace with them, and he did so. But he expelled them from there and cleansed the citadel from its pollutions. 51On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel. 52And Simon decreed that every year they should celebrate this day with rejoicing. He strengthened the fortifications of the temple hill alongside the citadel, and he and his men dwelt there. 53And Simon saw that John his son had reached manhood, so he made him commander of all the forces, and he dwelt in Gazara.
\n14.1In the one hundred and seventy-second year Demetrius the king assembled his forces and marched into Media to secure help, so that he could make war against Trypho. 2When Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his commanders to take him alive. 3And he went and defeated the army of Demetrius, and seized him and took him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.<\/p>\n
4The land had rest all the days of Simon.
\nHe sought the good of his nation;
\nhis rule was pleasing to them,
\nas was the honor shown him, all his days.
\n5To crown all his honors he took Joppa for a harbor,
\nand opened a way to the isles of the sea.
\n6He extended the borders of his nation,
\nand gained full control of the country.
\n7He gathered a host of captives;
\nhe ruled over Gazara and Beth-zur and the citadel,
\nand he removed its uncleanness from it;
\nand there was none to oppose him.
\n8They tilled their land in peace;
\nthe ground gave its increase,
\nand the trees of the plains their fruit.
\n9Old men sat in the streets;
\nthey all talked together of good things;
\nand the youths donned the glories and garments of war.
\n10He supplied the cities with food,
\nand furnished them with the means of defense,
\ntill his renown spread to the ends of the earth.
\n11He established peace in the land,
\nand Israel rejoiced with great joy.
\n12Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree,
\nand there was none to make them afraid.
\n13No one was left in the land to fight them,
\nand the kings were crushed in those days.
\n14He strengthened all the humble of his people;
\nhe sought out the law,
\nand did away with every lawless and wicked man.
\n15He made the sanctuary glorious,
\nand added to the vessels of the sanctuary.<\/p>\n
16It was heard in Rome, and as far away as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved. 17When they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place, and that he was ruling over the country and the cities in it, 18they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance which they had established with Judas and Jonathan his brothers. 19And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
\n20This is a copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: \u201cThe rulers and the city of the Spartans to Simon the high priest and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brethren, greeting.
\n21The envoys who were sent to our people have told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their coming. 22And what they said we have recorded in our public decrees, as follows, \u2018Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us. 23It has pleased our people to receive these men with honor and to put a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans may have a record of them. And they have sent a copy of this to Simon the high priest.\u2019 \u201d
\n24After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans. 25When the people heard these things they said, \u201cHow shall we thank Simon and his sons? 26For he and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm; they have fought and repulsed Israel\u2019s enemies and established its freedom.\u201d
\n27So they made a record on bronze tablets and put it upon pillars on Mount Zion. This is a copy of what they wrote: \u201cOn the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, which is the third year of Simon the great high priest, 28in Asaramel, in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us:
\n29\u201cSince wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, a priest of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers, exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, in order that their sanctuary and the law might be preserved; and they brought great glory to their nation. 30Jonathan rallied the nation, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31And when their enemies decided to invade their country and lay hands on their sanctuary, 32then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent great sums of his own money; he armed the men of his nation\u2019s forces and paid them wages. 33He fortified the cities of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, and he placed there a garrison of Jews. 34He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the borders of Azotus, where the enemy formerly dwelt. He settled Jews there, and provided in those cities whatever was necessary for their restoration.
\n35\u201cThe people saw Simon\u2019s faithfulness and the glory which he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty which he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt his people. 36And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were put out of the country, as were also the men in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do great damage to its purity. 37He settled Jews in it, and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city, and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.
\n38\u201cIn view of these things King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood, 39and he made him one of the king\u2019s friends and paid him high honors. 40For he had heard that the Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brethren, and that the Romans had received the envoys of Simon with honor.
\n41\u201cAnd the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise, 42and that he should be governor over them and that he should take charge of the sanctuary and appoint men over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, 43and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold.
\n44\u201cAnd none of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of these decisions or to oppose what he says, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold buckle. 45Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or nullifies any of them shall be liable to punishment.\u201d
\n46And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions. 47So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of them all. 48And they gave orders to inscribe this decree upon bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary, 49and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.
\n15.1Antiochus, the son of Demetrius the king, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all the nation; 2its contents were as follows:
\n\u201cKing Antiochus to Simon the high priest and ethnarch and to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
\n3Whereas certain pestilent men have gained control of the kingdom of our fathers, and I intend to lay claim to the kingdom so that I may restore it as it formerly was, and have recruited a host of mercenary troops and have equipped warships, 4and intend to make a landing in the country so that I may proceed against those who have destroyed our country and those who have devastated many cities in my kingdom, 5now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions that the kings before me have granted you, and release from all the other payments from which they have released you. 6I permit you to mint your own coinage as money for your country, 7and I grant freedom to Jerusalem and the sanctuary. All the weapons which you have prepared and the strongholds which you have built and now hold shall remain yours. 8Every debt you owe to the royal treasury and any such future debts shall be canceled for you from henceforth and for all time. 9When we gain control of our kingdom, we will bestow great honor upon you and your nation and the temple, so that your glory will become manifest in all the earth.\u201d
\n10In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year Antiochus set out and invaded the land of his fathers. All the troops rallied to him, so that there were few with Trypho. 11Antiochus pursued him, and he came in his flight to Dor, which is by the sea; 12for he knew that troubles had converged upon him, and his troops had deserted him. 13So Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him were a hundred and twenty thousand warriors and eight thousand cavalry. 14He surrounded the city, and the ships joined battle from the sea; he pressed the city hard from land and sea, and permitted no one to leave or enter it.
\n15Then Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome, with letters to the kings and countries, in which the following was written:
\n16\u201cLucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greeting.
\n17The envoys of the Jews have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our ancient friendship and alliance. They had been sent by Simon the high priest and by the people of the Jews, 18and have brought a gold shield weighing a thousand minas. 19 We therefore have decided to write to the kings and countries that they should not seek their harm or make war against them and their cities and their country, or make alliance with those who war against them. 20And it has seemed good to us to accept the shield from them. 21Therefore if any pestilent men have fled to you from their country, hand them over to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.\u201d
\n22The consul wrote the same thing to Demetrius the king and to Attalus and Ariarathes and Arsaces, 23and to all the countries, and to Sampsames, and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus and Gortyna and Cnidus and Cyprus and Cyrene. 24They also sent a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.
\n25Antiochus the king besieged Dor anew, continually throwing his forces against it and making engines of war; and he shut Trypho up and kept him from going out or in. 26And Simon sent to Antiochus two thousand picked men, to fight for him, and silver and gold and much military equipment. 27But he refused to receive them, and he broke all the agreements he formerly had made with Simon, and became estranged from him. 28He sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, \u201cYou hold control of Joppa and Gazara and the citadel in Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom. 29You have devastated their territory, you have done great damage in the land, and you have taken possession of many places in my kingdom. 30Now then, hand over the cities which you have seized and the tribute money of the places which you have conquered outside the borders of Judea; 31or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the destruction that you have caused and the tribute money of the cities, five hundred talents more. Otherwise we will come and conquer you.\u201d
\n32So Athenobius the friend of the king came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the splendor of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. He reported to him the words of the king, 33but Simon gave him this reply: \u201cWe have neither taken foreign land nor seized foreign property, but only the inheritance of our fathers, which at one time had been unjustly taken by our enemies. 34Now that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our fathers. 35As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they were causing great damage among the people and to our land; for them we will give you a hundred talents.\u201d Athenobius did not answer him a word, 36but returned in wrath to the king and reported to him these words and the splendor of Simon and all that he had seen. And the king was greatly angered.
\n37Now Trypho embarked on a ship and escaped to Orthosia. 38Then the king made Cendebeus commander-in-chief of the coastal country, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry. 39He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and commanded him to build up Kedron and fortify its gates, and to make war on the people; but the king pursued Trypho. 40So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and invade Judea and take the people captive and kill them. 41He built up Kedron and stationed there horsemen and troops, so that they might go out and make raids along the highways of Judea, as the king had ordered him.
\n16.1John went up from Gazara and reported to Simon his father what Cendebeus had done. 2And Simon called in his two older sons Judas and John, and said to them: \u201cI and my brothers and the house of my father have fought the wars of Israel from our youth until this day, and things have prospered in our hands so that we have delivered Israel many times. 3But now I have grown old, and you by His mercy are mature in years. Take my place and my brother\u2019s, and go out and fight for our nation, and may the help which comes from heaven be with you.\u201d
\n4So John chose out of the country twenty thousand warriors and horsemen, and they marched against Cendebeus and camped for the night in Modein. 5Early in the morning they arose and marched into the plain, and behold, a large force of infantry and horsemen was coming to meet them; and a stream lay between them. 6Then he and his army lined up against them. And he saw that the soldiers were afraid to cross the stream, so he crossed over first; and when his men saw him, they crossed over after him. 7Then he divided the army and placed the horsemen in the midst of the infantry, for the cavalry of the enemy were very numerous. 8And they sounded the trumpets, and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight, and many of them were wounded and fell; the rest fled into the stronghold. 9At that time Judas the brother of John was wounded, but John pursued them until Cendebeus reached Kedron, which he had built. 10They also fled into the towers that were in the fields of Azotus, and John burned it with fire, and about two thousand of them fell. And he returned to Judea safely.
\n11Now Ptolemy the son of Abubus had been appointed governor over the plain of Jericho, and he had much silver and gold, 12for he was son-in-law of the high priest. 13His heart was lifted up; he determined to get control of the country, and made treacherous plans against Simon and his sons, to do away with them. 14Now Simon was visiting the cities of the country and attending to their needs, and he went down to Jericho with Mattathias and Judas his sons, in the one hundred and seventy-seventh year, in the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat. 15The son of Abubus received them treacherously in the little stronghold called Dok, which he had built; he gave them a great banquet, and hid men there. 16When Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptolemy and his men rose up, took their weapons, and rushed in against Simon in the banquet hall, and they killed him and his two sons and some of his servants. 17So he committed an act of great treachery and returned evil for good.
\n18Then Ptolemy wrote a report about these things and sent it to the king, asking him to send troops to aid him and to turn over to him the cities and the country.
\n19He sent other men to Gazara to do away with John; he sent letters to the captains asking them to come to him so that he might give them silver and gold and gifts; 20and he sent other men to take possession of Jerusalem and the temple hill. 21But some one ran ahead and reported to John at Gazara that his father and brothers had perished, and that \u201che has sent men to kill you also.\u201d 22When he heard this, he was greatly shocked; and he seized the men who came to destroy him and killed them, for he had found out that they were seeking to destroy him.
\n23The rest of the acts of John and his wars and the brave deeds which he did, and the building of the walls which he built, and his achievements, 24behold, they are written in the chronicles of his high priesthood, from the time that he became high priest after his father.<\/p>\n
2 Maccabees<\/p>\n
Daniel R. Schwartz<\/p>\n
The book of 2 Maccabees, which was originally composed in Greek, is not a continuation of 1 Maccabees, which was originally written in Hebrew. It tells the story of events from part of the same period, but from a different point of view. 2 Maccabees was preserved as part of the Septuagint (LXX), and is in the Catholic canon; however, even some of the church fathers were ambiguous about its canonical status, primarily because it is an original Greek composition not found in the Hebrew Bible. During the Reformation, the Protestants\u2014as part of their preference for Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New, and also due to some doctrinal issues\u2014relegated it to the Apocrypha. It has no status in Jewish tradition, which did not preserve Hellenistic Jewish literature. Apart from the ancient author of 4 Maccabees and the 10th-century author of the Hebrew work Josippon, who used it extensively, there is little trace of Jews reading 2 Maccabees prior to the modern period.
\n2 Maccabees is devoted to an eventful decade and a half (ca. 175\u2013161 BCE) in the relations between the Jews and the Seleucid kingdom. After a series of wars with their Ptolemaic rivals during the 3rd century, the Seleucids, at the beginning of the 2nd century, annexed Palestine.
\nThe first two chapters of the book are letters from the Jews of Jerusalem, inviting the Jews of Egypt to celebrate Hanukkah in memory of the rededication of the Temple. There is also a preface by someone who introduces himself as the \u201cepitomator\u201d (abridger) and who states that he created the present work by condensing a longer one by one Jason of Cyrene (Lybia), who is otherwise unknown.
\nThe story, which opens at 2 Macc. 3:1, divides easily into two parts. The first details the problem: After an idyllic opening with peace in Jerusalem and the city and Temple enjoying the respect of kings, we read that, with the encouragement of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Jerusalem was institutionally Hellenized (chap. 4); Antiochus attacks Jerusalem and robs the Temple (chap. 5); and he issues decrees against Judaism (chap. 6), which engender some famous scenes of martyrdom (chaps. 6\u20137).
\nThe second half of the book recounts the solution: Judah (Judas) Maccabee\u2019s first victories are followed by Antiochus\u2019s death; by the Jewish reconquest of Jerusalem and rededication of the Temple; by further Jewish victories and the revocation of the decrees against Judaism; and by yet more Jewish victories, culminating in the defeat of the Seleucid general Nicanor and the institution of an annual holiday commemorating it. That concludes the book, for, as the author puts it, it is because the Jews took over Jerusalem and retained rule there that he may end his story. Thus, the story has a clear structure, moving from an idyllic \u201conce upon a time\u201d to an idyllic \u201chappily ever after.\u201d<\/p>\n
SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS AND THEMES<\/p>\n
First and foremost, 2 Maccabees is a Hellenistic work. It is not a general history of the Jews\u2019 relations with the Seleucids in the period concerned, nor is it\u2014in contrast to 1 Maccabees\u2014a history of the Hasmonean dynasty. Rather, it focuses on Jerusalem, as is shown by the opening and closing brackets of the story: it opens with \u201cthe holy city\u201d and closes with \u201cthe city.\u201d The Hellenistic Jewish author indicates to his readers that the Jews are civilized and respectable people organized around a polis (city), the center of Greek culture. Correspondingly, the book terms Jews \u201ccitizens,\u201d complains that a villain changed Jerusalem\u2019s constitution, summarizes persecutions as prohibitions to live as citizens according to the laws of God, and contrasts the urbane Jews to their barbarian enemies. That is, good Jews are good Greeks.
\nThe author makes this point in many other ways: through his emphasis on his heroes\u2019 virtue, nobility, and manliness; his interest in Hellenistic geography; his application of standard Greek motifs (e.g., on barbarian cruelty and royal arrogance, see comments on 4:47 and 5:21); and his sovereign play with the Greek language. The book is a good example of contemporary Hellenistic prose; its language is comparable to that of the historian Polybius (ca. 200\u2013118 BCE), although its \u201cpathetic\u201d style, aimed at exciting readers and making them share the feelings of the story\u2019s characters (e.g., see comment on 3:14), was the kind Polybius liked to scorn.
\nSecond, 2 Maccabees is a Diaspora work. Apart from the explicit attribution of the original work to Jason of Cyrene (2:23), four factors in particular point to the book\u2019s origins in the Diaspora: its attitudes toward Gentiles, the Temple, and martyrdom, and its cyclical and religious view of history. In all four cases, the work clearly contrasts with its Palestinian counterpart, 1 Maccabees.<\/p>\n
BENEVOLENT VIEW OF GENTILES<\/p>\n
1 Maccabees assumes that Gentile kings are in general wicked: The first 150 years of Hellenistic monarchies are appropriately summarized by \u201cand they did much evil in the world.\u201d Accordingly, there is no need to explain Antiochus\u2019s attack on Jerusalem, for that is the type of thing Gentile kings do. 2 Maccabees, in contrast, assumes that Gentile kings usually are good and respect the Jews, who are their obedient subjects. The only time someone could kill a Jewish hero in Antioch was when the king was out of town; the king was of course outraged about the murder and executed the culprit fittingly. Similarly, where 1 Maccabees assumes that \u201cthe Gentiles roundabout\u201d are naturally and inveterately hostile to the Jews, 2 Maccabees assumes that the Jews\u2019 neighbors, including the Greeks, by and large respect them. 2 Maccabees\u2019 position\u2014that kings and neighbors are generally benevolent toward the Jews\u2014is that Jews can live quite well under Gentile rule and alongside Gentile neighbors, since after all, we are all \u201cmen\u201d; this attitude reflects a typical way of dealing with the facts of life in the Diaspora. The opposite opinion\u2014that life under Gentiles is intolerable\u2014was held by the author of 1 Maccabees as well as by the Judean author(s) of the Judean letters prefixed to our book.<\/p>\n
A LESS PROMINENT TEMPLE<\/p>\n
Although Antiochus\u2019s persecutions involved the desecration of the Temple cult, 2 Maccabees clearly explains that God\u2019s choice of the Temple is secondary to his choice of the people; so when the people of Israel sins, the Temple also suffers (5:19). This statement has a strong Diaspora flavor, for the People of Israel is all over the world, and the Temple is only in Jerusalem. This Diaspora orientation is also apparent in Heliodorus\u2019s emphasis that although God takes special care of the Temple, he resides in heaven. Again, 4\u201348 characterizes those who complained about the theft of vessels from the Temple as \u201cthose who had spoken for the city and the villages and the holy vessels,\u201d mentioning the city first and the vessels last, and 5:16 refers summarily to stolen items merely as \u201choly vessels.\u201d This brief reference contrasts starkly not only with the detailed list in 1 Macc. 1:21\u201323. It also contrasts with the more elaborate way the author of 2 Maccabees relates that Antiochus stole items donated by foreign kings\u2014proving again that Antiochus was an exception to the generally benign and respectful foreign rule, which assessment typified Jews of the Diaspora, who had no other option. Similarly, it is to be expected that Diaspora Jews have little interest in the sacrificial cult, because they could only rarely participate in it.<\/p>\n
GLORIFICATION OF MARTYRDOM<\/p>\n
The story\u2019s turning point comes after the long and detailed martyrdoms in chapters 6\u20137. This is not happenstance. Rather, in the beginning of chapter 8 Judah Maccabee and his men pray to God to heed the suffering and hearken to the blood calling out to him from the ground\u2014and God does: already 8:5 reports that Judah could not be withstood because God\u2019s wrath had turned to mercy. Similarly, the final victory in chapter 15 is preceded by another long martyrdom scene. Martyrdom\u2014the willingness to die rather than violate one\u2019s religion\u2014is a phenomenon characteristic of the Diaspora. In contrast, the heroes in 1 Maccabees are willing not so much to die as to fight, and they do so, successfully. In 1 Maccabees martyrs are mentioned only briefly, as foils for the Hasmoneans.<\/p>\n
CYCLICAL AND RELIGIOUS VIEW OF HISTORY<\/p>\n
2 Maccabees does not really end up the way it began, for in the \u201conce upon a time\u201d the city was ruled by the Seleucids, while in the \u201chappily ever after\u201d it was ruled by the Hebrews. But the ending restores the opening idyll: everything is fine again in Jerusalem. Threats have been averted and enemies have been overcome. This is reminiscent of such Diaspora books as Esther, 3 Maccabees, and On the Embassy to Gaius by Philo: everything is fine at the beginning and at the end, and the story provides some interesting ups and downs in between. But it is in stark contrast to 1 Maccabees, which begins with foreign rule and ends with a long popular decree establishing Hasmonean rule by Simon and his progeny in its stead.
\nIf the point of 1 Maccabees is to show the reader how much the Hasmoneans changed things, from wicked Seleucid rule to beneficent Hasmonean rule, the point of 2 Maccabees is to show the reader how\u2014after the Jews\u2019 sins moved God to turn away his face and thus allow the Seleucids to persecute them\u2014the Jews\u2019 atonement, expressed especially by their suffering, moved God to \u201creconciliation\u201d with the Jews and so to allow Judah Maccabee to restore their former idyllic status. Indeed, one might say that reconciliation is our book\u2019s leitmotif, that is, the restoration of the proper relationship with God\u2014who is, of course, unchanging. In developing this motif, the author makes much use of Deut. 32 (of which v. 36 is the only biblical verse quoted formally in 2 Maccabees), which is also quite cyclical.
\nHere too, as with armies versus martyrs, 2 Maccabees seems to reflect the distinction between people who, as Jews, have the power to change their own lives, and those who do not. In contrast, 1 Maccabees is a Judean work about a dynasty that took Jewish history into its own hands, and God has a very limited role; he is hardly mentioned after the first chapters. 2 Maccabees is full of prayers, miracles, angels, apparitions, and divinely steered poetic justice; its story is very much a story of God\u2019s providential involvement.<\/p>\n
Authorship and History<\/p>\n
The history of 2 Maccabees is complex. The book is presented as the abbreviation of a longer work\u2014ascribed by 2:23 to one Jason of Cyrene, who is otherwise unknown. This may be confirmed both by a stylistic peculiarity (its frequent use of phrases in the genitive absolute, e.g., \u201carriving, he proclaimed\u201d) and by the fact that a few times new characters are mentioned as if they are known to the reader. However, given that we have no access to Jason\u2019s original work, and that the same first-person voice used by the \u201cepitomator\u201d in the preface in chapter 2 and in 15:37\u201339 is used by the author of the formative theological views expressed in 5:17\u201320 and 6:12\u201317, we must read it as an independent work\u2014and so we refer to the epitomator as its author.
\nIn addition, the book seems to have been revised to suit its present use as the underpinning of an invitation, in the opening letters, to celebrate Hanukkah. Two complementary observations support this idea. On the one hand, 2 Maccabees ends with the establishment of Nicanor\u2019s Day, and normally we should take such an ending to mean that, as with Esther and 3 Maccabees, the book was written to explain this holiday. Similarly, Nicanor\u2019s prominence in the book is plainly seen in his role as the adversary in the only two campaigns described in any detail (in chaps. 8 and 15): the journey uphill begins with a rout of Nicanor and ends with his final defeat and decapitation. On the other hand, the passage that explains Hanukkah (10:1\u20138) is almost certainly a secondary insertion, for it separates the end of chapter 9 from 10:9. Similarly, note the way 10:1 mentions the Temple before the city, although certainly the city was taken prior to the Temple; here we have a Palestinian point of view, precisely the opposite of the Diaspora view expressed at 4:48, where the city is mentioned first. To summarize, it seems that Judeans who wanted to invite their Egyptian \u201cbrethren\u201d to celebrate Hanukkah adopted a Hellenistic Jewish work dedicated to explaining the origin of Nicanor\u2019s Day, and inserted in it an explanation of Hanukkah.<\/p>\n
DATING 2 MACCABEES<\/p>\n
We know nothing about Jason of Cyrene. One important clue to the date of his work, however, is the original focus on the victory over Nicanor. Given that Judah Maccabee was himself killed a year later (160 BCE) and that the Hasmonean movement was then forced underground, Jason probably wrote not much later than the defeat of Nicanor; the more time that went by, the less significant that victory\u2014and the festival commemorating it\u2014would have seemed. And then there is the book\u2019s focus on the high priest Onias, who functions as a hero in chapter 3, as a martyr in chapter 4, and as a heavenly protector in chapter 15. Given that Onias IV founded a Jewish temple in Egypt, a move that certainly would have aroused hostility among partisans of the Temple of Jerusalem (including our author), it seems likely that the book was put together before the establishment of Onias\u2019s temple\u2014which Josephus dates to sometime after the death of Demetrius I in 150 BCE (Ant. 13.61\u201373).
\nDating the original book and its abridgement as well to sometime between 161 and the early 140s BCE accords nicely with the date given in the cover letter in 2 Macc. 1:7; namely, 169 SE (Seleucid Era). It is certainly no coincidence that this date overlaps with the date in 1 Maccabees for the birth of Hasmonean independence. We probably should view 2 Maccabees as reflecting the decision of the Hasmonean authorities, when celebrating their independence in 143 or 142 BCE, to focus on the restitution of the Temple as their most lasting and legitimizing accomplishment. When their search for literature to send out in support of their Hanukkah celebration turned up a book that dealt with the Hasmoneans\u2019 formative period but focused on the victory over Nicanor, they turned it to their purpose by adding opening letters about the Temple and its rededication. Thus, the book was available, more or less in its present form, by 143 or 142\u2014somewhat earlier than 1 Maccabees, which was completed no earlier than 135 or 134 BCE.<\/p>\n
TEXT AND TRANSLATION<\/p>\n
The main evidence for the text of 2 Maccabees is supplied by the Alexandrinus and Venetus manuscripts of the LXX, of the 5th and 8th centuries respectively. Apart from those 2 uncials (manuscripts written in capital letters), there are also more than 30 manuscripts in miniscule (small letters); and there are also translations, of which the most important is the Old Latin version edited by De Bruyne. The standard Greek edition of the book is by Robert Hanhart.<\/p>\n
SUGGESTED READING<\/p>\n
Bar-Kochva, B. Judas Maccabaeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1989.
\nDoran, R. Temple Propaganda: The Purpose and Character of 2 Maccabees. Catholic Biblical Quarterly-Monograph Series 12. Washington DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1981.
\n\u2014\u2014\u2014. 2 Maccabees: A Critical Commentary. (Hermeneia). Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012.
\nGeiger, J. \u201cForm and Content in Jewish-Hellenistic Historiography.\u201d Studia Classica Israelica 8\u20139 (1985\/88): 120\u201329.
\nHenten, J.W. van. The Maccabean Martyrs as Saviours of the Jewish People: A Study of 2 and 4 Maccabees. Journal for the Study of Judaism Supplement Series 57. Leiden: Brill, 1997.
\nHimmelfarb, M. \u201cJudaism and Hellenism in 2 Maccabees.\u201d Poetics Today 19 (1998): 19\u201340.
\nMomigliano, A. \u201cThe Second Book of Maccabees.\u201d Classical Philology 70 (1975): 81\u201388.
\nCoogan, M. D., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University, 2011.
\nNickelsburg, G. W. E. \u201c1 and 2 Maccabees\u2014Same Story, Different Meaning.\u201d Concordia Theological Monthly 42 (1971): 515\u201326.
\nSchwartz, D. R. \u201cFrom the Maccabees to Masada: On Diasporan Historiography of the Second Temple Period.\u201d In J\u00fcdische Geschichte in hellenistisch-r\u00f6mischer Zeit. Wege der Forschung: Vom alten zum neuen Sch\u00fcrer, ed. A. Oppenheimer, 29\u201340. M\u00fcnchen: Oldenbourg, 1999.
\n\u2014\u2014\u2014. 2 Maccabees. Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature. Berlin and New York: De Gruyter, 2008. Stern, Menahem, ed. Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism. 3 vols. Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1974\u20131984.
\nTcherikover, V. A. Hellenistic Civilization and the Jews. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1959.
\nWilliams, D. S. \u201cRecent Research in 2 Maccabees.\u201d Currents in Biblical Research 2 (2003\u20132004): 69\u201383.
\nYoung, R. D. \u201cThe \u2018Woman with the Soul of Abraham\u2019: Traditions about the Mother of the Maccabean Martyrs.\u201d In \u201cWomen Like This\u201d: New Perspectives on Jewish Women in the Greco-Roman World, edited by A.-J. Levine, 67\u201381. Society of Biblical Literature: Early Judaism and Its Literature 1. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1991.<\/p>\n
TRANSLATION<\/p>\n
1.1The Jewish brethren in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea, To their Jewish brethren in Egypt, Greeting, and good peace. 2May God do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, his faithful servants. 3May he give you all a heart to worship him and to do his will with a strong heart and a willing spirit. 4May he open your heart to his law and his commandments, and may he bring peace. 5May he hear your prayers and be reconciled to you, and may he not forsake you in time of evil. 6We are now praying for you here. 7In the reign of Demetrius, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you, in the critical distress which came upon us in those years after Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and the kingdom 8and burned the gate and shed innocent blood. We besought the LORD and we were heard, and we offered sacrifice and cereal offering, and we lighted the lamps and we set out the loaves. 9And now see that you keep the feast of booths in the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and eighty-eighth year.
\n10Those in Jerusalem and those in Judea and the senate and Judas, To Aristobulus, who is of the family of the anointed priests, teacher of Ptolemy the king, and to the Jews in Egypt,
\nGreeting, and good health. 11Having been saved by God out of grave dangers we thank him greatly for taking our side against the king. 12For he drove out those who fought against the holy city. 13For when the leader reached Persia with a force that seemed irresistible, they were cut to pieces in the temple of Nanea by a deception employed by the priests of Nanea. 14For under pretext of intending to marry her, Antiochus came to the place together with his friends, to secure most of its treasures as a dowry. 15When the priests of the temple of Nanea had set out the treasures and Antiochus had come with a few men inside the wall of the sacred precinct, they closed the temple as soon as he entered it. 16Opening the secret door in the ceiling, they threw stones and struck down the leader and his men, and dismembered them and cut off their heads and threw them to the people outside. 17Blessed in every way be our God, who has brought judgment upon those who have behaved impiously. 18Since on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev we shall celebrate the purification of the temple, we thought it necessary to notify you, in order that you also may celebrate the feast of booths and the feast of the fire given when Nehemiah, who built the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices. 19For when our fathers were being led captive 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 dry cistern, where they took such precautions that the place was unknown to any one. 20But after many years had passed, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, having been commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to get it. And when they reported to us that they had not found fire but thick liquid, he ordered them to dip it out and bring it. 21And when the materials for the sacrifices were presented, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood and what was laid upon it. 22When this was done and some time had passed and the sun, which had been clouded over, shone out, a great fire blazed up, so that all marveled. 23And while the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests offered prayer\u2014the priests and every one. Jonathan led, and the rest responded, as did Nehemiah. 24The prayer was to this effect:
\n\u201cO LORD, LORD God, Creator of all things, who art awe-inspiring and strong and just and merciful, who alone art King and art kind,
\n25who alone art bountiful, who alone art just and almighty and eternal, who dost rescue Israel from every evil, who didst choose the fathers and consecrate them, 26accept this sacrifice on behalf of all thy people Israel and preserve thy portion and make it holy. 27Gather together our scattered people, set free those who are slaves among the Gentiles, look upon those who are rejected and despised, and let the Gentiles know that thou art our God. 28Afflict those who oppress and are insolent with pride. 29Plant thy people in thy holy place, as Moses said.\u201d 30Then the priests sang the hymns. 31And when the materials of the sacrifice were consumed, Nehemiah ordered that the liquid that was left should be poured upon large stones. 32When this was done, a flame blazed up; but when the light from the altar shone back, it went out. 33When this matter became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that, in the place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, the liquid had appeared with which Nehemiah and his associates had burned the materials of the sacrifice, 34the king investigated the matter, and enclosed the place and made it sacred. 35And with those persons whom the king favored he exchanged many excellent gifts. 36Nehemiah and his associates called this \u201cnephthar,\u201d which means purification, but by most people it is called naphtha.
\n2.1One finds in the records that Jeremiah the prophet ordered those who were being deported to take some of the fire, as has been told, 2and that the prophet after giving them the law instructed those who were being deported not to forget the commandments of the LORD, nor to be led astray in their thoughts upon seeing the gold and silver statues and their adornment. 3And with other similar words he exhorted them that the law should not depart from their hearts. 4It was also in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God. 5And Jeremiah came and found a cave, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense, and he sealed up the entrance. 6Some of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but could not find it. 7When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: \u201cThe place shall be unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. 8And then the LORD will disclose these things, and the glory of the LORD and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated.\u201d 9It was also made clear that being possessed of wisdom Solomon offered sacrifice for the dedication and completion of the temple. 10Just as Moses prayed to the LORD, and fire came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifices, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire came down and consumed the whole burnt offerings. 11And Moses said, \u201cThey were consumed because the sin offering had not been eaten.\u201d 12Likewise Solomon also kept the eight days. 13The same things are reported in the records and in the memoirs of Nehemiah, and also that he founded a library and collected the books about the kings and prophets, and the writings of David, and letters of kings about votive offerings. 14In the same way Judas also collected all the books that had been lost on account of the war which had come upon us, and they are in our possession. 15So if you have need of them, send people to get them for you. 16Since, therefore, we are about to celebrate the purification, we write to you. Will you therefore please keep the days? 17It is God who has saved all his people, and has returned the inheritance to all, and the kingship and priesthood and consecration, 18as he promised through the law. For we have hope in God that he will soon have mercy upon us and will gather us from everywhere under heaven into his holy place, for he has rescued us from great evils and has purified the place. 19The story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar, 20and further the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
that became popular in the Hellenistic period. Aristeas here puts on display his command of Greek literary practices, evidently familiar also to his Jewish readership. The third section consists largely of a speech by Eleazer, in which he explains at length some of the more unusual customs of the Jews, setting them scornfully against the … <\/p>\n