1 Maccabees, Chapter 15
1
And King Antiochus the son of Demetrius sent letters from the islands of the sea to Simon the priest and prince of the nation of the Jews, and to all the people:
2
And the contents were these: King Antiochus to Simon the high priest, and to the nation of the Jews: Greetings.
3
Since certain treacherous men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to claim the kingdom, and to restore it to its former state; and I have chosen a great army, and have built ships of war.
4
And I intend to go through the country, that I may take vengeance on those who have destroyed our country, and who have made many cities desolate in my realm.
5
Now therefore, I confirm to you all the offerings which all the kings before me granted to you, and whatever other gifts they granted to you:
6
And I give you leave to coin your own money in your country:
7
And let Jerusalem be holy and free, and all the armor that has been made, and the fortresses which you have built, and which you hold in your hands, let them remain to you.
8
And all that is due to the king, and what should be the king's hereafter, from this present and forever, is forgiven you.
9
And when we shall have recovered our kingdom, we will glorify you, and your nation, and the temple, with great glory, so that your⁺ glory shall be made known in all the earth.
10
In the year one hundred and seventy-four, Antiochus entered into the land of his fathers, and all the forces assembled to him, so that few were left with Tryphon.
11
And King Antiochus pursued after him, and he fled along by the sea coast and came to Dora.
12
For he perceived that evils were gathered together against him, and his troops had forsaken him.
14
And he surrounded the city, and the ships drew near by sea: and they pressed the city by land and by sea, and allowed none to come in or to go out.
15
And Numenius, and those who had been with him, came from the city of Rome, having letters written to the kings and countries, the contents of which were these:
16
Lucius, the consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy: Greetings.
17
The ambassadors of the Jews, our friends, came to us, to renew the former friendship and alliance, being sent from Simon the high priest, and the people of the Jews.
18
And they brought also a shield of gold of a thousand minas.
19
It has seemed good therefore to us to write to the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries: and that they should give no aid to those who fight against them.
20
And it has seemed good to us to receive the shield from them.
21
If therefore any treacherous men have fled out of their country to you, deliver them to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.
22
These same things were written to King Demetrius, and to Attalus, and to Ariarathes, and to Arsakes,
23
and to all the countries: and to Lampsacus, and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Rhodes, and Phaselis, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.
24
And they wrote a copy thereof to Simon the high priest, and to the people of the Jews.
25
But King Antiochus moved his camp to Dora the second time, assaulting it continually, and making engines: and he shut up Tryphon, that he could not go out.
26
And Simon sent to him two thousand chosen men to aid him, silver also, and gold, and much equipment.
27
And he would not receive them, but broke all the covenant that he had made with him before, and alienated himself from him.
28
And he sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to negotiate with him, saying: You hold Joppa and Gazara, and the citadel that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my kingdom:
29
Their borders you have laid waste, and you have made great havoc in the land, and have taken dominion of many places in my kingdom.
30
Now therefore, deliver up the cities that you have taken, and the tributes of the places over which you have taken dominion outside the borders of Judea.
31
But if not, give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the havoc that you have made, and the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents: or else we will come and fight against you.
32
So Athenobius the king's friend came to Jerusalem, and saw the glory of Simon, and his magnificence in gold and silver, and his great display, and he was astonished, and told him the king's words.
33
And Simon answered him, and said to him: We have neither taken other men's land, nor do we hold that which is other men's: but the inheritance of our fathers, which was for some time unjustly possessed by our enemies.
34
But we, having opportunity, claim the inheritance of our fathers.
35
And as to your complaints concerning Joppa and Gazara, they did great harm to the people, and to our country: yet for these we will give a hundred talents. And Athenobius answered him not a word.
36
But returning in a rage to the king, he made report to him of these words, and of the glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen, and the king was exceedingly angry.
37
And Tryphon fled away by ship to Orthosia.
38
And the king appointed Cendebaeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an army of footmen and horsemen.
39
And he commanded him to march with his army toward Judea: and he commanded him to build up Kedron, and to fortify the gates of the city, and to war against the people. But the king himself pursued after Tryphon.
40
And Cendebaeus came to Jamnia, and began to provoke the people, and to ravage Judea, and to take the people captive, and to kill, and to build up Kedron.
41
And he placed there horsemen, and an army: that they might go out, and make raids on the roads of Judea, as the king had commanded him.
Footnotes
13
The Greek text reads 'twelve myriads of men of war, and eight thousand horsemen' (one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and eight thousand cavalry). The total Seleucid army at the Daphne parade numbered only about fifty thousand troops (Polybius 30.25). See note on 3:39.