History of the Hasmoneans command to the men of the army which was with them and went toward Jamnia. 59 But when Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle, 60Joseph and Azarias were put to flight and were pursued to the borders of Judea, and there fell on that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men. 61 Thus the people suffered a great disaster because they did not obey Judas and his brothers, thinking to perform some exploit. 62 But they were not of the same stock as those men, by whose hand deliverance was given to Israel. Judas's 65 Then Judas success- and his brothers ful wars against went out and the Idumeans and tines fought against the people of Esau in Philis- the land toward the south. And he smote Hebron and the villages belonging to it and pulled down its citadel and burned the surrounding towers. 66Then he set out to go into the land of the Philistines; and he went through Marissa. 67On that day certain priests, desiring to do exploits there, were slain in battle, when they unwisely went out to fight. 68Then Judas turned aside to Azotus, to the land of the Philistines, and pulled down their Traditional History 12 32After the feast called Pentecost they advanced against Gorgias, the governor of Idumea. 33 And he came out with three thousand footmen and four hundred horsemen. 34And when they engaged in battle, it transpired that a few of the Jews fell. 35 But a certain Dositheus, of Bacenor's followers, who rode a horse and was a strong man, laying hold of Gorgias and taking him by his cloak, was drawing him along by main force. But when he purposed to take the accursed man alive, one of the Thracian horsemen bore down upon him and disabled his shoulder so that Gorgias escaped to Marissa. 36 After Esdris" and his followers had fought long and were wearied, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and the leader of their van of battle. 37 And then in the language of his fathers he raised the battle cry, accompanied by hymns, and, rushing unexpectedly upon the troops of Gorgias, he put them to flight. 38Then Judas came with his army to the city of Adullam; and as the seventh day drew near, according to their custom, they purified themselves and kept the sabbath there. 39On the following day, when it had become necessary, Judas and his men came to take up the bodies of those who had fallen and to bring them back to be with their kinsmen in the sepulchres of their fathers. 40Under the garments of each one of the dead they found consecrated tokens of the idols of Jamnia, with which the law forbids the Jews to have anything to do; and it became clear to all that this was the reason why they had fallen. 41All therefore blessed the works of the Lord, the righteous Judge, who maketh manifest t II Mac. 1235 Evidently not the Dositheus mentioned in 1o. u II Mac. 126 Luc., Gorgias, but this is evidently an attempt to identify the unexpected proper name, Esdris (Heb., Esri). The word means, help (of Jehovah). Like Jasher in the earlier O.T. books, it is probably a title of the chosen people. v I Mac. 56 Lit., strangers, as in 422. If it means Philistines, as 68 indicates, then Samaria, supported by the Gk. MSS., must be changed to, Marissa, with Josephus. II Mac. 1238 Gk., Adollam. II Mac. 1240 Probably small images used as amulets. History of the altars and burned ages of their gods and, taking the spoil of their cities, he returned to the land of Judah. 63And the hero Judas and his brothers were greatly honored by all Israel and by all the heathen wherever their name was heard. 64 And men gathered to them to sing their praise.a Traditional History the hidden things, and turned to supplication, beseeching § 183. Death of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Accession of Eupator, I Mac. 61-17, II Mac. 91-29, History of the Hasmoneans b I Mac. 61And as King Antiochus was journeying through the upper countries, he heard that in Elymais, in Persia, there was a city renowned for riches, for silver and gold, 2and that the temple there was exceedingly rich and that in it there were golden shields and breastplates and arms, which Alexander son of Philip the Macedonian king, who reigned first over the Syrian Empire, had there left behind. 3Therefore he went and tried to take the city and pillage it, but he was not able because the matter became known to the inhabitants of the city, and they arose against him in battle. 109-13 I Mac. 563-64 These verses belong appropriately at the close of the account of Judas's victorious campaign. § 183 I Mac. dates the death of Antiochus in the summer of 164 B.C. (616). It is probable, however, that it was not long after the rededication of the temple in Dec., 165. The sudden death of this arch-enemy furnished the historic fact about which grew up the traditions preserved in II Mac. The letter in 919-27 is contrary not only to probability, but also to his well-known attitude to the Jews and to the testimony of the preceding context, which assumes, 18, that there was no hope of his recovery. The entire account of his death was evidently written with a didactic purpose and freely elaborated. I Mac. 61 The Greek Elumias may represent the original Heb., Elam. d II Mac. 92 Or, temple. Reception of the news of the victories of the Jews His re History of the Hasmoneans 4So he retreated and set out from there in 5Then one came bringing him tidings into Persia, that the armies which went against the land of Judah had been put to flight, and that Lysias had gone at the head of a strong host, and had been defeated before them; and that they had grown strong in arms and power, having a store of spoils which they took from the armies which they had cut off; and that they had pulled down the abomination which he had built upon the altar that was in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Bethsura, his city. And when the king heard these things, he was exceedingly astonished and moved, so that he lay down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because his affairs had not prospered as he had expected. 9And he was there a long while because great grief was always overcoming him anew. 10 And when he pent- saw that his end ance Traditional History to flight by the people of the country, had to break up his camp in disgrace. 3While he was at Ecbatana, news came to him of what had happened to Nicanor and the forces of Timotheus. 4Then swelling with anger, he thought to make the Jews suffer even for the evil doing of those who had put him to flight. Therefore, as the judgment from heaven was even then following him, he gave orders to his charioteer to drive without ceasing and end the journey. For thus he spoke in his arrogance, I will make Jerusalem a common graveyard of Jews when I come there. 5But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, smote him with a fatal and invisible stroke; as soon as he had ceased speaking an incurable pain of the bowels seized him and bitter torments of the inner parts; and that most justly, for he had tormented other men's bowels with many and strange sufferings. 7However he did not at all cease from his insolence, but was still filled with arrogance, breathing fire in his rage against the Jews, and gave orders to hasten the journey. Then it came to pass that he fell from his chariot as it rushed along, and had such a severe fall that all the members of his body were racked. And he who but recently supposed himself to have the waves of the sea at his bidding, so abnormallyf vainglorious was he, and who thought to weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, was now brought to the ground and carried in a litter, showing to all that the power was manifestly God's; so that even worms swarmed out of the body of the impious man, and, while he was still living in anguish and pain, his flesh fell off piecemeal, and because of the stench his corruption was offensive to the whole army. 10 And the man who a little before supposed himself able to touch the stars of heaven, no one could endure to carry on account of his intolerable stench. 11Then at last sorely stricken he began in great part to cease from his arrogance, and to come to his senses under the scourge of God, for his pains increased I Mac. 67 Cf. 154. 1 II Mac. 98 Lit., beyond the condition of a man. History of the for all his Friends, his kingdom. 15 And gave him his diadem, his robe, and his signet ring, that he should Traditional History every moment. 19To the worthy Jews, his fellow-citizens, Antiochus, * II Mac. 916 Cf. 33. II Mac. 920 This clause is omitted in many MSS. but is found in others, and is demanded by the context. II Mac. 921 I however lie ill, is omitted in some MSS., but cf. 1128. Eupa tor's the History of the king was dead, he Traditional History might not be troubled; 25and, besides all this, observing 28So the murderer and blasphemer having suffered most grievously, as he himself had dealt with other men, died in a strange land, among the mountains, a most pitiable death. 29 And Philip, his foster-brother, conveyed the body home; and then, fearing the son of Antiochus, he betook himself to Ptolemy Philometor in Egypt. 10 9Such were the circumstances of the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes. 10 Now will we declare what came to pass under Antiochus Eupator, who policy was a son of that godless man, and will briefly summarize the evils connected toward with his wars. 11 For this man, when he succeeded to the kingdom, appointed Jews a certain Lysias prime minister and supreme governor of Colesyria and Phoenicia. 12For Ptolemy, who was called Macron, set an example of observing justice toward the Jews because of the wrong which had been done to them, and endeavored to conduct his dealings with them peaceably. 13 Whereupon he was accused by the Friends before Eupator, and was called traitor in every respect, because he had abandoned Cyprus, which Philometor had entrusted to him, and had withdrawn himself to Antiochus, called Epiphanes. And so, failing to uphold the honor of his office, he took poison and made away with himself. I Mac. 615 Following Jos. and Syr. kI Mac. 616 Summer of 164. II Mac. 929 But cf. 1323, I Mac. 655-63, and Jos., Ant., XII, 91, which contradict the statement. Philip on his return was conquered and put to death by Lysias. II Mac. 1011 Or, regent. |