History of the Maccabees

again after these times, Simon sent messengers back to Rome with a great offering, and with a shield of gold of a thousand minae a unit of weight/currency, that he might go and establish the former friendship and support. 26 When the Romans heard these things, they began to think and say: "And now, what kindness shall we return to Simon and his sons? 27 For he and his brothers and his house established that friendship with us; he struck down his enemies and confirmed us as his friends and supporters." And they established for him freedom, and they wrote this on tablets of brass. And they set it up for him on Mount Zion. 28 And this is a copy of the writing that they wrote: "In the one hundred and seventieth year, on the eighteenth day of the month, in the third year of the high priesthood of Simon, in Samaria, 28 before the great assembly of the people, the priests of the people, the princes of the nations, and the council of many provinces. It has been made known to us that many battles of war have occurred in that land. 29 But Simon, son of Mattathias, a high priest of the sons of Joarib, together with his brothers, put his head in danger and gave himself to the struggle of battle and war; he stood against the enemies of their nation, so that their holy things and laws might not be defiled, and he glorified their nation with great glory. 30 And Jonathan gathered their nation and became their high priest; he rested and was gathered to his fathers. 31 And their enemies wanted to come upon their land and to lay their hands on their holy things. 32 At that time, Simon arose and waged the war of battle upon their nation, and he spent much of his own wealth and made the gear of armor for the men of war of his own nation, and he gathered stores and provisions for the soldiery. 33 And he fortified the cities of Judea. Kethemosvyr likely Gazara or a similar fortress, which was on the borders of Judea, where he was prepared to place all the weapons and the gear of the former army of their enemies; and he stationed there men of Judea as guards. 34 And the city of Joppa, which was upon the sea; and Gezer, which was upon the borders of Azotus, which the enemies formerly held. And he settled there men of Judea, and he organized them with whatever they needed for their stability. 35 When the people saw all these works of Simon and the glory that he thought for the nation, they appointed him as prince and high priest, because he had done all these things for them; and for the justice and faith that he kept for his own nation, and he sought in all circumstances to exalt his people. 36 And in his days, it succeeded in his hands to wipe away the gentiles non-Jewish nations from his land, those who were in the citadel in Jerusalem; they used to go out and come in and defile greatly around the holy places, and great blows occurred in that holy place, and he restricted them and wiped them away. 37 He sat and stationed guards there for the safety of the land and the city, and he exalted it. 38 Yet also King Demetrius exalted his high priesthood. 39 For all this, among all his friends, he glorified him with the glory of greatness. 40 For it was heard by him that the Jews are called friends of the Romans, brothers, supporters, and allies; and that they received the messengers of Simon with glory. 41 For the Jews themselves and the priests were pleased and took it upon themselves to appoint him as prince and high priest for eternity, 42 that he and his high priest might be faithful to them; 42 that he might be their commander in leadership, and that he might be diligent for the sake of the holy things, and to appoint from his hand over their works, over their provinces, over their weapons and gear, and over their fortresses. 43 Because he is diligent for the sake of the holy things, and all nations shall obey them, and in his name all the contracts of the world shall be sealed. For he shall be a prince to wear purple and to adorn himself with gold. 44 And no one among the people or among the priests shall dare to go against his commands, or to gather assemblies in his land without him, or to wear purple, or to cast a gold brooch. 45 And if anyone transgresses any of these things or despises them, he shall be liable to death. 46 And it seemed pleasing to the people to do for Simon according to these words. 47 Simon accepted and was pleased to stand at the head of the priesthood, to be the commander of the army of the band of Judea, and to hold the head of the priests, and to lead everyone. 48 And they ordered to write this book on tablets of brass, and to place it every year in a notable and visible place in the midst of the holy things. 49 And to place copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them always with them.

15 And Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent letters from the islands to Simon, the high priest and governor of the Jewish nation, and to all his nation. 2 And the letters were a copy of this: "King Antiochus to Simon, the great high priest, and to the governor of the Jewish nation, greetings. 3 Since some lawless men have come and taken by force the kingdom of my fathers, and now I am here in search to rebuild, to raise, and to establish that same kingdom as it was before. Now I am the leader of many troops, prepared with ships of war, 4 to go out and seek vengeance for my fathers from the nations that were harmful to our land, and who destroyed our great cities. 5 Now, I have confirmed to you all the tax treaties that the former kings released to you, and whatever other tax law there may be, let it be released to you. 6 And his command also, that you may be a prince to establish separately a denarius coinage in your land. 7 And Jerusalem and the sanctuary shall be free from everything. And the weapons and the gear that you made, and the strongholds that you fortified, let them be yours. 8 And all royal debts, taxes, and laws that came from here, let them be yours from this time until eternity. 9 And when we come into our dominion, we shall glorify you and your nation and your temple with the glory of greatness, so that your glory may be evident throughout all the earth." 10 In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year, Antiochus came into the land of his fathers. All the troops gathered to him, and few remained with Trypho. 11 And Antiochus chased him, and he led him to Dor by the seaside. 12 And all the troops left him, and when they saw the blood that they passed through with him. 13 Antiochus came and encamped around Dor with twelve thousand men of war and eight thousand cavalry equipped with armor. 14 And he closed the seaside with ships; and he pressed the city with battles from the sea and from the land, and no one was allowed to come out. 15 And Numenius and those who were with him came, bringing letters from the city of Rome to the kings of the land, in which it was written thus: 16 "Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings. 17 The elders from Judea came to us to renew the former love of friendship, as allies and supporters to us, whom Simon, the high priest, and the band of the Jews sent to us. 18 They brought to us a golden shield of five thousand minae weight/currency. 19 For this reason, it seemed pleasing to us to write to the kings of the land and to all the nations, so that no one should think to do harm against them, and let them not give battle against their cities and against the land, so that no one might be their partner..."