A Jewish Joke:
Q: Who is purple and changed the course of Jewish history?
A: Alexander the Grape!
The prequel of Chanukah “on one foot”:
Chanukah is a winter Jewish holiday that commemorates events which took place during the Second Temple period, after the Bible was closed. While the story of Chanukah is known by many, how we got there is less well-known.
Some Biblical Grounding
- Around 1200 BCE, the Israelites cross into the Land of Israel under Joshua
- Around 1000 BCE, Solomon builds the First Temple
- In 722 BCE, the Assyrians conquer and depopulate the northern Kingdom of Israel.
- In 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquer the southern Kingdom of Judah and destroy the First Temple.
- In 539 BCE, the Persians conquer the Babylonian Empire.
The Short Version
Here’s the short version of what happens after that:
1. Alexander the Great and the Greeks conquer the Persian Empire.
2. After Alexander dies, his generals split up Alexander’s territory. Judea ends up belonging to Ptolemy along with Egypt.
3. Eventually the Seleucids conquer Judea and attach it to Syria.
4. Antiochus IV outlaws Judaism in order to forcibly Hellenize Judea.
5. The Maccabees lead a rebellion that eventually succeeds.
The Long Version
Alexander the Great - 333-323 BCE
- In 336 BCE, Philip the Macedonian was assassinated and his son Alexander took over at age 20.
- By 334 BCE he had control over the Greek city-states and attacked the Persian Empire in Asia Minor.
- In 333 BCE, Alexander beat Darius III and the Persians at Issus (northeastern Syria).
- Alexander wanted to protect his southern flank by conquering Egypt. He also wanted to deny the Persian fleet any coastal ports, thus securing control of the eastern Mediterranean and strategic control at sea. Both required going through and taking over the Land of Israel.
- On his way, he took the Persian fleet base at the island off Tyre (modern Lebanon) by building a land bridge from the mainland and then launching a 2-prong assault by land and by sea.
- He then took Acco and Stato’s Tower (now Caesarea), Azotus (now Ashdod), and Ashkelon.
- Gaza was a high-walled fortress on a steep rise, so Alexander had to make his own high ground in order to be level with the city. A combination of battering rams and catapults, plus sappers undermining the walls of Gaza, allowed the Macedonians to eventually sack the city.
- The men of Gaza fought to their deaths and Alexander took the women and children captive. He then repopulated Gaza with Bedouins who were loyal to him.
- After this, Alexander the Great journeyed to Jerusalem, which opened its gates to him in 332 BCE. The Talmud reports a meeting between Alexander and the high priest, Simon the Righteous.
- Alexander did not compel Jewish men to join his army, recognizing that they would have to violate their Sabbath if he did so.
- Alexander then took Egypt, laying out the site of Alexandria.
- In 331 BCE, Alexander then returned north, traveling through Gaza, Ashkelon, and Azotus (Ashdod).
- While Alexander was in Egypt, the Samaritans revolted against their Greek governor, so Alexander detoured to destroy Samaria before heading back to Acco and Tyre.
- From there, Alexander beat the Persians again at Gaugamela in 331 BCE, took the other Persian capitals (Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis), and reached India before turning back due to a mutiny and dying of a fever in Babylon in 323 BCE.
Map of Alexander’s route, from Readers Digest Atlas of the Bible, by Joseph Gardner.
Image of the Pompeii mosaic of the Battle of Issus (Alexander the Great is on the left, Darius III is in the middle). It is from the House of the Faun in Pompeii and dates to 120 BCE. Picture from The Bible as History, by Ian Wilson.
Map of Alexander the Great’s empire, from The Historical Atlas of the Bible, by Dr. Ian Barnes.
Antigonus - 323-301 BCE
- After Alexander the Great died, his generals sought control of pieces of his empire. The Land of Israel was especially prized for its harbors that allowed control of the eastern Mediterranean.
- Antigonus was supposed to have Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, and Judea, Seleucus was supposed to have Mesopotamia, Persia, and everything east to India, and Ptolemy was supposed to have Egypt and Libya.
- However, by 320 BCE, Ptolemy I, based in Egypt, had control of the Land of Israel.
- Then his fellow general, Antigonus “the One-Eyed”, pushed south from Asia Minor and conquered Tyre, Jaffa/Joppa, and Gaza.
- In 312 BCE, Antigonus was tied up in Asia Minor and his son Demetrius was in charge in Gaza. Ptolemy beat Demetrius and forced him back to Asia Minor.
- Antigonus led a large force into the Land of Israel and drove out Ptolemy.
- As Ptolemy and his forces retreated southward, they destroyed Acco (later called Ptolemais), Samaria, Jaffa, and Gaza to deny Antigonus the use of these places as forward bases.
- In 311, Antigonus sent Demetrius to attack the Nabateans at Petra in order to get control of the Arabian spice trade and the resources of the southern Dead Sea. The Nabateans won, inflicting heavy losses on the Greeks.
- Around 301 BCE, Ptolemy teamed up with his other fellow general, Seleucus, to defeat Antigonus. Antigonus lost to Seleucus at Ipsus in Asia Minor.
- After the battle, Antigonus’ territories were divided up and Seleucus was supposed to get the Judea. However, Ptolemy had already taken it in order to protect Egypt from invasion. Seleucus didn’t want to fight his friend and ally over this land, so Judea became ruled by the Ptolemies.
The division of Alexander’s empire, around 275 BCE, from The Historical Atlas of the Bible by Dr. Ian Barnes.
Ptolemies - 301-198 BCE
- The Ptolemies, based in Alexandria, reorganized Judea into new districts and posted military garrisons and colonies within it to keep others from invading Egypt.
- In Jerusalem, the High Priest had some civil authority and all the religious authority; the Ptolemies didn’t interfere as long as the (high) taxes were paid.
- Ancient cities surrounding Judea got new Greek names: Acco became Ptolemais, Bet-She’an became Scythopolis, Dor became Dora, and Rabbah became Philadelphia. While their ancient Ammonite, Syrian, or Philistine identities disappeared through Hellenization, the ancient Jewish identities of Judean cities survived.
- Judea engaged in international trade, exporting grain, wine, olive oil, cheese, fruit, and fish.
- The Jewish population increased such that Jews starting moving outside of Judea, buying nearby farms or working as artisans and merchants in nearby cities.
- As merchants interfaced with the non-Jewish communities and the nobility interfaced with the Ptolemies, they developed a desire that Jerusalem should become a commercial center for the region. To do that, they wanted Jerusalem to stop being so externally Jewish so that passing caravans would feel comfortable doing business there like in the non-Jewish cities nearby (but Jews being privately Jewish was fine).
- Around 230 BCE, Joseph ben Tobias bought from the Ptolemies the right to collect taxes, meaning that he paid a lump sum to the government and then could try to get as much money as possible for himself from the people. As he and his family (the Tobiads) got wealthier, they tried to resemble the wealthy Greeks whom they hoped to fit in with socially.
- Other Jews who left Judea for trading purposes also Hellenized as they created new Jewish communities along the Mediterranean Sea, the Greek islands, and the shores of the Black Sea.
- Jews also moved to Egypt, all over the country but especially to Alexandria. This city was founded by Alexander the Great, but Ptolemy I (“Ptolemy Soter” - 305-283 BCE) wanted it to become the commercial capital of the Mediterranean and he “recruited” Jews to help him (Ashkelon was destroyed during his time, which may have been part of his recruitment effort).
- Jews in Alexandria could not hold public office, because that would have required participating in Greek religious ceremonies. However, they had the same commercial rights and rights to police protection as other citizens. They were also allowed their own Jewish courts of law. Jews were allowed to live anywhere, but chose to live near other Jews for ease of things like appropriate food and communal worship.
- Because eventually most of the Jews in Egypt spoke Greek and not Hebrew, the Bible was translated into Greek (“the Septuagint”) during the time of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (283-246 BCE).
- The Jews of Egypt continued to pray facing Jerusalem, donate a half-shekel per person for the upkeep of the Jerusalem Temple, and regularly travel to Jerusalem for holiday sacrifices.
- The Jews got along well with their neighbors and were spoken well of by one of the earliest literary men of Hellenized Egypt, Hecataeus of Abdera.
- Much of our information about this time comes from the post-Biblical book “The Wisdom of Ben Sirach” / Ecclesiasticus (this is part of the Catholic Bible in the “Apocrypha”, along with Maccabees 1 and 2 and other books from the Second Temple Period).
- The version of the book we have says that Joshua Ben Sirach’s grandson is translating from Hebrew into Greek in Egypt during the 38th year of Ptolemy VIII Eurgetes (so 132 BCE). While this was after Ptolemaic control of Judea, the original text dates from that time.
- The original Hebrew text was first found in the Cairo Geniza in 1896 and then found in the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1960s, thus corroborating that the Hebrew text did exist from this time.
- Ben Sirach, who was a scribe, talks about every book of the Bible except for Daniel, which indicates that nearly all of them were in place by that point.
- At the end of Ben Sirach’s recap of Jewish history he says that he lives during the time of “the High Priest Simon, son of Onias”. This is Simon II, son of Onias III, who is known to have been the leader of the Jewish people between 220 BCE and 195 BCE.
- Ben Sirach says that this Simon repaired the Temple, fortified the Sanctuary, and excavated a massive reservoir under the Temple Mount. This reservoir is known to exist today.
- We get a description of what the rituals of the High Priest were like in Chapter 50, including a description of trumpets being blown. This was verified in 1969 when a stone from the top of the southwestern wall of the Temple was discovered that said “the place of trumpeting”. This stone can be seen today on the ground by the Egalitarian Space near Robinson’s Arch to the side of the Western Wall.
- Ben Sirach noted the growing divisions between rich and poor in Judea, and encouraged people to follow the Torah and be happy with their lot. He urged against trying to become wealthy or to be friends with the wealth-seekers, because they will just try to use you for their aims.
- Starting in 276 BCE, the Seleucids waged 3 wars to try to get control of Judea from the Ptolemies. All failed.
- In the fourth war, from 219-217 BCE, Antiochus III (“the Great”) captured Tyre and Ptolemais, and besieged Dora. Working with the Nabateans, he also captured Philadelphia, before wintering in Ptolemais.
- In the spring of 217, Antiochus III used the ancient highway of “The Way of the Sea” to take Gaza.
- Ptolemy IV and his army, including war elephants, met Antiochus III at Raphia (formerly called Rafah) and won, chasing Antiochus III back to Syria. Ptolemy IV marched through his territory up to its northern limits to show that the Ptolemies were still in control.
- Antiochus III was busy elsewhere until 203 BCE. He then marched down the coast and took city after city until he came to Gaza. Gaza held out long enough for the Ptolemies under General Scopas to counter-attack. Scopas pushed the Seleucids back through Judea, including making sure that Jerusalem was under Ptolemy control, and this time made sure to control the central highlands.
- In 198 BCE, Antiochus III battled the Ptolemies under General Scopas at Paneas / Panium / Paneoin (later called Caesarea Philippi, now called Banias in the Golan Heights), just south of Mount Hermon. Antiochus III won and then chased Scopas and the Ptolemies to Sidon (modern Lebanon) where they were besieged and starved into surrender. Thus Judea became controlled by the Seleucids.
This map shows the battles the Ptolemies fought against Antigonus (red dots) and against the Seleucids (blue and green dots). It’s from The Readers’ Digest Atlas of the Bible, by Joseph Gardner.
This map shows the administrative districts the Ptolemies set up in the Land of Israel. It’s from The Historical Atlas of the Bible, by Dr. Ian Barnes.
Seleucids - 198-165 BCE
- Under Antiochus III, who had conquered Judea from the Ptolemies, things were pretty peaceful.
- In 198 BCE, Antiochus III ruled that materials for the Temple could be brought into Jerusalem without paying customs duties.
- Some of the taxes imposed by the Ptolemies were lifted.
- The Jews were given the right “to have a form of government in accordance with the laws of their country”, a general Seleucid policy to encourage loyalty.
- This meant that the High Priest was the head of the community.
- While the Seleucids gave the Jews political and religious autonomy within their empire, they also encouraged cultural Hellenization.
- In 192 BCE, Antiochus III tried to expand into Greece and allied himself with Hannibal of Carthage. This brought him into conflict with Rome.
- In 190 BCE, the same Roman general who defeated Hannibal (Publius Scipio Africanus) defeated Antiochus III at Magnesia in Asia Minor. He was also defeated at sea at Myonnesus that same year.
- As a result, Antiochus III had to give up his land in Asia Minor and pay a huge tribute to Rome.
- There was a difference of opinion among the wealthy Jews whether it was better for the Ptolemies or Seleucids to be in charge. Hyrcanus, the son of Joseph the Tobiad, favored the Ptolemies, because he had the tax-collecting rights from them.
- The pro-Syrian Jews told Antiochus III’s son, Seleucus IV (emperor from 187-175) that Hyrcanus had money stored at the Temple in Jerusalem, a common practice due to the lack of banks and the assumption that thieves wouldn’t desecrate the sanctity of the Temple.
- Seleucus IV tried looting the Temple in Jerusalem, but he was unsuccessful. This whole episode showed the common Jews that the Hellenized Jews had no respect for the Temple.
- In 175 BCE, Antiochus IV, brother of Seleucus IV and son of Antiochus III, became the Seleucid emperor.
- Antiochus IV wanted his entire empire to follow Hellenistic ways, and he particularly wanted the border area in the Land of Israel to follow his ways so they wouldn’t want to go back to the Ptolemies (who had similar ways, it must be acknowledged).
- The pro-Syrian faction of Hellenized Jews came to Antiochus with a plan to change the High Priest, thus allowing Hellenization to get further underway in Judea.
- In 174 BCE Antiochus IV deposed Onias, the High Priest, and replaced him with Onias’ Hellenized brother, Jason.
- Moreover, the Hellenized Jews gave Antiochus IV money, and Antiochus IV gave Jerusalem a Greek constitution and the right to coin money. These advanced the Hellenized Jews’ goals of growing the city commercially and making it fit in with all the other cities in the area.
- However, because this was the first time since the return from Babylonia that a non-Jewish government had interfered in the High Priesthood, treating it merely like a governorship, the common Jews were outraged.
- In order to encourage Greek culture in Judea, Jason built a gymnasium in Jerusalem. This was a highly divisive move, because it required males to exercise without clothing (no women were allowed in). Some Jews didn’t see the issue with this, while others found it highly problematic. Jews were forced to use the gymnasium, and many Jews took to wearing Greek clothing, including the petasos, the broad-brimmed hat associated with Hermes, the god of the gymnasium. Young priests also abandoned their religious duties to spend time at the gymnasium.
- Jason was willing to impose cultural Hellenism but not do more than that, so the radical Hellenistic Jews complained to the emperor and Antiochus IV deposed him for a new High Priest, Menelaus, in exchange for more money.
- Menelaus wasn’t even a member of a High-Priestly family, nor did he have any sympathy for the Jewish religion. He merely wanted power. Unfortunately for him, there wasn’t enough money in the Temple treasury to pay the sum he had promised Antiochus IV, so he sold some of the Temple vessels to pay the money.
- Antiochus IV tried to invade Egypt in 174 BCE, like his father had fought with the Ptolemies, but after some early successes a Roman fleet arrived and forced him to retreat.
- While Antiochus IV was in Egypt, Jason took back the High Priesthood from Menelaus.
- In order to feel better about himself after his prestige was maimed, in 169 BCE, Antiochus IV used force to loot the Temple in Jerusalem (and put Menelaus back into place). This earned him no favors with the Jews.
- Two years later, he sent General Apollonius to pillage Jerusalem. Then, on grounds of rebuilding the city, Antiochus IV built the Accra as a fortress for the Seleucid garrison to look down upon the Temple and control it.
- In 167 BCE, there was a new decree that the Temple in Jerusalem was to be dedicated to Zeus, with a statue of Zeus in it, pigs sacrificed on the altar, and no more Jewish sacrificial procedures. Zeus was to be worshipped in all villages throughout the land.
- Moreover, it was now forbidden on pain of death to observe Shabbat, keep dietary rules, or have a copy of the Torah. Women who circumcised their sons would be executed along with the babies.
- Hellenized Jews informed on the “Hasidim”, those Jews who tried to keep being Jewish, bringing the Syrian-Greeks to attack them.
- Some Jews fled to the hills to continue being Jewish there, but they did not have an organized way to defend themselves.
- Other Jews, men, women, and children, tried to resist by going to the desert and living a life of total observance to the Torah. They were attacked by Seleucid troops on Shabbat and, since they did not take up arms on Shabbat, they were all killed.
- While it seemed impossible to rebel militarily, one form of protest was composition of the Book of Daniel.
- The Book of Daniel was set in the time of the Jewish exile in Babylon. However, there are Greek words in it that put its composition at the time of Antiochus IV.
- Additionally, Chapter 11 has “prophecies” that were actual events occurring around 167 BCE.
- Scholars believe that the idea of a stone toppling a mighty statue refers to the idol of Zeus in the Temple, and hoping for a “David” to take down the Syrian-Greek “Goliath”.
- With conflict between Hellenized Jews and non-Hellenized Jews, as well as between Jews and Syrian-Greeks, the stage was set for the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE.
This map shows the administrative districts the Seleucids set up in the Land of Israel. It’s from The Historical Atlas of the Bible, by Dr. Ian Barnes.
Context: This is a video version of the book Lights, by Yehudah and Sara Wurtzel (1984). It tells the story of the Hellenization process through an allegory of lights as a metaphor for Judaism.
With appreciation to The Historical Atlas of the Bible, by Dr. Ian Barnes, The Bible as History, by Ian Wilson, the Readers Digest Atlas of the Bible, by Joseph Gardner, and A History of the Jews, by Solomon Grayzel.
Appendix A: The Version in First Maccabees
(א) ויהי אחרי הכות אלכסנדרוס מלך מקדוניא את דריוש מלך פרס, וימלוך תחתיו.
(ב) הוא אלכסנדרוס בן פוליפוס אשר יצא מארץ כיתים, וימלוך בארץ יון לראשונה.
(ג) ויוסף להלחם מלחמות רבות, וילכד ערים בצורות, ויך את מלכי הארץ לפי חרב.
(ד) וילך הלוך ונסוע עד קצווי ארץ, וייקח שלל גויים רבים.
(ה) ויהי כי נכבשו כל הארצות לפניו, וירום לבו ויגבה מאוד.
(ו) ויאסוף עוד חיל גדול, וימלוך על ממלכות רבות בארצותם לגוייהם, ויהיו לו למס עובד.
(ז) ויהי אחר הדברים האלה, וייפול למשכב ויחל.
(ח) וירא כי קרבו ימיו למות, ויקרא לכל שריו ועבדיו אשר גדלו אתו מנעוריו, ויחלק להם את מלכותו בעודנו חי.
(ט) וימלוך אלכסנדרוס שתים עשרה שנה וימות.
(י) ויהי אחרי מותו ויירשו שריו את כל מדינות מלכותו, וילכדו איש איש את ארצו.
(יא) וישימו כתר מלכות בראשם, וימלכו הם וזרעם אחריהם ימים רבים, והרעות גברו מאוד בארץ.
(יב) מהם יצא שורש רע על הארץ, הוא אנטיוכוס המפואר בן-אנטיוכוס, אשר היה בן ערובה ברומא.
(יג) ותהי ראשית מלכותו בשנת שבע ושלושים ומאה למלכות יון.
(יד) ויהי בעת ההיא ויצאו אנשים בני-בלייעל מקרב ישראל, וידיחו את עם הארץ לאמור.
(טו) הבה נכרתה ברית את הגויים אשר סביבותינו, כי מאז אשר סרנו מאחריהם מצאונו צרות רבות ורעות.
(טז) וייטב הדבר בעיני העם, וישלחו מלאכים אל המלך, ויצווה המלך בידם ללכת בדרכי הגויים ובחוקותיהם.
(יז) ויקימו בית משחק בירושלים במשפט הגויים, ולא מלו עוד את בניהם, ויעזבו את ברית הקודש ללכת בחקותם, ויתמכרו לעשות הרע בעיני ה'.
(יח) ויהי כשבת אנטיוכוס בטח על כסא מלכותו, וישאהו לבו לכבוש את ארץ מצרים ולהשתרר על שתי הממלכות.
(יט) ויקום וילך ארצה מצרים, ואת עמו לקח עמו, ויהי לו רכב ופרשים ושנהבים ואוניות, מחנה כבד מאוד.
(כ) וילחם את תלמי מלך מצרים. ויירא תלמי מפניו וינוס, והעם נפלו חללים חללים.
(כא) וילכוד כל עיר מבצר במצרים, ויבוז שלל רב מאוד.
(כב) ויהי אחרי שובו מהכות את מצרים, בשנת שלוש וארבעים ומאה, ויעל על ישראל למלחמה, ויבוא בחיל כבד ועצום ירושלימה.
(כג) ויבוא בעזות מצח אל הקודש פנימה, ויקח את מזבח הזהב ואת המנורה ואת כל כליה, ואת שולחן הפנים ואת קערותיו ואת כפותיו, ואת המזרקות ואת פרוכת המסך ואת הכותרות, וכל עדי הזהב אשר לפני ההיכל, ויקצץ אותם.
(כד) וייקח גם את הכסף ואת הזהב וכל כלי חמדה וכל אוצר טמון אשר מצא, וייקחם ויעבירם אל ארצו.
(כה) ויך מכה רבה בעם, וידבר אליהם בגאווה ובוז.
(כו) ויהי אבל גדול לישראל בכל מושבותם.
(כז) שרים וזקנים נאנחו, בחורים ובתולות אומללו, ופני נשים יפות חמרמרו.
(כח) חתן וכלה בחופתם ספדו ויילילו
(כט) אבלה נבלה הארץ על יושביה, ובכל בית יעקב תאניה ואנייה.
(ל) ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים, וישלח המלך את שר המסים על ערי יהודה, ויעל בעם כבד ירושלימה.
(לא) וידבר אתם טובות, אך תוך ומרמה היו בלבבו.
(לב) כי כאשר האמינו לחלקת שפתיו, ויאספוהו העירה, וייפול עליה באגרוף רשע, ויהרוג עם רב מישראל.
(לג) ויבוז את העיר, ויצת אש בקרבה, ויהרוס את הבתים ואת החומות מסביב.
(לד) וייקח את הנשים ואת הטף ויוליכם בשבי, וינהג את מקניהם.
(לה) ויבצר את עיר דוד בחומות גבוהות ומגדלים, ותהי להם למצודה.
(לו) וישכן אנשי בלייעל בקרבה, ויתחזקו בה, ויצברו בה אוכל ונשק וכל רכוש ירושלים העבירו שמה.
(לז) ויארבו מעל המצודה למקדש ה', וישפכו דם נקי סביבותיו ויחללוהו, ותהי לשטן ולמוקש לישראל ימים רבים.
(לח) וינוס כל אזרח בישראל מירושלים, וזרים ישבו תחתם. ותהי העיר זרה לזרעה, ותקיא את בניה.
(לט) מקדשה היה לשמה, ומועדיה נהפכו לאבל.
(מ) שבתו שבתותיה וכל כבודה לאין,
(מא) ותרב חרפתה וקלונה מתפארתה והדריה.
(מב) ויכתוב המלך אנטיוכוס אל כל מדינות מלכותו לאמור: אך תורה אחת וחוקה אחת לכל יושבי ארצנו.
(מג) ויעזבו כל עמי הארץ את חוקותיהם ויעשו כאשר ציוה אותם המלך.
(מד) ויאותו גם רבים מבני ישראל ויזבחו לאלילים ויחללו את השבת.
(מה) וישלח המלך ספרים ביד הרצים אל ירושלים ולכל ערי יהודה, ויצוום ללכת בדרכי גויי הארץ.
(מו) לבלתי הקריב עוד עולה ומנחה בקודש, ולבלתי הסך נסך לה', ולהפר את השבתות ואת המועדים.
(מז) לחלל את המקדש ואת הכוהנים, ולהקים במות ובתים לאלילים, ולהקריב בשר חזיר וכל בהמה טמאה.
(מח) ויצווה לבלתי המול להם כל זכר, ולשקץ את נפשותם בכל דבר פיגול, להעבירם מחוקות אלוהים ולשנות את דרכם.
(מט) וכל איש אשר ימרה את פי המלך - מות יומת.
(נ) אלה הדברים אשר העביר בכל מדינות מלכותו, ויפקד פקידים על הארץ לעשותם. וישלח לכל ערי יהודה, ויצוום לזבוח זבח.
(נא) וייסוגו רבים ממצות ה' וייצמדו לגויים, ותשחת כל הארץ לפניהם.
(נב) ויהי הם נוגשים את העם, ויתחבאו במערות ובכל מקום אשר מצאו שם מפלט.
(נג) ויהי בשנת מאה וארבעים וחמש, בחמשה עשר יום לחודש כסלו, ויקימו שיקוץ משומם על מזבח ה', ויבנו במות בכל ערי יהודה מסביב.
(נד) ויזבחו ויקטרו בחוצות העיר ולפני פתחי ביתם, ויקרעו את ספרי תורת ה' לקרעים, וישרפו אותם באש.
(נה) וכל אשר נמצא אתו ספר ברית ה', וכל השומר את פי ה', היכו לפי חרב כאשר ציוה המלך.
(נו) כמשפט הזה עשו לבני ישראל מדי חודש בחודשו בהיקבץ העם אל הערים.
(נז) ובחמישה ועשרים יום לחודש זבחו את זבחיהם על הבמה אשר הקימו נוכח מזבח ה'.
(נח) והנשים אשר מלו את בניהן הומתו על פי המלך.
(נט) את העוללים תלו בצווארם, ואת המלים אותם הרגו בחרב ויבוזו את בתיהם.
(ס) ורבים מבני ישראל דבקו בתורת ה' ויישמרו מאכול כל דבר טמא.
(סא) ויבחרו את המוות משקץ את נפשותם, ומחלל את ברית ה', וימותו.
(סב) ויהי קצף גדול על כל ישראל.
(1) And it came to pass, after the triumph of Alexandros the Makedonian, son
(2) of Philippos, who first reigned in Hellas, who came out of the land of Khettiim, had defeated Dareios king of the Persians and the Medes:
(3) And He fought a lot of battles, and took almost all the strong holds, and slew almost all the kings of the earth,
(4) And went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations,
(5) insomuch that the earth was quiet before him; whereupon he was exalted and his heart was lifted up.
(6) And he gathered a mighty strong host and ruled over countries, and nations, and kings, who became tributaries unto him.
(7) And after these things he fell sick, and perceived that he should die.
(8) Wherefore he called his servants, such as were honourable, and had been brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive.
(9) So Alexander reigned twelve years, and then died.
(10) And his servants bare rule every one in his place. And after his death they all put crowns upon themselves;
(11) so did their sons after them many years: and evils were multiplied in the earth.
(12) And there came out of them a wicked root, Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome,
(13) and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.
(14) In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying,
(15) “Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow.”
(16) So this device pleased them well. Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them a license to do after the ordinances of the heathen,
(17) whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen and made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do mischief.
(18) Now when the kingdom was established before Antiochus, he thought to reign over Egypt that he might have the dominion of two realms.
(19) Wherefore he entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots, and elephants, and horsemen, and a great navy,
(20) and made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt: but Ptolemee was afraid of him, and fled; and many were wounded to death.
(21) Thus they got the strong cities in the land of Egypt and he took the spoils thereof.
(22) And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude,
(23) And entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof, And the table of the shewbread, and the pouring vessels, and the vials, and the censers of gold, and the veil, and the crown, and the golden ornaments that were before the temple, all which he pulled off.
(24) He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden treasures which he found.
(25) And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly.
(26) Therefore there was a great mourning in Israel, in every place where they were,
(27) so that the princes and elders mourned, the virgins and young men were made feeble, and the beauty of women was changed.
(28) Every bridegroom took up lamentation, and she that sat in the marriage chamber was in heaviness,
(29) and the land also was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
(30) And after two years fully expired the king sent his chief collector of tribute unto the cities of Juda, who came unto Jerusalem with a great multitude,
(31) And spake peaceable words unto them, but all was deceit:
(32) for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel.
(33) And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side.
(34) But the women and children took they captive, and possessed the cattle.
(35) Then builded they the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with mighty towers, and made it a strong hold for them.
(36) And they put therein a sinful nation, wicked men, and fortified themselves therein. They stored it also with armour and victuals, and when they had gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there,
(37) and so they became a sore snare: For it was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel.
(38) Thus they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it: Insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was made an habitation of strangers, and became strange to those that were born in her; and her own children left her.
(39) Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach her honour into contempt.
(40) As had been her glory, so was her dishonour increased,
(41) and her excellency was turned into mourning.
(42) Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people,
(43) And every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king.
(44) Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath.
(45) For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange laws of the land,
(46) And forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days:
(47) And pollute the sanctuary and holy people: Set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine’s flesh, and unclean beasts:
(48) That they should also leave their children uncircumcised, and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation: To the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances.
(49) And whosoever would not do according to the commandment of the king, he said, he should die.
(50) In the selfsame manner wrote he to his whole kingdom, and appointed overseers over all the people, commanding the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city.
(51) Then many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit every one that forsook the law; and so they committed evils in the land;
(52) And drove the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee for succour.
(53) Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side;
(54) And burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the streets. And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire.
(55) And whosoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if any committed to the law, the king’s commandment was, that they should put him to death.
(56) Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites every month, to as many as were found in the cities.
(57) Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God.
(58) At which time according to the commandment they put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised.
(59) And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them.
(60) Howbeit many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat any unclean thing.
(61) Wherefore the rather to die, that they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not profane the holy covenant: so then they died
(62) And there was very great wrath upon Israel.
Appendix B: Alexander the Great meets Simon the Righteous