xiv. * Contents. Demetrius took control during a turbulent time of the Empire, and spent much of his time fighting off revolts and challenges to his power from threats such as Timarchus and Alexander Balas. 32About five hundred men of Nicanors army fell; the rest fled to the City of David. Simon, Mattathias son, a priest of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers bravely faced danger and fought against the enemies of their nation. 8, 10, 11; "Ant." 50And so for a few days* the land of Judah was at rest. They accepted him as king and he began to reign there. In general, its chronology coheres with that of I Maccabees. l.c.). 49-52; comp. 14 In the one hundred seventy-second year King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to obtain help, so that he could make war against Trypho. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! He sought lawful ways. Balas allied with Jonathan: he appointed him as High Priest of Judea and strategos, and Jonathan agreed to send Jewish troops to support Balas's cause. 3d ed., i. Jonathan was nevertheless treacherously assassinated, and the hostages were not returned. (J) 17When they heard that his brother Simon had become high priest in his stead and that he was ruling over the country and the towns in it,(K) 18they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers Judas and Jonathan. Death of Judas. At the same time he placed his son John, who resided at Gazara, in charge of a portion of the army (ib. But who is heDavid, Alcimus, Judas, or someone else? His fame spread to the ends of the earth. They reasserted the Jewish religion, expanded the boundaries of Judea by conquest, and reduced the influence of Hellenism and Hellenistic Judaism. 9He sent him and the renegade Alcimus, to whom he granted the high priesthood, with orders to take revenge on the Israelites. 7, 4). 17Forever blessed be our God, who has thus punished the impious! 3 The general[ a] went and . When the revolt began under the leadership of Mattathias, it was seen as a war for religious freedom to end the oppression of the Seleucids. Demetrius, son of Seleucus, was the lawful heir to the kingdom; but when only nine years old, he was taken as a hostage to Rome in place of his uncle, who ruled as Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The country now enjoyed a lasting peace, and the author of the First Book of Maccabees (xiv. 6, 5). "Maccabee" redirects here. After the capture of Jonathan, Simon was elected leader () by the people, assembled at Jerusalem; he at once completed the fortification of the capital, and made Joppa secure by expelling its Gentile inhabitants and filling it with Jews (I Macc. "Jewish Paideia: Greek Education in the Letter of Aristeas and 2 Maccabees. Judas Maccabees defeats King Demetrius. They took possession of the land of Judah and caused great distress in Israel. 1, 4-5). 22and all those who were troubling the people gathered about him. 3 . 41The Jews and their priests have resolved that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise. 31After the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemiah ordered the rest of the liquid to be poured upon large stones. [8] When Demetrius heard of it, he wrote a letter offering more privileges to Jonathan (1 Macc. After the material for the sacrifices had been prepared, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the wood and what lay on it with the liquid. [12] Jason, the brother of Onias, bribed Antiochus to make him High Priest instead of Onias. Their friendship was broken by the intrigues of Alcimus (2Mc 14:2630). The Maccabees were a family of Jews who resisted the authority of Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria and his successors who had usurped authority over the Jews, conquered Jerusalem, and strove to introduce idolatrous worship. 14In the year 172,[a] King Demetrius gathered together his military forces. Summarizing the achievements of Simon Maccabees. However, as the Maccabees realized how successful they had been, many wanted to continue the revolt and conquer other lands with Jewish populations or to convert their peoples. According to one tradition, their individual names are Habim, Antonin, Guriah, Eleazar, Eusebon, Hadim (Halim), Marcellus, their mother Solomonia, and their teacher Eleazar.[38]. Capture of Demetrius. 36In his days, things prospered under his leadership so that the Gentiles were driven out of the country, as well as those in Davids City in Jerusalem, who had built themselves an elevated fortress. Jason subsequently drove out Menelaus and became High Priest again. * [7:40] Adasa: a village between Jerusalem and Beth-horon. According to Willrich, this record can not have been quoted in the original text of the Maccabees, since the inscription states that Simon sent his deputation to Rome before he was recognized by Demetrius, and regards the Roman alliance as the motive for this confirmation, whereas xiv. He then speaks of the honor shown the Jewish people by other nations, declaring (xiv. But he arrested sixty of them and killed them in one day, according to the words that he wrote:*. Palstinas, pp. 22We made this record in our public decrees concerning what they said: Numenius, Antiochus son, and Antipater, Jasons son, Jewish representatives, have come to renew their friendship with us. Ask the Rabbi", "The Samaritans during the Hasmonean Period: The Affirmation of a Discrete Identity? [1][9], In 1919 Constantine Cavafy published a poem about Demetrius's time as a hostage in Rome. The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple following Judah Maccabee's victory over the Seleucids. Simon Maccabees makes an alliance with Rome and Sparta. xiii. CEB Common English Bible Audio Edition New Testament with music - Unabridged Audiobook [Download], CEB Common English Bible Audio Edition with music - John - Unabridged Audiobook [Download], The CEB Lectio Divina Prayer Bible, Bonded Leather, CEB Common English Bible New Testament - eBook, CEB Thinline Bible--bonded leather, burgundy, CEB Common English Bible Acts of the Apostles - eBook [ePub] - eBook. [35] Both books are included in the Old Testament used by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches,[36] since those churches consider the books deuterocanonical. 37; comp. Even during the lifetime of his brothers Judah and Jonathan, Simon took a prominent part in the war of liberation waged against the Syrians: he succored the hard-pressed Jews in Galilee; avenged, in conjunction with Jonathan, the death of his brother John; and fought successfully against Bacchides (I Macc. Alliance of Ptolemy and Demetrius II. [j](AI) 48And they gave orders to inscribe this decree on bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary,(AJ) 49and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.(AK). 1 Maccabees 10:50 Alexander; some manuscripts have Demetrius. But Judas enemies were prepared to seize him. 29Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses said.e, 30Then the priests sang hymns. Its commander Lysias, preoccupied with internal Seleucid affairs, agreed to a political compromise that restored religious freedom. and added to the vessels of the sanctuary. (W) 33He fortified the towns of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, and he placed there a garrison of Jews. (G)9Old men sat in the streets;they all talked together of good things,and the youths put on splendid military attire.10He supplied the towns with foodand furnished them with the means of defense,until his renown spread to the ends of the earth. 38 Our previous agreements with you are confirmed, and the fortresses which you have built . In addition, he should be clothed in royal purple and wear gold. His first act was to put to death young Antiochus, his cousin, and his minister Lysias (Appian, Syriac., c. 47; Ant, XII, x, 1; 1 Maccabees 7:1-4; 2 Maccabees. As the opponent of Trypho, Simon had every reason to side with Demetrius II., to whom he sent a deputation requesting freedom from taxation for the country. was one of the four major Jewish prophets. 3, 9). You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. c. [1:1217] 2Mc 9:129; 1Mc 6:113; Dn 11:4045. 25-30; "Ant." (AA) 37He settled Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city and built the walls of Jerusalem higher. According to rabbinic tradition, the victorious Maccabees could only find a small jug of oil that had remained uncontaminated by virtue of a seal, and although it only contained enough oil to sustain the Menorah for one day, it miraculously lasted for eight days, by which time further oil could be procured.[30]. [6] The traditional Jewish explanation is that Maccabee (Hebrew: Machabi) is an acronym for the Torah verse that was the battle-cry of the Maccabees, "Mi chamocha ba'elim YHWH", "Who is like You among the heavenly powers, Lord! ), who was involved in the history of Caesar and Mark Antony. The Seleucid empire was temporarily united again. 3 The general went and defeated the army of Demetrius. * [1:8] Our prayer was heard: in the victory of the Maccabees. 215164BCE) became ruler of the Seleucid Empire in 175BCE, Onias III held the office of High Priest in Jerusalem. [10][22] What began as a civil war took on the character of an invasion when the Hellenistic kingdom of Syria sided with the Hellenizing Jews against the traditionalists. * [1:1417] Differing accounts of the death of Antiochus IV are found in 2Mc 9:129 and in 1Mc 6:116 (see also Dn 11:4045). (AD) 40For he had heard that the Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brothers and that the Romans[h] had received the envoys of Simon with honor. Bible 1 Maccabees Chapter 13 1 Simon heard that Trypho had collected a large army to invade and devastate Judaea, 2 and when he saw how the people were quaking with fear, he went up to Jerusalem, called the people together, The fact that his request was granted implied the recognition of the political independence of Judea. The Maccabean story is preserved in the books of the First and Second Maccabees, which describe in detail the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah. To Antiochus, the High Priest was merely a local governor within his realm, a man whom he could appoint or dismiss at will, while orthodox Jews saw the holder of the High Priesthood as divinely appointed. The Maccabees destroyed pagan altars in the villages, circumcised boys and forced Jews into outlawry. Copyright 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. According to his custom, he was traveling through the country holding court, when, in the fortress of Docus, near Jericho, he and his sons Mattathias and Judah were slain by his son-in-law Ptolemeus at a banquet prepared by the last-mentioned (I Macc. xiii. 36Nehemiah and his companions called the liquid nephthar, meaning purification, but most people named it naphtha. 1 Maccabees 10:57 the year 162: This corresponds to 150 B.C. The royal palace: at Antioch. Demetrius I (Greek: `, 185 June 150 BC), surnamed Soter (Greek: - "Savior"), reigned as king (basileus) of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire from November 162 June 150 BC. He arrested Demetrius and took him to Arsaces, who put him under guard. * f. * [1:7] Demetrius: Demetrius II, king of Syria (145139, 129125 B.C.). II Maccabees focuses on the Jews' revolt against Antiochus and concludes with the defeat of the Syrian general Nicanor in 161 bce by Judas Maccabeus, the hero of the work. Expedition of Bacchides and Alcimus. 20Many years later, when it so pleased God, Nehemiah, commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to look for it. His father was likely murdered by his finance minister Heliodorus in 175 BC;[3][4] his uncle Antiochus IV Epiphanes overthrew Heliodorus and took the throne himself. * [7:31] Capharsalama: a village north of Jerusalem whose precise location is disputed. Numismatics); it is therefore not certain that they were struck by Simon, and Schrer is particularly disinclined to ascribe them to his reign ("Gesch." 45The Jews pursued them a days journey from Adasa to near Gazara, blowing the trumpets behind them as signals. The Hasmonean dynasty ended in 37BCE when the Idumean Herod the Great became king of Israel,[12] designated "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate,[16][34] effectively transforming the Hasmonean Kingdom into the Herodian Kingdom a client kingdom of Rome. The high esteem in which Simon was held by foreign powers impelled the people to show their appreciation of him, and on Elul 18, 141 B.C., the assembly of the priests, the people, the leaders of the people, and the elders of the land resolved that Simon should be the high priest, strategus, and ethnarch of the Jews, "forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet" (I Macc. With the help of the Greek historian Polybius, Demetrius escaped from confinement and made his way to the Seleucid capital Antioch. 53). Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name Dmtrios ( ), meaning "Demetris" - "devoted to goddess Demeter ". 44None of the people or the priests can annul these decisions or oppose what he says. 4open your heart to his law and commandments and grant you peace, 21Alcimus struggled to maintain his high priesthood, Common English Bible (CEB). They dismembered the bodies, cut off their heads and tossed them to the people outside. They offered their indirect support and encouragement to any who would seek to divide the Seleucid Empire, and hence weaken it. 1 Maccabeesand S. Tedesche, The First Book of Maccabees(Dropsie College Edition of Jewish Apocryphal Literature; New York: Harper & Brothers, 1950). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. A large Seleucid army was sent to quash the revolt, but returned to Syria on the death of Antiochus IV. Demetrius (biblical figure) The name Demetrius occurs in two places in the New Testament : a Diana -worshipping silversmith who incited a riot against the Apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus. ); cf. 24The prayer was as follows: Lord, Lord God, creator of all things, awesome and strong, just and merciful, the only king and benefactor, Deepen your knowledge of Scripture for less than $5/mo. 44When his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their weapons and fled. 19Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem and camped in Beth-zaith. Try it free today. Simon gave support to Demetrius II Nicator, the Seleucid king, and in return Demetrius exempted the Maccabees from tribute. 41). Heracleides convinced the Roman Senate to support the young pretender against Demetrius I. Balas's mercenary army landed and occupied Ptolemais, and started a reign proclaiming himself as king of the Seleucids in Seleucid year 160 (153152 BC). I will come with a few men to meet you face to face in peace., 29So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. 1 Then the king of Egypt gathered forces as numerous as the sands of the seashore, and many ships; and he sought by deceit to take Alexander's kingdom and add it to his own. and was probably written about 100 B.C. Since Trypho could gain nothing by force, he craftily demanded a ransom for Jonathan and the surrender of Jonathan's sons as hostages. Senate: the council of Jewish elders of Jerusalem; cf. Antiochus VII. (E)6He extended the borders of his nationand gained full control of the country.7He gathered a host of captives;he ruled over Gazara and Beth-zur and the citadel,and he removed its uncleanness from it,and there was none to oppose him. 2017. They were led by Alcimus,* who desired to be high priest. He marched into Media to find help, in order to wage war against Trypho. 10Dated in the one hundred and eighty-eighth year.*. The revolt involved many battles, in which the Maccabean forces gained notoriety among the Seleucid army for their use of guerrilla tactics. ; I Macc. Antiochus pillaged the Temple, attacked Jerusalem and "led captive the women and children"[14] (168 BCE). This day in the Jewish calendar was called the Day of Nicanor (2Mc 15:36), but it was not long celebrated by the Jews. CHAPTER 10. After the victory, the Maccabees entered Jerusalem in triumph and ritually cleansed the Temple, reestablishing traditional Jewish worship there and installing Jonathan Maccabee as high priest. The second book of Maccabees deals with the years 175-160 and therefore . The First Book of Macabbees is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. 25who alone are gracious, just, almighty, and eternal, Israels savior from all evil, who chose our ancestors and sanctified them: and furnished them with the means of defense. 1a In the one hundred and fifty-first year,* Demetrius, son of Seleucus, set out from Rome, arrived with a few men at a coastal city, and began to rule there. 2), that Judah and Jerusalem were released from the payment of the "crown tax" () on Iyyar 27 may refer to this event. Jason abolished the traditional theocracy and "received from Antiochus permission to convert Jerusalem into a Greek polis called Antioch". Jonathan did not accept the offer, whether from trust in Balas, distrust in Demetrius, belief that Balas was likely to win the civil war, or a combination of all three. [7], Balas defeated and killed Demetrius I in 150 BC, becoming the sole king of Syria. 33He fortified the towns of Judea and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where enemy weapons had been stored in the past, and placed a group of Jewish soldiers there. (AE), 41The Jews and their priests have resolved that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise,(AF) 42and that he should be governor over them and[i] appoint officials over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, 43and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold. d. [1:18] 2Mc 6:7; 10:5; 1Mc 1:59; 4:59. e. [1:29] 2Mc 2:18; Ex 15:17; Dt 30:35. In I Macc. 2 Who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they . If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Capture of Demetrius. The first book embraces events from 175 to 134 b.c. [1][2] They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 167BCE to 37BCE,[3] being a fully independent kingdom from about 110 to 63 BCE. Whether the inscription is authentic or not, it is at least certain that Simon bequeathed his dignities to his children, and thus became the founder of the Hasmonean dynasty. In Jerusalem from confinement and made his way to the words that he wrote Letter... Jewish Paideia: Greek Education in the United States of America they reasserted the Jewish festival of Hanukkah the. Whose precise location is disputed demanded a ransom for Jonathan and the author of the First embraces! Cavafy published a poem about Demetrius 's time as a hostage in Rome surrender of Jonathan 's as... 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