Traditional History of the Maccabean Struggle time, but quickly meet with retribution. 14While indeed in the case of the other nations the Sovereign Lord patiently waits, and punishes only when they have attained to the full measure of sins, he decided that it should not be so in our case, 15that he might not take vengeance on us afterward, when we had reached the limit of our sins. 16Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us; though he disciplines with misfortunes, he does not forsake his own people. 17But let what we have said suffice as a reminder; with this short digression we must proceed to the narrative. preme the Eleazar 18 Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, a man already advanced in years Suand of a most noble countenance, was compelled to open his mouth to eat devoswine's flesh. 19But he, welcoming death with renown rather than life with tion of pollution, spat it out and advanced of his own accord to the instrument of aged torture,k 20as men ought to come who are resolute to repel such things as it is unlawful to taste for the mere love of life. 21But those who had charge of the forbidden sacrificial meal, on account of their old-time acquaintance with the man, took him aside and privately besought him to bring flesh of his own providing, such as was proper for him to use, and to pretend to eat of the flesh from the sacrifice, as had been commanded by the king, 22that by so doing he might be delivered from death, and through his old friendship with them might receive kind treatment. 23But he, having formed a high resolve, and one that became his years and the dignity of old age and the gray hairs which he had reached with honor, and the noble life which he had lived1 from his youth, but still more the holy laws of God's ordaining, declared his mind accordingly, promptly bidding them send him to Hades. 24 For it becomes not our years to dissemble, said he, that thereby many of the young should suppose that Eleazar, a man ninety years old, had gone over to an alien religion, 25and so they by reason of my dissimulation and for the sake of this brief and momentary life, should be led astray through me, and I bring a stain and pollution upon my old age. 26 For even if for the present I shall be freed from the punishment of men, yet shall I not escape the hands of the Almighty, whether living or dead. 27Therefore, by manfully parting with my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age, 28 and leave behind a noble example to the young to die willingly and nobly a glorious death for the sacred and holy laws. And when he had said these words, he went immediately to the instrument of torture. 29But those who led him changed the good-will they bore him a little while before into ill-will, because these words of his were, as they thought, sheer madness. 30When he was about to die from the blows, he groaned aloud and said, To the Lord, who hath the holy knowledge, it is manifest that, whereas I might have been delivered from death, I endure grievous pains in my body by being scourged; but in my soul I gladly suffer these things for fear of him. 31So, then, in such a manner did this man die, leaving his death as an example of nobleness and a memorial of virtue not only to the young but also to the great body of his nation. 619 The exact nature of the instrument of torture is not known. It was probably some wheel-shaped instrument on which the victim was stretched and then beaten. 1623 Restoring what appears to have been the original text. Volun tary martyr seven ers; death first Traditional History of the Maccabean Struggle 71It came to pass also that seven brothers, together with their mother, were at the king's command seized and tortured with scourges and cords, dom of to compel them to taste of the abominable swine's flesh. 2But one of them broth acting as spokesman said, What would you ask and learn of us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers. Then the of the king fell into a rage and gave orders to heat pans and caldrons. 4And as soon as these were heated, he gave orders to cut out the tongue of him who had been their spokesman, and to scalp him and to cut off his extremities, while the rest of his brothers and his mother were looking on. 5And when he was completely mutilated, but still breathing, [the king] ordered him brought to the fire and fried in the pan. As the vapor from the pan spread far, they and their mother exhorted one another to die nobly, speaking thus: "The Lord God beholdeth, and in truth hath compassion upon us, as Moses declared in his song, which witnessed against them openly, saying, ‘And he shall have compassion upon his servants.'n Of the second Of the third Of the fourth Of the fifth 7After the first had died in this manner, they brought the second to the mocking; and tearing from his head the skin with the hair, they asked him, Will you eat before your body bears the penalty in every limb? But he answered in the language of his fathers and said to them, No. Therefore he also, like the first, underwent the torture that followed. And when he was at the last gasp he said, You, indeed, wretch, release us from this present life, but the King of the world shall raise up us, who have died for his laws, to an eternal renewal of life. 10 After him the third was made an object of mocking. And when bidden, he promptly put out his tongue, and stretched forth his hands courageously, 11and nobly said, From Heaven? I have received these, and for the sake of his laws I contemn them, and from him I hope to receive them back again; 12so that the king himself and those who were him were astonished at the young man's spirit, for he did not at all regard the pain. 13 When he too was dead, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in like manner. 14And as he was at the point of death he spoke thus: It is pleasing to us when we die at the hands of men to look for the hopes which are from God, that we shall be raised up again by him. For you, however, there shall be no resurrection to life. 15 And next after him they brought the fifth, and maltreated him. 16But he looked at the kinga and said, Because you have authority among men, though only mortal yourself, you do what you will; yet think not that our race has been forsaken by God. 17 Persist in your course, and you shall behold how his sovereign power will torture you and your descend ants! m74 The Greek word means, to scalp in Scythian fashion cf.7. n 76 The author here follows the Gk. of Dt. 323. 77 The mocking referred to seems to have been a regular practice before execution. 4716 The Gk. has only, him, where king must be supplied. Traditional History of the Maccabean Struggle sixth 18 And after him they brought the sixth. And when he was about to die of the he said, Be not vainly deceived, for we suffer these things for our own doings, because we have sinned against our own God. On this account are such marvellous things come to pass. 19But think not that you who have attempted to fight against God shall be unpunished. exhor mother 20 But above all was the mother marvellous and worthy of an honored Brave memory; for when she looked on seven sons perishing within the space of tation one day, she bore it with a good courage because of her hope in the Lord. of the 21 She exhorted each one of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble temper and stirring up her woman's thought with manly passion, saying to them, 22I know not how you came into my womb, neither was it I who bestowed on you your spirit or your life, and it was not I who brought into order the elementary substance of each of you. 23Therefore the Creator of the world, by whose fashioning man came into being and by whose devising all things were made, will" in mercy give back to you again both your spirit and your life, as you now contemn your own selves for the sake of his laws. 24 But Antiochus thinking that he was despised, and suspecting the reproachful voice, while the youngest was yet alive, not only urged with words, but also promised with oaths that he would make him rich and to be envied as well, if he would turn from the customs of his fathers, and that he would take him for his Friend and intrust him with affairs. 25But as the young man gave no heed, the king summoned his mother, and exhorted her that she should counsel the lad to save himself. 26 After he had exhorted her with many words, she undertook to persuade her son. 27 But bending toward him, in mockery of the cruel tyrant, she spoke thus in the language of her fathers: My son, have pity on me who carried you nine months in my womb, and gave you suck three years, and nourishing and training you, reared you up to this age. 28I beseech you, my child, to look upon the heaven and the earth, and see all things which are therein, and recognize that God made them not of things which were, and that so also the race of men has come into being. 29 Fear not this executioner, but, proving yourself worthy of your brothers, accept your death, that in the mercy of God I may receive you again with your brothers. young 30 As soon as she had finished speaking, the young man said, For whom are Fidelity you waiting? I obey not the command of the king, but I hearken to the of the command of the law which was given to our fathers through Moses. 31But est son you, who have devised all manner of evil against the Hebrews, shall in no wise escape the hands of God. 32For we are suffering because of our own sins; 33and if for reproof and discipline our living Lord hath been angered a little while, yet shall he again be reconciled with his own servants. 34But you, O unholy man and of all men most vile, be not in your wild pride vainly lifted up with uncertain hopes, raising your hand against the children of Heaven; 35for not yet have you escaped the judgment of the Almighty God 73 Some manuscripts have the present here instead of the future. The context favors the latter. Conclusion of Mattathias Traditional History of the Maccabean Struggle who keepeth watch. 36 For these our brothers having endured a brief agony which brings everlasting life," have now died under God's covenant; but you through the judgment of God, shall receive just punishment for your arrogance. 37 But I, like my brothers, give up both body and soul for the laws of our fathers, calling upon God that he may become speedily gracious to the nation; and that you amidst trials and plagues may confess that he alone is God; 38and that in me and in my brothers the wrath of the Almighty which has been justly brought upon our whole race may be stayed. 39Thereupon the king, falling into a rage, treated him worse than all the rest, being exasperated at his mocking. 40So he also died pure from pollution, putting his whole trust in the Lord. 41And last of all after her sons the mother died. 42 Let this now suffice which has been said concerning the sacrificial meals and the extreme tortures. t § 174. The Uprising of Mattathias and his Sons, I Mac. 21-28 History of the Hasmoneans Family I Mac. 2 1At that time arose Mattathias the son of John the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib," from Jerusalem; and he dwelt in Modein. 2And he had five sons, John, who was surnamed Gaddis,v 3Simon, who was called Thassi, 4Judas, who was called Maccabeus,w 5Eleazar, who was called Avaran, Jonathan, who was called Apphus. His lament over the fate of city and people "When he saw the sacrilegious acts that were being committed in Judah and in Jerusalem, 7he said, Woe to me! Why was I born And to dwell there while it was being given into the hands of the foe, The temple has become as though it had no glory," Its glorious vessels have been carried into captivity. 'Her children have been slain in the streets, Her young men by the sword of the enemy. 10What people has not taken possession of her palace, 736 Lit., agony of everlasting life. Hort conjectures that the original read, having endured a short agony, have now drunk of everflowing life. 738 Following the reading of many important texts. RV, that thou mayest stay the wrath. $174 II Mac. says nothing of Mattathias. Possibly his act was recorded in one of the sections in Jason's history omitted by the epitomizer. Judas is introduced abruptly in 527. u 21 Cf. I Chr. 247. 22 The meaning of these secondary names is not clear. Torrey, in Ency. Bib., III, 2851, suggests that they were the names given at birth, while those by which they were commonly known, are the ones which they later received as princes of the Jewish people. w24 The popular interpretation, Hammer, is doubtful. 27 The poetic parallelism of this verse and the following is evident. The rhythm seems to have been that commonly used in songs of lamentation: a long line followed by a shorter one, as in Lam., thus giving the effect of a wail. The thought is clearly parallel to that of Lam, and such Pss. as 74 and 79. 28 The Gk. texts have a different reading which is not in accord with the context. The above is based upon a restoration of the Heb. suggested by Torrey. Syr., The temple was before as a man in glory. History of the Hasmoneans 11All her adornments have been taken away, From freedom she has been reduced to slavery. 12And now our holy things, our beauty and our glory have been laid waste, 13 Why should we still live? 14 And Mattathias and his son tore their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and · mourned bitterly. с fusal to com of 15 Now the king's officers who were enforcing the apostasy, came into the His recity of Modein to sacrifice. 16And many of Israel went over to them, but follow Mattathias and his sons offered resistance.b 17Then the king's officers the said to Mattathias, You are a ruler and a man honored in this city and mands strengthened by sons and brothers. 18 Now therefore come first and do Antiwhat the king commands, as all the nations have done, the men of Judah ochus too, with those who remain in Jerusalem. Then you and your house shall be in the number of the king's Friends, and you and your sons shall be honored with silver and gold and many gifts. 19But Mattathias replied with a loud voice, If all the nations included in the king's dominiond obey him, in that each is untrue to the worship of his fathers and chooses to follow his command, 20yet I and my sons and my brothers will walk in the covenant made with our fathers. 21Heaven forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances. 22We will not listen to the king's words, to go aside from our worship, either to the right hand or to the left. indig open ance 23 And when he had finished saying these things a Jew came in sight of all His hot to sacrifice on the altar that was in Modein according to the king's command. nation 24 When Mattathias saw it his zeal was kindled and he trembled inwardly. and And he let his anger take possession of him, as was right, and he resistran and slew him upon the altar. 25 Also he killed at that time the king's officer, who was compelling men to sacrifice, and pulled down the altar. 26 Thus he showed his zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did in the case of Zimri the son of Salu.e 27Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying, Whoever is zealous for the law and will maintain the covenant, 28let him follow me. And he and his sons fled into the mountains, and left behind all that they had in the city. § 175. The Fortunes of the Fugitives, I Mac. 229-48, II Mac. 57, 81-7 History of the Hasmoneans I Mac. 2 29Then many who sought justice and right went down into the wilderness, 30to dwell there with their sons and wives and cattle, because the evils were becoming ever harder for them to bear. 31 And it was reported to the king's officers and to the forces that Traditional His b216 Gk., were gathered together, but a slight emendation gives the above. • 226 Cf. Num. 256-8. ter of |