King James Version · Under the Greeks
2 Maccabees 2
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1It is also found in the records, that the commanded them that were to take of the , as it hath been signified: 2And how that the , having given them , charged them not to forget of , and that they should not err in their , when they see of silver and gold, with their ornaments. 3And with other such speeches exhorted he them, that should not depart from their . 4It was also contained in the same writing, that the , being warned of , commanded the and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where climbed up, and saw the heritage of . 5And when came thither, he found an hollow cave, wherein he laid the , and the ark, and the , and so stopped the door. 6And some of those that followed him came to mark , but they could not find it. 7Which when perceived, he blamed them, saying, As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy. 8Then shall shew them these things, and shall appear, and the cloud also, as it was shewed under , and as when that the place might be honourably . 9It was also declared, that he being offered the of dedication, and of the finishing of . 10And as when unto , the came down from , and consumed the : even so also, and the came down from , and consumed the burnt offerings. 11And said, Because the was not to be eaten, it was consumed. 12So kept those eight days. 13The same things also were reported in and commentaries of Neemias; and how he founding a library gathered together the acts of the kings, and , and of , and the epistles of the kings concerning the gifts. 14In like manner also gathered together all those things that were lost by reason of the war we had, and they with us, 15Wherefore if ye have need thereof, send some to fetch them unto you. 16Whereas we then are about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you, and ye shall do well, if ye keep the same days. 17We also, that the , that all his people, and gave them all an heritage, and , and the priesthood, and , 18As he promised in , will shortly have mercy upon us, and gather us together out of every land under into the place: for he hath us out of great troubles, and hath purified the place. 19Now as concerning , and his brethren, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the , 20And the wars against , and his son, 21And the manifest signs that came from unto those that behaved themselves manfully to their for Judaism: so that, being but , they overcame the whole country, and chased barbarous , 22And recovered again renowned all the world over, and freed the city, and upheld the laws which were going down, being unto them with all : 23All these things, I say, being declared by of Cyrene in five books, we will assay to abridge in one volume. 24For considering the infinite number, and the difficulty which they find that to look into the narrations of the story, for the variety of the matter, 25We have been careful, that they that will read may have delight, and that they that are desirous to commit to memory might have ease, and that all into whose hands it comes might have profit. 26Therefore to us, that have taken upon us this painful labour of abridging, it was not easy, but a matter of sweat and watching; 27Even as it is no ease unto him that prepareth a banquet, and seeketh the benefit of others: yet for the pleasuring of many we will undertake gladly this great pains; 28Leaving to the author the exact handling of every particular, and labouring to follow the rules of an abridgement. 29For as the master builder of a new house must care for the whole building; but he that undertaketh to set it out, and paint it, must seek out fit things for the adorning thereof: even so I think it is with us. 30To stand upon every point, and go over things at large, and to be curious in particulars, belongeth to the first author of the story: 31But to use brevity, and avoid much labouring of the work, is to be granted to him that will make an abridgment. 32Here then will we begin the story: only adding thus much to that which hath been said, that it is a foolish thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the story itself.
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.