I Maccabees 15

¹And king Antiochus, the son of Demetrius, sent letters from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and leader of the nation of the Jews, and to all the people.

²And these continued in this way: “King Antiochus to Simon, the great priest, and to the people of the Jews: greetings.

³Since certain pestilent persons have obtained the kingdom of our fathers, it is my will, then, to vindicate the kingdom and to restore it, just as it was before. And so, I have chosen a great army, and I have built ships of war.

⁴Furthermore, I intend to pass through the region, so that I may take revenge on those who have corrupted our country and who have desolated many cities in my kingdom.

⁵Now, therefore, I confirm to you all the oblations that all the kings before me have remitted to you, and whatever other gifts they remitted to you.

⁶And I permit you to make a striking of your own coins for your country.

⁷Moreover, let Jerusalem be holy and free. And all the weapons that have been made, and the fortresses that you have constructed, or that you hold, let them remain with you.

⁸And all that is owed to the king, and what should belong to the king in the future, from this time and for all time, is remitted to you.

⁹Yet, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will glorify you, and your nation, and the temple with great glory, so much so that your glory shall be made manifest in all the earth.”

¹⁰In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year, Antiochus went into the land of his fathers, and all the armies came over to him, so that few were left with Trypho.

¹¹And king Antiochus followed him as he fled along the sea coast and came to Dora.

¹²For he knew that evils had gathered together upon him, and that his troops had forsaken him.

¹³And Antiochus took up a position above Dora, with one hundred and twenty thousand men of warfare and eight thousand horsemen.

¹⁴And he encircled the city, and the ships drew near by sea. And they assailed the city by land and by sea, and they permitted no one to go in or out.

¹⁵But Numenius, and those who had been with him, came from the city of Rome, having letters written to the kings and the regions, in which was contained these things:

¹⁶“Lucius, consul of the Romans, to king Ptolemy: greetings.

¹⁷The ambassadors of the Jews, our friends, came to us, to renew the former friendship and alliance, having been sent from Simon, the leader of the priests and the people of the Jews.

¹⁸And they also brought a shield of gold of over a thousand pounds.

¹⁹And so, it was pleasing to us to write to the kings and the regions, that they should do no harm to them, nor fight against them, and their cities, and their regions, and that they should bear no assistance to those fighting against them.

²⁰And it seemed good to us to receive the shield from them.

²¹If, therefore, those who are pestilent have taken refuge with you from their region, hand them over to Simon, the leader of the priests, so that he may give a verdict to them according to their law.”

²²These same things were written to king Demetrius, and to Attalus, and to Ariarathes, and to Arsaces,

²³and to all the regions, and to Lampsacus and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and Myndos, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Rhodes, and Phaselis, and Gortyna, and Gnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.

²⁴Moreover, they wrote a copy of these things to Simon, the leader of the priests and the people of the Jews.

²⁵But king Antiochus positioned his camp near Dora a second time, moving his hand against it continually, and making machines of war. And he enclosed Trypho, lest he escape.

²⁶And Simon sent two thousand chosen men to him as auxiliaries, and silver, and gold, and an abundance of equipment.

²⁷And he was not willing to receive them, but he broke all of the pact that he made with him before, and he alienated himself from him.

²⁸And he sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to deal with him, saying: “You hold Joppa and Gazara, and the stronghold that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my kingdom.

²⁹You have desolated their parts, and you have caused a great scourging in the land, and you have become ruler throughout many places in my kingdom.

³⁰Now, therefore, hand over the cities that you occupy, and the tributes of the places where you have become ruler beyond the borders of Judea.

³¹But if not, give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the destruction that you have caused, and for the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents. But if not, we will come and fight against you.”

³²So Athenobius, the friend of the king, came to Jerusalem and saw the glory of Simon, and his splendor in gold and silver, and his abundance of equipment, and he was astonished. And he repeated the words of the king to him.

³³And Simon responded to him, and he said to him: “We have not taken foreign land, nor do we hold anything foreign, but we hold the inheritance of our fathers, which was for some time unjustly possessed by our enemies.

³⁴In truth, since we have the opportunity, we claim the inheritance of our fathers.

³⁵And as to Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they brought a great scourging on the people and our country. For these, we will give one hundred talents.” And Athenobius did not respond a word to him.

³⁶But, returning with anger to the king, he reported to him these words, and the glory of Simon, and all that he had seen. And the king became angry with a great anger.

³⁷But Trypho fled by ship to Orthosia.

³⁸And the king appointed Cendebeus as commander of the seacoast, and he gave him an army of foot soldiers and horsemen.

³⁹And he commanded him to move with his camp against the face of Judea. And he commanded him to build up Kedron, and to barricade the gates of the city, and to make war against the people. But the king pursued Trypho.

⁴⁰And Cendebeus passed through to Jamnia, and he began to provoke the populace, and to trample Judea, and to take the people captive, and to execute, and to build up Kedron.

⁴¹And he stationed horsemen and an army there, so that they could go out and travel through the ways of Judea, as the king appointed him to do.

I Maccabees 15

¹Moreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the isles of the sea unto Simon the priest and prince of the Jews, and to all the people;

²The contents whereof were these: King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and prince of his nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting:

³Forasmuch as certain pestilent men 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;

⁴My meaning also being to go through the country, that I may be avenged of them that have destroyed it, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate:

⁵Now therefore I confirm unto thee all the oblations which the kings before me granted thee, and whatsoever gifts besides they granted.

⁶I give thee leave also to coin money for thy country with thine own stamp.

⁷And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary, let them be free; and all the armour that thou hast made, and fortresses that thou hast built, and keepest in thine hands, let them remain unto thee.

⁸And if anything be, or shall be, owing to the king, let it be forgiven thee from this time forth for evermore.

⁹Furthermore, 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.

¹⁰In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers: at which time all the forces came together unto him, so that few were left with Tryphon.

¹¹Wherefore being pursued by king Antiochus, he fled unto Dora, which lieth by the sea side:

¹²For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsaken him.

¹³Then camped Antiochus against Dora, having with him an hundred and twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen.

¹⁴And when he had compassed the city round about, and joined ships close to the town on the sea side, he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in.

¹⁵In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having letters to the kings and countries; wherein were written these things:

¹⁶Lucius, consul of the Romans unto king Ptolemee, greeting:

¹⁷The Jews’ ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came unto us to renew the old friendship and league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews:

¹⁸And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound.

¹⁹We 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.

²⁰It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them.

²¹If therefore there be any pestilent fellows, that have fled from their country unto you, deliver them unto Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their own law.

²²The same things wrote he likewise unto Demetrius the king, and Attalus, to Ariarathes, and Arsaces,

²³And to all the countries and to Sampsames, and the Lacedemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Aradus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.

²⁴And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest.

²⁵So Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day, assaulting it continually, and making engines, by which means he shut up Tryphon, that he could neither go out nor in.

²⁶At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; silver also, and gold, and much armour.

²⁷Nevertheless he would not receive them, but brake all the covenants which he had made with him afore, and became strange unto him.

²⁸Furthermore he sent unto him Athenobius, one of his friends, to commune with him, and say, Ye withhold Joppa and Gazera; with the tower that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm.

²⁹The borders thereof ye have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominion of many places within my kingdom.

³⁰Now therefore deliver the cities which ye have taken, and the tributes of the places, whereof ye have gotten dominion without the borders of Judea:

³¹Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that ye have done, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: if not, we will come and fight against you

³²So 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.

³³Then answered Simon, and said unto him, We have neither taken other men’s land, nor holden that which appertaineth to others, but the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies had wrongfully in possession a certain time.

³⁴Wherefore we, having opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers.

³⁵And whereas thou demandest Joppa and Gazera, albeit they did great harm unto the people in our country, yet will we give thee an hundred talents for them. Hereunto Athenobius answered him not a word;

³⁶But returned in a rage to the king, and made report unto him of these speeches, and of the glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen: whereupon the king was exceeding wroth.

³⁷In the mean time fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias.

³⁸Then the king made Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an host of footmen and horsemen,

³⁹And commanded him to remove his host toward Judea; also he commanded him to build up Cedron, and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people; but as for the king himself, he pursued Tryphon.

⁴⁰So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to invade Judea, and to take the people prisoners, and slay them.

⁴¹And when he had built up Cedrou, he set horsemen there, and an host of footmen, to the end that issuing out they might make outroads upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.