Brenton's Septuagint · Under the Greeks
3 Maccabees 1
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1Now Philopater, on learning from those who came back that had made himself master of the places which belonged to himself, sent orders to all his footmen and horsemen, took with him his sister Arsinoe, and marched out as far as the parts of Raphia, where and his forces encamped. 2And one Theodotus, intending to carry out his design, took with him the bravest of the armed men who had been before committed to his by , and got through at night to the tent of , to kill him on his own responsibility, and so to end the war. 3But Dositheus, called the son of Drimulus, by birth a , afterward a renegade from the laws and observances of his country, conveyed away, and made an obscure person lie down in his stead in the tent. It befel this man to receive the fate which was meant for the other. 4A fierce battle then took place; and the men of prevailing, Arsinoe continually went up and down the ranks, and with dishevelled hair, with tears and entreaties, begged the soldiers to fight manfully for themselves, their children, and wives; and promised that if they proved conquerors, she would give them two minæ of gold apiece. 5It thus fell out that their were defeated in hand-to-hand encounter, and that many of them were taken prisoners. 6Having vanquished this attempt, the king then decided to proceed to the neighbouring cities, and encourage them. 7By doing this, and by making donations to their temples, he inspired his subjects with confidence. 8The also sent some of their council and of their to him. The greetings, guest-gifts, and congratulations on the past, bestowed by them, filled him with the greater eagerness to visit their city. 9Having arrived at , , and offered thank- to the Greatest , and done whatever else was suitable to the sanctity of the place, and entered the inner court, 10he was so struck with the exact magnificence of the place, and so wondered at the orderly arrangements of , that he conceived the purpose of entering itself. 11And when they told him that this was not permissible, none of the nation, no, nor even the priests in general, but only the supreme of all, and he only once in a year, being allowed to go in, he would by no means give way. 12Then they read to him; but he persisted in obtruding himself, exclaiming, that he ought to be allowed: and saying, Be it that they were deprived of this , I ought not to be. 13And he put the question, Why, when he entered all temples, none of the priests who were present forbad him? 14He was thoughtlessly answered by some one, That he did wrong to boast of this. 15Well; since I have done this, said he, be the cause what it may, shall I not enter with or without your consent? 16And when the priests fell down in their sacred vestments imploring the Greatest to come and help in time of need, and to avert the of the fierce aggressor, and when they filled with and tears, 17then those who had been left behind in the city were scared, and rushed forth, uncertain of the event. 18Virgins, who had been shut up within their chambers, came out with their mothers, scattering on their heads, and filling the streets with outcries. 19Women, but recently separated off, left their bridal chambers, left the reserve that befitted them, and ran about the city in a disorderly manner. 20Newborn babes were deserted by the mothers or nurses who waited upon them; some here, some there, in houses, or in fields; these now, with an ardour which could not be checked, swarmed into temple. 21Various were the prayers offered up by those who assembled in this place, on account of the unholy attempt of the king. 22Along with these there were some of the citizens who took courage, and would not submit to his obstinacy, and his intention of carrying out his purpose. 23Calling out to arms, and to bravely in defence of of their fathers, they created a great uproar in the place, and were with difficulty brought back by the aged and the to the station of which they had occupied before. 24During this time kept on praying. 25The who surrounded the king strove in many ways to divert his haughty from the design which he had formed. 26He, in his hardened mood, insensible to all persuasion, was going onwards, with the view of carrying out this design. 27Yet even his own officers, when they saw this, joined the in an appeal to Him who has all , to aid in the present crisis, and not wink at such overweening lawlessness. 28Such was the frequency and the vehemence of the cry of the assembled , that an indescribable noise ensued. 29Not the men only, the very walls and floor seemed to sound forth; all things preferring dissolution rather than to see the place defiled.
Sir Lancelot Brenton's 1851 English translation of the Greek Old Testament, public domain. Used here for books received in Orthodox canons that the other editions do not carry. 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.