1 Maccabees 1
Although the book is biased, it is not the worst of all historical studies from Antiquity; in fact, the author is quite capable. He presents the Jewish leaders Judas, Jonathan, and Simon as devout people and has little sympathy for people who favor hellenization, but it must be noted that he nowhere mentions divine intervention.
The contents of the book can be summarized as follows:
- Chapter 1-2: The hellenization of Judah and the non-violent resistance by Mattathias;
- Chapter 3-9: Military actions by Judas the Maccabaean ('battle hammer'): after 166, he defeats the Seleucid armies three times and liberates Jerusalem, where the temple is purified; more operations; Judas' defeat and death in 161;
- Chapter 9-12: Continued warfare, led by Judas' brother Jonathan (160-143), who, benefiting from wars of succession in the Seleucid Empire, restores the fortunes of the Jewish nationalists and adds to their territories;
- Chapter 13-16: The third brother, Simon, achieves political independence, and founds the Hasmonaean dynasty.
The first chapter of 1 Maccabees is offered here in the Revised Standard version.
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After Alexander
son of Philip,
the Macedonian,
who came from the land of Kittim,[1]
had defeated Darius,
king of the Persians and the Medes,
he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of
Greece.) 
He
fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings
of the earth. 
He
advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. When the
earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and his heart was lifted
up. 
He
gathered a very strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and
princes,
and they became tributary to him.
After
this he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. 
So
he summoned his most honored officers, who had been brought up with him
from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still
alive. 
And
after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died.
Then
his officers began to rule, each in his own place. 
They
all put on crowns after his death, and so did their sons after them for
many years; and they caused many evils on the earth. 
From
them came forth a sinful root, Antiochus
Epiphanes, son of Antiochus
the king; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one
hundred
and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks [the Seleucid
Era; 175/174].
In
those days lawless
men came forth from Israel,
and misled many, saying, "Let us go and make a covenant with the
Gentiles
round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come
upon
us."
This
proposal pleased
them, 
and
some
of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe
the
ordinances of the Gentiles. 
So
they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile
custom, 
and
removed the marks of circumcision,[2]
and abandoned the
holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do
evil.
When
Antiochus
saw that his kingdom was established, he determined to become king of
the
land of Egypt, that he might reign over both kingdoms. 
So
he invaded Egypt with a strong force, with chariots and elephants and
cavalry
and with a large fleet. 
He
engaged Ptolemy
[VI Philometor], the king of Egypt, in battle, and Ptolemy
turned
and fled before him, and many were wounded and fell. 
And
they captured the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he
plundered
the land of Egypt.
[Autumn
169] After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one
hundred
and forty-third year. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem
with
a strong force. 
He
arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand
for the light, and all its utensils. 
He
took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink
offerings,
the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold
decoration
on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. 
He
took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the
hidden treasures which he found. 
Taking
them all, he departed to his own land. He committed deeds of murder,
and
spoke with great arrogance.
[167]Israel mourned deeply in every community,
rulers and elders groaned,
maidens and young men became faint,
the beauty of women faded.
Every bridegroom took up the lament;
she who sat in the bridal chamber was mourning.
Even the land shook for its inhabitants,
and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.
Two
years later the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of
tribute,
and he came to Jerusalem with a large force. 
Deceitfully
he spoke peaceable words to them, and they believed him; but he
suddenly
fell upon the city, dealt it a severe blow, and destroyed many people
of
Israel. 
He
plundered
the city, burned it with fire, and tore down its houses and its
surrounding
walls. 
And
they
took captive the women and children, and seized the cattle.
Then
they fortified
the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers, and it
became
their citadel. 
And
they stationed there a sinful people, lawless men. These strengthened
their
position; 
they
stored up arms and food, and collecting the spoils of Jerusalem they
stored
them there, and became a great snare.
It became an ambush against the sanctuary,
an evil adversary of Israel continually.
On every side of the sanctuary they shed innocent blood;
they even defiled the sanctuary.
Because of them the residents of Jerusalem fled;
she became a dwelling of strangers;
she became strange to her offspring,
and her children forsook her.
Her sanctuary became desolate as a desert;
her feasts were turned into mourning,
her sabbaths into a reproach, her honor into contempt.
Her dishonor now grew as great as her glory;
her exaltation was turned into mourning.
Then the king
wrote
to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, 
and
that each should give up his customs. 
All
the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel
gladly
adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the
sabbath. 
And
the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of
Judah;
he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, 
to
forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the
sanctuary,
to profane sabbaths and feasts, 
to
defile the sanctuary and the priests, 
to
build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice
swine
and unclean animals, 
and
to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves
abominable
by everything unclean and profane, 
so
that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances. 
"And
whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die."
In
such words he
wrote to his whole kingdom. And he appointed inspectors over all the
people
and commanded the cities of Judah to offer sacrifice, city by
city. 
Many
of the people, every one who forsook the law, joined them, and they did
evil in the land; 
they
drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had.
Now
on the fifteenth
day of Kislev,
in the one hundred and forty-fifth year [SE;
6 December 167], they erected a desolating sacrilege upon
the altar
of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of
Judah, 
and
burned
incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. 
The
books of the law which they found they tore to pieces and burned with
fire. 
Where
the book of the covenant was found in the possession of any one, or if
any one adhered to the law, the decree of the king condemned him to
death. 
They
kept using violence against Israel, against those found month after
month
in the cities.
And
on the twenty-fifth
day of the month [3] they offered
sacrifice on the altar
which was upon the altar of burnt offering. 
According
to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children
circumcised, 
and
their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the
infants
from their mothers' necks.
But
many in Israel
stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean
food. 
They
chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy
covenant;
and they did die. 
And
very great wrath came upon Israel.
>> to chapter 2 >>
Kittim is an expression to describe people from the west.
Note 2:
The operation to undo circumcision is described by Celsus, On
Medicine, 7.25.1c.
Latest revision: 13 October 2006
