Chanukah
Three: 3 Candles (Festival of Lights).
Chanukah
3:
Numbers
7:24-35.
24 On the third day Eliab the son of
Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun
25 gave his offering: one silver platter, the
weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy
shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour
mixed with oil for a meal offering;
26 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of
incense;
27 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a
year old, for a burnt offering;
28 one male goat for a sin offering;
29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,
two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur,
prince of the children of Reuben
31 gave his offering: one silver platter, the
weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy
shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour
mixed with oil for a meal offering;
32 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of
incense;
33 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a
year old, for a burnt offering;
34 one male goat for a sin offering;
35 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,
two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
(1 Maccabees 9:1-73
NAB-A) :
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Bacchides Returns to Judea. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
When Demetrius heard
that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he again sent Bacchides and
Alcimus into the land of Judah, along with the right wing of his army. They
took the road to Galilee, and camping opposite the ascent at Arbela, they
captured it and killed many people. In the
first month of the year one hundred and fifty-two, they encamped against
Jerusalem. Then they set out for Berea with
twenty thousand men and two thousand cavalry. Judas,
with three thousand picked men, had camped at Elasa. When his men saw the great number of the troops, they were
very much afraid, and many slipped away from the camp, until only eight hundred
men remained. As Judas saw that his army was
melting away just when the battle was imminent, he was panic-stricken, because
he had no time to gather them together. But in
spite of his discouragement, he said to those who remained: "Let us go
forward to meet our enemies; perhaps we can put up a good fight against
them." They tried to dissuade him, saying:
"We certainly cannot. Let us save our lives_ now, and come back with our kinsmen, and then fight against them.
Now we are too few."
But Judas said: "Far be it from me to do such a
thing as to flee from them! If our time has come, let us die bravely for our
kinsmen and not leave a stain upon our glory!"
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The Last Battle of Judas. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
Then the army of
Bacchides moved out of camp and took its position for combat. The cavalry were
divided into two squadrons, and the slingers and the archers came on ahead of
the army, and all the valiant men were in the front line. Bacchides
was on the right wing. Flanked by the two squadrons, the phalanx attacked as
they blew their trumpets. Those who were on Judas' side also blew their
trumpets. The earth shook with the noise of the
armies, and the battle raged from morning until evening. Seeing that Bacchides was on the right, with the main force
of his army, Judas, with all the most stouthearted rallying to him, drove back the right wing and pursued them as far as the
mountain slopes. But when the men on the left
wing saw that the right wing was driven back, they turned and followed Judas
and his men, taking them in the rear. The
battle was fought desperately, and many on both sides fell wounded. Then Judas fell, and the rest fled. Jonathan and Simon took their brother Judas and buried him
in the tomb of their fathers at Modein. All
Israel bewailed him in great grief. They mourned for him many days, and they
said, "How the mighty one has fallen, the
savior of Israel!" The other acts of
Judas, his battles, the brave deeds he performed, and his greatness have not
been recorded; but they were very many.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Jonathan Succeeds Judas. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
After the death of
Judas, the transgressors of the Torah raised their heads in every part of
Israel, and all kinds of evildoers appeared. In those days there was a very
great famine, and the country deserted to them. Bacchides
chose impious men and made them masters of the country. These sought out and hunted down the friends of Judas and
brought them to Bacchides, who punished and derided them. There had not been such great distress in Israel since the
time prophets ceased to appear among the people. Then all the friends of Judas came together and said to Jonathan: "Since your brother Judas died, there has been no one
like him to oppose our enemies, Bacchides and those who are hostile to our
nation. Now therefore we have chosen you today
to be our ruler and leader in his place, and to fight our battle." From that moment Jonathan accepted the leadership, and took
the place of Judas his brother.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The Campaigns of Jonathan. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
When Bacchides learned of
it, he sought to kill him. But Jonathan and his brother Simon and all
the men with him discovered this, and they fled to the desert of Tekoa and
camped by the waters of the pool of Asphar. When Bacchides heard of it, he came on the
sabbath to the banks of the Jordan with a large force. Jonathan sent his
brother as leader of the convoy to ask permission of his friends, the
Nabateans, to deposit with them their great quantity of baggage. But the sons of Jambri from Medaba made a raid and seized
and carried off John and everything he had. After
this, word was brought to Jonathan and his brother Simon: "The sons of
Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and with a large escort_ they are bringing the bride, the daughter of one of the great
princes of Canaan, from Nadabath." Remembering the blood of John
their brother, they went up and hid themselves under cover of the mountain.
They watched, and suddenly saw a noisy crowd with
baggage; the bridegroom and his friends and kinsmen had come out to meet the
bride's party with tambourines and musicians and much equipment. The Jews rose up against them from their ambush and killed
them. Many fell wounded, and after the survivors fled toward the mountain, all
their spoils were taken. Thus the wedding was
turned into mourning, and the sound of music into lamentation. Having taken their revenge for the blood of their brother,
the Jews returned to the marshes of the Jordan. When
Bacchides heard of it, he came on the sabbath to the banks of the Jordan with a
large force. Then Jonathan said to his
companions, "Let us get up now and fight for our lives_, for today is not like yesterday and the day before. The
battle is before us, and behind us are the waters of the Jordan on one side,
marsh and thickets on the other, and there is no way of escape. Cry out now to Heaven for deliverance from our
enemies." When they joined battle,
Jonathan raised his arm to strike Bacchides, but Bacchides backed away from
him. Jonathan and his men jumped into the
Jordan and swam across to the other side, but the enemy did not pursue them
across the Jordan. A thousand men on Bacchides'
side fell that day.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Bacchides Builds Fortifications. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
On returning to
Jerusalem, Bacchides built strongholds in Judea: the Jericho fortress, as well
as Emmaus, Beth-horon, Bethel, Timnath, Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls
and gates and bars. In each he put a garrison to oppose Israel. He fortified the city of Beth-zur, Gazara and the citadel, and
put soldiers in them and stores of provisions. He
took as hostages the sons of the leaders of the country and put them in custody
in the citadel at Jerusalem. In the year one
hundred and fifty-three, in the second month, Alcimus ordered the wall of the
inner court of the sanctuary to be torn down, thus destroying the work of the
prophets. But he only began to tear it down. Just
at that time he had a stroke, and his work was interrupted; his mouth was
closed and he was paralyzed, so that he could no longer utter a word to give
orders concerning his house. Finally he died in
great agony. Seeing that Alcimus was dead,
Bacchides returned to the king, and the land of Judah was quiet for two years.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The End of the War. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
Bacchides and Jonathan Then all
the transgressors of the Torah held a council and said: "Jonathan and his
companions are living in peace and security. Now then, let us have Bacchides
return, and he will capture all of them in a single night." So they went and took counsel with him. When Bacchides was setting out with a large force, he sent
letters secretly to all his allies in Judea, telling them to seize Jonathan and
his companions. They were not able to do this, however, because their plot
became known. In fact, Jonathan's men seized
about fifty of the men of the country who were ringleaders in the mischief and
put them to death. Then Jonathan and Simon and
their companions withdrew to Bethbasi in the desert; they rebuilt and strengthened
its fortifications that had been demolished. When
Bacchides learned of this, he gathered together his whole force and sent word
to those who were in Judea. He came and pitched
his camp before Bethbasi, and constructing siege-machines, he fought against it
for many days. Leaving his brother Simon in the
city, Jonathan, accompanied by a small group of men, went out into the field.
He struck down Odomera and his kinsmen and the sons of
Phasiron in their encampment; these men had set out to go up to the siege with
their forces. Simon and his men then sallied
forth from the city and set fire to the machines. They fought against Bacchides, and he was beaten. This
caused him great distress. Because the enterprise he had planned came to
nought, he was angry with the Torahless men who
had advised him to invade the province. He killed many of them and resolved to
return to his own country. Jonathan learned of
this and sent ambassadors to make peace with him and to obtain the release of
the prisoners. He agreed to do as Jonathan had
asked. He swore an oath to him that he would never try to injure him for the
rest of his life; and he released the prisoners
he had previously taken from the land of Judah. He returned to his own country
and never came into their territory again. Then
the sword ceased in Israel. Jonathan settled in Michmash; he began to judge the
people and he destroyed the impious in Israel.
! ! End of
The Chapter.
\Eng:[:phone arpa
SAMPA][_:<3333,0>]\
(1 Maccabees 10:1-89
NAB-A) :
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Revolt of Alexander Epiphanes. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
In the year one hundred
and sixty, Alexander, who was called Epiphanes, son of Antiochus, came up and
took Ptolemais. He was accepted and began to reign there. When
King Demetrius heard of it, he mustered a very large army and marched out to
engage him in combat. Demetrius sent a letter
to Jonathan written in peaceful terms, to pay him honor; for he said: "Let us be the first to make peace with
him, before he makes peace with Alexander against us, since he will remember all the wrongs we have done to him,
his brothers, and his nation." So
Demetrius authorized him to gather an army and procure arms as his ally; and he
ordered that the hostages in the citadel be released to him. Accordingly Jonathan went up to Jerusalem and read_ the letter to all the people. The men in the citadel were
struck with fear when they heard that the king had given him authority to
gather an army. They released the hostages to
Jonathan, and he gave them back to their parents. Thereafter Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build
and restore the city. He ordered the workmen to
build the walls and encircle Mount Zion with square stones for its
fortification, which they did. The foreigners
in the strongholds that Bacchides had built, took flight; each one of them left his place and returned to his own
country. Only in Beth-zur did some remain of
those who had abandoned the Torah and the commandments, for they used it as a
place of refuge. King Alexander heard of the
promises that Demetrius had made to Jonathan; he was also told of the battles
and valiant deeds of Jonathan and his brothers and the troubles that they had
endured. He said, "Shall we ever find
another man like him? Let us now make him our friend and ally." So he sent Jonathan a letter written in these terms:
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Jonathan Becomes High Priest. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
"King Alexander
sends greetings to his brother Jonathan. We have heard of you, that you
are a mighty warrior and worthy to be our friend. We have therefore appointed you today to be high priest of
your nation; you are to be called the King's Friend, and you are to look after
our interests and preserve amity with us." He also sent him a purple robe
and a crown of gold. Jonathan put on the sacred
vestments in the seventh month of the year one hundred and sixty at the feast
of Booths, and he gathered an army and procured many arms. When Demetrius heard of these things, he was distressed and
said: "Why have we allowed Alexander to
get ahead of us by gaining the friendship of the Jews and thus strengthening
himself? I too will write them conciliatory
words and offer dignities and gifts, so that they may be an aid to me."
So he sent them this message:
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. A Letter from Demetrius to Jonathan. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
"King Demetrius
sends greetings to the Jewish nation. We have heard how you have kept
the treaty with us and continued in our friendship and not gone over to our
enemies, and we are glad. Continue, therefore,
to keep faith with us, and we will reward you with favors in return for what
you do in our behalf. We will grant you many
exemptions and will bestow gifts on you. "I
now free you, as I also exempt all the Jews, from the tribute, the salt tax,
and the crown levies. Instead of collecting the
third of the grain and the half of the fruit of the trees that should be my
share, I renounce the right from this day forward: Neither now nor in the
future will I collect them from the land of Judah or from the three districts
annexed from Samaria. Let Jerusalem and her
territory, her tithes and her tolls, be sacred and free from tax. I also yield my authority over the citadel in Jerusalem, and
I transfer it to the high priest, that he may put in it such men as he shall
choose to guard it. Every one of the Jews who
has been carried into captivity from the land of Judah into any part of my
kingdom I set at liberty without ransom; and let all their taxes, even those on
their cattle, be canceled. Let all feast days,
sabbaths, new moon festivals, appointed days, and the three days that precede
each feast day, and the three days that follow, be days of immunity and
exemption for every Jew in my kingdom. Let no
man have authority to exact payment from them or to molest any of them in any
matter. "Let thirty thousand Jews be
enrolled in the king's army and allowances be given them, as is due to all the
king's soldiers. Let some of them be stationed
in the king's principal strongholds, and of these let some be given positions
of trust in the affairs of the kingdom. Let their superiors and their rulers be
taken from among them, and let them follow their own Torah, as the king has
commanded in the land of Judah. "Let the
three districts that have been added to Judea from the province of Samaria be
incorporated with Judea so that they may be under one man and obey no other
authority than the high priest. Ptolemais and
its confines I give as a present to the sanctuary in Jerusalem for the
necessary expenses of the sanctuary. I make a
yearly personal grant of fifteen thousand silver shekels out of the royal
revenues, from appropriate places. All the
additional funds that the officials did not hand over as they had done in the
first years, shall henceforth be handed over for the services of the temple.
Moreover, the dues of five thousand silver shekels
that used_ to be taken from the revenue of the sanctuary
every year shall be canceled, since these funds belong to the priests who
perform the services.
Whoever takes refuge in the temple of Jerusalem or in
any of its precincts, because of money he owes the king, or because of any
other debt, shall be released, together with all the goods he possesses in my
kingdom. The cost of rebuilding and restoring
the structures of the sanctuary shall be covered out of the royal revenue.
Likewise the cost of building the walls of Jerusalem
and fortifying it all around, and of building walls in Judea, shall be donated
from the royal revenue."
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Death of Demetrius. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
When Jonathan and the
people heard these words, they neither believed nor accepted them, for they
remembered the great evil that Demetrius had done in Israel, and how sorely he
had afflicted them. They therefore decided in favor of Alexander, for he had
been the first to address_ them peaceably, and they remained his allies
for the rest of his life.
King Alexander gathered together a large army and encamped
opposite Demetrius. The two kings joined
battle, and when the army of Demetrius fled, Alexander pursued him, and
overpowered his soldiers. He pressed the battle
hard until sunset, and Demetrius fell that day.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Treaty of Ptolemy and Alexander. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
Alexander sent
ambassadors to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, with this message: "Now
that I have returned to my realm, taken my seat on the throne of my fathers,
and established my rule by crushing Demetrius and gaining control of my
country-- for I engaged him in battle, defeated
him and his army, and recovered the royal throne-- let us now establish friendship with each other. Give me
your daughter for my wife; and as your son-in-law, I will give to you and to
her gifts worthy of you." King Ptolemy
answered in these words: "Happy the day on which you returned to the land
of your fathers and took your seat on their royal throne! I will do for you what you have written; but meet me in
Ptolemais, so that we may see each other, and I will become your father-in-law
as you have proposed." So Ptolemy with his
daughter Cleopatra set out from Egypt and came to Ptolemais in the year one
hundred and sixty-two. There King Alexander met
him, and Ptolemy gave him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. Their wedding was
celebrated at Ptolemais with great splendor according to the custom of kings.
King Alexander also wrote to Jonathan to come and meet
him. So he went with pomp to Ptolemais, where
he met the two kings and gave them and their friends silver and gold and many
gifts and thus won their favor. Some pestilent
Israelites, transgressors of the Torah, united against him to accuse him, but
the king paid no heed to them. He ordered
Jonathan to be divested of his ordinary garments and to be clothed in royal
purple; and so it was done. The king also had
him seated at his side. He said to his magistrates: "Go with him to the
center of the city and make a proclamation that no one is to bring charges
against him on any grounds or be troublesome to him in any way." When his accusers saw the honor paid to him in the
proclamation, and the purple with which he was clothed, they all fled. The king also honored him by numbering him among his Chief
Friends and made him military commander and governor of the province. So Jonathan returned in peace and happiness to Jerusalem.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Apollonius Is Defeated by Jonathan. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
In the year one hundred
and sixty-five, Demetrius, son of Demetrius, came from Crete to the land of his
fathers. When King Alexander heard of it he was greatly troubled, and
returned to Antioch. Demetrius appointed
Apollonius governor of Coelesyria. Having gathered a large army, Appollonius
pitched his camp at Jamnia. From there he sent this message to Jonathan the
high priest: "You are the only one who
resists us. I am laughed at and put to shame on your account. Why are you
displaying power against us in the mountains? If
you have confidence in your forces, come down now to us in the plain, and let
us test each other's strength there; the city forces are on my side. Inquire and learn who I am and who the others are who are
helping me. Men say that you cannot make a stand against us because your
fathers were twice put to flight in their own land. Now you too will be unable to withstand our cavalry and such
a force as this in the plain, where there is not a stone or a pebble or a place
to flee." When Jonathan heard the message
of Apollonius, he was roused. Choosing ten thousand men, he set out from
Jerusalem, and Simon his brother joined him to help him. He pitched camp near Joppa, but the men in the city shut him
out because Apollonius had a garrison there. When the Jews besieged it, the men of the city became afraid and opened the gates, and
so Jonathan took possession of Joppa. When
Apollonius heard of it, he drew up three thousand horsemen and an innumerable
infantry. He marched on Azotus as though he were going on through the country,
but at the same time he advanced into the plain, because he had such a large
number of horsemen to rely on. Jonathan
followed him to Azotus, and they engaged in battle. Apollonius, however, had left a thousand cavalry in hiding
behind them. When Jonathan discovered that
there was an ambush behind him, his army was surrounded. From morning until
evening they showered his men with arrows. But
his men held their ground, as Jonathan had commanded, whereas the enemy's
horses became tired out. When the horsemen were
exhausted, Simon attacked the phalanx, overwhelmed it and put it to flight.
The horsemen too were scattered over the plain. The
enemy fled to Azotus and entered Beth-dagon, the temple of their idol, to save
themselves. But Jonathan burned and plundered
Azotus with its neighboring towns, and destroyed by fire both the temple of
Dagon and the men who had taken refuge in it. Those
who fell by the sword, together with those who were burned alive, came to about
eight thousand men. Then Jonathan left there
and pitched his camp at Ashkalon, and the people of that city came out to meet
him with great pomp. He and his men then
returned to Jerusalem, laden with much booty. When
King Alexander heard of these events, he accorded new honors to Jonathan.
He sent him a gold buckle, such as is usually given to
King's Kinsmen; he also gave him Ekron and all its territory as a possession.
! ! End of
The Chapter.
\Eng:[:phone arpa
SAMPA][_:<3333,0>]\
(1 Maccabees 11:1-74 NAB-A) :
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Ptolemy Invades Syria. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
The king of Egypt
gathered his forces, as numerous as the sands of the seashore, and many ships;
and he sought by deceit to take Alexander's kingdom and add it to his own. He
entered Syria with peaceful words, and the people in the cities opened their
gates to welcome him, as King Alexander had ordered them to do, since Ptolemy
was his father-in-law. But when Ptolemy entered
the cities, he stationed garrison troops in each one. When he reached Azotus, he was shown the temple of Dagon
destroyed by fire, Azotus and its suburbs demolished, corpses lying about, and
the charred bodies of those burned by Jonathan in the war and stacked up along
his route. To prejudice the king against
Jonathan, he was told what the latter had done; but the king said nothing.
Jonathan met the king with pomp at Joppa, and they
greeted each other and spent the night there. Jonathan
accompanied the king as far as the river called Eleutherus and then returned to
Jerusalem. Plotting evil against Alexander,
King Ptolemy took possession of the cities along the seacoast as far as
Seleucia-by-the-Sea. He sent ambassadors to
King Demetrius, saying: "Come, let us make a pact with each other; I will
give you my daughter whom Alexander has married, and you shall reign over your
father's kingdom. I regret that I gave him my
daughter, for he has sought to kill me." His
real reason for accusing Alexander, however, was that he coveted Alexander's
kingdom. After taking his daughter away and
giving her to Demetrius, Ptolemy broke with Alexander; their enmity became
open. Then Ptolemy entered Antioch and assumed
the crown of Asia; he thus wore two crowns on his head, that of Egypt and that
of Asia. King Alexander was in Cilicia at that
time, because the people of that region had revolted. When Alexander heard the news, he came to challenge Ptolemy
in battle. Ptolemy marched out and met him with a strong force and put him to
flight. Alexander fled to Arabia to seek
protection. King Ptolemy's triumph was complete when
the Arab Zabdiel cut off Alexander's head and sent it to Ptolemy. But three days later King Ptolemy himself died, and his men
in the fortified cities were killed by the inhabitants of the strongholds.
Thus Demetrius became king in the year one hundred and
sixty-seven.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Jonathan's Diplomacy. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
At that time Jonathan
gathered together the men of Judea to attack the citadel in Jerusalem, and they
set up many machines against it. Some transgressors of the Torah,
enemies of their own nation, went to the king and informed him that Jonathan
was besieging the citadel. When Demetrius heard
this, he was furious, and set out immediately for Ptolemais. He wrote to
Jonathan to discontinue the siege and to meet him for a conference at Ptolemais
as soon as possible. On hearing this, Jonathan
ordered the siege to continue. He selected some elders and priests of Israel
and exposed himself to danger by going to the
king at Ptolemais. He brought with him silver, gold apparel, and many other
presents, and found favor with the king. Although
some impious men of his own nation brought charges against him, the king treated him just as his predecessors had done and
showed him great honor in the presence of all his Friends. He confirmed him in the high priesthood and in all the
honors he had previously held, and had him enrolled among his Chief Friends.
Jonathan asked the king to exempt Judea and the three
districts of Samaria from tribute, promising him in return three hundred
talents. The king agreed and wrote the
following letter to Jonathan about all these matters: Pact with Demetrius
"King Demetrius sends greetings to his brother
Jonathan and to the Jewish nation. We are
sending you, for your information, a copy of the letter that we wrote to
Lasthenes our kinsman concerning you. "'King
Demetrius sends greetings to his father Lasthenes. Because of the good will they show us, we have decided to
bestow benefits on the Jewish nation, who are our friends and who observe their
obligations to us. Therefore we confirm their
possession, not only of the territory of Judea, but also of the three districts
of Aphairema, Lydda, and Ramathaim. These districts, together with all their
dependencies, were transferred from Samaria to Judea in favor of all those who
offer sacrifices for us in Jerusalem instead of paying the royal taxes that
formerly the king received from them each year from the produce of the soil and
the fruit of the trees. From this day on we
grant them release from payment of all other things that would henceforth be
due to us, that is, of tithes and tribute and of the tax on the salt pans and
the crown tax. Henceforth none of these
provisions shall ever be revoked. Be sure,
therefore, to have a copy of these instructions made and given to Jonathan,
that it may be displayed in a conspicuous place on the holy hill.'"
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The Intrigue_
of Trypho. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
When King Demetrius saw
that the land was peaceful under his rule and that he had no opposition, he
dismissed his entire army, every man to his home, except the foreign troops
which he had hired from the islands of the nations. So all the soldiers who had
served under his predecessors hated him. When a certain Trypho, who had
previously belonged to Alexander's party, saw that all the troops were
grumbling at Demetrius, he went to Imalkue the Arab, who was bringing up
Alexander's young son Antiochus. Trypho kept
urging Imalkue to hand over the boy to him, that he might make him king in his
father's place. During his stay there of many days, he told him of all that
Demetrius had done and of the hatred that his soldiers had for him. Meanwhile Jonathan sent the request to King Demetrius to
withdraw his troops from the citadel of Jerusalem and from the other
strongholds, for they were constantly hostile to Israel. Demetrius, in turn, sent this word to Jonathan: "I will
not only do this for you and your nation, but I will greatly honor you and your
nation when I find the opportunity. Do me the
favor, therefore, of sending men to fight for me, because all my troops have
revolted." So Jonathan sent three thousand
good fighting men to him at Antioch. When they came to the king, he was
delighted over their arrival, for the populace,
one hundred and twenty thousand strong, had massed in the center of the city in
an attempt to kill him. But he took refuge in
the palace, while the populace gained control of the main streets and began to
fight. So the king called the Jews to his aid.
They all rallied around him and spread out through the city. On that day they
killed about a hundred thousand men in the city, which, at the same time, they set on fire and plundered on a large scale.
Thus they saved the king's life. When the
populace saw that the Jews held the city at their mercy, they lost courage and
cried out to the king in supplication, "Give
us your terms and let the Jews stop attacking us and our city." So they
threw down their arms and made peace. The Jews
thus gained glory in the eyes of the king and all his subjects, and they became
renowned throughout his kingdom. Finally they returned to Jerusalem with much
spoil. But when King Demetrius was sure of his
royal throne, and the land was peaceful under his rule, he broke all his promises and became estranged from
Jonathan. Instead of rewarding Jonathan for all the favors he had received from
him, he caused him much trouble.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Trypho Seizes Power. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
After this, Trypho
returned and brought with him the young boy Antiochus, who became king and wore
the royal crown. All the soldiers whom Demetrius had discharged rallied
around Antiochus and fought against Demetrius, who was routed and fled. Trypho captured the elephants and occupied Antioch. Then young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan: "I confirm you
in the high priesthood and appoint you ruler over the four districts and wish
you to be one of the King's Friends." He
also sent him gold dishes and a dinner service, gave him the right to drink
from gold cups, to dress in royal purple, and to wear a gold buckle. Likewise, he made Jonathan's brother Simon governor of the
region from the Ladder of Tyre to the frontier of Egypt.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
Jonathan set out and
traveled through West-of-Euphrates and its cities, and all the forces of Syria
espoused his cause as allies. When he arrived at Ashkalon, the citizens
welcomed him with pomp.
But when he set out for Gaza, the people of Gaza
locked their gates against him. So he besieged it and burned and plundered its
suburbs. Then the people of Gaza appealed to
him for mercy, and he granted them peace. He took the sons of their chief men
as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. He then traveled on through the
province as far as Damascus. Jonathan heard
that the generals of Demetrius had come with a strong force to Kadesh in
Galilee, intending to remove him from office. So
he went to meet them, leaving his brother Simon in the province. Simon besieged Beth-zur, attacked it for many days, and
blockaded the inhabitants. When they sued for
peace, he granted it to them. He expelled them from the city, took possession
of it, and put a garrison there. Meanwhile, Jonathan
and his army pitched their camp near the waters of Gennesaret, and at daybreak
they went to the plain of Hazor. There, in
front of him on the plain, was the army of the foreigners. This army attacked
him in the open, having first detached an ambush against him in the mountains.
Then the men in ambush rose out of their places and
joined in the battle. All of Jonathan's men
fled; no one stayed except the army commanders Mattathias, son of Absalom, and
Judas, son of Chalphi. Jonathan tore his
clothes, threw earth on his head, and prayed. Then
he went back to the combat and so overwhelmed the enemy that they took to
flight. Those of his men who were running away
saw it and returned to him; and with him they pursued the enemy as far as their
camp in Kadesh, where they pitched their own camp. Three thousand of the foreign troops fell on that day. Then
Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.
! ! End of
The Chapter.
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(1 Maccabees 12:1-53 NAB-A) :
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Alliances with Rome and Sparta. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
When Jonathan saw that
the times favored him, he sent selected men to Rome to confirm and renew his
friendship with the Romans. He also sent letters to Sparta and other
places for the same purpose. After reaching
Rome, the men entered the senate chamber and said, "The high priest
Jonathan and the Jewish people have sent us to renew the earlier friendship and
alliance between you and them." The Romans
gave them letters addressed to the authorities in the various places,
requesting them to provide the envoys with safe conduct_ to the land of Judah. This is a copy of the letter
that Jonathan wrote to the Spartans: "Jonathan
the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest of the
Jewish people send greetings to their brothers the Spartans. Long ago a letter was sent to the high priest Onias from
Arius, who then reigned over you, stating that you are our brothers, as the
attached copy shows. Onias welcomed the envoy
with honor and received the letter, which clearly referred to alliance and
friendship. Though we have no need of these
things, since we have for our encouragement the sacred books that are in our
possession, we have ventured to send word to
you for the renewal of brotherhood and friendship, so as not to become
strangers to you altogether; a long time has passed since your mission to us.
We, on our part, have never ceased to remember you in
the sacrifices and prayers that we offer on our feasts and other appropriate
days, as it is right and proper to remember brothers. We likewise rejoice in your renown. But many hardships and wars have beset us, and the kings
around us have attacked us. We did not wish to
be troublesome to you and to the rest of our allies and friends in these wars;
with the help of Heaven for our support, we have been
saved from our enemies, and they have been humbled. So we have chosen Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater,
son of Jason, and we have sent them to the Romans to renew our former
friendship and alliance with them. We have also
ordered them to come to you and greet you, and to deliver to you our letter
about the renewal of our brotherhood. Therefore
kindly send us an answer on this matter." This
is a copy of the letter that was sent to Onias: "Arius,
king of the Spartans, sends greetings to Onias the high priest. A document has been found stating that the Spartans and the
Jews are brothers; both nations descended from Abraham. Now that we have learned this, kindly write to us about your
welfare. We, on our part, are informing you
that your cattle and your possessions are ours, and ours are yours. We have,
therefore, given orders that you should be told of this."
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Further Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
Jonathan heard that the
generals of Demetrius had returned to attack him with a stronger army than
before. He set out from Jerusalem and went into the country of
Hamath to meet them, giving them no time to enter his province. The spies he had sent into their camp came back and reported
that the enemy had made ready to attack the Jews that very night. Therefore, when the sun set, Jonathan ordered his men to be
on guard and to remain armed, ready for combat, throughout the night. He also
set outposts all around the camp. When the
enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle, their hearts sank
with fear and dread. They lighted fires and then withdrew. But because Jonathan and his men were watching the lights
burning, they did not know what had happened until morning. Then Jonathan pursued them, but he could not overtake them,
for they had crossed the river Eleutherus. So
Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs who are called Zabadeans, overwhelming
and plundering them. Then he marched on to
Damascus and traversed that whole region. Simon
also set out and went as far as Ashkalon and its neighboring strongholds. He
then turned to Joppa and occupied it, for he
heard that its men had intended to hand over this stronghold to the supporters
of Demetrius. He left a garrison there to guard it. When Jonathan returned, he assembled the elders of the
people, and with them he made plans for building strongholds in Judea, for making the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and for
erecting a high barrier between the citadel and the city, that would isolate
the citadel and so prevent its garrison from commerce with the city. The people therefore worked together on building up the
city, for part of the east wall above the ravine had collapsed. The quarter
called Chaphenatha was also repaired. Simon
likewise built up Adida in the Shephelah, and strengthened its fortifications
by providing them with gates and bars.
\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Trypho Captures Jonathan. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.
Trypho was determined
to become king of Asia, assume the crown, and do away with King Antiochus. But he
was afraid that Jonathan would not permit him, but would fight against him.
Looking for a way to seize and kill him, he set out and reached Beth-shan.
Jonathan marched out against him with forty thousand
picked fighting men and came to Beth-shan. But
when Trypho saw that Jonathan had arrived with a large army he was afraid to
offer him violence. Instead, he received him
with honor, introduced him to all his friends, and gave him some presents. He
also ordered his friends and soldiers to obey him as they would himself.
Then he said to Jonathan: "Why have you put all
your soldiers to so much trouble when we are not at war? Pick out a few men to stay with you, send the rest back
home, and then come with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you together
with other strongholds and their garrisons, as well as the officials, then I
will leave and go home. That is why I came here." Jonathan believed him and did as he said. He dismissed his
troops, and they returned to the land of Judah. But
he kept with him three thousand men, of whom he sent two thousand to Galilee
while one thousand accompanied him. Then as
soon as Jonathan had entered Ptolemais, the men of the city closed the gates
and seized him; all who had entered with him, they killed with the sword.
Trypho sent soldiers and cavalry to Galilee and the
Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan's men. These,
upon learning that Jonathan had been captured and his companions killed,
encouraged one another and went out in compact body ready to fight. As their pursuers saw that they were ready to fight for
their lives_, they turned back. Thus all
these men of Jonathan came safely into the land of Judah. They mourned over
Jonathan and his men, and were in great fear, and all Israel fell into deep
mourning. All the nations round about sought to
destroy them. They said, "Now that they have no leader to help them, let
us make war on them and wipe out their memory from among men."
! ! End of
The Chapter.
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! ! End of
Today’s FEAST and Related Scriptures! Praise Yah! (HNV-yet version, in the public domain.)
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