Brenton's Septuagint · Under the Greeks
3 Maccabees 3
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1On discovering this, so incensed was king, that he no longer confined his rage to the [] in Alexandria. Laying his hand more heavily upon those who lived in the country, he gave orders that they should be quickly collected into one place, and most cruelly deprived of their lives. 2While this was going on, an invidious rumour was uttered abroad by men who had banded together to injure the race. The purport of their charge was, that the kept them away from the ordinances of . 3Now, while the always maintained a feeling of unswerving loyalty towards the kings, 4yet, as they , and observed , they made certain distinctions, and avoided certain things. Hence some persons held them in odium; 5although, as they adorned their conversation with works of , they had established themselves in the good opinion of the world. 6What all the rest of mankind said, was, however, made of no account by the ; 7who said much of the exclusiveness of the with regard to their and meats; they alleged that they were men unsociable, hostile to the king's interests, refusing to associate with him or his troops. By this way of speaking, they brought much odium upon them. 8Nor was this unexpected uproar and sudden conflux of people unobserved by who lived in the city, concerning men who had never harmed them: yet to aid them was not in their , since all was around; but they encouraged the by sympathizing with them in their troubles, and expected a favourable turn of affairs: 9He who knoweth all things, will not, [said they], disregard so great a people. 10Some of the neighbours, friends, and fellow dealers of the , even called them secretly to an interview, pledged them their assistance, and promised to do their very utmost for them. 11Now the king, elated with his prosperous fortune, and not regarding the superior of , but thinking to persevere in his present purpose, wrote the following letter to the prejudice of the . 12King Philopater, to the commanders and soldiers in , and in all places, health and happiness! 13I am right well; and so, too, are my affairs. 14Since our Asiatic campaign, the particulars of which ye know, and which by the aid of the gods, not lightly given, and by our own vigour, has been brought to a successful issue according to our , 15we resolved, not with strength of spear, but with gentleness and much humanity, as it were to nurse the inhabitants of Cœle- and Phœnicia, and to be their willing benefactors. 16So, having bestowed considerable sums of money upon the temples of the several cities, we proceeded even as far as ; and went up to of these wretched beings who never cease from their folly. 17To outward appearance they received us willingly; but belied that appearance by their deeds. When we were eager to enter their temple, and to it with the most beautiful and exquisite gifts, 18they were so by their old arrogance, as to forbid us the entrance; while we, out of our forbearance toward all men, refrained from exercising our upon them. 19And thus, exhibiting their enmity against us, they alone among the nations lift up their heads against kings and benefactors, as men unwilling to submit to any thing reasonable. 20We then, having endeavoured to make allowance for the madness of these persons, and on our victorious return treating all people in courteously, acted in a manner which was befitting. 21Accordingly, bearing no ill-will against their kinsmen [at ], but rather remembering our connection with them, and the numerous matters with sincere from a remote period entrusted to them, we wished to venture a total alteration of their state, by bestowing upon them the rights of citizens of Alexandria, and to admit them to the rites of our solemnities. 22All this, however, they have taken in a very different . With their innate malignity, they have spurned the fair offer; and constantly inclining to evil, 23have rejected the inestimable rights. Not only so, but by using speech, and by refraining from speech, they abhor the few among them who are heartily disposed towards us; ever deeming that their ignoble course of procedure will force us to do away with our reform. 24Having then, received certain proofs that these [] bear us every sort of ill-will, we must look forward to the possibility of some sudden tumult among ourselves, when these impious men may turn traitors and barbarous . 25As soon, therefore, as the contents of this letter become known to you, in that same hour we order those [] who among you, with wives and children, to be sent to us, vilified and abused, in chains of iron, to undergo a , cruel and ignominious, suitable to men disaffected. 26For by the punishment of them in we perceive that we have found the only means of establishing our affairs for the future on a firm and satisfactory basis. 27Whoever shall shield a , whether it be old man, child, or suckling, shall with his whole house be tortured to . 28Whoever shall inform against the [], besides receiving the property of the person charged, shall be presented with two thousand drachmæ from the royal , shall be , and shall be . 29Whatever place shall shelter a , shall, when he is hunted forth, be put under the of , and be for ever rendered useless to every for all time to come. 30Such was the purport of the king's letter.
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.