THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES 15 & 16

1 Maccabees 15

1 Antiochus makes a covenant of friendship with Simon. 11 Tryphon is pursued. 15 The Romans wrote letters unto Kings and nations in the defense of the Jews. 27 Antiochus refusing the help that Simon sent him, breaks his covenant.

MOREOVER King Antiochus the son of Demetrius sent letters from the isles of the sea unto Simon the Priest, and prince of the Jews, and to all the nation,

Containing these words, ANTIOCHUS the King unto Simon the great Priest, and prince of the Jews sends greeting.

For so much as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, I am purposed to challenge the realm again, and to restore it to the old estate: wherefor I have gathered a great host, and prepared ships of war,

That I may go through the country, and be avenged of them, which have destroyed our country, and wasted many cities in the realm.

Now therefore I do confirm unto thee all the liberties, whereof all the Kings my progenitors have discharged thee, and all the payments, whereof they have released thee.

And I give thee leave to confirm unto thee all the liberties, whereof all the Kings my progenitors have discharged thee, and all the payments, whereof they have released thee.

And I give thee leave to coin money of thine own stamp within thy country,

And that Jerusalem, and the Sanctuary be free, and that all the weapons, that thou hast prepared, and the fortresses, which thou hast built, and kept in thine hands, shall be thine.

And all that is due unto the King, and all that shall be due unto the King, I forgive it thee, from this time forth for evermore.

And when we have obtained our kingdom, we will give thee, and thy nation and the Temple great honor, so that your honor shall be known throughout the world.

In the hundredth, seventy and four year, went Antiochus into his father’s land, and all the bands came together unto him, so that few were left with Tryphon.

So the King Antiochus pursued him, but he fled and came to Dora, which lies by the seaside.

For he saw that troubles were toward him, and that the army had forsaken him.

Then camped Antiochus against Dora with an hundredth and twenty thousand fighting men, and eight thousand horsemen.

So he compassed the city about, and the ships came by the sea. Thus they preserved the city by land, and by sea, in so much that they suffered no man to go in nor out.

In the mean season came Numenius, and his company from Rome, having letters written unto the Kings and countries, wherein were contained these words,

LUCIUS THE Counsul of Rome unto the King Ptolemeus sends greeting.

The ambassadors of the Jews are come unto us as our friends and confederates from Simon the high Priest, and from the people of the Jews to renew friendship, and the bond of love,

Who have brought a shield of gold weighing a thousand pound.

Wherefore we thought it good to write unto the Kings and countries, that they should not go about to hurt them, not to fight against them, nor their cities, nor their country, neither to maintain their enemies against them.

And we were content to receive of them the shield.

If therefore there be any pestilent fellows fled from their country unto you, deliver them unto Simon the high Priest, that he may punish them according to their own Law.

The same things were written to Demetrius the King, and to Attalus, and to Arathes and to Arsaces,

And to all countries, as Sampsames, and to them of Sparta, and to Delus, and to Mindus and to Sicion, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodus, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Siden, and to Corryna, and to Gnidon, and to Cyprus, and to Cyrene.

And they sent a copy of they to Simon the high Priest.

So Antiochus the King escaped against Dora the second time ever ready to take it, and made divers engines of war, and kept Tryphon in, that he couold neither go in nor out.

Then Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to help him with silver and gold, and much furniture.

Nevertheless, he would not receive them, but broke all the covenant, which he had made with him afore, and withdrew himself from him,

And sent unto hi Athenobius one of his friends to commune with him, saying, Ye withhold Ioppe, and Gazar with the castle that is at Jerusalem, the city of my realm.

Whose border ye have destroyed and done great hurt in the land, and have the government of many places of my kingdom.

Wherefore now deliver the cities, which ye have taken, with the tributes of the places, that ye have rule over without the borders of Judea,

Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the harm that ye have done, and for the tributes of the places other five hundredth talents: if not, we will come, and fight against you.

So Athenobius the King’s friend came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the honor of Simon, and the cubbert [cubbard]* of gold and silver plate, and so great preparation, he was astonished, and told him the King’s message.

Then answered Simon, and said unto him, We have neither taken other men’s lands, nor withholden that which appertains to others: but our father’s heritage, which our enemies had unrighteously in possession in certain time.

But when we had occasion, we recovered the inheritance of our fathers.

And whereas thou required Ioppe and Gazara, they did great harm to our people, and through our country, yet will we give an hundredth talents for them. But Atheobius answered him not one word,

But turned again angry unto the King, and told him all these words, and the dignity of Simon, with all that he had seen: and the King was very angry.

In the meantime fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias.

Then the King made Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him bands of footmen and horsemen,

And commanded him to remove the host toward Judea, and to build up Cedron, and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people: but the King pursued Tryphon.

So Cendebeus came unto Iamnia, and began to vex the people, and to invade Judea, and to take the people prisoners, and to slay them.

And he built up Cedron, where he set horsemen and garrisons, that they might make out roads by the ways of Judea, as the King had commanded them.

1 Maccabees 16

1 Cendebeus the captain of Antiochus host is put to flight by the sons of Simon. 11 Ptolemeus the son of Abobus kills Simon and his two sons at a banket. 33 John kills them that lie in wait for his life.

THEN came John up from Gazara, and told Simon his father, what Cendebeus had done.

So Simon called two of his eldest sons, Judas and John, and said unto them, I, and my brethren, and my father’s house, have ever from our youth unto this day fought against the enemies of Israel, and the matters have had good success under our hands, and we have delivered Israel often times.

But I am now old, and ye by God’s mercy are of a sufficient age: be ye therefore in stead of me, and my brother, and go forth and fight for our nation, and the help of heaven be with you.

So he chose twenty thousand fighting men of the country with the horsemen, which went forth against Cendebeus, and rested at Modin.

In the morning they arose, and went into the plain field: and behold, a mighty great host came against them both of footmen, and horsemen: but there was a river betwixt them.

And John ranged his army over against him, and when he saw that the people was astrayed to go over the river, he went over first himself, and the men seeing him, passed through after him.

Then he divided his men, and set the horsemen in the midst of the footmen.

For their enemies horsemen were very many: but when they blew trumpets, Cedebeus fled with his host, whereof many were slain, and the remnant got them to the fortress.

Then was Judas John’s brother wounded: but John followed after them, til he came to Cedron, which Cendebeus had built.

Also they fled unto the towers, that were in the fields of Azotus, and those did John burn with fire: thus were there slain two thousand men of them: so he returned peaceably into the land of Juda.

Now in the fields of Jericho was Ptolomeus the son of Abubus made captain, and he had abundance of silver and gold.

(For he had married the daughter of the high Priest.)

Therefore he waxed proud in his mind, and thought to rule the land, and thought to slay Simon and his sons by deceit.

Now as Simon went about through the cities of the country, and studied carefully for them, he came down to Jericho with Mattathias, and Judas his sons in the hundredth, seventy and seven year, in the eleventh month, which is the month Sabat.

Then the son of Abubus received them by treason into a little hold, called Dochus, which he had built, where he made them a great banket, and had hid men there.

So when Simon and his sons had made good cheer, Ptolemeus stood up with his men, and took their weapons, and entered in to Simon in the banket house, and slew him with his two sons, and certain of his servants.

Whereby he committed a great villany, and recompensed evil for good.

Then wrote Ptolemeus these things and sent to the King, that he might send him an host to help him, and so would deliver him the country with the city.

He sent other men also unto Gazara, to take John, and sent letters unto the captain to come to him, and he would give them silver, and gold and rewards.

And to Jerusalem he sent other to take it, and the mountain of the Temple.

But one ran before, and told John in Gazara, that his father, and his brethren were slain, and that Ptolemeus had sent to slay him.

When he heard this, he was sore astonished, and laid hands of them that were come to slay him, and slew them: for he knew that they went about to kill him.

Concerning other things of John, both of his wars, and of his noble acts (wherein he behaved himself manfully) of the building of walls which he made, and other of his deeds,

Behold, they are written in the chronicles of his priesthood, from the time, that he was made high Priest after his father.

*WP4Y