The Second Book of Maccabees

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- Chapter 10 -

The purification of the temple and city. Other exploits of Judas. His victory over Timotheus.

But Maccabeus and those who were with him, the Lord protecting them, even recovered the temple and the city.

Then he demolished the altars, which the foreigners had constructed in the streets, and likewise the shrines.

And, having purged the temple, they made another altar. And, taking glowing stones from the fire, they began to offer sacrifices again after two years, and they set out incense, and lamps, and the bread of the Presence.

Having done these things, they petitioned the Lord, lying prostrate on the ground, lest they should fall once more into such evils, but also, if they should at any time sin, that they might be chastised by him more mildly, and not be delivered over to barbarians and blasphemous men.

Then, on the day that the temple had been polluted by the foreigners, it happened on the same day that the purification was accomplished, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, which was Kislev.

And they celebrated for eight days with joy, in the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering that, a little time before, they had celebrated the solemn days of the Feast of Tabernacles in mountains and caves, in the manner of wild beasts.

Because of this, they now preferred to carry boughs and green branches and palms, for him who had prospered the cleansing of his place.

And they decreed a common precept and decree, that all the people of the Jews should keep those days every year.

Now certainly Antiochus, who was called illustrious, held himself to be so at the passing of his life.(a)

But next we will describe what happened with Eupator, the son of the impious Antiochus, abridging the evils which happened in the wars.

For when he assumed the kingdom, he appointed, over the affairs of the kingdom, a certain Lysias, leader of the Phoenician and Syrian military.

For Ptolemy, who was called Macer, decided to be strict in justice toward the Jews, especially because of the iniquity that had been done to them, and to deal with them peacefully.

But, for this reason, he was accused before Eupator by his friends, and was frequently called a traitor. For he had deserted Cyprus, which Philometor had entrusted to him. And so, transferring to Antiochus the illustrious, he even withdrew from him. And he ended his life by poison.

But Gorgias, when he was the leader of the places, taking to him new arrivals, frequently made war against the Jews.

In truth, the Jews, who held the strategic fortresses, took in those who were fleeing from Jerusalem, and they attempted to make war.(b)

In fact, those who were with Maccabeus, petitioning the Lord through prayers to be their helper, made a forceful attack upon the fortresses of the Idumeans.

And, persevering with much force, they obtained the places, killing those they met, and cutting down in all no less than twenty thousand.

Yet certain ones, when they had fled into two well-fortified towers, gave all appearance of fighting back.

So Maccabeus left behind Simon and Joseph, and likewise Zachaeus, and those who were with them, to fight against them. And since those who were with them were sufficient in number, he turned back to those who attacked more forcefully.

In truth, those who were with Simon, being led by avarice, were persuaded by money from certain ones who were in the towers. And accepting seventy thousand didrachmas, they allowed certain ones to flee.

But when what was done had been reported to Maccabeus, gathering together the leaders of the people, he accused those who had sold their brothers for money, having sent away their adversaries.

Therefore, he executed these who had acted as traitors, and he quickly captured the two towers.

And so, having success in arms and in all things that he took in hand, he destroyed more than twenty thousand in the two fortresses.

And Timothy, who had been overcome by the Jews before, calling together a multitude of foreign troops and gathering horsemen from Asia, arrived as if he would capture Judea with arms.

But Maccabeus, and those who were with him, as he was approaching, beseeched the Lord, sprinkling dirt on their heads and wrapping their waists with haircloth.

And lying prostrate at the pedestal of the altar, they beseeched him to be forgiving to them, but to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, just as the law says.

And so, after prayer, taking up arms, they proceeded further from the city, and, reaching close proximity to the enemies, they settled in.

But, as soon as the sun rose, both sides joined battle: these ones having the guarantee of victory and success by the strength of the Lord, yet the others having courage as their leader in battle.

But, while they were fighting vehemently, to the adversaries there appeared from heaven five men on horses, which were adorned with bridles of gold, providing leadership to the Jews.

Two of them, having Maccabeus in the middle and surrounding him with their weapons, kept him safe. But, at the enemy, they cast darts and lightning, so that they fell down, being both confused with blindness and filled with disturbances.

Moreover, there were slain twenty thousand five hundred, along with six hundred horsemen.

In fact, Timothy fled away to Gazara, to a fortified stronghold, where Chaereas was in charge.

Then Maccabeus, and those who were with him, joyfully besieged the stronghold for four days.

But those who were inside, trusting to the strength of the place, spoke evil without limit and cast out nefarious words.

But when the fifth day began to dawn, twenty youths of those who were with Maccabeus, inflamed in soul because of the blasphemy, manfully approached to the wall, and, advancing with fierce courage, ascended it.

Moreover, others also getting up after them, went to set fire to the towers and the gates, and to burn the blasphemers alive.

Then, having continued throughout two days to lay waste to the fortress, they killed Timothy, who was found hiding himself in a certain place. And they also killed his brother Chaereas, and Apollophanes.(c)

When this was done, they blessed the Lord with hymns and confessions, who had done great things in Israel and had given them the victory.

Footnotes

(a)10:9 In other words, Antiochus was called illustrious, and he thought himself to be illustrious, even unto death.(Conte)

(b)10:15 The Jews, etc:He speaks of them that had fallen from their religion, and were enemies of their country, who joining with the Idumeans or Edomites, kept possession of the strong holds, and from thence annoyed their countrymen.(Challoner)

(c)10:37 Timotheus:This man, who was killed at the taking of Gazara, is different from that Timotheus who is mentioned in the fifth chapter of the first book of Maccabees, and of whom there is mention in the following chapter.(Challoner)

The purification of the temple and city. Other exploits of Judas. His victory over Timotheus.

Then Maccabaeus and those who were with him, the Lord leading them on, recovered the temple and the city.

They pulled down the altars that had been built in the marketplace by the foreigners, and also the sacred enclosures.

Having cleansed the sanctuary, they made another altar of sacrifice. (a)Striking flint and starting a fire, they offered sacrifices after they had ceased for two years, burned incense, lit lamps, and set out the show bread.

When they had done these things, they fell prostrate and implored the Lord that they might fall no more into such evils; but that, if they ever did sin, they might be chastened by him with forbearance, and not be delivered to blaspheming and barbarous heathen.

Now on the same day that the sanctuary was profaned by foreigners, upon that very day it came to pass that the sanctuary was cleansed, even on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which is Chislev.

They observed eight days with gladness in the manner of the feast of tabernacles, remembering how (b)not long before, during the feast of tabernacles, they were wandering in the mountains and in the caves like wild animals.

Therefore carrying wands wreathed with leaves, and beautiful branches, and palm fronds also, they offered up hymns of thanksgiving to him who had successfully brought to pass the cleansing of his own place.

They ordained also with a public statute and decree, for all the nation of the Jews, that they should observe these days every year.

Such were the events of the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.

Now we will declare what came to pass under Antiochus (c)Eupator, who proved himself a son of that ungodly man, and will summarize the main evils of the wars.

For this man, when he succeeded to the kingdom, appointed one Lysias to be chancellor and supreme governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia.

For Ptolemy who was called Macron, setting an example of observing justice toward the Jews because of the wrong that had been done to them, endeavored to deal with them on peaceful terms.

Whereupon being accused by the king’s (d)friends before Eupator, and hearing himself called traitor at every turn because he had abandoned Cyprus which Philometor had entrusted to him, and had withdrawn himself to Antiochus Epiphanes, and (e) failing to uphold the honor of his office, he took poison and did away with himself.

But when Gorgias was made governor of the district, he maintained a force of mercenaries, and at every turn kept up war with the Jews.

Together with him the Idumaeans also, being masters of important strongholds, harassed the Jews; and received those who had taken refuge from Jerusalem, they endeavored to keep up the war.

But Maccabaeus and his men, having made solemn supplication and having implored God to fight on their side, rushed upon the strongholds of the Idumaeans.

Assaulting them vigorously, they took control of the positions, and kept off all who fought upon the wall, and killed those whom they encountered, killing no fewer than twenty thousand.

Because no fewer than nine thousand had fled into two very strong towers having everything needed for a seige,

Maccabaeus, having left Simon and Joseph, and also Zacchaeus and those who were with him, a force sufficient to besiege them, departed himself to places where he was most needed.

But Simon and those who were with him, yielding to covetousness, were bribed by some of those who were in the towers, and receiving seventy thousand drachmas, let some of them slip away.

But when word was brought to Maccabaeus of what was done, he gathered the leaders of the people together, and accused those men of having sold their kindred for money by setting their enemies free to fight against them.

So he killed these men for having turned traitors, and immediately took possession of the two towers.

Prospering with his weapons in everything he undertook, he destroyed more than twenty thousand in the two strongholds.

Now Timotheus, who had been defeated by the Jews before, having gathered together foreign forces in great multitudes, and having collected the cavalry which belonged to Asia, not a few, came as though he would take Judea by force of weapons.

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

and falling down upon the step in front of the altar, implored him to become (f)gracious to them, and (g)be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declares.

Rising from their prayer they took up their weapons, and advanced some distance from the city. When they had come near to their enemies, they(h) halted.

When the dawn was now breaking, the two armies joined in battle, the one part having this, beside virtue, for a pledge of success and victory, that they had fled to the Lord for refuge, the others making their passion their leader in the fight.

When the battle became strong, there appeared out of heaven to their adversaries five splendid men on horses with bridles of gold, (i)and two of them, leading on the Jews,

and taking Maccabaeus in the midst of them, and covering him with their own armor, guarded him from wounds, while they shot arrows and thunderbolts at the enemies. For this reason, they were blinded and thrown into confusion, and were cut to pieces, filled with bewilderment.

Twenty thousand five hundred were slain, beside six hundred cavalry.

Timotheus himself fled into a stronghold called Gazara, a fortress of great strength, (j)where Chaereas was in command.

Then Maccabaeus and his men were glad and laid siege to the fortress for four days.

Those who were within, trusting in the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and hurled out impious words.

But at dawn of the fifth day, certain young men of Maccabaeus’ company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, assaulted the wall with masculine force and with (k)furious anger, and cut down whoever came in their way.

Others climbing up in the same way, while the enemies were distracted with those who had made their way within, set fire to the towers, and kindled fires that burned the blasphemers alive, while others broke open the gates, and, having given entrance to the rest of the band, occupied the city.

They killed Timotheus, who was hidden in a cistern, and his brother Chaereas, and Apollophanes.

When they had accomplished these things, they blessed the Lord with hymns and thanksgiving, blessing him who provides great benefits to Israel and gives them the victory.

Footnotes

(a)10:3 Gr. firing.

(b)10:6 Or, not long before they kept the feast of tabernacles by wandering

(d)10:13 See 2 Maccabees 8:9

(e)10:13 The Greek text here is corrupt.

(f)10:26 Gr. propitious.

(g)10:26 See Exodus 23:22 .

(h)10:27 Gr. were by themselves.

(i)10:29 Some authorities read and leading on the Jews; who also, taking.

(j)10:32 See ver. 37.

(k)10:35 Gr. passion as of wild animals.