King James Version · Under the Greeks
2 Maccabees 12
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1When these were made, went unto the king, and the were about their husbandry. 2But of the governours of several places, , and the son of Genneus, also Hieronymus, and Demophon, and beside them the governor of , would not suffer them to be quiet and live in peace. 3The men of also did such an ungodly deed: they the that dwelt among them to go with their wives and children into the boats which they had prepared, as though they had meant them no hurt. 4Who accepted of it according to the common of the city, as being desirous to live in peace, and suspecting nothing: but when they were gone forth into the deep, they drowned no less than two hundred of them. 5When heard of this done unto his countrymen, he commanded those that were with him to make them ready. 6And calling upon Judge, he came against those of his brethren, and burnt the haven by night, and set the boats on , and those that fled thither he slew. 7And when the town was shut up, he went backward, as if he would return to root out all them of the city of . 8But when he heard that the Jamnites were minded to do in like manner unto the that dwelt among them, 9He came upon the Jamnites also by night, and set on the haven and the navy, so that of the was seen at two hundred and forty furlongs off. 10Now when they were gone from thence nine furlongs in their journey toward , no fewer than five thousand men on foot and five hundred horsemen of the set upon him. 11Whereupon there was a very sore battle; but ’ side by the help of got the victory; so that the Nomades of , being overcome, besought for peace, promising both to give him cattle, and to pleasure him otherwise. 12Then , thinking indeed that they would be profitable in many things, granted them peace: whereupon they shook hands, and so they departed to their tents. 13He went also about to make a bridge to a certain strong city, which was fenced about with walls, and inhabited by people of divers countries; and the name of it was Caspis. 14But they that were within it put such in the strength of the walls and provision of victuals, that they behaved themselves rudely toward them that were with , railing and blaspheming, and uttering such words as were not to be spoken. 15Wherefore with his company, calling upon the great of the world, who without rams or engines of war did cast down in the time of Joshua, gave a fierce assault against the walls, 16And took the city by the will of , and made unspeakable slaughters, insomuch that a lake two furlongs broad near adjoining thereunto, being filled full, was seen running with . 17Then departed they from thence seven hundred and fifty furlongs, and came to Characa unto the that are called Tubieni. 18But as for , they found him not in the places: for before he had dispatched any thing, he departed from thence, having left a very strong garrison in a certain hold. 19Howbeit Dositheus and Sosipater, who were of Maccabeus’ captains, went forth, and slew those that had left in the , above ten thousand men. 20And Maccabeus ranged his army by bands, and set them over the bands, and went against , who had about him an hundred and twenty thousand men of foot, and two thousand and five hundred horsemen. 21Now when had knowledge of ’ coming, he sent the women and children and the other baggage unto a called Carnion: for the town was hard to besiege, and uneasy to come unto, by reason of the straitness of all the places. 22But when his first band came in sight, the , being smitten with fear and terror through the appearing of him who seeth all things, fled amain, one running into this way, another that way, so as that they were often hurt of their own men, and wounded with the points of their own . 23 also was very earnest in pursuing them, killing those wretches, of whom he slew about thirty thousand men. 24Moreover himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater, whom he besought with much craft to let him go with his life, because he had many of the ’ parents, and the brethren of some of them, who, if they put him to , should not be regarded. 25So when he had assured them with many words that he would restore them without hurt, according to the agreement, they let him go for the saving of their brethren. 26Then Maccabeus marched forth to Carnion, and to of Atargatis, and there he slew five and twenty thousand persons. 27And after he had put to flight and destroyed them, removed the host toward , a strong city, wherein abode, and a great multitude of divers nations, and the strong young men kept the walls, and defended them mightily: wherein also was great provision of engines and darts. 28But when and his company had called upon Almighty , who with his breaketh the strength of his , they won the city, and slew twenty and five thousand of them that were within, 29From thence they departed to Scythopolis, which lieth six hundred furlongs from , 30But when the that dwelt there had testified that the Scythopolitans dealt lovingly with them, and entreated them kindly in the time of their adversity; 31They gave them thanks, desiring them to be friendly still unto them: and so they came to , the feast of the weeks approaching. 32And after the feast, called , they went forth against the governor of , 33Who came out with three thousand men of foot and four hundred horsemen. 34And it happened that in their fighting together of the were slain. 35At which time Dositheus, one of Bacenor’s company, who was on horseback, and a strong man, was still upon , and taking hold of his coat drew him by force; and when he would have taken that man alive, a horseman of Thracia coming upon him smote off his shoulder, so that fled unto Marisa. 36Now when they that were with had fought long, and were weary, called upon , that he would shew himself to be their helper and leader of the battle. 37And with that he began in his own language, and sung psalms with a loud voice, and rushing unawares upon ’ men, he put them to flight. 38So gathered his host, and came into the city of Odollam, And when the seventh day came, they purified themselves, as the custom was, and kept the in the same place. 39And upon the day following, as the use had been, and his company came to take up the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen in their fathers’ . 40Now under the coats of every one that was slain they found things to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the by . Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain. 41All men therefore praising , Judge, who had opened the things that were hid, 42Betook themselves unto , and besought him that the committed might wholly be put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble exhorted the people to keep themselves from , forsomuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass for the of those that were slain. 43And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand drachms of silver, he sent it to to offer a , doing therein very well and honestly, in that he was mindful of the : 44For if he had not that they that were slain should have again, it had been superfluous and to for . 45And also in that he perceived that there was great laid up for those that godly, it was an and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for , that they might be from .
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.