{N}FIRST LETTER TO THE JEWS IN EGYPT{/}

{1}1{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Greetings to our brothers, the Jews in Egypt, from their 
brothers, the Jews in Jerusalem and in the region of Judea - may 
you have peace and happiness. {R}_{I}2_{/}May God fill you with every 
good and remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his 
faithful servants. [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}May he give you all a heart to worship 
him and to fulfill his will with generosity and a well-disposed 
spirit. {R}_{I}4_{/}May he incline your hearts to listen to his law and 
precepts, and give you peace. {I}5_{/}May he hear your prayers and be 
reconciled with you, and not abandon you in time of misfortune. 
{I}6_{/}This is what we now pray for you.
{R}_{I}7_{/}In the year one hundred and seventy-nine, when Demetrius was 
king, we Jews wrote to you during the most critical moment of 
trials that we had to endure during those years. And we said to 
you: "Jason and his associates have betrayed the cause of the Holy 
Land and of the Kingdom. {R}_{I}8_{/}They have burned the Temple gateway 
and shed innocent blood.
But we prayed to the Lord and were heard. And now we have just 
offered a sacrifice with wheat flour, lighted the lamps again and 
set out the loaves of bread. [=]_{I}9_{/}So we write to you again that 
you may celebrate the Feast of Tents in the month of Chislev in 
this year one hundred and eighty-eight.

{N}SECOND LETTER TO THE JEWS IN EGYPT{/}

{R}_{I}10_{/}The inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, their senators and 
Judas, to Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy, belonging to the 
family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews in Egypt: 
greetings and prosperity.
{R}_{I}11_{/}Having been saved by God from great dangers, we give him 
thanks because he came to our help against the king himself. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}God drove out those who fought against the Holy City; 
[=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}their leader left for Persia with a seemingly invincible 
army, but the priests of the goddess Nanea laid a trap for them 
and killed them in her temple.
{I}14_{/}Antiochus and his friends came to that place under the 
pretext of marrying the goddess, but in reality they wanted to 
seize its great treasures as a dowry. {R}_{I}15_{/}The priests of Nanea 
had set out the treasures and Antiochus entered the sacred 
enclosure with a few men. But as soon as Antiochus had entered, 
they closed the temple {I}16_{/}and opened a secret door in the 
ceiling. Then they threw stones down and crushed the leader and 
his men. They then dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads and 
threw them to those outside. {R}_{I}17_{/}In all these things, may our 
God be blessed for he has handed over the impious to death. 
[=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}As we are about to celebrate the purification of the 
Temple on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev, it seems good to us to 
inform you, so that you, too, may celebrate the Feast of Tents and 
remember the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, who built the 
Temple and the altar, offered sacrifices. {R}_{I}19_{/}For when our 
fathers were deported to Persia, the devout priests of the time 
took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the 
hollow of a dry well, with such caution that the place remained 
unknown to everyone.
{R}_{I}20_{/}Many years had passed, when in God's own time Nehemiah, who 
was commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of 
the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it. {R}_{I}21_{/}But they 
reported to us that they did not find the fire but instead a thick 
liquid. So Nehemiah ordered them to draw it out and bring it to 
him.
When the sacrifice had been prepared on the altar, Nehemiah 
ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood and the 
victims placed on it. {I}22_{/}They did so and after some time the sun 
which had previously been clouded over, shone. At once such a 
great fire blazed up that all were astonished. 
{R}_{I}23_{/}While the sacrifice was being consumed, the priests together 
with all those present prayed. Jonathan led while Nehemiah and the 
rest responded. {R}_{I}24_{/}This was their prayer:
"Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just 
and merciful, you alone are good and are King, {R}_{I}25_{/}you alone are 
generous, just, all-powerful and eternal. You who save Israel from 
many evils, who chose our fathers and sanctified them, 
{R}_{I}26_{/}accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel. 
Protect your heritage and sanctify it.
[=]_{R}_{I}27_{/}Gather our scattered people together, set free those 
held in slavery among the nations, turn your eyes on those who are 
despised and crushed; so the pagans may know that you are our God. 
{I}28_{/}Afflict those who oppress us, who insult and treat us with 
contempt. [=]_{I}29_{/}Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses 
said."
{R}_{I}30_{/}The priests sang the hymns, {R}_{I}31_{/}and when the sacrifice was 
all consumed, Nehemiah ordered that the remaining liquid be poured 
over some large stones. {R}_{I}32_{/}This was done, and a flame flared up 
but it was outshone by the fire from the altar. {R}_{I}33_{/}This matter 
became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that 
the liquid with which Nehemiah and his companions had burned the 
sacrifice was found in the place where the exiled priests had 
hidden the fire. {R}_{I}34_{/}So, after verifying the facts, the king 
ordered that a fence be built to enclose the place and decreed 
that it be a sacred place.
{R}_{I}35_{/}The king gave some of that liquid to those who enjoyed his 
favor, and they gave him gifts in return. {R}_{I}36_{/}Nehemiah and his 
companions called the place "Nephtar" which means "purification" 
but afterwards, many called it "Naphtha."

{1}2{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}It is found in the archives that the prophet Jeremiah ordered 
the exiles to take the fire, as we have already said. 
[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}After giving them the Law, he exhorted them not to forget 
the precepts of God and not to let themselves be dazzled by the 
idols of silver and gold with all their adornment. {R}_{I}3_{/}He spoke 
to them of many similar things, admonishing them never to lose 
their love for the Law.

{N}POPULAR BELIEFS{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}It is also said in these writings of the past that the 
prophet Jeremiah, fulfilling orders from Heaven, commanded that 
the ark of the Covenant with its tent be brought with him. And he 
went to the mountain which Moses had climbed before and from where 
he had seen the promised land. {R}_{I}5_{/}There Jeremiah found a cave; 
and he brought in the ark, the tent that covered it and the altar 
of incense. Then he closed up the entrance with stones.
{I}6_{/}Some of those who followed him returned to mark out the way, 
but they could not find it anymore.
{R}_{I}7_{/}When Jeremiah learned this, he reproached them and said, 
"This place is to remain hidden until God has compassion on his 
scattered people and gathers them together. [=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}Then the Lord 
will reveal these things again and his Glory shall appear in the 
cloud as it appeared in the time of Moses and when Solomon asked 
God to come and consecrate his house."
{R}_{I}9_{/}It was also reported in these archives how Solomon, inspired 
by his wisdom, offered the sacrifice of the dedication and 
completion of the Temple. [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}And as fire had come down from 
heaven through the prayer of Moses to consume the offerings and 
the sacrificial victim, so through the prayer of Solomon, fire 
also came down from heaven and burned up the holocausts. 
[=]_{I}11_{/}And what Moses had said was fulfilled: Inasmuch as the 
sin-offering was not eaten, the fire consumed it. {R}_{I}12_{/}Solomon 
celebrated the feast, too, for eight days.
{R}_{I}13_{/}This also can be read in the archives and in the Memories of 
Nehemiah's time. It is recounted there that Nehemiah founded a 
library and collected the books dealing with the kings and the 
prophets, the writings of David and the letters of the kings about 
offerings.
[=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}In the same way, Judas has just gathered all the books 
dispersed on account of the war we suffered, and they are now in 
our possession. {I}15_{/}So, if you need any of them, send someone to 
get them for you.
{R}_{I}16_{/}We said we are now about to celebrate the feast of the 
purification of the Temple; you will do well to celebrate these 
feast days also, [=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}for God has saved all his people and 
returned to everyone his own land. He let us recover the kingdom, 
the Temple, and the worship rendered to him in that Temple, 
{R}_{I}18_{/}as is commanded in his Law. God himself, as we do hope, will 
soon have mercy on us and gather us together from everywhere to 
the Holy Place, since he has rescued us from great evils and has 
purified this Place.

{N}AUTHOR'S PREFACE{/}

{R}_{I}19_{/}The story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers has been 
written by Jason of Cyrene. He narrated the purification of the 
Temple of the Most High, the dedication of the altar, {I}20_{/}the 
wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator, {R}_{I}21_{/}and 
the heavenly manifestations in favor of those who fought bravely 
and gloriously for Judaism. Although they were few in number, they 
liberated the whole land and put to flight hordes of foreigners. 
[=]_{R}_{I}22_{/}They regained the Temple renowned throughout the world, 
liberated the city and reestablished the laws which were nearly 
abolished, for the Lord was gracious to them in his great 
kindness. {R}_{I}23_{/}All this, which has been set forth in five volumes 
by Jason of Cyrene, we shall now attempt to sum up in a single 
book. {R}_{I}24_{/}We recognize that these books contain many figures, 
and that it is difficult for those who wish to understand this 
history because of so many facts. {I}25_{/}So we have concerned 
ourselves to offer something engaging for those who simply want to 
read, something easily committed to memory, and profitable for 
anyone who reads it.
{I}26_{/}For us who have undertaken the arduous task of summarizing, 
it has not been easy but has cost as much effort {I}27_{/}as it would 
to prepare a banquet which would please everyone. But like those 
who prepare a banquet, we have endured this toil willingly in 
order to please others. {I}28_{/}So we leave to the historian the task 
of relating accurately all the details, and we have condensed this 
enormous work into a simple summary.
{I}29_{/}For just as the architect of a new house has to be concerned 
about the whole construction, while the painters and decorators 
are concerned only about what relates to their task, so it is with 
us. {I}30_{/}The analysis of details and discussion on disputable 
points belongs to the historian. {I}31_{/}But for one who tries to 
condense a report, his task is to summarize and not present a 
complete narration of facts and events.
{I}32_{/}So let us begin our narrative without going on at length 
about what has been said before, for it would be senseless to 
expand the preface while cutting short the narration of the 
history itself.

{N}HELIODORUS ATTEMPTS TO SEIZE THE TEMPLE TREASURES{/}

{1}3{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}While the Holy City enjoyed complete peace and the laws were 
observed as perfectly as possible through the piety of Onias the 
High Priest and his hatred for all wickedness, {R}_{I}2_{/}it came about 
that kings honored the Holy Place and made the High Priest richer 
by their magnificent gifts. {R}_{I}3_{/}Even Seleucus, king of Asia, paid 
from his own account for the expenses of the sacrificial services. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}But a certain Simon, a priest of the tribe of Bilgah and the 
Temple administrator, came into conflict with the High Priest 
regarding the inspection of the city markets. {I}5_{/}But he could not 
prevail over Onias. So he went to Apollonius of Tarsus, the 
governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, {R}_{I}6_{/}and reported to him 
that the treasury in Jerusalem was full of untold wealth, that 
there was a great amount of money which had nothing to do with the 
expenses required by the sacrifices, and that all this could 
easily be brought under the control of the king.
{R}_{I}7_{/}Apollonius met with the king and told him about the wealth 
that had been disclosed to him. The king then sent Heliodorus, who 
was in charge of his affairs, with a letter that authorized him to 
transfer the treasures. {R}_{I}8_{/}Heliodorus at once set out on his 
journey, pretending that he was going to visit Coele-Syria and 
Phoenicia, but with the intention of carrying out the king's 
order.
{R}_{I}9_{/}On his arrival in Jerusalem, he was hospitably received by 
the city and the High Priest to whom he related the report that 
had been made. He revealed the reason for his coming and asked the 
High Priest if the report was really true. [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}The High 
Priest explained that there were some deposits belonging to widows 
and orphans. {R}_{I}11_{/}Some belonged to Hyrcanus, son of Tobias, a 
person of very prominent position, who had also been affected by 
these slanders. All in all, the treasury had four hundred talents 
of silver and two hundred of gold. [=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}Finally, Onias 
pointed out that it was utterly impossible to cheat those who had 
put their confidence in this Holy Place and in the inviolable 
majesty of that Temple venerated throughout the world.
{R}_{I}13_{/}But, following the orders of the king, Heliodorus insisted 
that all those treasures should be turned over to the king. 
{I}14_{/}So, on the day set for Heliodorus to draw up the inventory, 
there was great disturbance in the city. {R}_{I}15_{/}The priests in 
their sacred vestments stood before the altar and called upon 
Heaven: he who had given the law governing deposits should now 
preserve them for those who had deposited them.
{R}_{I}16_{/}None could look at the face of the High Priest without being 
deeply touched, for his appearance and his paleness revealed the 
anguish of his soul. {I}17_{/}A kind of fear overwhelmed him that made 
him tremble from head to foot, showing to those who saw him the 
sorrow of his heart. {I}18_{/}People rushed out of their houses in 
great confusion to pray together because the Holy Place was about 
to be profaned. {I}19_{/}The women, girded with sackcloth below their 
breasts, thronged into the streets. The younger girls who were not 
yet allowed to go out into the streets ran to the doorways, and 
some climbed the walls and others looked out from the windows. 
{I}20_{/}All raised their hands to heaven and joined in prayer. 
{R}_{I}21_{/}It was touching to see such a crowd prostrate in disarray on 
the ground and the High Priest in great anguish.
{R}_{I}22_{/}While they were praying to the All-powerful Lord to protect 
the deposits of the Temple and keep them safe for those who 
entrusted them to the High Priest, {I}23_{/}Heliodorus began to carry 
out what had been decided upon.
{R}_{I}24_{/}He had already come near the Treasury with his bodyguard, 
when the Lord of the spirits and of every power caused so great a 
manifestation that all who had dared accompany Heliodorus were 
astonished before the power of God, and they lost their strength 
and courage. {I}25_{/}There appeared to them a horse with magnificent 
gear and on it was a fearsome rider. It rushed furiously at 
Heliodorus and struck at him with its forefeet. The rider appeared 
to have armor of gold. {I}26_{/}And two young men, strong and very 
beautiful and magnificently clothed, also appeared. They stood on 
each side of Heliodorus, and flogged him continuously, inflicting 
stroke after stroke.
{I}27_{/}Heliodorus fell to the ground, enveloped in great darkness; 
then his men took him up and put him on a stretcher. {R}_{I}28_{/}So he 
was carried away, powerless even to help himself, he who but a 
moment before had proudly entered the treasury with a great 
retinue and all his bodyguard. Everyone clearly recognized the 
power of God. {I}29_{/}Because of the divine intervention, Heliodorus 
became mute and lost all hope of saving his life. {R}_{I}30_{/}Meanwhile 
the Jews blessed the Lord who had glorified his Holy Place. The 
Temple, which a little while before had been filled with terror 
and fear, now overflowed with joy and gladness because of the 
extraordinary manifestation of God.
{R}_{I}31_{/}Then some of Heliodorus' companions begged Onias to call 
upon the Most High to grant the grace of life to him who was at 
the point of death. {R}_{I}32_{/}The High Priest, on his part, feared 
that the king might suspect the Jews of some foul play against 
Heliodorus, so he offered a sacrifice for the man's recovery. 
{R}_{I}33_{/}While the High Priest was offering the sacrifice of 
atonement, the same young men, clothed in the same way, again 
appeared to Heliodorus, and standing before him, said, "Thank 
Onias the High Priest, for through him the Lord grants you the 
grace of life. {R}_{I}34_{/}And as for you, who have been scourged by 
heaven's command, make known to all how great is the power of 
God." Having said this, they vanished.
{R}_{I}35_{/}Heliodorus then offered a sacrifice to the Lord and prayed 
at great length to him who had spared his life. He took leave of 
Onias and went back with his guards to the king. {R}_{I}36_{/}There he 
began to bear witness to the works of the Most High God, which he 
had seen with his own eyes.
{R}_{I}37_{/}The king asked Heliodorus who could be sent again to 
Jerusalem to carry out what he failed to do. Heliodorus answered 
him, {R}_{I}38_{/}"If you have some enemy whom you wish to eliminate, 
send him there and you will see him return well flogged; that is, 
if he ever returns at all, for surely, divine power is in that 
place. {R}_{I}39_{/}He himself who dwells in heaven watches over the 
place and defends it, striking to death those who come to profane 
it."
{I}40_{/}This was what happened to Heliodorus and how the Treasury was 
saved.

{1}4{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}The Simon mentioned before as the informer about the 
treasures of the Temple, who was traitor to his country, spoke 
evil of Onias, accusing him of a plot against Heliodorus and 
saying that he was responsible for all the troubles. {I}2_{/}He even 
dared to lay the blame for everything on Onias who was the great 
benefactor of the city, the defender of his compatriots and a 
zealous observer of the laws. {R}_{I}3_{/}The hostility between them 
reached such proportions that crimes were even committed by some 
of the supporters of Simon.

{N}CULTURAL CRISIS{/}

{R}_{I}4_{/}Onias recognized the dangers involved in such an unbearable 
rivalry. Even Apollonius, son of Menestheus, governor of Coele-
Syria and Phoenicia, was instigating Simon to evil. {R}_{I}5_{/}So Onias 
went to the king, not to accuse his fellow citizens, but for the 
good of the whole nation. {R}_{I}6_{/}For he saw that it was impossible 
to maintain peace and stop the foolishness of Simon without the 
king's intervention.
[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}When King Seleucus died, his son Antiochus who was 
called Epiphanes, succeeded to the throne. Then, Jason, the 
brother of Onias the High Priest, usurped the office of high 
priest. {R}_{I}8_{/}In a conversation with the king, Jason promised three 
hundred and sixty talents of silver and eighty talents from other 
revenues. {R}_{I}9_{/}He further committed himself to pay one hundred 
fifty more talents if he would be allowed to establish on his own 
account a gymnasium with a Center for the cultural advancement of 
the youth and if the statute of Antioquian citizenship could apply 
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well.
{R}_{I}10_{/}With the consent of the king and using the power at his 
disposal, he at once set about encouraging his fellow citizens to 
adopt the customs of the Greeks. [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}He suppressed the 
privileges that kings had granted to the Jews through John, the 
father of Eupolemus, who had established friendship and an 
alliance between the Romans and the Jews. He overthrew lawful 
institutions and introduced new customs contrary to the Law.
{I}12_{/}So, he very readily founded a gymnasium right under the 
Citadel, and persuaded the noblest among the young to be educated 
in the Greek way. {R}_{I}13_{/}Paganism was propagated through Jason's 
influence, who proved to be more of a godless wretch than a high 
priest.
Greek customs were so much in vogue, {R}_{I}14_{/}that priests no longer 
showed any interest in serving at the altar. They despised the 
sanctuary and neglected the sacrifices and as soon as the discus 
throw began they would run to the stadium to take part in athletic 
competitions prohibited by the Law. {I}15_{/}They did not value 
anymore the customs of their fathers, but held in highest esteem 
the values of the Greeks.
{I}16_{/}With this, they themselves were put in a difficult situation, 
for those whom they took as models and whose customs they wanted 
to imitate in everything proved to be their enemies and tyrants. 
{I}17_{/}For it is not easy to break the divine laws with impunity as 
the following episodes will show.
{R}_{I}18_{/}When the quinquennial games held every five years were going 
on in Tyre before the king, {R}_{I}19_{/}the wicked Jason sent as envoys 
some "citizens of Antioch" from the inhabitants of Jerusalem and 
he entrusted to them three hundred drachmas of silver allotted for 
the sacrifice to Hercules. When these envoys came, they decided 
that it was not fitting to spend the money on the sacrifice, but 
preferred to spend it on other things. {R}_{I}20_{/}So through the sole 
initiative of those sent to spend the money for the sacrifice to 
Hercules, the amount was used instead for the construction of 
trireme ships.
{R}_{I}21_{/}Antiochus had sent Apollonius, son of Menestheus, to Egypt 
to represent him in the enthronement of King Philometor. But when 
Antiochus learned that Philometor had become his political 
adversary, Antiochus was worried about his own safety. {R}_{I}22_{/}So, 
he left Joppa, and went to Jerusalem where he was well received by 
Jason and the whole city, entering the city in the midst of 
acclamations and torches. Then, he went with his troops to 
Phoenicia.
{R}_{I}23_{/}After three years, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the Simon 
mentioned above, to bring the money to the king and initiate steps 
to negotiate urgent matters with him. {R}_{I}24_{/}Menelaus presented 
himself to the king whom he impressed by his personal bearing as a 
man of authority, and so obtained the office of high priest for 
himself, offering three hundred talents more than Jason. 
{R}_{I}25_{/}After receiving the royal mandate, he returned with nothing 
worthy of a high priest, but only with the rage of a cruel tyrant 
or a wild beast. {R}_{I}26_{/}Jason, who had usurped the office of his 
brother, was now supplanted by another, and had to flee to the  
land of Ammon.
{R}_{I}27_{/}Menelaus held the office but did not pay the amount he 
promised to the king, {R}_{I}28_{/}although Sostratus, the commander of 
the Citadel, demanded the payment, since the king had entrusted to 
him the collection of revenue. The two of them were then summoned 
by the king because of this. {I}29_{/}Menelaus left his brother 
Lysimachus as his substitute, and Sostratus left Crates, the 
commander of the Cypriots.

{N}MURDER OF ONIAS{/}

{R}_{I}30_{/}Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Tarsus and Mallus revolted 
because their cities were given as a gift to Antiochis, the king's 
concubine. {R}_{I}31_{/}The king set out at once to reestablish order, 
leaving Andronicus, one of his ministers, as his deputy. 
{R}_{I}32_{/}Menelaus thought of taking advantage of the opportunity, and 
stole some of the golden vessels from the Temple, which he then 
gave to Andronicus as gifts. He also managed to sell others in 
Tyre and in the neighboring cities.
{I}33_{/}When Onias had clear evidence of what Menelaus had done, he 
sought refuge in Daphne near Antioch, a place of asylum, and from 
there denounced him. [=]_{I}34_{/}For this reason, Menelaus met 
Andronicus in private and urged him to kill Onias. Andronicus went 
to Onias and deceitfully gained his confidence, offering Onias his 
right hand in oath. He was able to persuade Onias, in spite of the 
latter's suspicion, to come out of his place of refuge. Then 
Andronicus killed him at once without any regard for justice.
{R}_{I}35_{/}For this reason, not only Jews but people of other 
nationalities as well became indignant and grieved over the unjust 
killing of that man. {R}_{I}36_{/}When the king returned to the regions 
of Coele-Syria, the Jews of Jerusalem, together with the Greeks 
who were for justice, went to see him and complained about the 
murder of Onias.
{R}_{I}37_{/}The king was touched and became sad, and even wept as he 
remembered the personality and noble conduct of the departed. 
{R}_{I}38_{/}He became angry with Andronicus and immediately removed him 
from office. Then he ordered that Andronicus be divested of his 
purple robe, tore his garments off him, and led him all around the 
city up to the place where Andronicus had murdered Onias, and 
right there the king ordered that he be put to death - God dealing 
out to him the punishment he deserved.
{R}_{I}39_{/}Lysimachus committed much sacrilegious plunder in Jerusalem 
with the connivance of Menelaus. When this became known, the 
populace rebelled against Lysimachus, who had already taken many 
golden vessels from the city. {R}_{I}40_{/}When Lysimachus saw the people 
rising up in rebellion and becoming enraged, he armed about three 
thousand men and began a violent repression, designating as leader 
a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years but of very little 
intelligence. {I}41_{/}So, as the people were attacked by the men of 
Lysimachus, they reacted by picking up stones and clubs, and even 
gathered handfuls of ashes lying at hand, and threw everything 
against the men of Lysimachus. {I}42_{/}In this way, they wounded many 
of them, killed some, and put the rest to flight. As for the 
sacrilegious robber Lysimachus, they killed him near the treasury.
{I}43_{/}Because of all this a charge was brought against Menelaus and 
{R}_{I}44_{/}when the king arrived at Tyre, three men sent by the council 
of the elders of Jerusalem told him of Menelaus' cruelty. 
{R}_{I}45_{/}Seeing his ruin, Menelaus promised a great amount of money 
to Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, in order to have the king in his 
favor.
{R}_{I}46_{/}Ptolemy then went with the king privately to a colonnade for 
some fresh air, and persuaded him to change his mind. {R}_{I}47_{/}The 
king actually dismissed all the accusations against Menelaus, the 
cause of all this evil, while he condemned to death Menelaus' 
unfortunate accusers who would have been acquitted had a tribunal 
of barbarians judged them. {I}48_{/}So those who had defended the 
cause of the city, the people and the sacred vessels were executed 
at once.
{I}49_{/}Some Tyrians were so enraged by that crime that they prepared 
a magnificent funeral for them. {I}50_{/}But through the corruption of 
the rulers, Menelaus remained in power, growing in wickedness and 
becoming a tyrant towards his own people.

{N}ANTIOCHUS SACKS THE TEMPLE{/}

{1}5{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}By this time, Antiochus was preparing a second expedition 
against Egypt. {I}2_{/}And for nearly forty days, there appeared 
throughout the city, galloping through the air, horsemen dressed 
in gold, {I}3_{/}troops with swords drawn and formed in squadrons, 
cavalry squadrons in order of battle, attacks and charges from 
this side and that, movements of shields, many spears, arrows, 
missiles, the glitter of golden outfits and armor of all kinds. 
{I}4_{/}Everyone prayed that these apparitions would be an 
announcement of something good about to happen.
{R}_{I}5_{/}As a false rumor spread that Antiochus had died, Jason 
gathered together about ten thousand men and launched a surprise 
attack on the city. The troops upon the walls defended the city, 
but once these were taken, the whole city fell into the hands of 
Jason, while Menelaus took refuge in the Citadel. {R}_{I}6_{/}Jason 
cruelly massacred his fellow citizens, without realizing that his 
victory against his own nation was the greatest defeat. He seemed 
to believe that he was winning over enemies when, in reality, 
these were his own people. {I}7_{/}But he did not stay in power for 
long and after obtaining nothing but  shame for himself, he had to 
flee once again to the land of Ammon. {R}_{I}8_{/}Finally, he had a very 
unfortunate end. Accused before Aretas, the king of the Arabs, 
fleeing from city to city, pursued by all, scorned as a renegade 
from the law and hated as the executioner of his country and 
fellow citizens, he was banished to Egypt. [=]_{I}9_{/}And he, who had 
exiled so many from their own country, died in exile: for he went 
as far as Lacedemonia in the hope of finding protection there 
because of the kinship between that people and ours. {R}_{I}10_{/}He, who 
had deprived so many of burial places, died with no one to mourn 
him, no funeral rites nor place in the tomb of his fathers.

{N}PERSECUTION OF ANTIOCHUS{/}

{R}_{I}11_{/}When news of these events reached the king, he thought that 
the whole of Judea had risen in rebellion. He became furious and, 
leaving Egypt, went to take Jerusalem by force. {I}12_{/}He ordered 
his soldiers to kill without mercy everyone they encountered and 
to behead as well all those who took refuge in their houses. 
{I}13_{/}Young and old perished; men, women and children were 
massacred, and infants and virgins were put to the sword. 
{I}14_{/}Within only three days, there were eighty thousand victims - 
forty thousand perished in the slaughter and as many were sold as 
slaves. [=]_{R}_{I}15_{/}Not content with this, Antiochus boldly entered 
the holiest Temple in the entire world, guided by Menelaus, the 
traitor to the law and country.
{R}_{I}16_{/}With his unclean hands, Antiochus seized the sacred vessels, 
and with impious hands took away what other kings had given as 
gifts for the glory and honor of the Temple. {R}_{I}17_{/}But in acting 
in such an insolent manner, Antiochus did not realize that the 
Lord had let him profane the Temple in order to punish the 
inhabitants of the city, because their sins had offended him.
[=]_{I}18_{/}For, had the city not been sinful, Antiochus would have 
been flogged the moment he entered, as Heliodorus who was sent by 
Seleucus to rob the treasury had been. And he would have also 
repented of his audacity. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}But God had not chosen the 
people for the Temple, but the Temple for the sake of the nation.
{R}_{I}20_{/}Therefore, the Temple also shared in the nation's 
misfortune, as it also shared afterward in its restoration. As it 
had been abandoned in the time of the wrath of God, it was again 
restored to its glory when the Most High Lord was appeased.
{R}_{I}21_{/}Antiochus took with him eighteen hundred talents which he 
had stolen from the Temple, and hurriedly went back to Antioch, so 
proud that he thought himself capable of sailing by land and 
walking on the sea. {R}_{I}22_{/}At his departure, he left ministers to 
oppress our race. In Jerusalem, he appointed Philip, of Phrygian 
ancestry and of more barbarous character than he who had appointed 
him; {R}_{I}23_{/}and he left Andronicus in Gerizim. Besides there was 
Menelaus, who surpassed them in his hatred for his fellow 
citizens. This man had indeed a deep hatred for his Jewish 
brothers.
[=]_{I}24_{/}Antiochus also sent Apollonius with an army of twenty-two 
thousand soldiers with orders to behead all the grown men and sell 
the women and children. {R}_{I}25_{/}Arriving in Jerusalem, under the 
pretext of peace, he waited until the holy day of the sabbath. 
Then he took the Jews by surprise as they rested. He ordered his 
men to conduct a military parade, {I}26_{/}and he killed all those who 
came out to see the show. Then, running through the streets, the 
soldiers killed many people.
{R}_{I}27_{/}Judas Maccabeus, however, withdrew into the desert with 
about nine others willing to live like the wild beasts. There they 
fed on clean vegetables, for they did not want to eat unclean 
meat.

{N}FIRST VICTIMS OF PERSECUTION{/}

{1}6{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}After a while, the king sent an older Athenian to 
force the Jews to abandon their ancestral laws and no longer live 
according to the laws of God. {R}_{I}2_{/}And to have them also profane 
the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to the Olympian god. In 
the same way, he wanted them to dedicate the temple in Mount 
Gerizim to the hospitable god, according to the wishes of the 
inhabitants of the place. 
{I}3_{/}This worsened the evil and made it difficult and unbearable 
for all. {R}_{I}4_{/}The Temple was profaned by the orgies of the pagans 
who went there to have a good time with prostitutes, and had 
intercourse in the sacred enclosures. And besides, they brought 
into the Temple things not permitted by the Law; {R}_{I}5_{/}the altar 
was laden with unclean victims prohibited by the law. {I}6_{/}It was 
no longer allowed to celebrate the sabbath or observe the customs 
of our fathers, or even to declare oneself a Jew. {R}_{I}7_{/}But, on the 
contrary, they were led by bitter necessity to celebrate the 
king's birthday with a monthly sacrifice.
And when the feast of Dionysus came, they were also forced to 
follow the Dionysus procession and wear floral wreaths.
[=]_{I}8_{/}At the suggestion of the inhabit-ants of Ptolemy, a decree 
was sent to the neighboring Greek cities ordering them to treat 
the Jews who lived there in the same way and oblige them to 
participate in the sacrifices. {I}9_{/}Those who would not adopt the 
Greek customs were to be killed. So it was easy to foresee the 
fatal outcome.
[=]_{I}10_{/}Two women were charged of having performed the rite of 
circumcision on their sons. They publicly paraded the women 
throughout the city with their babies hung at their breasts. Then 
they hurled them down from the city wall. [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}Others who had 
assembled in nearby caves to celebrate the sabbath were denounced 
to Philip and they allowed themselves to be burned. Because of the 
holiness of the sabbath day, they had scruples about defending 
themselves.
{I}12_{/}I now ask the readers of this book not to be shocked by these 
calamities. Bear in mind that this did not happen for the 
destruction of our race, but rather for our education.
[=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}God is showing his kindness when he does not let sinners 
continue on their way for a long time, but punishes them at once. 
{I}14_{/}As for the other nations, the patient Lord doesn't punish 
them until they reach the full measure of their sins. But he deals 
with us in a different manner: {I}15_{/}he does not wait until we have 
reached the full measure in order to punish us. {I}16_{/}Therefore he 
never withdraws his mercy from us, and does not abandon his 
people, even when he punishes us with some adversity.
{I}17_{/}After reminding our readers of these truths, let us continue 
the story.

{N}THE MARTYRDOM OF ELEAZAR{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}Eleazar, one of the prominent teachers of the Law, 
already old and of noble appearance, was forced to open his mouth 
to eat the flesh of a pig. {R}_{I}19_{/}But he preferred to die honorably 
than to live in disgrace, and voluntarily came to the place where 
they beat him to death. He spit out bravely the piece of meat, 
{R}_{I}20_{/}as should be done by those who do not want to do things 
prohibited by the Law, even to save their life.
{R}_{I}21_{/}Those in charge of this impious banquet took him aside, 
since they had known him for a long time, and tried to convince 
him to pretend to be eating the meat, but in reality, to eat 
something allowed by the Law and prepared by himself. {R}_{I}22_{/}In 
this way, he could escape death, and be treated with humanity for 
the sake of their long-time friendship.
{R}_{I}23_{/}But he preferred to make a noble decision worthy of his age, 
of his noble years, of his shining white hair, and of the 
irreproachable life he had led from childhood. Above all, showing 
respect for the holy laws established by God, he answered that he 
would rather be sent to the place of the dead. And he added, 
{I}24_{/}"It would be unworthy to pretend at our age, and to lead many 
young people to suppose that I, at ninety years, have gone over to 
the pagan customs. {I}25_{/}If I led them astray for the sake of this 
short life I would bring disgrace to my old age. {R}_{I}26_{/}Even if I 
could now be saved from men, I cannot - whether living or dead - 
escape from the hands of the Almighty. {R}_{I}27_{/}I prefer to bravely 
sacrifice my life now, as befits my old age. {R}_{I}28_{/}So I shall 
leave an excellent example to the young,  dying voluntarily and 
valiantly for the sacred and holy laws."
Having said this, he gave himself over to death.
{I}29_{/}Those who escorted him considered his words foolishness, so 
their previous gentleness turned into harshness.
{R}_{I}30_{/}When he was almost at the point of death, he said groaning, 
"The Holy Lord, who sees all, knows that though I could have saved 
myself from death, I now endure terrible sufferings in my body. 
But in my soul, I suffer gladly because of the respect I have for 
him." {R}_{I}31_{/}In his death, he left a noble example and a memorial 
of virtue and strength, not only to the young but to the whole 
nation.

{N}MARTYRDOM OF THE SEVEN BROTHERS{/}

{1}7{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}It happened also that seven brothers were arrested with 
their mother. The king had them scourged and flogged to force them 
to eat the flesh of a pig which was prohibited by the Law.
{R}_{I}2_{/}One of them, speaking in behalf of all, said, "What do you 
want to find out from us? We are prepared to die right now rather 
than break the law of our ancestors."
{R}_{I}3_{/}The king became furious and ordered that pans and caldrons be 
heated over a fire. {R}_{I}4_{/}When these were red-hot, he commanded 
that the tongue of their spokesman be cut out, his head scalped, 
and his hands and feet cut off while his brothers and mother 
looked on.
{R}_{I}5_{/}When he had been thoroughly mutilated, the king ordered that 
while still breathing, he be brought to the fire and roasted 
alive. While the smoke from the pan spread widely, the other 
brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely. 
And they said, [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}"The Lord God sees all, and in reality, 
has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song, and clearly 
said: The Lord will have pity on his servants." {I}7_{/}When the first 
had left the world in this way, they brought the second for 
execution. After stripping the skin with the hair from his head, 
they asked him: "Which do you prefer: to eat the flesh of a pig or 
to be tortured limb by limb?" {I}8_{/}He answered them in the language 
of his ancestors, "I will not eat." And so he, too, was tortured.
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}At the moment of his last breath, he said, "Murderer, you 
now dismiss us from life, but the King of the world will raise us 
up. He will give us eternal life since we die for his laws."
{I}10_{/}After this, they punished the third. He stuck his tongue out 
when asked to, bravely stretched forth his hands, {R}_{I}11_{/}and even 
had the courage to say: "I have received these limbs from God, but 
for love of his laws I now consider them as nothing. For I hope to 
recover them from God." {R}_{I}12_{/}The king and his court were touched 
by the courage of this young man, so unconcerned about his own 
sufferings.
{R}_{I}13_{/}When this one was dead, they subjected the fourth to the 
same torture. {R}_{I}14_{/}At the point of death, he cried out, "I would 
rather die at the hands of men, and wait for the promises of God 
who will raise us up; you, however, shall have no part in the 
resurrection of life."
{R}_{I}15_{/}They took the fifth at once and tortured him. But with his 
eyes fixed on the king, {R}_{I}16_{/}he said to him, "Though you are 
mortal, you have authority over people and are able to do what you 
will. But do not think that our race has been abandoned by God. 
[=]_{I}17_{/}Wait, and you shall see his great power when he torments 
you and your descendants."
{R}_{I}18_{/}After this, they took the sixth who, at the point of death, 
said, "Don't be mistaken. We suffer all this because of ourselves 
for we have sinned against our own God; so these astonishing 
things have come upon us. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}But do not think that you are 
going to remain unpunished, after having made war with God."
{I}20_{/}More than all of them, their mother ought to be admired and 
remembered. She saw her seven sons die in a single day. But she 
endured it even with joy for she had put her hope in the Lord. 
{I}21_{/}Full of a noble sense of honor, she encouraged each one of 
them in the language of their fathers. Her woman's heart was moved 
by manly courage, so she told them:
[=]_{I}22_{/}"I wonder how you were born of me; it was not I who gave 
you breath and life, nor I who ordered the matter of your body. 
{R}_{I}23_{/}The Creator of the world who formed man in the beginning and 
ordered the unfolding of all creation shall in his mercy, give you 
back breath and life, since you now despise them for love of his 
laws."
{R}_{I}24_{/}Antiochus thought that she was making fun of him and 
suspected that she had insulted him. As the youngest was still 
alive, the king tried to win him over not only with his words, but 
even promised to make him rich and happy, if he would abandon the 
traditions of his fathers. He would make him his Friend and 
appoint him to a high position in the kingdom. {R}_{I}25_{/}But as the 
young man did not pay him any attention, the king ordered the 
mother to be brought in. He urged her to advise her son in order 
to save his life. {R}_{I}26_{/}After being asked twice by the king, she 
agreed to persuade her son. {I}27_{/}She bent over him and fooled the 
cruel tyrant by saying in her ancestral language:
"My son, have pity on me. For nine months, I carried you in my 
womb and suckled you for three years; I raised you up and educated 
you until this day. [=]_{R}_{I}28_{/}I ask you now, my son, that when you 
see the heavens, the earth and all that is in it, you know that 
God made all this from nothing, and the human race as well. 
{R}_{I}29_{/}Do not fear these executioners, but make yourself worthy of 
your brothers - accept death that you may again meet your brothers 
in the time of mercy."

{R}_{I}30_{/}When she finished speaking, the young man said, "What are 
you waiting for? I do not obey the king's order but the precepts 
of the Law given by Moses to our fathers. {R}_{I}31_{/}And you who have 
devised such tortures against the Hebrews, shall not escape the 
hands of God. {I}32_{/}Know that we perish because of our sins. 
{I}33_{/}Our living Lord punishes and corrects us for a short time 
because he is angry with us, but he shall again be reconciled with 
his servants.
{R}_{I}34_{/}And you, the most wretched and impious man, do not be proud 
or be carried away by your vain hopes. Do not raise your hand 
against the sons of Heaven, {R}_{I}35_{/}for you have not yet escaped the 
judgment of the almighty God, who sees everything. {R}_{I}36_{/}Our 
brothers suffered a short time for the sake of eternal life and 
have already entered into the friendship of God. But you, for your 
part, shall suffer the punishment you deserve for your arrogance.
{R}_{I}37_{/}With my brothers, I give up my body and my soul for the laws 
of my fathers, calling on God that he may at once have pity on our 
race, and that by trials and afflictions, you may come to confess 
that he is the only God. [=]_{I}38_{/}Through me and my brothers, may 
the wrath of the Almighty which has justly fallen on the whole of 
our race come to an end."
{R}_{I}39_{/}The king was even more infuriated at him than at the others 
because of his mockery and he dealt more cruelly with him. 
{R}_{I}40_{/}So the youngest also died undefiled, putting his whole trust 
in God. {I}41_{/}After all her sons, the mother also died.
{I}42_{/}This is enough to make known what happened regarding the 
pagan sacrifices and the tortures beyond all imagination.

{N}FIRST EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACCABEUS{/}

{1}8{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Meanwhile, Judas, also called Maccabeus, and his 
companions, would enter secretly into the villages, call their 
relatives, summon those who had remained faithful to Judaism, and 
finally they assembled about six thousand men. {I}2_{/}They prayed to 
the Lord to turn his countenance on his people oppressed on all 
sides, to take pity on the Sanctuary profaned by impious men, 
{I}3_{/}to have compassion on the city - destroyed and on the point of 
being leveled - to listen to the cry of the blood reaching out to 
him; {I}4_{/}and they asked that he not forget the unjust killing of 
innocent children and show his indignation against those who had 
insulted his Name. 
{I}5_{/}The Lord's anger turned into compassion, and as soon as 
Maccabeus had organized his troops, they became invincible against 
the pagans.
Judas generally took advantage of the night for his military 
campaigns. {I}6_{/}So he attacked them by surprise, set cities and 
villages on fire, captured strategic positions, and put to flight 
many of the enemies. {I}7_{/}And people everywhere talked about him 
and his bravery.
[=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}When Philip saw that Judas was making progress little by 
little and his victories increased from day to day, he wrote to 
Ptolemy, the military commissioner of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, 
to come and help him under the king's service. {R}_{I}9_{/}Ptolemy at 
once appointed Nicanor, son of Patroclus, one of the king's first 
Friends, and sent him at the head of some twenty thousand men 
coming from all nations, with the order to wipe out all the Jews. 
At his side, he put Gorgias, a general of much experience in 
matters of war.
{R}_{I}10_{/}Nicanor intended to raise two thousand talents by the sale 
of Jewish slaves in order to pay for the tribute the king owed to 
the Romans. {I}11_{/}So he extended an invitation to all the coastal 
cities to come and buy slaves for a talent, without any regard for 
the punishment of the Almighty that might come upon him.
{I}12_{/}When Judas learned that Nicanor had come with a great army, 
he told his men about this. {I}13_{/}So the cowardly and those who had 
no confidence in divine justice took to flight. {R}_{I}14_{/}Still others 
sold everything they owned and asked God to deliver from the 
impious Nicanor those who had been sold even before any battle. 
{R}_{I}15_{/}They prayed that if the Lord would not save them because of 
their own merits, that at least out of consideration for the 
covenant he made with their fathers and for that great venerable 
Name with which he had blessed his people, he would do so.
{I}16_{/}Maccabeus gathered and reorganized his troops, numbering 
about six thousand, and exhorted them not to fear the enemy but to 
fight bravely against their unjust aggressors, despite their great 
number. {R}_{I}17_{/}He reminded them how those men had profaned the Holy 
Place, slaughtered the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and removed their 
traditional institutions. [=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}He said to them, "They come 
with confidence in their weapons and their boldness, but we trust 
in the almighty God, who is able to wipe out in one stroke all who 
invade our land and even the whole world." [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}He recounted 
to them all the occasions when God had come to help their fathers, 
especially when he wiped out one hundred and eighty-five thousand 
men under Sennacherib. {R}_{I}20_{/}He also reminded them of what had 
happened in Babylonia, in the battle against the Galatians. On 
that day, eight thousand Jews fought side by side with four 
thousand Macedonians, and as the Macedonians were hard pressed, 
their Jewish allies alone killed twenty thousand of the enemies' 
troops with heaven's help and seized a great booty.
{I}21_{/}Judas encouraged them with these words, and made them ready 
to die for their laws and country; then, he divided the army into 
four groups. {R}_{I}22_{/}He assigned his brothers Simon, Joseph and 
Jonathan to each lead one division with fifteen hundred men in 
each. {R}_{I}23_{/}He ordered that the Sacred Book be read, and he gave 
them their watchword "Help from God"; then, he himself led the 
first battalion, and fell on Nicanor. {I}24_{/}With the help of the 
Almighty they slaughtered nine thousand enemies, wounded and 
crippled many, and put the rest to flight.
{I}25_{/}They seized the money of those who had come to buy the Jews, 
and pursued them for a good while. But it was nearly evening, 
{R}_{I}26_{/}so they had to return because it was the vigil of the 
sabbath. That is why they stopped pursuing their enemies. 
{R}_{I}27_{/}They gathered the weapons and the plunder of their enemies, 
and celebrated the sabbath on that day with praise and 
thanksgiving to God who had just saved them and had begun to show 
them his mercy. {I}28_{/}After the sabbath, they divided part of the 
booty among those who had been tortured, the widows and the 
orphans; and they divided the rest among themselves and their men. 
{I}29_{/}Having done this, they asked the Merciful Lord during a 
public prayer to be fully reconciled with his servants.
{I}30_{/}Then, in an encounter with the army of Timotheus and 
Bacchides, they killed more than twenty thousand men, and took 
control of the fortified cities. They divided the abundant plunder 
into equal shares among themselves, those who had been tortured, 
the orphans, the widows and the aged.
{R}_{I}31_{/}They carefully stored in safe places the weapons they had 
taken from the enemies, and brought the rest of the booty to 
Jerusalem. {R}_{I}32_{/}They killed the chief guard of Timotheus, an 
extremely wretched man who had done so much evil against the Jews. 
{R}_{I}33_{/}Then, as they celebrated their victory in Jerusalem, they 
burned alive those who had burned the temple gates, including 
Callisthenes who had taken refuge in one small house. So these men 
paid the price deserved for their impiety.
{I}34_{/}The thrice-as-wretched Nicanor, who had brought thousands of 
merchants to buy the Jews, {R}_{I}35_{/}found himself humbled with God's 
help by those same men he had despised before. Having discarded 
his splendid robe he fled across the country as a fugitive, and 
reached Antioch, very much relieved that he had not perished with 
his army.
[=]_{R}_{I}36_{/}He who had intended to pay the tribute owed to the 
Romans by selling the Jews, now affirmed that the Jews were 
invincible and invulnerable, and that Someone fought for them, 
provided they were obeying the laws prescribed by him.

{N}DEATH OF THE PERSECUTOR{/}

{1}9{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}By that time, Antiochus had to return without glory from 
the regions of Persia. {I}2_{/}When he entered a city called 
Persepolis, and tried to plunder the temple and seize the city, 
its inhabitants rebelled and took up arms against him. This people 
threw Antiochus and his men out. They fled and returned very much 
humiliated. {R}_{I}3_{/}When Antiochus came to Ecbatana, he was informed 
of what had happened to the two generals - Nicanor and Timotheus - 
in Israel. {R}_{I}4_{/}He was infuriated and determined to take revenge 
on the Jews for the offense he had just received in Persepolis 
when they forced him to flee.
He ordered the chariot driver to hurry up and not to stop until 
the journey's end. But the judgment of God was coming upon him, 
for he said in his pride, "As soon as I arrive in Jerusalem, I 
shall turn it into a cemetery of the Jews." {R}_{I}5_{/}Then the Lord who 
sees all, the God of Israel, punished him with an incurable 
sickness of an internal nature. {I}6_{/}He had barely finished 
speaking when he felt an unbearable pain in his stomach and began 
to be afflicted all over his body.
This was indeed just for one who had tortured others in the same 
way with countless new punishments. {I}7_{/}But this did not diminish 
his arrogance. In his rage against the Jews, he gave orders to 
journey ahead with even more speed. Yet, because his chariot was 
running very fast, Antiochus fell and his physical condition 
worsened.
{R}_{I}8_{/}Not long before, in his conceit and sense of superiority he 
thought of giving orders to the sea and measuring the heights of 
the mountains. Now he lay down and had to be brought on a 
stretcher, giving to all a clear testimony of the power of God. 
{I}9_{/}Worms began to teem in the body of the impious and though he 
was still alive, his flesh tore off into pieces, leaving him in 
agonizing pain. The stench of his decay was so intolerable that 
his whole army shunned him. [=]_{I}10_{/}No one went near him who not 
long before thought he could touch the stars of heaven with his 
hand. {R}_{I}11_{/}Only when he was beaten by the divine scourge did he 
begin to shed his arrogance. His pains grew worse, and he realized 
this was the punishment of God. {R}_{I}12_{/}He himself could no longer 
endure his stench. He said, "It is right to submit to God. Mortal 
man should not try to be equal with him." {I}13_{/}And the wretch made 
a vow to the Lord who would no longer take pity on him.
{R}_{I}14_{/}He had marched to Jerusalem to level it and turn it into a 
cemetery. But now he even promised to declare it a free city. 
{I}15_{/}Moreover, he who before had refused burial to the Jews and 
wished to throw them with their children to the wild beasts, now 
offered to make them equal with the Athenians. He had plundered 
the temple and profaned the Sacred Place; {R}_{I}16_{/}but now he 
promised to decorate it lavishly, to return a great number of the 
sacred vessels, and to pay for all the expenses of the sacrifices. 
{R}_{I}17_{/}And he promised to become a Jew and to proclaim in all the 
inhabited countries the power of God.
{R}_{I}18_{/}His pains however did not diminish, for the just judgment of 
God had come upon him. He lost hope of recovery and wrote to the 
Jews this letter of supplication, {R}_{I}19_{/}"To the honorable Jews, 
our citizens, good health, prosperity and all good things from the 
king and general, Antiochus. {I}20_{/}If you and your children are 
well and your wishes are fulfilled, we give thanks to Heaven, for 
we remember your token of affection and kindness. {R}_{I}21_{/}On my 
return from Persia, I became gravely ill, and because of this, I 
thought it necessary to be concerned for the common security of 
all of you. {I}22_{/}I do not despair of my condition, and even have 
great hope of recovering from this illness. {I}23_{/}But I thought of 
how my father would designate his successor whenever he set out 
for any military expedition into the uplands, {I}24_{/}so that his 
subjects would not be upset if anything unexpected should happen 
or any misfortune should befall him. Everyone would know who is in 
power. {R}_{I}25_{/}I am aware that the kings of all the neighboring 
countries around are watching the turn of events and waiting for 
an opportune time. Therefore, I have designated my son, Antiochus, 
as king. I already presented and commended him to most of you, 
when I set out for the northern regions. And now I communicate to 
him this letter I am sending you. {I}26_{/}I ask you, then, to take 
into account the favors each and everyone of you has received from 
me and maintain the same kindness toward me and my son. {I}27_{/}I am 
sure that following my own policies of moderation and humanity, he 
shall live in good accord with you."
{I}28_{/}In this way that blasphemer and murderer ended, suffering the 
terrible torments he had inflicted on others. He died miserably in 
the mountains of a foreign land. {R}_{I}29_{/}His companion, Philip, 
brought his body and then withdrew to Egypt to the court of 
Ptolemy Philometor, because he feared the son of Antiochus.

{N}JUDAS PURIFIES THE TEMPLE{/}

{1}10{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}With God's help Maccabeus and his men seized the Temple 
and the city. [=]_{I}2_{/}They destroyed the altars built by the 
foreigners in the public squares, as well as the sacred 
enclosures. {R}_{I}3_{/}After purifying the Temple, they built a new 
altar. They kindled fire from flint and for the first time in two 
years offered sacrifices. Once again, there were incense, lamps, 
and the bread of presence.
{I}4_{/}Having done all this they threw themselves flat on the ground 
and asked the Lord not to send them such calamities anymore. But 
if they should sin again, they asked that he would correct them 
with gentleness and not hand them over again into the hands of 
blasphemous and ferocious foreigners.
{R}_{I}5_{/}The purification of the Temple took place on the same date on 
which the foreigners had profaned it, that is, on the twenty-fifth 
of the month of Chislev. {I}6_{/}For eight days they celebrated the 
feast with rejoicing, in the same way that they celebrated the 
Feast of the Tabernacles remembering how, not long before on that 
same date, they were dwelling in the mountains and caves like wild 
animals.
{R}_{I}7_{/}Then, carrying leafy branches and palms, they chanted hymns 
to Him who had brought the cleansing of his own Holy Place to a 
happy end.
{R}_{I}8_{/}They also decided by public vote that this event would be 
commemorated annually by the whole Jewish nation.

{N}VICTORIES OF JUDAS IN IDUMEA{/}

{R}_{I}9_{/}This is all that refers to the death of Antiochus, called 
Epiphanes. {I}10_{/}We shall now proceed to narrate the events that 
happened under Antiochus Eupator, son of the impious, and to 
relate briefly the calamities brought about by the war.
{R}_{I}11_{/}In fact, once he inherited the kingdom, he appointed Lysias 
to be in charge of his affairs and to act as high commissioner for 
Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. {I}12_{/}Now Ptolemy, called Macron, was 
the first governor to do justice to the Jews. He was upset by 
injustices done against them, so he tried to solve all their 
problems satisfactorily. {R}_{I}13_{/}But the Friends of King Eupator 
made use of this to accuse him before the king. They continually 
called him a traitor, reminding him that he had once abandoned the 
land of Cyprus, which had been entrusted to him by Philometor, in 
order to go over to Antiochus Epiphanes.
Since he could not discharge his high office with dignity, he was 
driven to despair and committed suicide by poisoning himself.
[=]_{I}14_{/}It was then that Gorgias was appointed military 
commissioner of those regions, and began to stir up war against 
the Jews by any means. {R}_{I}15_{/}On the other hand, the Idumeans had 
strong fortresses and harassed the Jews. Gathering the fugitives 
from Jerusalem, they managed to prolong the war.
{I}16_{/}The men of Maccabeus, after praying and asking the Lord to 
come and fight at their side, attacked the fortresses of the 
Idumeans. {I}17_{/}They carried on with their assaults and the place 
fell into their power. They repelled those who fought on the 
ramparts, slaughtered all who fell into their hands, and killed 
more than twenty thousand men.
{I}18_{/}At least nine thousand men took refuge in the two towers that 
were strongly fortified with everything they needed to withstand a 
prolonged siege. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}Maccabeus left Simon, Joseph, and also 
Zaccheus and his men in sufficient numbers to sustain the siege, 
and went off to where his presence was more needed. 
{R}_{I}20_{/}Yet the men of Simon were tempted by greed, and let 
themselves be bought with the silver of those in the towers. So in 
exchange for sixty thousand pieces of silver, they allowed a 
number of them to escape. {I}21_{/}As soon as Maccabeus learned this, 
he assembled the leaders of the people and accused those men of 
having sold their brothers for money by letting their enemies 
escape. {R}_{I}22_{/}He condemned them to death as traitors, and 
proceeded at once to capture the towers. {I}23_{/}He killed more than 
twenty thousand men in those two towers, successfully bringing to 
an end the undertaking they had begun.
{I}24_{/}Timothy, who had been defeated before by the Jews, gathered 
together an enormous number of foreign troops and a great number 
of horses from Asia. He appeared in Judea in order to conquer it 
by force of arms. {R}_{I}25_{/}Before his attack, the men of Maccabeus 
sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth as a means of 
entreating God. [=]_{R}_{I}26_{/}They bowed at the foot of the altar and 
asked God to treat them well and to be the enemy of their enemies, 
the adversary of their adversaries, as written in the Law.
{I}27_{/}After praying, they armed themselves and advanced from the 
city. They stopped when they came close to the enemy. {I}28_{/}Right 
at daybreak, they attacked from both sides. One side placed their 
confidence in their Lord as the pledge of success and victory 
besides their bravery, while the others were moved by hatred. 
[=]_{I}29_{/}When the battle was at its height, there appeared from 
heaven before the enemies, five radiant men riding on horses with 
golden bridles, who put themselves at the head of the Jews.
{I}30_{/}They surrounded Maccabeus and defended him with their 
weapons, making him invulnerable. At the same time, they rained 
arrows and thunderbolts on the enemy, who in turn fell and were 
dispersed in great disorder, blinded and confused. {I}31_{/}Twenty 
thousand five hundred infantrymen and six hundred horsemen died.
[=]_{R}_{I}32_{/}Timothy took refuge in a heavily guarded fortress called 
Gezer where Chereas was in command. {I}33_{/}The forces of Maccabeus 
gallantly besieged the fortress for four days. {I}34_{/}Those within 
were confident in the strength of the fortress, so they hurled 
insults and curses at the Jews.
{I}35_{/}At daybreak on the fifth day, twenty young men from the 
troops of Maccabeus, enraged by the blasphemies they had been 
hearing, bravely stormed the wall and with brutal fury killed 
everyone who stood before them. {I}36_{/}Others took advantage of this 
diversion to climb the walls and set fire to the towers. They made 
bonfires and burned the blasphemers alive. Others destroyed the 
gates while the rest of the army entered to occupy the city.
{I}37_{/}They killed Timothy who had hidden in a well, and his brother 
Chereas, and Apollophanes. {R}_{I}38_{/}When all this was over, they 
chanted hymns and praises to the Lord who had exalted Israel and 
had given them victory.

{N}FIRST CAMPAIGN OF LYSIAS{/}

{1}11{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}After a while, Lysias, the king's tutor and kinsman, who was 
head of the government, was much displeased at the turn of events, 
{R}_{I}2_{/}and gathered together about eighty thousand men and his 
entire cavalry. They advanced against the Jews intending to make 
the city of Jerusalem a Greek colony and {R}_{I}3_{/}to convert the 
Temple into a source of revenue, as they had done with other 
sanctuaries of the pagans, and to put the office of high priest up 
for sale every year.
{R}_{I}4_{/}He took God's power for granted, and went up with his 
infantry regiments, his horsemen by the thousands, and his eighty 
elephants. {R}_{I}5_{/}He entered Judea, came near Beth-zur, a strong 
city some kilometers away from Jerusalem, and besieged it.
[=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}When the men of Maccabeus learned that Lysias had begun 
laying siege to their strong cities, they prayed to the Lord 
together with all the people, with tears and lamentations, that 
the Lord might send a good angel to save Israel. {I}7_{/}Maccabeus 
himself was the first to take arms and exhort the rest to go with 
him to face the danger and help their brothers and sisters. They 
set out together, full of enthusiasm. {R}_{I}8_{/}While they were still 
near Jerusalem, a horseman dressed in white with golden armor 
appeared and stood at the head of them. {R}_{I}9_{/}So with one voice, 
everyone blessed the merciful God. They were strengthened and 
prepared not only to face men in battle but even the most savage 
beasts and walls of iron.
{I}10_{/}They advanced with the aid of this ally sent from heaven, for 
the Lord had compassion on them. {I}11_{/}They charged like lions 
against the enemy, brought down eleven thousand infantrymen and 
one thousand six hundred horsemen, and forced the rest to flee. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}Most of them fled, wounded and disarmed, until Lysias 
himself fled in disgrace in order to save himself.
{R}_{I}13_{/}Lysias, being an intelligent man, reflected on the defeat he 
had suffered and understood that the Hebrews were invincible 
because the powerful God fought for them. {R}_{I}14_{/}So he sent a 
messenger to convince them to accept peace with every kind of just 
condition. And he even promised to persuade the king to make peace 
with them, too.
{R}_{I}15_{/}Maccabeus, thinking of the common good of all, accepted 
Lysias' offer of peace. And in fact, the king granted all the 
demands that Maccabeus had presented to Lysias in writing. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}Lysias wrote to them as follows:
"From Lysias to the Jewish people, greetings. {R}_{I}17_{/}John and 
Absalom, your envoys, have delivered to us your written petitions, 
asking us to respond. {R}_{I}18_{/}I have set forth before the king 
everything that needed his attention; and I have granted 
everything that was within my competence. {I}19_{/}Therefore, if you 
maintain your good will toward the State, I will also try in the 
future to work in your favor. {I}20_{/}As for the details, I have 
given orders for your envoys and my own representatives to discuss 
these with you. {R}_{I}21_{/}May everything go well with you. In the year 
one hundred and forty-eight, the twenty-fourth day of the month of 
the Corinthian God."
{R}_{I}22_{/}The king's letter was as follows: "King Antiochus greets his 
brother Lysias. {I}23_{/}From the day we succeeded to the throne of 
our father, who has gone to the dwelling place of the gods, it has 
been our desire that all our subjects live undisturbed so that 
everyone may dedicate himself to his own work. {I}24_{/}Learning that 
the Jews do not wish to adopt Greek customs, as it was the will of 
my father, but prefer their own way of life and ask that they be 
allowed to live according to their laws, {R}_{I}25_{/}and since it is our 
desire that this nation live in peace, we have decreed that the 
Temple be restored to them and that they be allowed to live 
according to the laws and customs of their ancestors.
{I}26_{/}You will do well, therefore, to send envoys to conclude a 
treaty of peace with them. May they come to know our constant aim, 
so they may be reassured and dedicate themselves with joy to their 
own occupations."
{R}_{I}27_{/}This was the king's letter to the Jewish people: "King 
Antiochus to the Council of Elders and to the Jewish people: 
greetings! {I}28_{/}If you enjoy good health, we are happy for you; we 
ourselves are also well.
{R}_{I}29_{/}Menelaus has told us that you wish to return to your homes 
and occupations. {I}30_{/}Therefore, I have issued a decree of amnesty 
for all who would go home before the thirtieth of the month of 
Xanthicus. {I}31_{/}The Jews from now on may live according to their 
own customs concerning their food, and be governed by their own 
laws as before. None of them is to be molested in any way for 
anything done involuntarily. {I}32_{/}I have ordered Menelaus to 
reassure you of all this. {I}33_{/}I wish you good health. In the year 
one hundred and forty-eight, the fifteenth day of the month of 
Xanthicus."
{R}_{I}34_{/}The Romans also sent them a letter which read as follows: 
"Quintus Memmius and Titus Manius, ambassadors of the Romans, send 
their greetings to the Jewish people. {R}_{I}35_{/}Everything that 
Lysias, the king's kinsman, has granted you, we also approve. 
{R}_{I}36_{/}As for the matters about which Lysias considered it 
necessary to inform the king and take up with him, we ask that you 
study them carefully and send someone to us at once, so we can 
explain everything to the king to your advantage, for we are now 
leaving for Antioch.
{I}37_{/}Lose no time, therefore, in sending someone to us, that we 
may know your plans. {I}38_{/}We wish you good health. In the 
fifteenth of the month of Xanthicus in the year one hundred and 
forty-eight."

{N}VICTORIES AGAINST THE NEIGHBORING PEOPLES{/}

{1}12{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}After these agreements had been concluded, Lysias returned to 
the king and the Jews began to return to their fields. {I}2_{/}But the 
commanders of the different regions, Timotheus and Apollonius, the 
son of Genneus, as well as Hieronymus and Domophenes, and Nicanor, 
the leader of the Cypriots, would not let them live in peace and 
quiet. {I}3_{/}Moreover, the inhabitants of Joppa committed this grave 
crime. They invited the Jews with their wives and children to a 
cruise on some boats they had prepared, as if they did not have 
any hostility. {R}_{I}4_{/}This was decided by the city authorities and 
the Jews accepted in order to show their desire to live with them 
in peace and without any suspicion at all. But once out in the 
open sea, the men of Joppa pushed them into the water and at least 
two hundred died.
{I}5_{/}When Judas Maccabeus was informed of this cruelty against his 
countrymen, he informed his men. {R}_{I}6_{/}After calling upon God, the 
just judge, he set out against the murderers of his brothers and 
sisters. He set fire to the harbor by night, burned the ships and 
put to the sword those who had taken refuge there. {I}7_{/}But, as the 
gates were closed, he could not enter the city, so he withdrew, 
intending to come back to wipe out all the inhabitants of Joppa.
{I}8_{/}Meanwhile, he learned that the inhabitants of Jamnia wanted to 
deal in the same way with the Jews who lived there. {R}_{I}9_{/}He also 
attacked the people of Jamnia by night, and set the harbor and 
ships on fire. The blaze was so great that the glow could be seen 
even from Jerusalem, some fifty kilometers away.
[=]_{I}10_{/}From there, they set out and marched against Timotheus, 
but when they had marched for about two kilometers, five thousand 
Arabs supported by five hundred horses, attacked them. {R}_{I}11_{/}A 
bloody battle took place, and the men of Judas emerged victorious 
with the help of God. The defeated Arabs sued for peace, and 
promised to give them livestock, and to help them in the future. 
{I}12_{/}Judas, convinced that they could indeed be useful to them, 
made peace with them. Then the Arabs withdrew to their camps.
{I}13_{/}Judas attacked a city strongly fortified with ditches and 
walls. The city was called Caspin. People of every race lived 
there. {I}14_{/}The besieged, confident in the strength of their walls 
and because they had their storehouses full of provisions, 
underestimated the men of Judas and behaved most insolently toward 
them. They also shouted insults, blasphemies and sacrilegious 
words at them. {R}_{I}15_{/}The men of Judas called on the great 
Sovereign of the world who had demolished the walls of Jericho 
without engines of war during the time of Joshua, and then rushed 
furiously upon the walls. {R}_{I}16_{/}God willed that they should take 
possession of the city, and they carried out an incredible 
slaughter: the nearby lake, five hundred meters wide, seemed 
filled with blood.

{N}THE BATTLE OF CARNAIM{/}

[=]_{I}17_{/}After marching for one hundred and fifty kilometers, they 
arrived in Charax, where the Jews were known as Tubians. {I}18_{/}They 
did not find Timotheus there, for he had gone without having 
achieved anything; but he had left a strong garrison in one place. 
{I}19_{/}Dositheus and Sosipater, leaders of the troops of Maccabeus, 
marched against them and destroyed the garrison of more than ten 
thousand men left behind by Timotheus.
{I}20_{/}Maccabeus then organized his army, set these two as their 
commanders, and rushed out against Timotheus who had twenty 
thousand infantrymen and two thousand five hundred horsemen with 
him. {I}21_{/}When Timotheus learned that Judas was approaching, he 
sent the women and children away with a good deal of the baggage 
to a fortress called Carnaim which was in an impregnable place and 
difficult to reach because of the narrow approaches surrounding 
it.
{I}22_{/}At the sight of the first battalion of Judas, terror and 
panic seized their enemies because of an apparition of Him who 
sees all things. They fled in all directions, so that they were 
dragged on the ground by their own companions and wounded by their 
own swords. {I}23_{/}Judas pursued Timotheus in fury and ardor, 
putting to the sword those wicked men and killing about thirty 
thousand of them. 
{R}_{I}24_{/}Timotheus himself fell into the hands of Dositheus' and 
Sosipater's troops. He very cunningly pleaded with them to let him 
go, for, as he said, he had the parents and brothers of most of 
the Jews in his power and they would surely be put to death if he 
were to be killed. {I}25_{/}When he had convinced them by the strength 
of his words, they let him go in order to save their brothers.
{I}26_{/}Then Judas left for Carnaim and Atargateion, and killed 
twenty-five thousand men there. [=]_{R}_{I}27_{/}After defeating and 
destroying these enemies, he led an expedition against the walled 
city of Ephron, where Lysias had taken refuge with people of every 
race. Strong young men were stationed outside the walls and they 
fought bravely. And there were stores of war engines and missiles 
inside.
{I}28_{/}After calling on the Lord almighty to crush the forces of the 
enemy, the Jews seized the city and killed more than twenty-five 
thousand of the people inside. {R}_{I}29_{/}Moving off from there, they 
went to Scythopolis, a city one hundred and twenty kilometers from 
Jerusalem. {I}30_{/}But as the Jews who lived there assured Judas that 
the inhabitants of that city had always treated them well and had 
received them favorably in times of persecution, {R}_{I}31_{/}Judas and 
his men thanked these people and asked them to extend the same 
kindness to his race in the future. Then they returned to 
Jerusalem, since the feast of Weeks of Pentecost was approaching.
{I}32_{/}After the feast and Pentecost, they marched against Gorgias 
who was the governor of Idumea. {I}33_{/}Gorgias came out with three 
thousand infantrymen and four thousand horsemen to meet him. 
{I}34_{/}The battle began and some fell in the ranks of the Jews.
{I}35_{/}Dositheus, a horseman from Bachenor's troops, a very valiant 
man, grasped Gorgias by the cloak, and forcibly dragged him along, 
wanting to take that criminal alive. But a Thracian horseman 
rushed upon Dositheus and slashed his shoulder, so that Gorgias 
was able to flee to Marisa. {I}36_{/}Judas saw that the men of Esdrias 
were exhausted because they had been fighting for a long time. He, 
therefore, prayed to the Lord to show himself as their ally and 
lead them in battle. {I}37_{/}Then, he chanted a battle hymn in the 
language of their fathers, charged against the troops of Gorgias 
all of a sudden, and defeated them.

{N}SACRIFICE FOR THE FALLEN{/}

[\u0095]_{I}38_{/}Judas reorganized his army, and then went to the city of 
Adullam. Since it was the week's end, they purified themselves and 
celebrated the sabbath there. {R}_{I}39_{/}The next day the companions of 
Judas went to take away the bodies of the dead (it was urgent to 
do it) and buried them with their relatives in the tombs of their 
fathers. {R}_{I}40_{/}They found under the tunic of each of the dead men 
objects consecrated to the idols of Jamnia, which the Law forbade 
the Jews to wear. So it became clear to everyone why these men had 
died.
{I}41_{/}Everyone blessed the intervention of the Lord, the just Judge 
who brings to light the most secret deeds; {R}_{I}42_{/}and they prayed 
to the Lord to completely pardon the sin of their dead companions. 
The valiant Judas urged his men to shun such sin in the future, 
for they had just seen with their own eyes what had happened to 
those who sinned. {R}_{I}43_{/}He took up a collection among his soldiers 
which amounted to two thousand pieces of silver and sent it to 
Jerusalem to be offered there as a sacrifice for sin.
They did all this very well and rightly inspired by their belief 
in the resurrection of the dead. {I}44_{/}If they did not believe that 
their fallen companions would rise again, then it would have been 
a useless and foolish thing to pray for them. {I}45_{/}But they firmly 
believed in a splendid reward for those who died as believers; 
therefore, their concern was holy and in keeping with faith.
{R}_{I}46_{/}This was the reason why Judas had this sacrifice offered for 
the dead - so that the dead might be pardoned for their sin.

{N}ANTIOCHUS INVADES JUDEA{/}

{1}13{/}

[=]_{I}1_{/}In the year one hundred and fortynine, the men of Judas 
learned that Antiochus Eupator had come against Judea with 
countless troops, {R}_{I}2_{/}together with Lysias, his tutor who was 
head of the government. Each of them was in command of a Greek 
army of one hundred and ten thousand infantrymen, five thousand 
and three hundred horsemen, twenty-two elephants and about three 
hundred chariots of war with scythes.
{R}_{I}3_{/}Menelaus joined them, and incited Antiochus with every evil 
intent since he was not seeking the freedom of his country but 
only hoping that he would be restored to the office of High 
Priest. {R}_{I}4_{/}But the King of kings roused the anger of Antiochus 
against that wicked man, when Lysias made the king realize that 
Menelaus was the cause of all the evils.
So the king ordered that Menelaus be taken to Berea and executed 
according to the custom of the place. {I}5_{/}There is a tower in that 
place, twenty-five meters high, full of burning ashes, provided 
with a revolving device on top, which sloped on all sides into 
ashes. {I}6_{/}Whoever robbed any sacred thing or committed any other 
notorious crime was brought up to the tower, and then, pushed into 
the ashes. {I}7_{/}In this way, Menelaus died without even a burial. 
{R}_{I}8_{/}This was indeed a just punishment for him who had committed 
so many offenses against the Altar whose fire and ashes were 
sacred; and so, he met his death in ashes.

{N}PRAYER AND SUCCESS OF THE JEWS IN MODEIN{/}

{R}_{I}9_{/}The king came with a heart full of evil designs, prepared to 
be more cruel to the Jews, than his father had been. {R}_{I}10_{/}When 
Judas learned of this, he ordered his army to call on God day and 
night, so that as God had done in other circumstances, he would 
now also help those {R}_{I}11_{/}who were in danger of be-ing deprived of 
their Law, their country and their temple. God could not let his 
people, who had hardly begun to breathe freely, fall once again 
into the hands of blasphemous pagans.
{I}12_{/}Once all the people had carried out the order to pray to the 
merciful Lord with lamentations, fasting and prayer for three 
consecutive days, Judas encouraged them and commanded them to 
stand ready. {R}_{I}13_{/}After summoning the Elders in private, he 
determined to leave with his men for a decisive attempt with the 
help of God, before the king's army could invade Judea and take 
control of Jerusalem.
{R}_{I}14_{/}Judas entrusted the decision to the Creator of the world, 
and encouraged his men to fight heroically to the death for the 
Law, the Temple, the city, the country and the institutions. So he 
left with his army and encamped near Modein. [=]_{R}_{I}15_{/}He gave his 
men this watchword: "God's victory." With the most capable young 
men of his army he attacked by night the tent of the king, putting 
to the sword about two thousand men, the strongest elephant and 
its rider. {I}16_{/}They caused fear and confusion in the camp and 
then withdrew in complete success. {R}_{I}17_{/}All this happened just as 
day was dawning, for God's help protected them.
[=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}When the king saw the daring of the Jews, he tried to 
take control of their fortresses by using tricks. {I}19_{/}He advanced 
against Beth-zur, a city strongly defended by the Jews; he 
attacked it but was repelled and defeated. {I}20_{/}Judas supplied the 
defenders of the city with everything they needed. 
{I}21_{/}Rhodocus, one of Judas' men, gave secret information to the 
enemies. He was hunted, captured and executed. {R}_{I}22_{/}The king 
again kept in contact with the defenders of Beth-zur, made peace 
with them and withdrew. {R}_{I}23_{/}He attacked the troops of Judas but 
was defeated. When he was informed that Philip, whom he had left 
in Antioch as head of the government, had revolted, he was 
dismayed. He sought peace with the Jews and had to accept and 
swear to observe their just petitions; he became reconciled with 
them, offered sacrifices, honored the Temple and showed generosity 
to the Holy Place.
{R}_{I}24_{/}The king took leave of Maccabeus and named Hegemonides as 
governor from Ptolemais to the land of the Gerarrites. 
[=]_{R}_{I}25_{/}When he came to Ptolemais, he found the inhabitants were 
indignant over that treaty; they were so angry they wanted to 
annul its terms. {R}_{I}26_{/}But Lysias came up to the tribunal to 
defend what had been decided; he convinced and appeased them, 
winning their goodwill before he set out for Antioch. This was 
what happened with the king's expedition and retreat.

{1}14{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Three years later, Judas and his  men were informed that 
Demetrius, son of Seleucus, had landed in Tripoli with a fleet and 
a powerful army, {R}_{I}2_{/}and had taken control of the kingdom, 
killing Antiochus and his tutor Lysias.
{R}_{I}3_{/}A certain Alcimus, who had been High Priest before, but was 
disgraced during the time of the rebellion, realized that there 
was no way for him to be restored to the ministry at the sacred 
altar. {R}_{I}4_{/}So, he went to King Demetrius in about the year one 
hundred and fifty-one, and offered him a golden crown, a palm and 
even some olive branches from the Temple as usual. On that day, he 
did not ask for anything. {R}_{I}5_{/}But he found a proper occasion for 
his evil designs when he was called to a meeting of the king's 
council. When he was asked with what disposition and spirit the 
Jews were to be confronted, he answered, [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}"There exists a 
party called Hasideans among the Jews, headed by Judas Maccabeus, 
that keeps up war and rebellion, and hinders the reestablishment 
of peace and order in the land. {R}_{I}7_{/}Because of them, I have been 
deprived of the dignity of my ancestors, that is, the office of 
High Priest. And I came here, {R}_{I}8_{/}concerned for the king's 
interests above everything else, but for my compatriots as well, 
since the fanaticism of those men has plunged our people into 
great misery.
{R}_{I}9_{/}O King, look upon our land and nation which is hard pressed 
on all sides, with that same kindness you have for all. {I}10_{/}For 
as long as Judas lives, it is impossible for the State to find 
peace."
{R}_{I}11_{/}When Alcimus had said this, the rest of the King's Friends 
who were hostile to Judas, quickly incited Demetrius against him. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}And the king immediately chose Nicanor, who commanded the 
squadron of elephants, and appointed him military commissioner of 
Judea {R}_{I}13_{/}with orders to kill Judas, disperse his men and 
restore Alcimus as priest of the great Temple.
{I}14_{/}The pagans who had earlier escaped from Judea for fear of 
Judas, flocked in great number to Nicanor, thinking that the 
misfortunes and defeat of the Jews would mean victory for them.

{N}TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN NICANOR AND JUDAS{/}

{I}15_{/}When the men of Judas learned about the coming of Nicanor and 
the invasion of Nicanor was coming and about the invasion of the 
pagans, they sprinkled dust upon their heads, and called on Him 
who had established his people forever, and had each time 
protected his people by wonderful manifestations. {I}16_{/}Then, at 
their leader's command they set out to march, and the battle began 
near Dessau. {R}_{I}17_{/}Simon, the brother of Judas, had attacked 
Nicanor, but his men were suddenly confounded by the enemies, 
suffering a slight setback.
{I}18_{/}However, as Nicanor had heard of the courage of Judas and his 
men and of how bravely they fought for their country, he feared 
resolving the situation by bloodshed. {I}19_{/}So, he sent Posidonius, 
Theodotus and Mattathias to arrange for peace. {I}20_{/}After a 
thorough consideration of the conditions, he communicated this to 
his troops and it seemed that they were unanimous about it. The 
treaty of peace was accepted.
{I}21_{/}So they set the date on which the leaders should meet. A 
chariot came forward from each side and they prepared seats of 
honor. {I}22_{/}Judas positioned armed men in strategic places, in 
case of sudden treachery on the part of the enemy. But their 
meeting went well.
{R}_{I}23_{/}Nicanor spent some time in Jerusalem without doing any harm, 
and even dismissed the people that had gathered around him. 
{I}24_{/}He always had Judas with him, for he had a high regard for 
him. {I}25_{/}He advised him to get married and have children, so 
Judas got married and enjoyed a peaceful life.
{R}_{I}26_{/}When Alcimus saw the good understanding between the two, he 
secured a copy of the signed accord and went to Demetrius, 
accusing Nicanor of acting against the interests of the State, 
inasmuch as he had appointed Judas, the enemy of the kingdom, as 
his minister.
{R}_{I}27_{/}The king was infuriated and stirred up by the slanders of 
that wicked man. He wrote Nicanor telling him how indignant he was 
over the treaty and ordering him to put Maccabeus in chains and to 
send him to Antioch at once.
{I}28_{/}Nicanor was dismayed to learn that he was asked to break the 
treaty with Judas who had done nothing wrong. {R}_{I}29_{/}But he could 
not go against the king's orders, so he sought an occasion to 
carry this out by deceit. {R}_{I}30_{/}Maccabeus noticed that Nicanor had 
become more reserved towards him and more unpleasant in their 
usual meetings, so he understood that this did not promise well. 
He began to gather some of his men, but did not make this known to 
Nicanor. [=]_{R}_{I}31_{/}When the latter became aware that Judas had 
escaped without being disloyal, he appeared in the holy Temple 
while the priests were offering the ritual sacrifices, and 
demanded that they hand Judas over to him. {R}_{I}32_{/}The priests 
declared on oath that they did not know where he was to be found. 
{R}_{I}33_{/}Then, he stretched out his hand to the sanctuary and made 
this oath: "If you do not hand Judas over to me in chains, I shall 
raze this place consecrated to God, destroy the altar, and right 
here build a splendid temple to Dionysus." {R}_{I}34_{/}And after saying 
this, he left.
The priests stretched forth their hands to heaven and called on 
him who had unceasingly defended our nation, saying {I}35_{/}"O Lord 
of the universe, though you do not need anything, it has pleased 
you to put among us this temple as your dwelling place. {I}36_{/}So 
now, keep undefiled forever this house that has just been 
purified."
{R}_{I}37_{/}Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to 
Nicanor as being a very patriotic man, well known as "father of 
the Jews" because of his kindness. {R}_{I}38_{/}In the time before the 
rebellion, he had been accused of Judaism and with much enthusiasm 
he had totally given himself to the defense of Judaism.
{I}39_{/}Now then, Nicanor, wishing to show his hatred towards the 
Jews, ordered more than five hundred soldiers to take him 
prisoner. {I}40_{/}He thought that by putting him in prison, he would 
deal a great blow to the Jews.
{I}41_{/}When the soldiers were about to capture the tower and were 
breaking the door of the courtyard (they had already ordered that 
fire be brought to burn the door), Razis, surrounded on all sides, 
struck his belly with his own sword. {I}42_{/}He preferred to die 
bravely rather than fall into the hands of foreigners and suffer 
insults unworthy of his noble birth. {I}43_{/}But when he fell upon 
his sword, he did not hit exactly, so when he saw the troops were 
now rushing in through the gates, he gathered enough strength to 
climb to the top of the tower, and manfully threw himself down 
upon the soldiers. {I}44_{/}But they quickly withdrew, so he fell into 
an empty space.
{I}45_{/}Still alive, and aflame with valor, he stood up in spite of 
the blood that gushed forth and the wounds he had, and came 
running through the soldiers. {R}_{I}46_{/}He stood on a steep rock and 
there, with his blood almost completely drained from him, he took 
hold of his intestines with both hands and hurled them at the 
crowd. Then calling upon the name of the Lord of life and spirit 
to give them back to him again one day, he left this life.

{N}VICTORY FOR JUDAS AND DEATH OF NICANOR{/}

{1}15{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Nicanor was informed that the men of Judas were in the 
neighboring villages of Samaria, so he prepared to safely attack 
them on the day of the sabbath. [=]_{I}2_{/}The Jews, who were forced 
to accompany him, said to him, "Do not destroy them so savagely 
and barbarously, but show respect for the day of the sabbath, for 
He who sees all has honored this day and sanctified it." {I}3_{/}But 
the wretch asked if there was indeed a sovereign in heaven who had 
commanded that the sabbath be holy. [=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}They answered, "It is 
the living God himself, the Sovereign in heaven, who has commanded 
us to celebrate the seventh day."
{R}_{I}5_{/}"So I, as sovereign on earth, command you to take up arms and 
carry out the decrees of the king." But he could not bring to 
completion his evil designs.
{I}6_{/}Nicanor was so sure of victory, that he planned to build a 
monument with the mortal remains of Judas and his men. {R}_{I}7_{/}But 
Maccabeus, for his part, felt confident and put his trust in God's 
help. {R}_{I}8_{/}He encouraged his men not to fear the attack of the 
pagans, and not to forget the times God had come to their help, 
confident that even now God would give them victory. {R}_{I}9_{/}He 
roused their spirit with the words of the Law and the Prophets, 
reminding them of previous triumphs. [=]_{I}10_{/}Encouraging his men 
more and more, he finished by showing them the evil of the pagans 
and how they had betrayed their oath.
{I}11_{/}So he armed them not with the sword or shield but with the 
certainty that comes from noble words. Then he made them all full 
of joy by telling them what he saw in a true dream.
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}12_{/}He had seen Onias, the former High Priest, a courteous, 
good man, humble in his ways, distinguished in his words and 
exemplary in his irreproachable conduct since childhood. With arms 
outstretched, Onias prayed for the whole Jewish community. 
{R}_{I}13_{/}Then, a gray-haired and honorable man appeared, praying in 
the same way, and characterized by dignity and majesty. 
[=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}Then Onias, the High Priest, said to Judas, "This is he 
who loves your brothers, he who prays without ceasing for the 
Jewish people and for the Holy City. He is Jeremiah, the prophet 
of God." {R}_{I}15_{/}And Jeremiah had stretched out his right hand 
giving a golden sword to Judas, as he said, {R}_{I}16_{/}"Receive this 
sword as a gift from God, with which you shall destroy your 
enemies."
[=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}Encouraged by these beautiful words of Judas, which were 
able to encourage righteous people and strengthen young souls, 
they determined not to set up camp with defenses. They decided 
instead to rush out bravely and take the offensive to settle the 
matter by fighting bravely, for the Holy City Jerusalem, their 
religion and the Temple were in danger. {R}_{I}18_{/}They considered of 
secondary importance any concern for their wives, children and 
friends; because they feared above all for the Temple consecrated 
to God. {I}19_{/}Regarding those who had stayed in the city, their 
anxiety was by no means little, since they were worried about the 
battle that was about to begin in the camp.
{I}20_{/}Everyone waited for the imminent outcome as the enemies 
attacked. They had set their troops in place, led the elephants to 
strategic positions and had the cavalry in the wings. {R}_{I}21_{/}Then 
Maccabeus could see this multitude with their weapons of every 
kind and the ferocious elephants. He stretched forth his hands to 
heaven and called on the Lord who works marvels, for he knew that 
God gives victory to those who deserve it, and this does not 
depend on weapons, but on the will of God.
[=]_{R}_{I}22_{/}So Judas said in prayer, "O Lord, you sent your angel in 
the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he wiped out one 
hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the army of Sennacherib. 
{I}23_{/}So now, O Lord of Heaven, send your good angel, before us 
too, to fill our enemies with fear and terror. {I}24_{/}Show your 
power and let your arm strike those who insult you and who come to 
destroy your holy people." With this, he ended his prayer.
{I}25_{/}Meanwhile, Nicanor and his men advanced amid blasts of 
trumpets and shouts of war. {I}26_{/}Judas and his men, for their 
part, entered into battle with supplication and prayer. {R}_{I}27_{/}As 
they fought with their hands, their hearts prayed to God. And 
being so magnificently strengthened by the manifest presence of 
God, they killed no less than thirty-five thousand enemies.
{R}_{I}28_{/}When the battle ended, and they returned rejoicing, they 
found Nicanor dead, lying on the ground with all his armor.
{R}_{I}29_{/}Then they blessed God in their ancestral language amidst 
shouts and clamors. {R}_{I}30_{/}Judas, who had once fully consecrated 
himself to the welfare of his fellow residents and had never 
wavered in his affection for them, ordered that Nicanor's head and 
arms up to the shoulders be cut off and brought to Jerusalem.
{R}_{I}31_{/}There he summoned his compatriots and priests. He stood 
before the altar and ordered them to send for those in the 
Citadel. [=]_{R}_{I}32_{/}He showed them the head of that wretched, 
Nicanor, and the hand which that wicked man had raised in pride 
above the house of God. {I}33_{/}He ordered that Nicanor's tongue be 
cut into pieces and given to the birds, and the hand be hung in 
front of the sanctuary as punishment for his arrogance. {I}34_{/}Then 
they blessed Heaven saying, "Blessed be he who did not let his 
Sacred House be defiled!"
{R}_{I}35_{/}Finally, Judas ordered that Nicanor's head be hung in the 
Citadel as a sign of God's help. {I}36_{/}By popular agreement, they 
decided that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month called 
Adar in Aramaic, the vespers of the day of Mordecai would be 
commemorated as a festival day.

{N}AUTHOR'S CONCLUSION{/}

{I}37_{/}These were the events during the time of Nicanor. As from 
those days the city remained under the power of the Hebrews, I end 
my account here. {I}38_{/}If the narration has been good and well 
composed, that is indeed what I desired; but if it has been 
ordinary and indifferent, it is what I was able to do. {R}_{I}39_{/}The 
readers' pleasure depends on how the account was arranged, just as 
it is with one who drinks. It does not do any good when one drinks 
only pure wine or water but wine mixed with water is tasty and 
delightful. Let this, then, be my last word.

