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using it, he will work countless terrible things against the nation. "But he shall come up, and shall prevail against him with a small nation." For having deceived the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as if intending to enter peacefully, first he dared to set foot in the holy of holies of the divine temple, then having removed all the overlaying ornament and the vessels dedicated to the divine liturgy, he departed. But again, campaigning against the city, he slaughtered eighty thousand people, and not even being satisfied with this, he sent his generals and committed countless other murders. Foretelling these things, he says: "And he shall prevail against him with a small nation. (24.) And he shall come in prosperity, and upon the rich countries." For he will not arrive with a few men on account of need, he says, but on account of the arrogance of his mind; for he has both prosperity and the enjoyment of countless rich nations, and those providing much tribute. "And he will do what his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter plunder and substance and spoils among them." For whereas all his fathers and all his ancestors honored the nation of the Jews, this one will do all the opposite, killing and plundering and enslaving, and giving their possessions as gifts to his fellow soldiers. "And against Egypt, he says, he will devise his schemes, and for a time." That is, he will not prevail for long. 25. "And his strength and his heart will be stirred up against the king of the South with a great force." The first history of the Maccabees also teaches of this attack of his against Egypt. "For Antiochus," it says, "entered Egypt with a heavy host, and with chariots and elephants, and horsemen, and with a great fleet, and he made war against Ptolemy king of Egypt, and Ptolemy was turned away from his face, and fled, and many wounded fell, and they took the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and took the spoils of Egypt. And being taught these things beforehand, the blessed Daniel heard. "And the king of the South will join battle with him, with a great and very strong force, and he shall not stand, for they will devise schemes against him." That is, they will use many and various ambushes against him. 20. "And they shall eat," he says, "his provisions." That is, they will consume all his revenue, and plundering the tribute paid to him, they will transfer it to themselves. "And they will crush him, 81.1520 and he will destroy his forces, and many wounded shall fall." For he will destroy not only him, but also his army like a flood, and will work great slaughter. 27. "And both kings," he says, "their hearts shall be for evil, and at one table they shall speak lies, and it shall not prosper." For the Romans, as Josephus the historian teaches us, having learned of this campaign of his, pledged him to withdraw from Egypt; whence having made a truce, he says, for peace, he also shared a table with Ptolemy. But teaching the treacherous nature of the friendship, the one speaking to Daniel says, "And both kings," he says, "their hearts shall be for evil, and at one table they shall speak lies, and it shall not prosper." That is, the peace will not be secure. "For there is yet an end for a time." That is, for again, when this time has passed, they will clash and be drawn up for battle. 28. "And he shall return," he says, "to his own land with much substance." But nevertheless then, he says, with much wealth and great substance, he will return to his own kingdom. "And his heart shall be against the holy covenant." But he will henceforth have one concern, to abolish the law given by God to the Jews. And having planned these things, he will also bring his plans to completion. "For he shall do it," he says, "and shall return to his own land." And this also the book of the Maccabees and the history of Josephus teach. 29. "And at his time he will return, and come to the South, and it shall not be as the first and the last" That is, he will not conquer and prevail in the same way, but being defeated he will return. And the 'at his time' the suitable

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χρώμενος μυρία δεινὰ εἰς τὸ ἔθνος ἐργάσεται. "Ἀναβήσεται δὲ καὶ ὑπερισχύσει αὐτοῦ ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἔθνει." Ἐξαπατή σας γὰρ τοὺς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα οἰκοῦντας, ὡς μετ' εἰρή νης εἰσιέναι μέλλων, πρῶτον μὲν ἐπιβῆναι τῶν ἀδύτων ἐτόλμησε τοῦ θείου νεὼ, ἔπειτα ἅπαντα τὸν ἐπικεί μενον κόσμον ἀφελὼν, καὶ τὰ ἀφιερωμένα τῇ θείᾳ λειτουργίᾳ σκεύη, οὕτως ἐξελήλυθεν. Αὖθις δὲ πάλιν ἐπιστρατεύσας τῇ πόλει, ὀκτὼ μὲν μυριάδας ἀνθρώ πων κατέσφαξε, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἀρκεσθεὶς, τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ στρατηγοὺς ἀποστείλας, ἑτέρους πάλιν μυρίους φόνους εἰργάσατο. Ταῦτα προσημαίνων φησί· "Καὶ ὑπερισχύσει αὐτοῦ ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἔθνει. (κδʹ.) Καὶ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ, καὶ ἐν πίοσι χώραις ἥξει." Οὔτε γὰρ δι' ἀπορίαν, φησὶ, μετ' ὀλίγων ἀφίξεται, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ φρονήματος ἀλαζονείαν· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ εὐθηνία καὶ ἀπόλαυσις μυρίων ἐθνῶν πιόνων, καὶ φόρον πολὺν χορηγούντων. "Καὶ ποιήσει ἃ οὐκ ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ πατέρες τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ· προνομὴν καὶ ὕπαρξιν, καὶ σκῦλα αὐτοῖς διασκορπιεῖ." Πάντων γὰρ αὐτοῦ τῶν πα τέρων, καὶ τῶν προγόνων ἁπάντων τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος τετιμηκότων, τἀναντία οὗτος πάντα ἐργάσε ται, ἀναιρῶν καὶ ληϊζόμενος, καὶ ἐξανδραποδιζόμε νος, καὶ τοῖς συστρατευομένοις τὰ τούτων δωρούμε νος. "Καὶ ἐπ' Αἴγυπτον, φησὶ, λογιεῖται λογισμοὺς αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἕως καιροῦ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ κρατήσει. κεʹ. "Καὶ ἐξεγερθήσεται ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ καρ δία αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ βασιλέα τοῦ Νότου, ἐν δυνάμει μεγάλῃ." Ταύτην αὐτοῦ τὴν κατὰ τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἔφοδον, καὶ ἡ πρώτη τῶν Μακκαβαίων διδάσκει ἱστορία. "Εἰσ ῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἀντίοχος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐν ὄχλῳ βαρεῖ, καὶ ἐν ἅρμασι καὶ ἐλέφασι, καὶ ἱππεῦσι, καὶ ἐν στόλῳ μεγάλῳ, καὶ συνεστήσατο πόλεμον πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἐνετράπη Πτολε μαῖος ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔφυγε, καὶ ἔπεσαν τραυματίαι πολλοὶ, καὶ κατελάβοντο τὰς πόλεις τὰς ὀχυρὰς ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ σκῦλα τῆς, Αἰγύπτου. Καὶ ταῦτα προδιδασκόμενος ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ ἤκουσε. "Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Νότου συνάψει πόλεμον πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἐν δυνάμει μεγάλῃ καὶ ἰσχυρᾷ σφόδρα, καὶ οὐ στήσεται, ὅτι λογιοῦνται ἐπ' αὐτὸν λογισμούς." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, πολλαῖς καὶ παν τοδαπαῖς ἐνέδραις χρήσονται κατ' αὐτοῦ. κʹ. "Καὶ φάγονται, φησὶ, τὰ δέοντα αὐτοῦ." Τουτέστι, καταναλώσουσιν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν τὴν πρόσ οδον, καὶ τὸν τελούμενον αὐτῷ φόρον ληϊζόμενοι εἰς ἑαυτοὺς μεταθήσονται. "Καὶ συντρίψουσιν αὐ 81.1520 τὸν, καὶ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ καταλύσει, καὶ πεσοῦντα· τραυματίαι πολλοί." Οὐκ αὐτὸν γὰρ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν στρατείαν αὐτοῦ δίκην κατακλυσμοῦ διαφθερεῖ, καὶ πολὺν ἐργάσεται φόνον. κζʹ. "Καὶ ἀμφότεροι, φησὶν, οἱ βασιλεῖς, αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τραπέζῃ μιᾷ ψευδῆ λαλήσουσι, καὶ οὐ κατευθυνεῖ." Ῥωμαῖοι γὰρ, ὡς Ἰώσηππος ἡμᾶς ὁ ἱστοριογράφος διδάσκει, ταύ την αὐτοῦ μαθόντες τὴν στρατείαν, παρενεγγύησαν ἀποστῆναι τῆς Αἰγύπτου· ὅθεν σπεισάμενος, φησὶν, εἰρήνην, καὶ τραπέζης ἐκοινώνησε τῷ Πτολεμαίῳ. Τὸ δὲ ὕπουλον τῆς φιλίας διδάσκων ὁ τῷ ∆ανιὴλ προσ διαλεγόμενος, "Καὶ ἀμφότεροι, φησὶν, οἱ βασιλεῖς, αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τραπέζῃ μιᾷ ψευδῆ λαλήσουσι, καὶ οὐ κατευθυνεῖ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐ βεβαία ἔσται ἡ εἰρήνη. "Ὅτι ἔτι πέρας ἔσται εἰς καιρόν." Τουτέστιν, αὖθις γὰρ, τοῦ καιροῦ τούτου διαδραμόντος, συμπλακήσονται καὶ παρατάξονται. κηʹ. "Καὶ ἐπιστρέψει, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν γῆν αὑτοῦ ἐν ὑπάρξει πολλῇ." Ἀλλ' ὅμως τότε, φησὶν, μετὰ πολλοῦ πλούτου, καὶ πολλῆς περιουσίας, εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπαναστρέψει βασιλείαν. "Καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ διαθήκην ἁγίαν." Μίαν δὲ λοιπὸν σχήσει σπουδὴν, ὥστε καταλῦσαι τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις δεδομένον νόμον. Ταῦτα δὲ βουλευσάμενος, καὶ εἰς πέρας ἄξει τὰ βουλεύματα. "Καὶ ποιήσει γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει εἰς τὴν γῆν αὑτοῦ." Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἡ τῶν Μακκαβαίων βίβλος, καὶ ἡ Ἰω σήππου ἱστορία διδάσκει. κθʹ. "Καὶ εἰς τὸν καιρὸν αὑτοῦ ἐπιστρέψει, καὶ ἥξει ἐν τῷ Νότῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὡς ἡ πρώτη καὶ ἡ ἐσχάτη" Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐχ ὁμοίως νικήσει καὶ ἰσχύσει, ἀλλ' ἡττηθεὶς ἐπανήξει. Τὸ δὲ εἰς καιρὸν αὑτοῦ τὸν ἐπιτήδειον