King James Version · Under the Greeks
1 Maccabees 11
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1And the king of gathered together a great host, like the sand that lieth upon the sea shore, and many ships, and went about through deceit to get ’s kingdom, and join it to his own. 2Whereupon he took his journey into Spain in peaceable manner, so as they of the cities opened unto him, and met him: for king had commanded them so to do, because he was his brother in law. 3Now as entered into the cities, he set in every one of them a garrison of soldiers to keep it. 4And when he came near to , they shewed him of that was burnt, and and the suburbs thereof that were destroyed, and the bodies that were cast abroad and them that he had burnt in the battle; for they had made heaps of them by where he should pass. 5Also they told the king whatsoever had done, to the intent he might blame him: but the king held his peace. 6Then met the king with great pomp at , where they saluted one another, and lodged. 7Afterward , when he had gone with the king to the river called Eleutherus, returned again to . 8King therefore, having gotten the of the cities by the sea unto upon the sea coast, imagined counsels against . 9Whereupon he sent ambassadors unto king , saying, Come, let us make a league betwixt us, and I will give thee my daughter whom hath, and thou shalt reign in thy ’s kingdom: 10For I that I gave my daughter unto him, for he sought to me. 11Thus did he slander him, because he was desirous of . 12Wherefore he took his daughter from him, and gave her to , and forsook , so that their hatred was openly known. 13Then entered into , where he set two upon his head, the of , and of . 14In the mean season was king in , because those that dwelt in those parts had revolted from him. 15But when heard of this, he came to war against him: whereupon king brought forth his host, and met him with a mighty , and put him to flight. 16So fled into there to be defended; but king was exalted: 17For the took off ’s head, and sent it unto . 18King also the third day after, and they that were in the strong holds were slain one of another. 19By this means reigned in the hundred threescore and seventh year. 20At the same time gathered together them that were in to take the tower that was in : and he made many engines of war against it. 21Then came ungodly persons, who hated their own people, went unto the king, and told him that besieged the tower, 22Whereof when he heard, he was angry, and immediately removing, he came to , and wrote unto , that he should not lay siege to the tower, but come and speak with him at in great haste. 23Nevertheless , when he heard this, commanded to besiege it still: and he chose certain of the and the priests, and put himself in peril; 24And took silver and gold, and raiment, and divers presents besides, and went to unto the king, where he found in his sight. 25And though certain ungodly men of the people had made complaints against him, 26Yet the king entreated him as his predecessors had done before, and promoted him in the sight of all his friends, 27And confirmed him in the high priesthood, and in all the honours that he had before, and gave him preeminence among his chief friends. 28Then the king, that he would make free from tribute, as also the three governments, with the country of ; and he promised him three hundred . 29So the king consented, and wrote letters unto of all these things after this manner: 30King unto his brother , and unto the nation of the , sendeth greeting: 31We send you here a copy of the letter which we did write unto our cousin Lasthenes concerning you, that ye might see it. 32King unto his Lasthenes sendeth greeting: 33We are determined to do good to the people of the , who are our friends, and keep with us, because of their good will toward us. 34Wherefore we have ratified unto them the borders of , with the three governments of Apherema and and Ramathem, that are added unto from the country of , and all things appertaining unto them, for all such as do in , instead of the payments which the king received of them yearly aforetime out of the fruits of the earth and of trees. 35And as for other things that belong unto us, of the and customs pertaining unto us, as also the saltpits, and the taxes, which are due unto us, we discharge them of them all for their relief. 36And nothing hereof shall be revoked from this time forth for ever. 37Now therefore see that thou make a copy of these things, and let it be unto , and set upon the mount in a conspicuous place. 38After this, when king saw that the land was quiet before him, and that no resistance was made against him, he sent away all his forces, every one to his own place, except certain bands of strangers, whom he had gathered from the isles of the heathen: wherefore all the forces of his fathers hated him. 39Moreover there was one , that had been of ’s part afore, who, seeing that murmured against , went to Simalcue the that brought up the young son of , 40And lay sore upon him to him this young , that he might reign in his ’s stead: he told him therefore all that had done, and how his men of war were at enmity with him, and there he remained a long season. 41In the mean time sent unto king , that he would cast those of the tower out of , and those also in the fortresses: for they fought against Israel. 42So sent unto , saying, I will not only do this for thee and thy people, but I will greatly thee and thy nation, if opportunity . 43Now therefore thou shalt do well, if thou send me men to help me; for all my forces are gone from me. 44Upon this sent him three thousand strong men unto : and when they came to the king, the king was very glad of their coming. 45Howbeit they that were of the city gathered themselves together into the midst of the city, to the number of an hundred and twenty thousand men, and would have slain the king. 46Wherefore the king fled into the court, but they of the city kept the passages of the city, and began to fight. 47Then the king called to the for help, who came unto him all at once, and dispersing themselves through the city slew that day in the city to the number of an hundred thousand. 48Also they set on the city, and gat many spoils that day, and the king. 49So when they of the city saw that the had got the city as they would, their courage was abated: wherefore they made to the king, and cried, saying, 50Grant us peace, and let the cease from assaulting us and the city. 51With that they cast away their weapons, and made peace; and the were honoured in the sight of the king, and in the sight of all that were in his realm; and they returned to , having great spoils. 52So king sat on of , and the land was quiet before him. 53Nevertheless he dissembled in all that ever he spake, and estranged himself from , neither rewarded he him according to the benefits which he had received of him, but troubled him very sore. 54After this returned , and with him the young child , who reigned, and was . 55Then there gathered unto him all the men of war, whom had , and they fought against , who turned his back and fled. 56Moreover took the elephants, and won . 57At that time young wrote unto , saying, I confirm thee in the high priesthood, and appoint thee ruler over the four governments, and to be one of the king’s friends. 58Upon this he sent him golden vessels to be in, and gave him leave to drink in gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to wear a golden buckle. 59His brother also he made captain from the place called The ladder of unto the borders of . 60Then went forth, and passed through the cities beyond the water, and all the forces of gathered themselves unto him for to help him: and when he came to , they of the city met him honourably. 61From whence he went to , but they of shut him out; wherefore he laid siege unto it, and burned the suburbs thereof with , and spoiled them. 62Afterward, when they of made unto , he made peace with them, and took the sons of their chief men for hostages, and sent them to , and passed through the country unto . 63Now when heard that ’ princes were come to , which is in , with a great , purposing to remove him out of the country, 64He went to meet them, and left his brother in the country. 65Then encamped against and fought against it a long season, and shut it up: 66But they to have peace with him, which he granted them, and then put them out from thence, and took the city, and set a garrison in it. 67As for and his host, they pitched at the water of Gennesar, from whence betimes in the morning they gat them to the plain of Nasor. 68And, behold, the host of strangers met them in the plain, who, having laid men in ambush for him in the mountains, came themselves over against him. 69So when they that lay in ambush rose out of their places and joined battle, all that were of ’s side fled; 70Insomuch as there was not one of them left, except the son of , and the son of Calphi, the captains of the host. 71Then rent his clothes, and cast earth upon his head, and . 72Afterwards turning again to battle, he put them to flight, and so they ran away. 73Now when his own men that were fled saw this, they turned again unto him, and with him pursued them to , even unto their own tents, and there they camped. 74So there were slain of the heathen that day about three thousand men: but returned to .
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under the Greeks, 332 BC to 63 BC ›
Alexander's conquest and the kingdoms of his successors. Greek language and custom press in everywhere, and the crisis under Antiochus IV provokes the Maccabean revolt.
- The successors
- Alexander dies at thirty-two and his generals carve up the empire. Judea sits on the border between the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria, and is fought over by both for a century and a half, which is the ordinary condition of the corridor.
- Hellenism
- Not just conquest but a culture: the gymnasium, the theatre, Greek names, Greek dress, Greek as the language of anyone with ambitions. Some Jews embraced it, some resisted it, and the argument between them is the real subject of the Maccabean books. In Alexandria the Hebrew scriptures are translated into Greek, producing the Septuagint, which is the Bible most New Testament writers quote.
- The crisis
- Antiochus IV bans the practice of Judaism, plunders the temple, and sets up a pagan altar in it in 167 BC. The revolt under the Maccabees wins, the temple is rededicated in 164 BC, which is the origin of Hanukkah, and Judea has about eighty years of independence under the Hasmoneans before Rome arrives.
- Further afield
- Rome fights Carthage three times and ends up master of the Mediterranean. Euclid writes the Elements and Archimedes does his work at Syracuse. In China the Qin unify the country in 221 BC and the Han follow, opening what becomes the Silk Road.