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holding the high priesthood, but who had become impious. And Alcimus became high priest, who was also called Joachim. And Antiochus, having made war against Philip and having subdued him, killed him. But Onias, the son of the high priest Simon the just, whom his father, as has been said, left behind as a child when he died, seeing that Antiochus had given the high priesthood to Alcimus, one who did not belong to the family of the high priests, flees to Ptolemy in Egypt; and having been honored, he receives a place in the Heliopolite nome, and there he built a temple similar to the one in Jerusalem. But Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, having fled from Rome, and having arrived in Tripolis of Syria, seized both 1.322 Antiochus and Lysias and destroyed them both, after Antiochus had reigned for two years. To this Demetrius, the high priest Alcimus came, along with many fugitives and wicked men from among the Jews, and accused Judas Maccabaeus and the whole nation of having killed his friends. And he, being provoked, sends Bacchides, who was very close to him, with a very great force, having commanded him to kill both Judas and those with him. Who, having come into Judaea, sent to Judas and his brothers, calling them to peace. But they did not trust him. But some of the people, having received oaths from Bacchides, came to him; who, despising the oaths, killed sixty of them and thus checked the impulse of the rest to approach him. And he commanded all in the country to obey the high priest Alcimus. And having accomplished these things, he returned to Antioch. But Alcimus, speaking graciously to each, and winning everyone over, quickly gathered a large force, the majority of whom were from the fugitives and the impious, by whose means he was killing those who sided with Judas; and Judas, on the other hand, was destroying those who followed Alcimus; and he was inciting Demetrius against Judas. Therefore the king again sends Nicanor with a very great host, having commanded him not to spare the nation. And he, having gone forth, attempted to seize Judas by deceit and invited him to peace; but he, having given and received pledges, received Nicanor with his force. And Nicanor, having greeted and conversed with him, gave a sign to his own men to seize Judas. But the man, recognizing the plot, leaping out to the Jews, 1.323 escaped. And the ambush having become known, Nicanor joined open battle, and was victorious. Thence Judas fled to the acropolis of Jerusalem. And Nicanor threatened the people, if they did not hand over Judas to him, to tear down the temple. But Judas, having spoken to the thousand who were with him, urged them to valor, and joining battle with the enemy, he was victorious, with many falling, including Nicanor himself; and the rest fled, and all were destroyed, being overtaken. And thus for a short time the Jews rested from their wars. But when the high priest Alcimus, also called Joachim, was struck by a divine blow and thus departed this life after being high priest for four years, the people bestowed the high priesthood on Judas. But Judas, having heard that the Romans were very powerful, and had subdued Gauls and Iberians and Carthaginians and Libyans and all of Greece and the kings Perseus and Philip and Antiochus, sent asking for friendship, and asked that they write to Demetrius not to make war on the Jews. And the senate both acknowledged the friendship and consented to be allies with the Jews. But Demetrius, having learned of the death of Nicanor and the loss of the army, again sent Bacchides. And he hastened against Judas, who was encamped in a certain village with a thousand men. Those who feared the army with Bacchides advised him to retreat and save himself. But when he said, "May the sun never see this happen, that I should turn my back to the enemy," many of those with him fled. And joining battle with 1.324 Bacchides, he fought indecisively for a long time, but around sunset, pressing hard with the most courageous men on the right wing, where also was the

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ἀρχιερωσύνης κρατήσαντα, γεγονότα δὲ ἀσεβῆ. ἀρχιερεὺς δὲ γέγονεν Αλκιμος, ος καὶ ̓Ιωακεὶμ ἐκαλεῖτο. ὁ δ' ̓Αντίοχος πολεμήσας πρὸς Φίλιππον καὶ χειρωσάμενος αὐτὸν εκτεινεν. ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως Σίμωνος τοῦ δικαίου υἱὸς ̓Ονίας, ον παιδίον ὁ πατὴρ τελευτῶν, ὡς ειρηται, καταλέλοιπεν, οτι τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ̓Αλκίμῳ δέδωκεν ὁ ̓Αντίοχος, μὴ τῷ γένει τῷ τῶν ἀρχιερέων προσήκοντι, φεύγει πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον εἰς Αιγυπτον· καὶ τιμηθεὶς λαμβάνει τόπον ἐν τῷ ̔Ηλιουπολίτῃ νομῷ, καὶ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖ ᾠκοδόμησε τῷ ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις παρεμφερές. ∆ημήτριος δὲ φυγὼν ἐκ ̔Ρώμης ὁ Σελεύκου υἱός, καὶ καταντήσας τῆς Συρίας εἰς Τρίπολιν, τόν τε 1.322 ̓Αντίοχον καὶ τὸν Λυσίαν συλλαβὼν καὶ αμφω διέφθειρεν, ἐπὶ δύο ἐνιαυτοὺς τοῦ ̓Αντιόχου βασιλεύσαντος. τούτῳ τῷ ∆ημητρίῳ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς Αλκιμος προσελθών, καὶ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων πολλοὶ φυγάδες καὶ πονηροί, κατηγόρουν ̓Ιούδα τοῦ Μακκαβαίου καὶ τοῦ εθνους παντὸς ὡς τοὺς αὐτοῦ φίλους ἀπεκτονότων. ὁ δὲ παροξυνθεὶς πέμπει Βακχίδην αὐτῷ οἰκειότατον μετὰ μεγίστης δυνάμεως, ἐντειλάμενος αὐτῷ κτεῖναι καὶ τὸν ̓Ιούδαν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ. ος εἰς τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν ἐλθὼν επεμψε πρὸς τὸν ̓Ιούδαν καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἀδελφούς, ἐπὶ εἰρήνην αὐτοὺς καλῶν. οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ. τινὲς δὲ τῶν τοῦ δήμου λαβόντες ορκους παρὰ Βακχίδου προσῆλθον αὐτῷ· ος τῶν ορκων καταφρονήσας ἑξήκοντα τούτων ἀπέκτεινε καὶ ουτω τῶν λοιπῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ αὐτῷ προσιέναι ἀνέκοψε. τοῖς δ' ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ πᾶσι προσέταξεν ὑπακούειν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ̓Αλκίμου. καὶ ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος εἰς ̓Αντιόχειαν ἐπανῆλθε. Αλκιμος δὲ πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλῶν ἑκάστῳ, καὶ πάντας ὑποποιούμενος, ταχὺ πολλὴν συνέλεξε δύναμιν, ων οἱ πλείους ἐκ τῶν φυγάδων ησαν καὶ ἀσεβῶν, δι' ων τοὺς τὰ ̓Ιούδα φρονοῦντας ἐκτίννυε· καὶ ̓Ιούδας δ' ἑτέρωθεν τοὺς τὰ ̓Αλκίμου πράττοντας διέφθειρεν· ὁ δὲ τὸν ∆ημήτριον κατὰ τοῦ ̓Ιούδα ἠρέθιζε. πέμπει τοίνυν αυθις ὁ βασιλεὺς Νικάνορα μετὰ μεγίστης χειρός, ἐντειλάμενος τοῦ εθνους μὴ φείσασθαι. κἀκεῖνος ἀπελθὼν δόλῳ κατασχεῖν ἐπεχείρησε τὸν ̓Ιούδαν καὶ πρὸς εἰρήνην προεκαλεῖτο αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ πίστεις δοὺς καὶ λαβὼν τὸν Νικάνορα μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰσεδέξατο. καὶ ἀσπασάμενος αὐτὸν ὁ Νικάνωρ καὶ προσομιλῶν σημεῖον τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δέδωκε συλλαβεῖν τὸν ̓Ιούδαν. γνοὺς δὲ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ὁ ἀνὴρ πρὸς τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους ἐκπη1.323 δήσας ἐξέφυγε. γνωσθείσης δὲ τῆς ἐνέδρας φανερὰν μάχην συνεκρότησεν ὁ Νικάνωρ, καὶ νενίκηκεν. ἐντεῦθεν ̓Ιούδας εἰς τὴν τῶν ̔Ιεροσολύμων ἀκρόπολιν κατέφυγε. Νικάνωρ δὲ ἠπείλησε τῷ λαῷ, εἰ μὴ παραδῴη αὐτῷ τὸν ̓Ιούδαν, καταβαλεῖν τὸν ναόν. ὁ δὲ ̓Ιούδας τοῖς μετ' αὐτοῦ χιλίοις ουσι διαλεχθεὶς παρώρμησε σφᾶς εἰς ἀλκήν, καὶ συμβαλὼν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνίκησε, πολλῶν πεσόντων καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Νικάνορος· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ εφευγον, καὶ πάντες ἐφθάρησαν καταλαμβανόμενοι. καὶ ουτω πρὸς ὀλίγον ̓Ιουδαῖοι ἐκ τῶν πολέμων ἀνεπαύσαντο. Τοῦ δὲ ἀρχιερέως ̓Αλκίμου τοῦ καὶ ̓Ιωακεὶμ θεηλάτῳ βληθέντος πληγῇ καὶ ουτω τὴν ζωὴν ἀπορρήξαντος μετὰ ετη τέσσαρα τοῦ ἀρχιερατεῦσαι, τῷ ̓Ιούδᾳ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἀπένειμεν ὁ λαός. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ̓Ιούδας μέγα δύνασθαι τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους, καὶ χειρώσασθαι Γαλάτας καὶ Ιβηρας καὶ Καρχηδονίους καὶ Λίβυας καὶ τὴν ̔Ελλάδα πᾶσαν καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς Περσέα καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ ̓Αντίοχον, επεμψε φιλίαν αἰτῶν, καὶ ∆ημητρίῳ γράψαι ἠξίου μὴ πολεμεῖν ̓Ιουδαίοις. ἡ δὲ σύγκλητος καὶ φιλίαν ὡμολόγησε καὶ συμμαχεῖν ̓Ιουδαίοις κατένευσε. ∆ημήτριος δὲ τὸν θάνατον μαθὼν τοῦ Νικάνορος καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, πάλιν τὸν Βακχίδην ἀπέστειλεν. ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ̓Ιούδαν ἠπείγετο, ἐστρατοπεδευκότα εν τινι κώμῃ μετὰ χιλίων. οι τὸ μετὰ Βακχίδου δείσαντες στράτευμα, συνεβούλευον αὐτῷ ἀναχωρεῖν καὶ σώζεσθαι. ὡς δ' ἐκεῖνος "μὴ τοῦτο" ειπεν "ιδοι γινόμενον ηλιος ωστε με νῶτα δοῦναι τοῖς ἐναντίοις," πολλοὶ τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ εφυγον. συμβαλὼν δὲ τῷ 1.324 Βακχίδῃ μέχρι πολλοῦ ἀγχωμάλως ἐμάχετο, περὶ δέ γε δυσμὰς ἐπιβρίσας μετὰ τῶν εὐψυχοτάτων ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ κέρατι, οπου καὶ ὁ