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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.
THE
SECOND BOOK
OF
MACCABEES:
CONTAINING
THE HISTORY OF ABOUT FORTY YEARS, VIZ. FROM 175 TO 135 BEFORE CHRIST
CHAPTER I.
The cruelties of Antiochus Epiphanes to the Jews.
And it happened, after that Alexander, son of Philip the Macedonian, who came out of the b. c. land of Chittim a, had smitten b Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece c: and made many wars, and won many strong holds, and slew the kings of the earth : and went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations, insomuch that the earth was quiet before him ; whereupon
he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up. And he gathered a mighty strong host, and ruled over countries, and nations, and kings d, and they became tributaries unto him. And after these things he fell sick, and perceived that he should die. Wherefore he called his servants ; such as were honourable, and had been brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive e .So Alexander reigned twelve years, and then died. And his servants bear rule every one in his place. And after his death, they all put crowns upon themselves ; so did their sons after them many years : and they multiplied evilsf in the earth. And there came out of them a wicked root g,
Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes h son of Antiochus the king i, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year k of the kingdom of the Greeks. In those days went there out of Israel wicked men l, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go, and make a covenant with the heathen who are round about us: for since we departed from them, many evils have befallen us. And the word seemed good in their eyes. Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, and he gave them license to do after the ordinances of the heathen : whereupon they built a place of
exercise m at Jerusalem, according to the customs of the heathen: and made themselves uncircumcised n, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do evil o.
Now when the kingdom was established before Antiochus, he thought to reign over Egypt p, that he might have the dominion of the two realms. Wherefore he entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots, and elephants, and horsemen, and a great navy q, and made war against Ptolemy r king of Egypt: but Ptolemy was afraid of him, and fled ; and many fell down Thus they won the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt.
And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt s, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude : and entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar.
and the candlestick of light and all the vessels thereof. And the table of the shew-bread, and the pouring-vessels, and the vials, and the censers of gold, and the vail, and the crowns t, and the golden ornaments which were on the front of the temple, all which he pulled off. He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious u vessels also he took the hidden treasures which he found.
And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly. Therefore there was great mourning in Israel, in every place where they were; so that the princes and elders mourned, the virgins and young men were made feeble, and the beauty of women was changed. Every bride groom took up lamentation, and she who sat in the marriage-chamber was in heaviness. The land also was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
And after two years fully expired x, the king sent his chief collector y of tribute unto the cities of Judah ; and he came unto Jerusalem with a great multitude, and spake peaceable words unto them in deceit: and they believed him, and he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel.
And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and
walls thereof on every side. But the women and children took they captive and possessed themselves of the cattle. Then builded they the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with mighty towers, and it became a strong hold z for them. And they put therein a sinful nation a wicked man, and they fortified themselves therein.
They stored it also with armour and victuals, and when they had gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there, and so they became a sore snare: for it became a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel altogether. Thus, they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary b, and defiled the sanctuary: insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was made an habitation of strangers, and became strange, to those who were born in her, and her own children left her. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honour into contempt. As had been her glory, so was her dishonour increased, and her high estate was turned into mourning. Moreover, king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, and everyone should leave his own laws: so, all the heathen
B.C. 167
agreed, according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath. For the king had sent letters by the hand of messengers unto Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, that they should follow laws strange to the land: and forbid burnt-offerings, and sacrifice, and drink-offerings in the sanctuary; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days: and pollute the sanctuary and holy people : set up altars, and temples, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine’s flesh and unclean c to the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. And whosoever would not do according to commandment of the king, he said, he should die. According to all these words wrote he to his whole kingdom, and appointed overseers over all the people, commanding the cities of Judah to sacrifice, city by city. Then many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit, every one who forsook the law, and so they committed evils in the land : and drove Israel into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee for succour.
Now on the fifteenth day of the month Casleu d, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination e of desolation upon
the altar, and builded idol-altars throughout the cities of Judah on every side ; and burnt incense at-the doors of the houses, and in the streets. And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire. And wheresoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if any consented to the law, the king’s commandment’ was, that they should put him to death. Thus, did they by their might unto Israel every month, to as many as were found in the cities. Now on the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol-altar, which was upon the altar of burnt offerings. At which time, according to the commandment, they put to death the women who had caused f their children to be circumcised. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them which had circumcised them. Howbeit, many in Israel were, fully resolved and confirmed in themselves, not to eat unclean things. Wherefore they chose rather to die, that they might not be defiled with the meats, and that they might not profane the holy covenant so then they died. And there was very great wrath upon Israel.
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