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a fortress for Jerusalem, building it up with a great wall and strong towers and settling an army and storing weapons and provisions. And after these things Antiochus sent an old Athenian man, compelling the nation to Hellenize and to cease all worship according to the law; and setting up an idol of Olympian Zeus in the temple on the 15th day of the month Chasleu, in the year 145 according to Josephus, and in Samaria, one of Zeus Xenios, he commanded the books of the law to be torn up and burned, and those who circumcised to be put to death, and the dead bodies of the infants to be hung from the necks of their mothers, and many from Jerusalem died for their ancestral laws. 338 Then a certain Matthias, a priest of the sons of Joarim, son of John, son of Simeon, having departed from Jerusalem, settled in Modein, and he had 5 sons, John, surnamed Gaddis, Simon, called Thasos, Judas, called Maccabeus, Eleazar, called Avaran, Jonathan, also called Sapphus. He mourned the city and the ruin of the nation with his sons, putting on sackcloth, and when the one from the king came, compelling them to sacrifice to idols, when he saw a certain Jew approach the altar in the city of Modein, running up, he slew him and the man from Antiochus who was compelling them to sacrifice, just as Phinehas did to Zimri the son of Salu and the Midianite woman. and he went out, fleeing with his sons and many others of like mind into the wilderness. The king sent an army against them on the day of the Sabbath and killed about 1000 of them. But Matthias, having taken counsel with his friends, decided it was right to fight for the laws on the Sabbath. And he conquered many and liberated cities and destroyed altars. As he was dying, he spoke to those with him about piety, and he appointed his sons in his place as leaders of the people, of whom Judas Maccabeus was the leader. Against him Apollonius, a general of Antiochus, having drawn up in battle with forces of Syrians and Samaritans, was slain with many. Then Seron, commander of the force of Syria, having come against the Jews with a great force, was slain with many. At these things Antiochus became indignant, and while about to go to Persia for the collection of tribute, he commanded Lysias, the one in charge of affairs, to make war on the Jews; who sent out Ptolemy and Gorgias and Nicanor as generals, thinking the Roman tribute of 1000 talents could be provided from the Jewish spoils. but having joined battle with the Jews near Emmaus they were terribly defeated, and in the following year the Greeks suffered similarly. Then Judas, coming to Jerusalem, cleansed the temple of the abominations, besieging those guarding the citadel and 339 fortifying the city, and he made war on the Jews in Acrabattene and the Ammonites and Timothy who was threatening Galaaditis. And against the Tyrians and Sidonians and Ptolemaeans who were ravaging Galilee he sent his brother Simon and drove them all away. among whom, according to Josephus, was the one appointed by Judas as governor of the city and his failure against the city of Jamnia; then the punishment by Judas upon Joppa and those in it on account of the Jews drowned by them and the success of Judas against Jamnia and Timothy. But Antiochus the king, having attacked the Persian city of Elymais in war because of the great wealth stored in it, failed. And when the heroic deeds of Judas were also reported to him, having been overcome by a sickness of despair and insomnia, he died terribly. But Lysias, who was raising his son Antiochus, surnaming him Eupator, established him in power, and with a great force and elephants he marched against the Jews. And a fierce battle having taken place and the royal beast having been killed by Eleazar Savaran, the king made a truce with the Jews. and having entered the city he tore down the wall after the oaths, leaving Judas to rule as far as Ptolemais. And having departed for Antioch quickly against Philip who had returned from Persia with his forces and

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ὀχύρωμα τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐποι κοδομήσας αὐτὴν τείχει μεγάλῳ καὶ πύργοις ὀχυροῖς καὶ ἐγκατοικίσας στράτευμα καὶ ὅπλα καὶ τροφὰς ἀποθέμενος. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπέστειλεν Ἀντίοχος γέροντα Ἀθηναῖον, καταναγκάζοντα τὸ ἔθνος ἑλληνίζειν καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κατὰ νόμον ἀποπαῦσαι λατρείαν· καὶ ἐν τῷ ναῷ ∆ιὸς Ὀλυμ πίου στησάμενος ἄγαλμα τῇ ιεʹ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς Χασελεῦ, ἔτει κατὰ τὸν Ἰώσηππον ρμεʹ, ἐν δὲ Σαμαρείᾳ ∆ιὸς ξενίου, τά τε βιβλία τοῦ νόμου κατα σχίζειν προσέταξε καὶ ἐμπιπρᾶν, τοὺς δὲ περιτεμνομένους θανατοῦν, καὶ τὰ νεκρὰ τῶν βρεφῶν κρεμᾶν ἐκ τῶν τραχήλων τῶν μητέρων, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀπέθανον ὑπὲρ τῶν πατρίων νομίμων. 338 Τότε Ματθίας τις ἱερεὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωαρείμ, υἱὸς Ἰωάννου τοῦ Συμεών, ἐξελθὼν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐκάθισεν ἐν Μωδεείν, καὶ αὐτῷ υἱοὶ εʹ, Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐπιλεγόμενος Γάδδης, Σίμων ὁ καλούμενος Θάσος, Ἰούδας ὁ καλούμενος Μακκαβαῖος, Ἐλεάζαρος ὁ καλούμενος Ἀβαράν, Ἰωνάθας ὁ καὶ Σαπφοῦςοὗτος ἐθρήνει τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ γένους σὺν τοῖς υἱοῖς, περι θέμενος σάκκους, ἐλθόντα δὲ τὸν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καταναγκάζοντα θύειν τοῖς εἰδώλοις, ὡς εἶδε τινὰ προσελθόντα Ἰουδαῖον ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν ἐν Μωδεεὶν τῇ πόλει, δραμὼν ἔσφαξεν αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Ἀντιόχου ἀναγκάζοντα θύειν, ὡς Φινεὲς τὸν Ζαμβρὶ υἱὸν Σαλὼμ καὶ τὴν Μαδιανῖτιν. καὶ ἐξῆλθε φεύγων σὺν τοῖς υἱοῖς καὶ ἄλλοις ὁμογνώμοσι πλείστοις εἰς τὴν ἔρημον. οἷς ἐπιπέμψας ὁ βασιλεὺς στράτευμα ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σαββάτου ἀνεῖλεν αὐτῶν ἀμφὶ τοὺς α. Ματθίας δὲ βουλευσάμενος σὺν τοῖς φίλοις ἔγνω καλὸν εἶναι πολεμεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν νομίμων ἐν σάββασι. καὶ ἐκράτησε πολλῶν καὶ πόλεις ἠλευθέρωσε καὶ βωμοὺς κατεστρέψατο. Οὗτος ἀποθνήσκων περὶ εὐσεβείας τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ διελέχθη, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀντ' αὐτοῦ κατέστησεν ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ, ὧν Ἰούδας ἡγεῖτο ὁ Μακ καβαῖος. πρὸς τοῦτον Ἀπολλώνιος Ἀντιόχου στρατηγὸς παραταξάμενος μετὰ δυνάμεων Σύρων καὶ Σαμαρέων ἀναιρεῖται σὺν πολλοῖς. Ἔπειτα Σήρων ἄρχων δυνάμεως Συρίας ἐπελθὼν Ἰουδαίοις μετὰ δυνά μεως μεγάλης ἀναιρεῖται σὺν πολλοῖς. πρὸς ταῦτα ἀγανακτήσας Ἀντίοχος, μέλλων ἐπὶ τὴν Περσίδα πορεύεσθαι διὰ φόρων συναγωγήν, ἐκέλευσε Λυ σίαν τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων Ἰουδαίοις πολεμεῖν· ὃς Πτολεμαῖον καὶ Γορ γίαν καὶ Νικάνορα στρατηγοὺς ἐκπέμπει, οἰόμενος τὸν Ῥωμαϊκὸν φόρον τὰ α τάλαντα ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν λαφύρων παριστᾶν. συμβαλόντες δὲ περὶ Ἐμμαοῦντα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἡττῶνται δεινῶς, καὶ τῷ ἐφεξῆς ἔτει ὁμοίως πάσχουσιν Ἕλληνες. τότε Ἰούδας ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὸν ναὸν ἐκάθηρε τῶν βδελυγμάτων, πολιορκῶν τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἄκρᾳ φρουροῦντας καὶ 339 τειχίζων τὴν πόλιν, τοῖς τε ἐν τῇ Ἀκραβεττήνῃ Ἰουδαίοις ἐπολέμει καὶ Ἀμμανίταις καὶ Τιμοθέῳ ἐπικειμένῳ τῇ Γαλααδίτιδι. Τυρίοις δὲ καὶ Σι δωνίοις καὶ Πτολεμαΐδοις πορθοῦσι τὴν Γαλιλαίαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἔπεμψε Σίμωνα καὶ πάντας ἀπέστησεν. ἐν οἷς κατὰ Ἰώσηππον ἐπίτροπον τῆς πόλεως ὑπὸ Ἰούδα κατασταθέντα καὶ ἡ κατὰ Ἰαβανίαν πόλιν ἀποτυχία αὐτοῦ· εἶτα Ἰούδα τιμωρία εἰς Ἰόππην καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ διὰ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῶν καταποντωθέντας Ἰουδαίους καὶ ἡ κατὰ Ἰαβινίας καὶ Τιμοθέου εὐδοκίμησις Ἰούδα. Ἀντίοχος δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἐλυμαΐδι πόλει Περσικῇ διὰ πλοῦτον πολὺν ἀποκείμενον ἐν αὐτῇ προσβαλὼν εἰς πόλεμον ἀποτυγχάνει. ἀπαγγελθέν των δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν Ἰούδα ἀριστευμάτων νόσῳ περιελθὼν ἀθυμίας καὶ ἀυπνίας δεινῶς θνήσκει. Λυσίας δὲ τὸν αὐτοῦ παῖδα Ἀντίοχον ἀνατρέφων Εὐπάτορα προσαγορεύσας ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς καθιστᾷ, μετὰ δυνάμεώς τε πολ λῆς καὶ ἐλεφάντων κατὰ Ἰουδαίων ἐπιστρατεύει. κρατερᾶς δὲ μάχης συστά σης καὶ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ θηρίου ὑπὸ Ἐλεαζάρου τοῦ Σαυαρὰν ἀναιρεθέν τος ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰουδαίοις ἐσπείσατο. καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καθεῖλε τὸ τεῖχος μετὰ τοὺς ὅρκους, Ἰούδαν καταλιπὼν ἄρχειν μέχρι Πτολεμαΐδος. Καὶ ἀναζεύξας εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ὀξέως κατὰ Φιλίππου ἐκ Περσίδος ἐπαν ελθόντος σὺν ταῖς δυνάμεσι καὶ