King James Version · Under the Greeks
1 Maccabees 5
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1Now when the nations round about heard that the was built and renewed as before, it displeased them very much. 2Wherefore they thought to destroy the generation of that was among them, and thereupon they began to and destroy the people. 3Then fought against the children of in at Arabattine, because they besieged Gael: and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils. 4Also he remembered the injury of the children of Bean, who had been a snare and an offence unto the people, in that they lay in wait for them in the ways. 5He shut them up therefore in the towers, and encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burned the towers of that place with , and all that were therein. 6Afterward he passed over to , where he found a mighty , and much people, with their captain. 7So he fought many battles with them, till at length they were discomfited before him; and he smote them. 8And when he had taken Jazar, with the towns belonging thereto, he returned into . 9Then the heathen that were at assembled themselves together against the that were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the of Dathema. 10And sent letters unto and his brethren, The heathen that are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us: 11And they are preparing to come and take the whereunto we are fled, being captain of their host. 12Come now therefore, and us from their hands, for many of us are slain: 13Yea, all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to : their wives and their children also they have , and borne away their stuff; and they have destroyed there about a thousand men. 14While these letters were yet reading, behold, there came other from with their clothes rent, who reported on this , 15And said, They of , and of , and , and all of the , are assembled together against us to consume us. 16Now when and the people heard these words, there assembled a great together, to consult what they should do for their brethren, that were in trouble, and assaulted of them. 17Then said unto his brother, Choose thee out men, and go and thy brethren that are in , for I and my brother will go into the country of . 18So he left Joseph the son of , and , captains of the people, with of the host in to keep it. 19Unto whom he gave , saying, Take ye the charge of this people, and see that ye make not war against the heathen until the time that we come again. 20Now unto were given three thousand men to go into , and unto eight thousand men for the country of . 21Then went into , where he fought many battles with the heathen, so that the heathen were discomfited by him. 22And he pursued them unto the of ; and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men, whose spoils he took. 23And those that were in , and in Arbattis, with their wives and their children, and all that they had, took he away with him, and brought them into with great joy. 24 also and his brother went over Jordan, and travelled three days’ journey in , 25Where they met with the Nabathites, who came unto them in a peaceable manner, and told them every thing that had happened to their brethren in the land of : 26And how that many of them were shut up in , and Bosor, and , , Maked, and ; all these cities are strong and great: 27And that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of , and that against to morrow they had appointed to bring their host against the forts, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day. 28Hereupon and his host turned suddenly by of unto ; and when he had won the city, he slew all the males with the edge of , and took all their spoils, and burned the city with , 29From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to the . 30And betimes in the morning they looked up, and, behold, there was an innumerable people bearing ladders and other engines of war, to take the : for they assaulted them. 31When therefore saw that the battle was begun, and that the cry of the city went up to , with , and a great sound, 32He said unto his host, Fight this day for your brethren. 33So he went forth behind them in three companies, who sounded their , and cried with . 34Then the host of , knowing that it was Maccabeus, fled from him: wherefore he smote them with a great slaughter; so that there were killed of them that day about eight thousand men. 35This done, turned aside to ; and after he had assaulted it he took and slew all the males therein, and received the spoils thereof and and burnt it with . 36From thence went he, and took Casphon, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of . 37After these things gathered another host and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook. 38So sent men to espy the host, who brought him word, saying, All the heathen that be round about us are assembled unto them, even a very great host. 39He hath also hired the to help them and they have pitched their tents beyond the brook, ready to come and fight against thee. Upon this went to meet them. 40Then said unto the captains of his host, When and his host come near the brook, if he pass over first unto us, we shall not be able to withstand him; for he will mightily prevail against us: 41But if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over unto him, and prevail against him. 42Now when came near the brook, he caused the of the people to by the brook: unto whom he gave , saying, Suffer no man to in the camp, but let all come to the battle. 43So he went first over unto them, and all the people after him: then all the heathen, being discomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled unto that was at . 44But they took the city, and burned with all that were therein. Thus was subdued, neither could they stand any longer before . 45Then gathered together all the that were in the country of , from the least unto the greatest, even their wives, and their children, and their stuff, a very great host, to the end they might come into the land of . 46Now when they came unto , (this was a great city in as they should go, very well fortified) they could not turn from it, either on or the left, but must needs pass through the midst of it. 47Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the with stones. 48Whereupon sent unto them in peaceable manner, saying, Let us pass through your land to go into our own country, and none shall do you any hurt; we will only pass through on foot: howbeit they would not open unto him. 49Wherefore commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host, that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was. 50So the soldiers pitched, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, till at the length the city was into his hands: 51Who then slew all the males with the edge of , and rased the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain. 52After this went they over Jordan into the great plain before . 53And gathered together those that came behind, and exhorted the people all through, till they came into the land of . 54So they went up to mount with joy and gladness, where they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them were slain until they had returned in peace. 55Now what time as and were in the land of , and his brother in before , 56Joseph the son of , and , captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done. 57Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us. 58So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went toward . 59Then came and his men out of the city to fight against them. 60And so it was, that Joseph and Azaras were put to flight, and pursued unto the borders of : and there were slain that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men. 61Thus was there a great overthrow among the , because they were not obedient unto and his brethren, but thought to do some valiant act. 62Moreover these men came not of the of those, by whose hand was given unto Israel. 63Howbeit the man and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel, and of all the heathen, wheresoever their name was heard of; 64Insomuch as the the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations. 65Afterward went forth with his brethren, and fought against the children of in the land toward the south, where he smote , and the towns thereof, and pulled down the of it, and burned the towers thereof round about. 66From thence he removed to go into the land of the , and passed through . 67At that time certain priests, desirous to shew their valour, were slain in battle, for that they went out to fight unadvisedly. 68So turned to in the land of the , and when he had pulled down their , and burned their carved with , and spoiled their cities, he returned into the land of .
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.