the antiquities of the jews-1-第186章

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altar　＇of　burnt…offering＇；　and　did　not　abstain　from　even　the
veils；　which　were　made　of　fine　linen　and　scarlet。　He　also　emptied
it　of　its　secret　treasures；　and　left　nothing　at　all　remaining；
and　by　this　means　cast　the　Jews　into　great　lamentation；　for　he
forbade　them　to　offer　those　daily　sacrifices　which　they　used　to
offer　to　God；　according　to　the　law。　And　when　he　had　pillaged　the
whole　city；　some　of　the　inhabitants　he　slew；　and　some　he　carried
captive；　together　with　their　wives　and　children；　so　that　the
multitude　of　those　captives　that　were　taken　alive　amounted　to
about　ten　thousand。　He　also　burnt　down　the　finest　buildings；　and
when　he　had　overthrown　the　city　walls；　he　built　a　citadel　in　the
lower　part　of　the　city；　（17）　for　the　place　was　high；　and
overlooked　the　temple；　on　which　account　he　fortified　it　with　high
walls　and　towers；　and　put　into　it　a　garrison　of　Macedonians。
However；　in　that　citadel　dwelt　the　impious　and　wicked　part　of　the
＇Jewish＇　multitude；　from　whom　it　proved　that　the　citizens
suffered　many　and　sore　calamities。　And　when　the　king　had　built　an
idol　altar　upon　God's　altar；　he　slew　swine　upon　it；　and　so
offered　a　sacrifice　neither　according　to　the　law；　nor　the　Jewish
religious　worship　in　that　country。　He　also　compelled　them　to
forsake　the　worship　which　they　paid　their　own　God；　and　to　adore
those　whom　he　took　to　be　gods；　and　made　them　build　temples；　and
raise　idol　altars　in　every　city　and　village；　and　offer　swine　upon
them　every　day。　He　also　commanded　them　not　to　circumcise　their
sons；　and　threatened　to　punish　any　that　should　be　found　to　have
transgressed　his　injunction。　He　also　appointed　overseers；　who
should　compel　them　to　do　what　he　commanded。　And　indeed　many　Jews
there　were　who　complied　with　the　king's　commands；　either
voluntarily；　or　out　of　fear　of　the　penalty　that　was　denounced。
But　the　best　men；　and　those　of　the　noblest　souls；　did　not　regard
him；　but　did　pay　a　greater　respect　to　the　customs　of　their
country　than　concern　as　to　the　punishment　which　he　threatened　to
the　disobedient；　on　which　account　they　every　day　underwent　great
miseries　and　bitter　torments；　for　they　were　whipped　with　rods；
and　their　bodies　were　torn　to　pieces；　and　were　crucified；　while
they　were　still　alive；　and　breathed。　They　also　strangled　those
women　and　their　sons　whom　they　had　circumcised；　as　the　king　had
appointed；　hanging　their　sons　about　their　necks　as　they　were　upon
the　crosses。　And　if　there　were　any　sacred　book　of　the　law　found；
it　was　destroyed；　and　those　with　whom　they　were　found　miserably
perished　also。

5。　When　the　Samaritans　saw　the　Jews　under　these　sufferings；　they
no　longer　confessed　that　they　were　of　their　kindred；　nor　that　the
temple　on　Mount　Gerizzim　belonged　to　Almighty　God。　This　was
according　to　their　nature；　as　we　have　already　shown。　And　they　now
said　that　they　were　a　colony　of　Medes　and　Persians；　and　indeed
they　were　a　colony　of　theirs。　So　they　sent　ambassadors　to
Antiochus；　and　an　epistle；　whose　contents　are　these：　〃To　king
Antiochus　the　god；　Epiphanes；　a　memorial　from　the　Sidonians；　who
live　at　Shechem。　Our　forefathers；　upon　certain　frequent　plagues；
and　as　following　a　certain　ancient　superstition；　had　a　custom　of
observing　that　day　which　by　the　Jews　is　called　the　Sabbath。　（18）
And　when　they　had　erected　a　temple　at　the　mountain　called
Gerrizzim；　though　without　a　name；　they　offered　upon　it　the　proper
sacrifices。　Now；　upon　the　just　treatment　of　these　wicked　Jews；
those　that　manage　their　affairs；　supposing　that　we　were　of　kin　to
them；　and　practiced　as　they　do；　make　us　liable　to　the　same
accusations；　although　we　be　originally　Sidonians；　as　is　evident
from　the　public　records。　We　therefore　beseech　thee；　our
benefactor　and　Savior；　to　give　order　to　Apollonius；　the　governor
of　this　part　of　the　country；　and　to　Nicanor；　the　procurator　of
thy　affairs；　to　give　us　no　disturbance；　nor　to　lay　to　our　charge
what　the　Jews　are　accused　for；　since　we　are　aliens　from　their
nation；　and　from　their　customs；　but　let　our　temple；　which　at
present　hath　no　name　at　all　be　named　the　Temple　of　Jupiter
Hellenius。　If　this　were　once　done；　we　should　be　no　longer
disturbed；　but　should　be　more　intent　on　our　own　occupation　with
quietness；　and　so　bring　in　a　greater　revenue　to　thee。〃　When　the
Samaritans　had　petitioned　for　this；　the　king　sent　them　back　the
following　answer；　in　an　epistle：　〃King　Antiochus　to　Nicanor。　The
Sidonians；　who　live　at　Shechem；　have　sent　me　the　memorial
enclosed。　When　therefore　we　were　advising　with　our　friends　about
it；　the　messengers　sent　by　them　represented　to　us　that　they　are
no　way　concerned　with　accusations　which　belong　to　the　Jews；　but
choose　to　live　after　the　customs　of　the　Greeks。　Accordingly；　we
declare　them　free　from　such　accusations；　and　order　that；
agreeable　to　their　petition；　their　temple　be　named　the　Temple　of
Jupiter　Hellenius。〃　He　also　sent　the　like　epistle　to　Apollonius；
the　governor　of　that　part　of　the　country；　in　the　forty…sixth
year；　and　the　eighteenth　day　of　the　month　Hecatorabeom

CHAPTER　6。

How；　Upon　Antiochus's　Prohibition　To　The　Jews　To　Make　Use　Of　The
Laws　Of　Their　Country　Mattathias；　The　Son　Of　Asamoneus；　Alone
Despised　The　King；　And　Overcame　The　Generals　Of　Antiochus's　Army；
As　Also　Concerning　The　Death　Of　Mattathias；　And　The　Succession　Of
Judas。

1。　Now　at　this　time　there　was　one　whose　name　was　Mattathias；　who
dwelt　at　Modin；　the　son　of　John；　the　son　of　Simeon；　the　son　of
Asamoneus；　a　priest　of　the　order　of　Joarib；　and　a　citizen　of
Jerusalem。　He　had　five　sons；　John；　who　was　called　Gaddis；　and
Simon；　who　was　called　Matthes；　and　Judas；　who　was　called
Maccabeus；　（19）　and　Eleazar；　who　was　called　Auran；　and　Jonathan；
who　was　called　Apphus。　Now　this　Mattathias　lamented　to　his
children　the　sad　state　of　their　affairs；　and　the　ravage　made　in
the　city；　and　the　plundering　of　the　temple；　and　the　calamities
the　multitude　were　under；　and　he　told　them　that　it　was　better　for
them　to　die　for　the　laws　of　their　country；　than　to　live　so
ingloriously　as　they　then　did。

2。　But　when　those　that　were　appointed　by　the　king　were　come　to
Modin；　that　they　might　compel　the　Jews　to　do　what　they　were
commanded；　and　to　enjoin　those　that　were　there　to　offer
sacrifice；　as　the　king　had　commanded；　they　desired　that
Mattathias；　a　person　of　the　greatest　character　among　them；　both
on　other　accounts；　and　particularly　on　account　of　such　a　numerous
and　so　deserving　a　family　of　children；　would　begin　the　sacrifice；
because　his　fellow　citizens　would　follow　his　example；　and　because
such　a　procedure　would　make　him　honored　by　the　king。　But
Mattathias　said　he　would　not　do　it；　and　that　if　all　the　other
nations　would　obey　the　commands　of　Antiochus；　either　out　of　fear；
or　to　please　him；　yet　would　not　he　nor　his　sons　leave　the
religious　worship　of　their　country。　But　as　soon　as　he　had　ended
his　speech；　there　came　one　of　the　Jews　into　the　midst　of　them；
and　sacrificed；　as　Antiochus　had　commanded。　At　which　Mattathias
had　great　indignation；　and　ran　upon　him　violently；　with　his　sons；
who　had　swords　with　them；　and　slew　both　the　man　himself　that
sacrificed；　and　Apelles　the　king's　general；　who　compelled　them　to
sacrifice；　with　a　few　of　his　soldiers。　He　also　overthrew　the　idol
altar；　and　cried　out；　〃If；〃　said　he；〃　any　one　be　zealous　for　the
laws　of　his　country；　and　for　the　worship　of　God；　let　him　follow
me。〃　And　when　he　had　said　this；　he　made　haste　into　the　desert
with　his　sons；　and　left　all　his　substance　in　the　village。　Many
others　did　the　same　also；　and　fled　with　their　children　and　wives
into　the　desert；　and　dwelt　in　caves。　But　when　the　king's　generals
heard　this；　they　took　all　the　forces　they　then　had　in　the　citadel
at　Jerusalem；　and　pursued　the　Jews　into　the　desert；　and　when　they
had　overtaken　them；　they　in　the　first　place　endeavored　to
persuade　them　to　repent；　and　to　choose　what　was　most　for　their
advantage；　and　not　put　them　to　the　necessity　of　using　them
according　to　the　law　of　war。　But　when　they　would　not　comply　with
their　persuasions；　but　continued　to　be　of　a　different　mind；　they
fought　against　them　on　the　sabbath　day；　and　they　burnt　them　as
they　were　in　the　caves；　without　resistance；　and　without　so　much
as　stopping　up　the　entrances