Nicanor, having been defeated by Judas referring to the commander Judas Maccabeus, was left in a state of distress, unable to rally the strength of his forces, and he was slain by his own body. Because of the zeal for the temple, the ark original: "զերովբէն" - referring to the Cherubim/Ark did not go; but Judas having given battle and being victorious, Nicanor was killed, and his hand was hung from the tower of the temple.

THE SECOND BOOK OF THE MACCABEES

1 1 To the brothers, the Jews who are in the regions of Egypt, the Jewish brothers in Jerusalem, and the Jewish brothers in Judea, greetings. May God grant you peace in abundance. 2 May He remember the covenant which He made with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, His faithful servants. 3 And may He give you a heart to worship Him in all things, and to do His will with a devoted spirit and willing hearts. 4 May He open your eyes and your ears of heart to His law and His commandments, to make peace, 5 and to hear your petitions. May He be well pleased with you, and may He not abandon you in times of distress. 6 And now, we are offering prayers for you.

2 7 In the year of the kingdom of Demetrius, in the one hundred and eighty-ninth year, we, the Jews, wrote this to you during the distress that had come upon us. At that time, when Jason and those with him turned away from the holy land and the kingdom, 8 and set fire to the gate and shed innocent blood, we offered prayers to the Lord, and He heard us. We offered sacrifices and incense and offerings, and we placed the loaves referring to the Bread of the Presence in abundance before Him. 9 And now, you shall observe the days of the Feast of Tabernacles in the month of Kislev. 10 In the one hundred and eighty-eighth year, from the Jerusalemites, and the senate of Judea, and from Judas to Aristobulus original: "Պտոլմեայ" likely referring to the teacher of King Ptolemy, the teacher of King Ptolemy, who is himself of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews who are in the regions of Egypt, greetings and peace. 11 Having been saved from great tribulations by God, we give great thanks to Him, for He prepared the way when we were in battle against the king. For He Himself stirred up and destroyed those 12 who had come and besieged the holy city. For when the leader himself moved toward the regions of Persia, 13 with countless troops, he fell and was destroyed around the temple of Nanea original: "Անանեայ" - likely referring to Nanea, a deity whose temple was an object of greed. They were deceived by the folly of their desire for the temple of Nanea. 14 For Antiochus himself arrived at that place with his friends under the pretext of taking the treasures as if they were for the pay of mercenaries. 15 The priests of the temple made everything plain. He intended to enter with a small number of men. When he was inside the gates of the courtyards, the troops who were near took the gates of the walls through which Antiochus had entered; 16 they opened the secret window that was under the ceiling, and through it they began to pour down great fires, and there they struck down the leader and his battalion. When they had shredded them inside, they took out the heads and threw them from the wall into the midst of the troops. 17 For all this, blessed be God who gave the ungodly into our hands. 18 Now, as we wished to cleanse the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev, we thought it good to show this to you, so that you also may observe this as a day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the fire, just as Nehemiah rebuilt the temple and the altar, upon which he offered the burnt offerings.

19 For at the time when our fathers were led away to the regions of Persia, the priests who were devoted to their service at that time took the fire from the altar secretly and hid it in a hollow of a dry well. They searched the place with caution and covered it, so that the whole place remained invisible. 20 When many years had passed, as it was the will of God, Nehemiah sent the descendants of those priests who had hidden the fire from the citadel. When they came, they reported and said: "But we found no fire there, but we found a thick, sluggish water." 21 Then he gave them the command to go and draw it and bring it. And when the time of the burnt offerings arrived, the high priest Nehemiah commanded them to sprinkle it upon the wood and the offerings. 22 And when they did this, a short time passed, and the sun, which had been behind the clouds, shone forth; the fire flared up upon the wood of the altar and consumed the burnt offering, so that all were astonished. 23 The priests began to sing hymns while they were completing the burnt offering; the leaders were Jonathan, as if in the mouth of Nehemiah, and others followed. 24 And the model of the prayers was this: "Lord, Lord God of all creation, awesome, powerful, truthful, just, and merciful. You alone are the sweet King. 25 You alone are the one who provides for all. You alone are just and truthful, Almighty of eternity, who saves Israel from all evils, who made our fathers thus chosen, and sanctified them. 26 Accept this offering for all your people, and keep your portion of your inheritance. 27 Sanctify and gather those of us scattered in captivity. Free those who are in the service of the despised and the unclean. Look upon your servants. Let the nations know that You are our God. 28 Strike with your blows those nations who oppressed us, the unclean and despised, who are now proud and arrogant over us. 29 And plant your people in your holy place, as Moses said." 30 And the priests chanted their hymns. 31 And the burnt offering was still burning and flaring as it was being consumed. And when the end of the offerings arrived, Nehemiah commanded that the rest be poured out on the stones. 32 And when this happened, the flame flared up even more; and when the rays of the flame appeared, it burned and flared on the altar again, and whatever had been consumed, it was consumed further. 33 And as it was clearly revealed, and since they reached the king, they came and saw the place where the priests had hidden the fire, where it had sprung up. Wherefore the priests who were with Nehemiah, having completed the burnt offering, purified their bread. 34 Then, when the king reached the confirmation of matters, he ordered the place to be closed off, and they built a temple. 35 And to whom the king wished to show favor, he gave gifts; and to whom he gave, they offered many things to him. 36 And the name given to those who were with Nehemiah was "Nephthar," which when translated is called "Purifier." But many called its name "Nephtha."

2 1 And this is found written in the first records, that the prophet Jeremiah gave command to take the fire from there, after the time as it shows. And the prophet gave the law to those who were after them, that they might not forget the commandments of the Lord, and might not be led astray in their thoughts, when they see images carved, figures fashioned of gold and silver, and whatever small adornment it might be. 4 He entreated them through the commandments not to forget the law in their hearts. 5 And it was written in the records thus: as for the time, the prophet, according to the heavenly command, ordered the ark of the covenant to be moved, as Moses went up to the mountain there to see the glory of God. 6 Jeremiah the prophet came to that place, and he found a cave there, thickly wooded. He brought the ark of the covenant, the altar of incense, and placed them inside, and he blocked the entrances himself. 7 And the records that were with him marked the place, but no one could find the way to that place at all. 8 When Jeremiah perceived this, he began to hasten and said: "If you do not find it, do not be ignorant of the command to establish this place, until the Lord of lords is well pleased with His creation, and God commands the gathering of the assembly of His people. 9 And then the Lord shall reveal this, and the glory of the Lord shall appear in a cloud, as in the time of Moses." Just as Solomon also prayed that the place might be greatly sanctified to the Lord. 10 He made it plain thus, that through the counsel of wisdom he offered the offerings of the dedication and the completion of the temple. 11 As Moses stood in prayer to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the wood and the burnt offerings, so Solomon also stood in prayer, and fire came down and consumed the burnt offering upon the altar. 12 For it was not commanded to Moses to make an offering for sins, he remembered the fire and it consumed the offering. 13 Likewise, Solomon did that for eight days at the end. 14 And they would search in the old records, in the books of the chroniclers, which were from the years of Nehemiah. And as it was written, he collected all this, and other records of kings and prophets, and those of David as if in full, and other decrees of the kings that were given for the honor of the temple, he gathered all into one place. 15 Likewise, Judas gathered all that had been destroyed in the wars and what had been scattered, and now it is kept whole with us. 16 And now, as it is necessary for you, send, and we shall provide it to you. 17 And whatever good you do, even if the days of the feasts are constant, do not be negligent. 18 But God Himself, who saved all His people and returned all to the inheritance, the kingdom, the priesthood, and the holiness, 19 as He promised through the covenant, we hope in the Lord that He will gather us completely into the holy place. 20 For He has saved us from great evils, and has turned the beautiful to holiness.