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
THE FIFTH BOOK OF MACCABEES:
CONTAINING A RECORD OF EVENTS FROM THE TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES INTO GREEK UNDER PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, (B.C. 277,) TO THE DEATH OF HEROD’s TWO SONS, IN THE FIFTH OR SIXTH YEAR BEFORE CHRIST.
CHAPTER XLIVa
B.C.47-45
The account of the embassy of Hyrcanus to Caesar, asking for a renewal of the treaty between them; and of the copy of the treaty which Hyrcanus sent to him.
Therefore, Hyrcanus sent ambassadors to Caesar, with a letter concerning a renewal of the treaty which was between him and the Romans. And when Hyrcanus’ ambassadors came to Caesar, he ordered them to be seated in his presence; an honour which he had not conferred on any one of the ambassadors of the kings who used to come to him. Moreover, he acted kindly to them, by expediting their business, and ordered an answer to be given to Hyrcanus’ letter; to whom also he wrote the treaty, of which the following is a copy. “From Caesar, king of kings, to the princes of the Romans who are at Tyre and Sidon, peace be with you. I give you to know, that a letter of Hyrcanus the son of Alexander, both kings of the Jews, has been brought to me; at the arrival of which I rejoiced, by reason of the continued good-will which both he and his people declare that they have towards me and the Roman nation.”
“And verily the truth of his words I have proved by this; that he formerly sentb Antipater a captain of the Jews, and their cavalry, with Mithridates my friend, whom the troops of Egypt attacked; and he saved Mithridates from death, having won for us the country of Egypt, and reduced the Egyptians to obedience to the Romans: he also marched with me into the country of the Persians, serving as a volunteer. And therefore, I order that all the inhabitants of the sea-coast, from Gaza as far as Sidon, shall pay all the tributes which they owe us, every year, to the house of the great God which is in Jerusalem; except the citizens of Sidon; and let these pay to it, according to the appointment of their tribute, twenty thousand five hundred and fifty vibaec of wheat every year. I also order that Laodicea and its possessions, and all things which were in the hand of the kings of Judah, even to the bank of the Euphrates; with all those places which the Asmonaeansd won from the passing over Jordan, be restored to Hyrcanus the son of Alexander king of Judah.
“For all these things his fathers had won by their sword, but Pompey had unjustly taken them awaye in the time of Aristobulus: and from this time and for the future let them belong to Hyrcanus, and to the succeeding kings of Judah. And this treaty is for me, and for every one of the kings of Rome my successors: whoever therefore shall break it or any part of it, may God destroy him by the sword, and may his house and his government be made desolate and be cut down! And when you shall read this my epistle, write it in lettersf engraved on tables of brass, in the language of the Romans and in their characters, and in the language of the Greeks and in their characters: and place the tables in conspicuous parts of the temples which are at Tyre and Sidon; that every person may be able to see them, and may understand what I have appointed for Hyrcanus and the Jews.”
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
Facebook
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
