CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF ABOUT FORTY YEARS, VIZ. FROM 175 TO 135 BEFORE CHRIST.
WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, BY
HENRY COTTON, D.C.L.
ARCHDEACON OF CASHEL,
AND DECEASED STUDENT AT CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD
OXFORD, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. MDCCCXXXII.
TO
THE PROVOST, FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS, OF TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, TO WHOSE VALUABLE LIBRARY I HAD THE MOST GENEROUS ACCESS, THE PRESENT PUBLICATION IS ENGRAVED, IN TESTIMONY OF RESPECT AND REGARD.
THE
SECOND BOOK
OF
MACCABEES:
CONTAINING
THE HISTORY OF ABOUT FORTY YEARS, VIZ. FROM 175 TO 135 BEFORE CHRIST
CHAPTER XV.
B.C. 140
The acts and honours of Simon. Antiochus defeats Tryphon: and sends Cendebaeus into Judea.
Moreover, Antiochus a son of Demetrius the king, sent letters from the isles b of the sea, unto Simon the priest, and prince of
the Jews, and to all the people. The contents whereof were these: “King Antiochus to Simon the high priest, and prince of his nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting: Forasmuch as certain pestilent men c have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge it again, that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitude of foreign soldiers together, and prepared ships of war; my intention also being to go through the country, that I may punish them which have destroyed our country, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate: now therefore I confirm unto thee all the immunities which the kings before me granted thee, and whatsoever gifts besides they granted. I give thee leave also to coin money d for thy country
“with thine own stamp. And as concerning Jerusalem, and the sanctuary, let them be free e; and all the armour which thou hast made, and fortresses which thou hast built, and keepest in thine hands, let them remain unto thee. And if anything, be, or shall be owing to the king, let it have forgiven thee from this time forth for evermore. Furthermore, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will honour thee, and thy nation, and thy temple, with great honour, so that your honour shall be known throughout the world.”
In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers: and all the forces came together unto him, so that few were left with Tryphon. And king Antiochus (B.C. 139) pursued him, and he fled unto Dora f, which lieth by the seaside. For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsaken him. Then camped Antiochus against Dora, and with him a hundred and
twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen. And he compassed the city round about, and ships by sea closed the passage, and he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in. In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having letters to the kings and countries; wherein were written these things;
“Luciuss, consul of the Romans, unto king Ptolemy, greeting: The Jews’ ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came unto us, to renew the old friendshiph and league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews. And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand minae i. We thought it good therefore to write unto the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor yet aid their enemies against them. It seemed also good to us to receive the shield from them. If therefore there be any pestilent fellows who have fled from their country unto you, deliver them unto Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their own law”. The same things wrote he likewise unto Demetrius k the king, and Attalus, to Ariarathes, and Arsaces; and to all the countries l, and to Sampsames m,
and the Lacedaemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Phaselis, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene. And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest. So, Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day, bringing his forces against it continually, and making engines; and he shut up Tryphon, that he could neither go in nor out.
And Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him: silver also and gold, and much armour. Nevertheless, he would not receive them but broke all the covenants which he had made with him afore and became strange unto him. Furthermore, he sent unto him Athenobius, one of his friends, to commune with him, and say, you withhold Joppe and Gazara, with the tower, which is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm. The borders thereof ye have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and gotten the dominion of many places within my kingdom. Now therefore deliver up the cities which ye have taken, and the tributes of the places whereof ye have gotten dominion without the borders of Judaea: or else, give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm which you have done, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: if not, we will come and subdue you in fight. So Athenobius the king’s friend came to Jerusalem: and
when he saw the glory of Simon, and the cupboard of gold, and silver plate, and his great attendance, he was astonished and told him the king’s message. Then answered Simon, and said unto him, we have neither taken other men’s land, nor holden that which appertained to others, but the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies had wrongfully in possession a certain time. Wherefore we, having the opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers. But as for Joppe and Gazara which thou demand, although they did great harm unto the people in our country, yet will we give an hundred talents for them. Hereunto Athenobius answered him not a word. But returned in a rage to the king, and made a report unto him of these speeches, and of the glory of Simon, and of all which he had seen whereupon the king was exceeding wroth. In the meantime, fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias n. Then the king made Cendebaeus captain of the sea-coast, and gave him an host of footmen and horsemen, and commanded him to remove his host toward Judea: also he commanded him to build up Cedrono , and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people: but as for the king himself, he pursued Tryphon. So Cendebaeus came to Jamnia, and began to annoy the people, and to
invade Judzea, and to take the people prisoners, and slay them. And when he had built up Cedron, he set horsemen there, and a host of foot men, to the end that issuing out they might make out roads upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.
MeWe join our group at Friends in Jesus
You may also want to join Creation Ministries International.
Read all about it : Creation.com
Find more Study topics at Quo Vadis World
We give thanks and acknowledgement to Rick Meyers for e-Sword.
P.O. Box 1626
Franklin, TN 37065
United States of America
www.e-sword.net
