History of the Maccabees

FIRST MACCABEES 2.34-3.17

...obey the command of the king, and you shall live." ³⁴ But they began to speak and said: "We will not come out; nor will we obey the king's command to profane our Sabbath; and we will not break our laws." ³⁵ When they heard this, they intensified the battle against them even more, and began to take their strongholds. ³⁶ Those [defenders] did not hold the passes, nor did they cast stones, nor did they block the caves, and they gave no answer at all to their words, because of the day of the Sabbath. ³⁷ Instead, they only encouraged one another, saying: "Let us all die here in our innocence Armenian: 'srtmtut'yan' (bitterness/integrity); traditionally translated as innocence in this context. Behold, heaven and earth are witnesses for us that you are destroying us unjustly. It is better for us to die than to transgress the laws and profane our Sabbaths." ³⁸ When they heard this, they intensified the battle on the Sabbath day and killed a thousand souls from among them, not counting the people and the livestock they led away into captivity. ³⁹ When Mattathias and his brothers heard this, they mourned greatly and were very grieved. ⁴⁰ They began to speak to one another, saying: "If we all do as our brothers have done, and do not go out to do battle against the heathens for our lives and for our rights, before a little time has passed, they will destroy us more quickly than those who came before." ⁴¹ So they gathered together and made a covenant, taking counsel with one another and saying: "Every man who comes against us to do battle on the Sabbath day, let us fight boldly and not all perish together, as did our brothers who lived in the wilderness." ⁴² At that time, a great assembly of Assideans original: 'Asitatsvots'; the Hasideans, a group of Jews particularly devoted to the Law gathered to them, a powerful and warlike nation from the sons of Israel; every man was a volunteer for the sake of the Law. ⁴³ And all the fugitives from various evils came to join them, and they became a foundation of strength for them. ⁴⁴ They organized an army and gathered a host; they prepared themselves and struck down the sinners in the strength of their anger, and the lawless forces in the fury of their wrath; and the rest fled to the heathens to save themselves. ⁴⁵ Mattathias followed after them with his brothers and friends; he reached them, struck them, and destroyed the temples and tore down the altars. ⁴⁶ He circumcised the uncircumcised children, and grew strong within the borders of the Israelites. ⁴⁷ He drove away the sons of pride. And the work succeeded in their hands; ⁴⁸ he became a guardian of the Law, taking vengeance from the hands of the heathens, to abolish the lawless command of the king; and they did not allow the horn of arrogance A biblical idiom for worldly power or pride to be raised up. ⁴⁹ When the days of Mattathias's death drew near, he called his sons before him and said to them: "Now pride and arrogance have been established, and behold, the time of reproach, of destruction, and of pride has arrived. ⁵⁰ But now, my sons, be zealous for the Law; give up your lives for the covenant of your fathers. ⁵¹ Remember the deeds of your fathers, what courageous acts they performed in their generations; gain for yourselves the glory of leadership and inherit an everlasting name. ⁵² Was not Abraham found faithful in his trial and in the assembly, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness? ⁵³ Joseph, in the time of his distress, kept the commandment and became lord over the land of Egypt. ⁵⁴ Phinehas our father, being deeply zealous, showed zeal for the righteousness of the Law and received the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. ⁵⁵ Joshua son of Nun, by fulfilling the word of the Lord, became a judge for the children of Israel. ⁵⁶ Caleb, for testifying in the midst of the assembly, became the lord of the inheritance. ⁵⁷ David, for the meekness of his righteousness and mercy, inherited the throne of an everlasting kingdom. ⁵⁸ Elijah, for his deep zeal in seeking vengeance for the Law, was taken up into heaven. ⁵⁹ Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, through their faith, were saved from the fire in the furnace. ⁶⁰ Daniel, in the purity of his mind, was delivered from the mouth of the lions. ⁶¹ So consider this: everyone who has hoped in Him throughout their generations will not be weakened. ⁶² And do not fear the words of a wicked man, for his glory is but dung and worms. ⁶³ Today he is, but tomorrow he shall not be found; for he returns to his dust, and all his thoughts perish. ⁶⁴ Grow strong, my sons, and be courageous for the Law, for in it you shall be glorified. ⁶⁵ And behold, Simeon your brother; I know that he is a man of counsel; listen to him. He shall be to you in place of a father. ⁶⁶ And Judas Maccabeus; he shall be the general and commander of your forces, and he shall fight the battle against the [enemy] forces. ⁶⁷ But you also shall join to yourselves all who keep the Law; be zealous to seek vengeance for your people. ⁶⁸ Repay the heathens their reward, and look toward the commands of the Law." ⁶⁹ He blessed them, and he was gathered and departed to his fathers. ⁷⁰ And he died in the year one hundred and forty-eight 164 BCE; and they laid him in the tombs of his fathers in Modin original: 'Movkiim', and all Israel mourned him with a great mourning.

3

Judas, who was called Maccabeus, his son, rose up in his place. ² And all his brothers and all those who had followed his father became his helpers and supporters. They fought the battle for the Israelites with gladness and joy. ³ And great was the glory upon the people. He put on armor like a giant and prepared himself in the ornaments of war; he led the great ones into battle and was a shadow over the entire host with his spear. ⁴ He became like a lion in his deeds, and like a lion's cub roaring for its prey. ⁵ He pursued the lawless in his search, and burned those who troubled his people. ^{6$ The lawless trembled in fear of him, and all the helpers of lawlessness were troubled; and salvation succeeded in his hands. $^{7} And he made many kings bitter, but he made Jacob glad with his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever. ⁸ He went through the cities of Judea and destroyed the ungodly from among them, to turn away wrath from Israel. ⁹ He gathered the scattered and found those who were lost. ¹⁰ Then Apollonius gathered a host of heathens, and even more forces from the Samaritans, to come and give battle against Israel. ¹¹ When Judas saw this, he went out against him; he struck and killed him, and many wounded fell from his army, and the rest he turned to flight. ¹² He took their spoils as plunder; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and with that very sword he struck their forces all the days of his life. ¹³ When Seron, the commander of the Syrian forces, heard that Judas had gathered a host and many faithful were with him who went to war, ¹⁴ he thought to himself and said: "I will make a name for myself and be glorified in my kingdom; I will give battle against Judas and defeat those who despise the commands of the king." ¹⁵ Again he gathered a host, and many lawless troops reached his back provided reinforcement, coming to seek vengeance on the sons of Israel. ¹⁶ And he came as far as the region of Beth-horon. And Judas [went] out against him with a few men. ¹⁷ When they saw the host coming to face them in battle, those who were with Judas began to speak and said: "How can we, being so few, fight against such a strong and numerous host, especially since we are faint and weak? For how hungry we are today!"