to his brother Lysias, greetings. 23 Seeing that our father passed to the gods having the wish that the subjects of his kingdom ‡should be undisturbed and give themselves to the care of their own affairs, 24 we, having heard that the Jews do not consent to our father’s purpose to turn them to the customs of the Greeks, but choose rather their own way of living, and make request that the customs of their law be allowed to them— 25 choosing therefore that this nation also should be free from disturbance, we determine that their temple is to be restored to them, and that they live according to the customs that were in the days of their ancestors. 26 You will therefore do well to send messengers to them and give them the right hand of friendship, that they, knowing our mind, may be of good heart, and gladly occupy themselves with the conduct of their own affairs.”
27 And to the nation, the king’s letter was as follows:
“King Antiochus to the senate of the Jews and to the other Jews, greetings. 28 If you are all well, it is as we desire. We ourselves also are in good health. 29 Menelaus informed us that your desire was to return home and follow your own business. 30 They therefore who depart home up to the thirtieth day of Xanthicus shall have our §friendship, with full permission 31 that the Jews use their own foods and observe their own laws, even as formerly. None of them shall be in any way molested for the things that have been done in ignorance. 32 Moreover I have sent Menelaus also, that he may encourage you. 33 Farewell. Written in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, on the fifteenth day of Xanthicus.”
34 The Romans also sent to them a letter in these words:
“Quintus Memmius and Titus Manius, ambassadors of the Romans, to the people of the Jews, greetings. 35 In regard to the things which Lysias the king’s kinsman granted you, we also give consent. 36 But as for the things which he judged should be referred to the king, send someone promptly, after you have considered them, that we may publish such decrees as are appropriate for your case; for we are on our way to Antioch. 37 Therefore send someone with speed, that we also may learn what is your mind. 38 †Farewell. Written in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, on the fifteenth day of Xanthicus.
12
1 So when this agreement had been made, Lysias departed to the king, and the Jews went about their farming.
2 But some of the governors of districts, Timotheus and Apollonius the son of Gennaeus, and also Hieronymus and Demophon, and beside them Nicanor the governor of Cyprus, would not allow them to enjoy tranquillity and live in peace. 3 Men of Joppa perpetrated this great impiety: they invited the Jews who lived amongst them to go with their wives and children into the boats which they had provided, as though they had no ill will towards them. 4 When† the Jews,‡ relying on the public vote of the city, accepted the invitation, as men desiring to live in peace and suspecting nothing, they took them out to sea and drowned not less than two hundred of them. 5 When Judas heard of the cruelty done to his fellow-countrymen, giving command to the men that were with him 6 and calling upon God the righteous Judge, he came against the murderers of his kindred, and set the harbour on fire at night, burnt the boats, and put to the sword those who had fled there. 7 But when the town gates were closed, he withdrew, intending to come again to root out the whole community of the men of Joppa. 8 But learning that the men of Jamnia intended to do the same thing to the Jews who lived amongst them, 9 he attacked the Jamnites at night, and set fire to the harbour together with the fleet, so that the glare of the light was seen at Jerusalem, two hundred and forty furlongs§ distant.
10 Now when they had drawn off nine furlongs† from there, as they marched against Timotheus, an army of Arabians attacked him, no fewer than five thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry. 11 And when a hard battle had been fought, and Judas and his company, by the help of God, had good success, the nomads being overcome implored Judas to grant them friendship, promising to give him livestock, and to help ‡his people in all other ways. 12 So Judas, thinking that they would indeed be profitable in many things, agreed to live in peace with them; and receiving pledges of friendship they departed to their tents.
13 He also attacked a certain city, strong and fenced with earthworks and walls, and inhabited by a mixed multitude of various nations. It was named Caspin. 14 Those who were within, trusting in the strength of the walls and their store of provisions, behaved themselves rudely towards Judas and those who were with him, railing, and furthermore blaspheming and speaking impious words. 15 But Judas and his company, calling upon the great Sovereign of the world, who without rams and cunning engines of war hurled down Jericho in the times of Joshua, rushed wildly against the wall. 16 Having taken the city by the will of God, they made unspeakable slaughter, so much that the adjoining lake, which was two furlongs§ broad, appeared to be filled with the deluge of blood.
17 When they had gone seven hundred and fifty furlongs† from there, they made their way to Charax, to the Jews that are called ‡Tubieni. 18 They didn’t find Timotheus in that district, for he had by then departed from the district without accomplishing anything, but had left behind a very strong garrison in one place. 19 But Dositheus and Sosipater, who were captains under Maccabaeus, went out and destroyed those who had been left by Timotheus in the stronghold, more than ten thousand men. 20 Maccabaeus, arranging his own army in divisions, set §these two over the bands, and marched in haste against Timotheus, who had with him one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and two thousand and five hundred cavalry. 21 When Timotheus heard of the approach of Judas, he at once sent away the women and the children with the baggage into the fortress called †Carnion; for the place was hard to besiege and difficult of access by reason of the narrowness of the approaches on all sides. 22 When the band of Judas, who led the first division, appeared in sight, and when terror and fear came upon the enemy, because the manifestation of him who sees all things came upon them, they fled in every direction, carried this way and that, so that they were often injured by their own men, and pierced with the points of their own swords. 23 Judas continued the pursuit more vigorously, putting the wicked wretches to the sword, and he destroyed as many as thirty thousand men.
24 Timotheus himself, falling in with the company of Dositheus and Sosipater, implored them with much crafty guile to let him go with his life, because he had in his power the parents of many of them and the kindred of some. ‡ “Otherwise, he said, little regard will § be shown to these.” 25 So when he had with many words confirmed the agreement to restore them without harm, they let him go that they might save their kindred.
26 Then Judas, marching against †Carnion and the temple of Atergatis, killed twenty-five thousand people. 27 After he had put these to flight and destroyed them, he marched against Ephron also, a strong city, ‡wherein were multitudes of people of all nations. Stalwart young men placed §on the walls made a vigorous defence. There were great stores of war engines and darts there. 28 But calling upon the Sovereign who with might shatters the †strength of ‡the enemy, they took the city into their hands, and killed as many as twenty-five thousand of those who were in it.
29 Setting out from there, they marched in haste against Scythopolis, which is six hundred furlongs§ away from Jerusalem. 30 But when the Jews who were settled there testified of the good will that the Scythopolitans had shown towards them, and of their kind treatment of them in the times of their misfortune, 31 they gave thanks, and further exhorted them to remain well disposed towards the race for the future. Then they went up to Jerusalem, the feast of weeks being close at hand.
32 But after the feast called Pentecost, they marched in haste against Gorgias the governor of Idumaea. 33 He came out with three thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry. 34 When they had set themselves in array, it came to pass that a few of the Jews fell. 35 A certain Dositheus, one † of Bacenor’s company, who was on horseback and was a strong man, pressed hard on Gorgias, and taking hold of his cloke dragged him along by main force. While he planned to take the accursed man alive, one of the Thracian cavalry bore down on him and disabled his shoulder, and so Gorgias escaped to ‡Marisa.
36 When those who were with Esdris had been fighting long and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself, fighting on their side and leading in the battle. 37 Then in the language of his ancestors he raised the battle cry joined with hymns. Then he