King James Version · Under the Greeks
2 Maccabees 4
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1This now, of whom we spake afore, having been a betrayer of the money, and of his country, slandered , as if he had terrified , and been the worker of these evils. 2Thus was he bold to call him a traitor, that had deserved well of the city, and tendered his own nation, and was so of the laws. 3But when their hatred went so far, that by one of ’s faction murders were committed, 4 seeing the danger of this contention, and that , as being the governor of and , did rage, and increase ’s malice, 5He went to the king, not to be an accuser of his countrymen, but seeking the good of all, both publick and private: 6For he saw that it was impossible that the state should continue quiet, and leave his folly, unless the king did look thereunto. 7But after the of , when , called Epiphanes, took , the brother of laboured underhand to be , 8Promising unto the king by intercession three hundred and threescore of silver, and of another revenue eighty : 9Beside this, he promised to assign an hundred and fifty more, if he might have licence to set him up a place for exercise, and for the training up of youth in the fashions of the heathen, and to write them of by the name of Antiochians. 10Which when the king had granted, and he had gotten into his hand the rule he forthwith brought his own nation to Greekish fashion. 11And the royal privileges granted of special to the by the means of of Eupolemus, who went ambassador to for amity and aid, he took away; and putting down the governments which were according to , he brought up new customs against : 12For he built gladly a place of exercise under the tower itself, and brought the chief young men under his subjection, and made them wear a hat. 13Now such was the height of fashions, and increase of heathenish manners, through the exceeding profaneness of , that ungodly wretch, and no ; 14That the priests had no courage to any more at the , but despising , and neglecting the , hastened to be partakers of the unlawful allowance in the place of exercise, after the game of Discus called them forth; 15Not setting by the honours of their fathers, but liking the of the best of all. 16By reason whereof sore calamity came upon them: for they had them to be their and avengers, whose custom they followed so earnestly, and unto whom they to be like in all things. 17For it is not a thing to do wickedly against the laws of : but the time following shall declare these things. 18Now when the game that was used every year was kept at , the king being present, 19This ungracious sent special from , who were Antiochians, to carry three hundred drachms of silver to the of Hercules, which even the bearers thereof thought fit not to bestow upon the , because it was not convenient, but to be reserved for other charges. 20This money then, in regard of the sender, was appointed to Hercules’ ; but because of the bearers thereof, it was employed to the making of gallies. 21Now when the son of Menestheus was sent into for the coronation of king Philometor, , understanding him not to be well affected to his affairs, provided for his own safety: whereupon he came to , and from thence to : 22Where he was honourably received of , and of the city, and was brought in with torch alight, and with great shoutings: and so afterward went with his host unto . 23Three years afterward sent , the aforesaid ’s brother, to bear the money unto the king, and to put him in of certain necessary matters. 24But he being brought to the of the king, when he had magnified him for the appearance of his , got the priesthood to himself, more than by three hundred of silver. 25So he came with the king’s mandate, bringing nothing worthy the high priesthood, but having the fury of a cruel tyrant, and the rage of a savage beast. 26Then , who had undermined his own brother, being undermined by another, was compelled to flee into the country of . 27So got the principality: but as for the money that he had promised unto the king, he took no good order for it, albeit Sostratis the ruler of the castle required it: 28For unto him appertained the gathering of the customs. Wherefore they were both called before the king. 29Now left his brother Lysimachus in his stead in the priesthood; and Sostratus left Crates, who was governor of the Cyprians. 30While those things were in doing, they of and Mallos made insurrection, because they were given to the king’s , called . 31Then came the king in all haste to appease matters, leaving , a man , for his deputy. 32Now , supposing that he had gotten a convenient time, stole certain vessels of gold out of , and gave some of them to , and some he sold into and the cities round about. 33Which when knew of a surety, he reproved him, and withdrew himself into a sanctuary at Daphne, that lieth by . 34Wherefore , taking apart, , him to get into his hands; who being persuaded thereunto, and coming to in deceit, gave him his with ; and though he were suspected by him, yet persuaded he him to come forth of : whom forthwith he shut up without regard of justice. 35For the which cause not only the , but many also of other nations, took great , and were much grieved for the unjust of the man. 36And when the king was come again from the places about , the that were in the city, and certain of that abhorred the fact also, complained because was slain without cause. 37Therefore was heartily sorry, and moved to , and wept, because of the sober and modest behaviour of him that was . 38And being kindled with , forthwith he took away his purple, and rent off his clothes, and leading him through the whole city unto that very place, where he had committed impiety against , there slew he the . Thus rewarded him his punishment, as he had deserved. 39Now when many sacrileges had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the consent of , and the fruit thereof was spread abroad, gathered themselves together against Lysimachus, many vessels of gold being already . 40Whereupon the common people rising, and being filled with rage, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men, and began first to offer ; one Auranus being the leader, a man far gone in years, and no less in folly. 41They then seeing the attempt of Lysimachus, some of them caught stones, some clubs, others taking handfuls of , that was next at hand, cast them all together upon Lysimachus, and those that set upon them. 42Thus many of them they wounded, and some they struck to the ground, and all of them they forced to flee: but as for the churchrobber himself, him they killed beside the . 43Of these matters therefore there was an accusation laid against . 44Now when the king came to , three men that were sent from the senate pleaded the cause before him: 45But , being now convicted, promised the son of Dorymenes to give him much money, if he would pacify the king toward him. 46Whereupon taking the king aside into a certain gallery, as it were to take the air, brought him to be of another : 47Insomuch that he discharged from the accusations, who notwithstanding was cause of all the mischief: and those men, who, if they had told their cause, yea, before the Scythians, should have been judged innocent, them he condemned to . 48Thus they that followed the matter for the city, and for the people, and for the vessels, did soon suffer unjust punishment. 49Wherefore even they of , moved with hatred of that deed, caused them to be honourably buried. 50And so through the covetousness of them that were of remained still , increasing in malice, and being a great traitor to the citizens.
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.