1 Maccabees 15 Catholic Public Domain Version

151 And king Antiochus, the son of Demetrius, sent letters from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and leader of the nation of the Jews, and to all the people. 2 And these continued in this way: “King Antiochus to Simon, the great priest, and to the people of the Jews: greetings. 3 Since certain pestilent persons have obtained the kingdom of our fathers, it is my will, then, to vindicate the kingdom and to restore it, just as it was before. And so, I have chosen a great army, and I have built ships of war. 4 Furthermore, I intend to pass through the region, so that I may take revenge on those who have corrupted our country and who have desolated many cities in my kingdom. 5 Now, therefore, I confirm to you all the oblations that all the kings before me have remitted to you, and whatever other gifts they remitted to you. 6 And I permit you to make a striking of your own coins for your country. 7 Moreover, let Jerusalem be holy and free. And all the weapons that have been made, and the fortresses that you have constructed, or that you hold, let them remain with you. 8 And all that is owed to the king, and what should belong to the king in the future, from this time and for all time, is remitted to you. 9 Yet, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will glorify you, and your nation, and the temple with great glory, so much so that your glory shall be made manifest in all the earth.” 10 In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year, Antiochus went into the land of his fathers, and all the armies came over to him, so that few were left with Trypho. 11 And king Antiochus followed him as he fled along the sea coast and came to Dora. 12 For he knew that evils had gathered together upon him, and that his troops had forsaken him. 13 And Antiochus took up a position above Dora, with one hundred and twenty thousand men of warfare and eight thousand horsemen. 14 And he encircled the city, and the ships drew near by sea. And they assailed the city by land and by sea, and they permitted no one to go in or out. 15 But Numenius, and those who had been with him, came from the city of Rome, having letters written to the kings and the regions, in which was contained these things: 16 “Lucius, consul of the Romans, to king Ptolemy: greetings. 17 The ambassadors of the Jews, our friends, came to us, to renew the former friendship and alliance, having been sent from Simon, the leader of the priests and the people of the Jews. 18 And they also brought a shield of gold of over a thousand pounds. 19 And so, it was pleasing to us to write to the kings and the regions, that they should do no harm to them, nor fight against them, and their cities, and their regions, and that they should bear no assistance to those fighting against them. 20 And it seemed good to us to receive the shield from them. 21 If, therefore, those who are pestilent have taken refuge with you from their region, hand them over to Simon, the leader of the priests, so that he may give a verdict to them according to their law.” 22 These same things were written to king Demetrius, and to Attalus, and to Ariarathes, and to Arsaces, 23 and to all the regions, and to Lampsacus and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and Myndos, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Rhodes, and Phaselis, and Gortyna, and Gnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene. 24 Moreover, they wrote a copy of these things to Simon, the leader of the priests and the people of the Jews. 25 But king Antiochus positioned his camp near Dora a second time, moving his hand against it continually, and making machines of war. And he enclosed Trypho, lest he escape. 26 And Simon sent two thousand chosen men to him as auxiliaries, and silver, and gold, and an abundance of equipment. 27 And he was not willing to receive them, but he broke all of the pact that he made with him before, and he alienated himself from him. 28 And he sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to deal with him, saying: “You hold Joppa and Gazara, and the stronghold that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my kingdom. 29 You have desolated their parts, and you have caused a great scourging in the land, and you have become ruler throughout many places in my kingdom. 30 Now, therefore, hand over the cities that you occupy, and the tributes of the places where you have become ruler beyond the borders of Judea. 31 But if not, give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the destruction that you have caused, and for the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents. But if not, we will come and fight against you.” 32 So Athenobius, the friend of the king, came to Jerusalem and saw the glory of Simon, and his splendor in gold and silver, and his abundance of equipment, and he was astonished. And he repeated the words of the king to him. 33 And Simon responded to him, and he said to him: “We have not taken foreign land, nor do we hold anything foreign, but we hold the inheritance of our fathers, which was for some time unjustly possessed by our enemies. 34 In truth, since we have the opportunity, we claim the inheritance of our fathers. 35 And as to Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they brought a great scourging on the people and our country. For these, we will give one hundred talents.” And Athenobius did not respond a word to him. 36 But, returning with anger to the king, he reported to him these words, and the glory of Simon, and all that he had seen. And the king became angry with a great anger. 37 But Trypho fled by ship to Orthosia. 38 And the king appointed Cendebeus as commander of the seacoast, and he gave him an army of foot soldiers and horsemen. 39 And he commanded him to move with his camp against the face of Judea. And he commanded him to build up Kedron, and to barricade the gates of the city, and to make war against the people. But the king pursued Trypho. 40 And Cendebeus passed through to Jamnia, and he began to provoke the populace, and to trample Judea, and to take the people captive, and to execute, and to build up Kedron. 41 And he stationed horsemen and an army there, so that they could go out and travel through the ways of Judea, as the king appointed him to do.