History of the Maccabees

FIRST MACCABEES

...the work of building the walls. "Build the wall," he said, "and surround Mount Zion on four sides with square stones." And they did so. 12 The foreigners who were in the fortresses that Bacchides The Seleucid general and enemy of the Maccabees had built fled; 13 each left his place and went back to his own land. 14 Only in Beth-zur A strategic hilltop fortress south of Jerusalem did some remain who had abandoned the law and the commandments, for it served as a place of refuge for them. 15 When King Alexander Alexander Balas, who claimed to be the son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes heard of the promises that Demetrius had sent to Jonathan, and when they told him of the battles and the brave deeds he and his brothers had performed, and the hardships they had endured, 16 he said, "Can we find another man like him? Let us make him our friend and ally." 17 So he wrote a letter and sent it to them with these words: 18 "King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greetings. 19 We have heard concerning you that you are a mighty man of valor and worthy to be our friend. 20 Therefore, we appoint you today as High Priest of your nation and to be called the King’s Friend." And he sent him a gold crown and a purple robe. "Now, side with us and maintain friendship toward us. Farewell." 21 So Jonathan put on the holy vestments in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year Approximately 152 BCE, at the Feast of Tabernacles A major Jewish autumn festival; he gathered forces and prepared many weapons. 22 When Demetrius heard these things, he was deeply grieved 23 and said, "What is this we have done, that Alexander has forestalled us in gaining the friendship of the Jews to strengthen his position? 24 I also will write them words of encouragement and offer them honors and gifts, so that they may be a help to me." 25 And he sent them a letter with these words: "King Demetrius to the Jewish nation, greetings. 26 Since you have kept your agreement with us and remained in our friendship and have not joined our enemies, we have heard of it and are gladdened. 27 Now continue to keep faith with us, 28 and we will repay you with many exemptions and grant you gifts. 29 I now free you and release all Jews from the tribute, from the salt tax, and from the crown levies. 30 Instead of the third of the grain and the half of the fruit of the trees that is my share, I release them from this day forward. I will not take them from the land of Judah or from the three districts added to it from Samaria and Galilee, from now on and for all time. 31 Let Jerusalem and her borders be holy and free from tenths and taxes. 32 I also yield authority over the citadel in Jerusalem and give it to the High Priest, so that he may place in it such men as he shall choose to guard it. 33 And every Jewish person who was carried captive from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom, I set free without ransom. Let all be freed from taxes, even those on their cattle. 34 All the festivals, Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed days—and the three days before a festival and the three days after—let them all be days of immunity and release for all the Jews in my kingdom. 35 No one shall have authority to exact anything from them or to trouble any of them about any matter. 36 Let there be enrolled among the king’s forces about thirty thousand original: "six hundred thousand," though variants suggest smaller numbers Jews, and let the same wages be paid to them as are given to all the king’s forces. 37 Some of them shall be stationed in the king’s great fortresses, and some shall be put in positions of trust in the kingdom. Their officers and governors shall be from among themselves.

And they shall live by their own laws, just as the king has commanded for the land of Judah. 38 As for the three districts that have been added to Judea from the country of Samaria, let them be annexed to Judea so that they may be considered as under one ruler and obey no other authority but the High Priest. 39 Ptolemais A coastal city, modern Acre and its surrounding land I give as a gift to the sanctuary in Jerusalem to meet the necessary expenses of the sanctuary. 40 I also give annually fifteen thousand shekels of silver from the king’s accounts from appropriate places. 41 All the surplus which the officials have not paid as in former years, they shall from now on give for the service of the temple. 42 In addition, the five thousand shekels of silver which they used to take from the profits of the sanctuary annually shall be released, for it belongs to the priests who minister there. 43 Anyone who takes refuge in the temple in Jerusalem or in any of its precincts because he owes money to the king or has any other debt, shall be released, along with all his possessions in my kingdom. 44 The cost of rebuilding and renewing the sanctuary shall be paid from the king’s accounts. 45 Also, the cost of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it all around, and the cost of rebuilding the walls in Judea, shall be paid from the king’s accounts." 46 When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they did not believe or accept them, for they remembered the great wrongs that Demetrius had done in Israel and how greatly he had afflicted them. 47 They favored Alexander, because he had been the first to speak words of peace to them, and they remained his allies all the days of his life.

48 King Alexander gathered a large army and set out to do battle against Demetrius. 49 The two kings met in battle; the army of Demetrius fled, and Alexander pursued them and prevailed over them. 50 He pressed the battle hard until the sun went down. On that day, Demetrius fell in battle. Alexander struck them down and won the day. 51 Alexander then sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, with this message: 52 "Since I have returned to my kingdom and have taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors and have established my rule—having crushed Demetrius and gained control of our country, 53 for I met him in battle and he and his army were crushed by us, and we have taken our seat on the throne of his kingdom— 54 now let us make a treaty of friendship. Give me your daughter now to be my wife, and I will be your son-in-law, and I will give you and her gifts worthy of you." 55 King Ptolemy replied, "Happy is the day on which you returned to the land of your ancestors and took your seat on the throne of their kingdom. 56 I will do for you what you wrote, but meet me at Ptolemais, so that we may see one another, and I will become your father-in-law as you have said." 57 So Ptolemy set out from Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra...

11 Some: "The walls... on four sides..." 12 Other: "They went fleeing." 14 In the copy: "Had left the lawless ones and the command[ments]." 15 Some: "and the sorrows that had passed through them." 16 Oskian: "A man like that, so that we might make him ours." 21 Some: "One hundred and sixty-seventh, at the feast... and they prepared... and they were rejoicing." 29 Oskian: "and the share of salt and crowns." 30 In the margin: "Which came to me." Consistent with some in the original. Other: "And the common vineyard... from this day and hereafter." 31 Some: "Your taxes are released." 33 Some: "In all the kingdom... let it be released freely." 36 In the margin: "And the first ones wrote." Consistent with some in the margin. In the copy, the number is written as "600,000 soldiers," while another copy says "600,000." Yet two other copies agree on "6,000 soldiers." Oskian: "Twenty-six thousand."

38 Some: "And to consider the two as one law." 39 Oskian: "and the city of the Ptolemeans." Some: "Let it be given to them as a gift for the offerings of the holy things." 40 Some: "From the royal account." 42 Some: "Which they took from the income of the sanctuary." 43 Some: "Whoever approaches... whoever is indebted." 45 Oskian: "Fortresses of Judea." 46 Other: "They did not believe anything and did not accept." Some: "Had been done against Jerusalem." 47 Oskian: "With the confirmation of Alexander." Other: "Words toward peace." 48 Oskian adds: "King Alexander... and gathered." 50 Other: "And he intensified the battle against them." 51 Lacking in some: "Egyptians, since my sovereignty returned to me, to Ptolemy." Some: "Gave the message of the words." 52 Some: "In my hand I took the author[ity]." 54 Missing in the copy: "And I will be worthy of you." 55 Some: "In the days with goodness." 56 Some: "Let us join each other in the city of the Ptolemeans."