PREFACE TO THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES

...for even regarding the death of Simon, it says that the matters of the Second Book of Maccabees are completed. It is evident from these writings that it is the First, and not the Second, Book of Maccabees that carries the history as far as Simon. Let one consider this as they please, whether as a scribe’s error or a change in the order of the books. But as to who wrote this history, or for what reason—though the Jewish books after Nehemiah do not indicate anything regarding the aforementioned interval of time, except for later events—they wrote with great care concerning the grave danger the Jews suffered for their piety under the Antiochians The Seleucid Greek dynasty founded by Antiochus, and concerning the great courage of the Maccabees and the even greater providence of God toward them. This was done especially to confirm the reliability of the prophecy of Daniel, who signaled the events of that time. Furthermore, as the Second Book of Maccabees states, Jason of Cyrene A Hellenistic Jewish historian mentioned in 2 Maccabees 2:23 divided this history of the Maccabees into five books with broad and rich language. These were later taken and summarized for the ease of readers. Now, it appears from these two books that from a single previously written source—I mean the five books of Jason—two different people summarized them, as is evident from different places or times; thus, there are things in which they agree, and things where one adds more than the other. However, they did not include their own names, for the same reason we mentioned in the prefaces to the Books of Judges and Kingdoms.

Chapters of the First Book of Maccabees

1. That one hundred and fifty years after the death of Alexander Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes reigned over the Syrians and Babylon. He forced Israel into idolatry, waged war against Ptolemy Philometor of Egypt, and returned with much plunder. He came to Jerusalem, looted the Temple of God, and killed many of the Jews.
2. He then sent a general who, having seized the treasures and fortresses, introduced Gentiles into the citadel of Jerusalem from among the children of the Jews, defiled the holy Temple, and made many of the Jews practice idolatry; others, being troubled, went into exile.
3. Mattathias the priest settled with his sons in Modein Modein|The ancestral home of the Maccabees, located between Jerusalem and Jaffa. The servants of Antiochus came and pressured the city to worship idols. Mattathias, standing against them, killed the Jew who offered sacrifice to the idols, and he himself, with many companions, dwelt in the strongholds of the mountains.
4. The troops of Antiochus killed a thousand souls of the Jews who had entered the mountains on the Sabbath. But Mattathias, with his powerful companions, struck and destroyed many of them on the Sabbath. He tore down altars, drove away the lawless, and having lived in bright victory, he passed away.
5. Judas Maccabeus, the commander of the Jews, killed Apollonius and put to flight Seron, the commander of Antiochus; and he himself remained in great splendor.
6. Antiochus set out from the city of Antioch to plunder the land of the Persians. He entrusted his son and the affairs of the kingdom to the governor Lysias, giving him orders to wipe out and destroy the Jews from the land.
7. Lysias sent three generals against the Jews, whom the Judeans struck severely and took their plunder. Later, Lysias came and drew up for battle, but being defeated and disgraced, he returned in shame.
8. Judas cleansed the Temple, which had been defiled for three years. He built the fortress of Zion with strong towers against the Gentiles.
9. Various brave deeds of Judas and his brothers in many battles: defeating Timotheus, rescuing the Jews in various regions by destroying the strongholds of the Gentiles. Also, how Joseph son of Zechariah and his men were defeated by Gorgias with a severe blow.
10. Antiochus, fleeing from Persia, fell into Babylon and heard the news of the defeat of his armies in Judea. He was heartbroken, for the evils he had inflicted on Jerusalem had found him. Entrusting the army to Philip so that he might crown his son, he died there miserably.
11. Lysias crowned Antiochus Eupator, who, incited by malicious slanderers against the Jews, came with armies and elephants and besieged Beth-zur. The Maccabees met him with courage, where Eleazar Avaran, the brother of Judas, destroyed a famous elephant and was crushed under it. But the king took Beth-zur and besieged Jerusalem; having spoken terms of peace, he entered Jerusalem and tore down its walls.
12. Demetrius Soter, a Roman of the Seleucid line, reigned over the coastal regions and seized and killed Antiochus. To him came the lawless Alcimus, who slandered Judas in hopes of the priesthood,

and the king sent Bacchides with him, who was unable to capture Judas. Then Nicanor came and threatened the Temple with fire; having joined battle with Judas, he himself and his army were killed, and his head and his right hand were hung before Jerusalem.
13. At the news of the Roman victory, Judas extended a hand to them, which they accepted with treaties, writing to Demetrius not to wrong the Jews. Not heeding them, he gathered an army with Alcimus and Bacchides; Judas met them bravely but fell in battle.
14. After him stood Jonathan. The sons of Ambri, by order of Bacchides, captured John, the brother of Jonathan; they soon took revenge on the sons of Ambri at a wedding. Bacchides’ forces occupied the cities. Alcimus began to tear down the wall of the sanctuary and was struck by God. When Bacchides could not capture Jonathan, he departed and did not return.
15. Alexander Balas reigned over the Antiochians in Ptolemais and prepared for battle against Demetrius. Demetrius sent words of peace to Jonathan. Alexander heard this and sent Jonathan a crown and purple robes, making a covenant with him. To break this, Demetrius sent many promises to Jonathan to draw him to his side, but Jonathan did not accept and remained with Alexander.
16. Demetrius was killed before Alexander, and Alexander, becoming the son-in-law of Ptolemy Philometor, honored Jonathan with great pomp.
17. Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, coming from Crete to his father’s land, arrived in Antioch. There were killings, and he sent an army under Apollonius to battle Jonathan. Jonathan struck them severely, taking Azotus and Ascalon. He was honored again by Alexander with a golden crown and received Ekron with its borders.
18. Ptolemy, the father-in-law of Alexander, by treachery seized the land of his son-in-law as far as Seleucia; taking his daughter from him, he gave her to Demetrius. Then Zabdiel the Arab cut off Alexander's head and brought it to Ptolemy, and on the third day Ptolemy died.
19. Demetrius reigned. Jonathan besieged the citadel of Jerusalem with siege engines, which angered Demetrius. Jonathan went to him and, receiving many honors and tax exemptions, returned from him.
20. The troops revolted against Demetrius to crown Antiochus, the son of Alexander. Jonathan asked Demetrius to hand over the citadel of Jerusalem to him; he promised this and more if Jonathan would provide Jewish troops for his protection so he would not be killed. Once saved by them, he did not keep his promises.
21. Tryphon crowned Antiochus. In the ensuing battle, Demetrius was defeated and went into exile.
22. Antiochus greatly honored Jonathan with gold vessels and a crown, and his brother Simon as general from Tyre to Egypt. The princes of Demetrius could not shake Jonathan, but they remained crowned with great glory and victory.
23. Jonathan sent and renewed the friendship with the Romans. They received this and wrote that the Spartans are brothers to the Jews, being descended from Abraham.
24. The princes of Demetrius gathered again against Jonathan, who went to meet them and prepared for a night battle. Terrified, the enemies lit many fires and fled.
25. Brave deeds of Jonathan against the Arabs, Damascenes, and Joppans. He built strong structures to besiege and distress those in the citadel of Jerusalem, allowing no one in or out, and he also fortified the walls of Jerusalem.
26. Tryphon sought to reign but was suspicious of Jonathan. When he could not take him in battle, he deceitfully persuaded him to dismiss his troops. He captured him in Ptolemais and killed those with him. They mourned him and appointed Simon in his place. Tryphon sent word that he held Jonathan for money debts; Simon sent the money and hostages, but Tryphon killed Jonathan nonetheless. Simon took him and buried him with his father and brothers.
27. Tryphon killed the child Antiochus and reigned. Simon fortified the land and sought peace from Demetrius. He accepted and established peace and freedom for the Jews. Simon besieged and took Gaza. Those in the citadel were also distressed and surrendered it to Simon, who cleansed it and dwelt there.