CHAPTER ONE OF THE THIRD BOOK OF MACCABAEES

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

THIRD BOOK

OF MACCABEES:

CONTAINING

THE OCCURRENCES OF ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS, NAMELY, FROM THE ACCESSION OF ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES TO THE DEATH OF NICANOE.

At the beginning are inserted two letters written at a later period; and likewise, the history of Heliodorus’ attempt to plunder the Temple.

CHAPTER I

B.C.144

A letter from the Jews at Jerusalem to their brethren.

” THE brethren the Jews which are at Jerusalem, and those in the country of Judaea wish unto the brethren the Jews which are throughout Egypt, health and peace: God be gracious unto you, and remember his covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants: and give you all an heart to serve him, and to do his will with a good courage, and a willing mind; and open your heart in his law and commandments, and send you peace, and hear your prayers; and be at one with you, and forsake you not in time of trouble. And now we are here praying for you. In the reign of Demetrius ^a in the hundred three

“score and ninth year ^b, we the Jews have written unto you in the extremity of trouble^c: which came upon us in these years, from the time that Jason and his company revolted from the Holyland and kingdom, and burnt the porch, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed unto the Lord, and were heard; we offered also sacrifice and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and set forth the loaves. And now, see that ye keep the feast of tabernacles’ ^d in the month Casleu. In the hundred fourscore and eighth year, (B. C. 125) the people who were at Jerusalem, and in Judaea, and the council, and Judas ^e” sent greeting and health unto Aristobulus, king Ptolemseus’^f master^g, who was of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews who were in Egypt. Having been delivered by God from great perils, we thank him highly, as though we had been in battle against the king ^h. For he cast out ⁱ them which fought within the holy city. For when the leader was come into Persia, and the army with him which seemed invincible,”

” they were slain in the temple of Nanaea^k by the treachery of Nanaea’s priests. For Antiochus, as though he would marry her, came into the place, and his friends who were with him, to receive money in name of a dowry. Which, when the priests of Nansea had set forth, and he was entered with a small company into the compass of the temple, they shut the temple as soon as Antiochus was come in: and opening a privy door of the roof, they threw stones like thunder bolts, and struck down the captain and his company, hewed them in pieces, smote off their heads, and cast them to those who were without. Blessed be our God in all things, who hath delivered up the ungodly.”

“Therefore, whereas we are now purposed to keep the purification of the temple upon the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, we thought it necessary to certify you thereof; that ye also might keep it, as the feast of the tabernacles, and of the fire, which was given us when Neemias^l offered sacrifice, after that he had built the temple and the altar. For when our fathers were led into Persia, the devout priests of that time took the fire of the altar privily and hid it in a hollow place of a pit ^m without water, where they kept it sure, so that the place was unknown to all men. Now after”

” many years, when it pleased God, Neemias being sent from the king of Persia, sent some of the posterity of those priests who had hid it, for the fire: but when they told us they found no fire, but thick water; then commanded he them to draw it up, and to bring it: and when the sacrifices were laid on, Neemias commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid thereupon with the water. When this was done, and the time came that the sun shone, which afore was hid in the cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that every man marvelled. And the priests made a prayer whilst the sacrifice was consuming, {I say,) both the priests and all the rest, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering thereunto, as Neemias did. “

“And the prayer was after this manner; ‘ O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who art terrible and strong, and righteous, and merciful, and the only and gracious King. The only giver of all things, the only just, almighty, and everlasting, thou that delivers Israel from all evil, and didst choose the fathers, and sanctify them: receive the sacrifice for thy whole people Israel, and preserve thine own portion, and sanctify it. Gather those who are scattered from us; deliver them which serve among the heathen; look upon them which are despised and abhorred; and let the heathen know that thou art our God. Punish them which oppress us, and with pride do us wrong. Plant thy people again in thy holy place, as Moses hath ” spoken ⁿ.”

” And the priests sung psalms of thanksgiving. Now when the sacrifice was consumed, Neemias commanded the water which was left to be poured ^o on the great stones. When this was done, there was kindled a flame, but it was consumed by the light which shined from the altar. So, when this matter was known, it was told the king of Persia, that in the place where the priests who were led away had hid the fire, there appeared water, and that Neemias and his company had purified the sacrifices therewith. Then the king enclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter. And the king took many gifts and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify. And Neemias and his party called this thing Nephthar, which is as much as to say, a cleansing but by the generality it is called Nepthai.”