The Second Book of Maccabees

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- Chapter 5 -

Wonderful signs are seen in the air. Jason’s wickedness and end. Antiochus takes Jerusalem, and plunders the temple.

At the same time, Antiochus prepared for a second journey into Egypt.

But it happened, throughout the entire city of Jerusalem, that there were seen, for forty days, horsemen rushing through the air, having golden robes, and armed with spears, like a cohort of soldiers,

and horses, set in order by ranks, running, coming together to engage in close combat, and the shaking of shields, and a helmeted multitude stretching forth swords, and the casting of darts, and the splendor of golden armor, and all kinds of breastplates.

Because of this, everyone begged that these prodigies might be turned to good.

But when a false rumor went out, as though the life of Antiochus had expired, Jason, taking with him no less than one thousand men, suddenly assaulted the city. And, though the citizens together rushed to the wall, the city at last was taken, and Menelaus fled into the stronghold.

Truly, Jason did not spare his citizens from the slaughter; not realizing that success at the expense of kin is a very great evil, he considered those over whom he was victorious to be enemies, and not citizens.

And so, he certainly did not obtain the leadership, but truly, in the end, received confusion for his betrayals, and he departed again to take refuge among the Ammonites.

In the end, to his ruin, he was enclosed by Aretas, the sovereign of the Arabs. And then, fleeing from city to city, hated by all as a detestable fugitive from the laws, and as an enemy of his own nation and citizens, he was expelled into Egypt.

And he who had expelled many from their native land perished abroad, starting out toward the Lacedaemonians, as if, for the sake of kinship, he should have refuge there.

And he who cast out many, unburied, was himself also cast out, both unlamented and unburied, and without having use of either foreign burial or a share of the sepulcher of his fathers.

And so, when these things were done, the king suspected that the Jews would desert the alliance. And because of this, departing from Egypt with a raging soul, he indeed took the city by force.

Moreover, he ordered the military to execute, and not to spare, anyone they met, and to ascend through the houses to slay.

Therefore, a massacre occurred of youths and elders, an extermination of women and children, a killing of virgins and little ones.

And so, over three whole days, eighty thousand were executed, forty thousand were imprisoned, and no small number were sold.(a)

But, as if this were not enough, he even presumed to enter into the most holy temple in the entire world, with Menelaus, that traitor to the law and to his own nation, as his guide.

And, taking in his wicked hands the holy vessels, which were given by other kings and cities for the adornment and glory of the place, he unworthily handled and contaminated them.(b)

So Antiochus, having gone astray in mind, did not consider that, because of the sins of the inhabitants of the city, God had become angry for a while, and so, for this reason, contempt had fallen upon the place.

Otherwise, if it had not happened that they were involved in so many sins, as with Heliodorus, who was sent by king Seleucus to plunder the treasury, so also this one, as soon as he had arrived, certainly would have been scourged and driven away from his audacity.(c)

Truly, God did not choose the people because of the place, but the place because of the people.(d)

And therefore, the place itself also became a participant in the evils of the people. But afterwards, it shall be a companion to what is good. And she who was abandoned to the wrath of Almighty God shall be exalted again with the greatest glory, at the reconciliation of the great Lord.

Therefore, when Antiochus had taken away from the temple one thousand eight hundred talents,(e) he quickly returned to Antioch, thinking, in his arrogance, to navigate the earth, even by finding a passage leading across the open ocean:(f) such was the elation of his mind.

Yet he left behind rulers to afflict the people. In fact, at Jerusalem, Philip was by birth a Phrygian, but he was in manners more cruel than he who had appointed him.

Yet Andronicus and Menelaus hung a heavier weight over the citizens at Garizim than the others.

And when he had been appointed over the Jews, he sent that hateful leader, Apollonius, with an army of twenty-two thousand, instructing him to execute all men in the prime of life, and to sell the women and the youths.(g)

When he had arrived at Jerusalem, feigning peace, he remained quiet until the holy day of the Sabbath. And then, when the Jews were taking rest, he instructed his own to take up arms.

And he slaughtered all those who were seen going out. And rushing throughout the city with armed men, he destroyed a vast multitude.

But Judas Maccabeus, who was the tenth, had withdrawn himself to a deserted place, and there he lived life among the wild beasts in the mountains, with his own. And they remained there, consuming herbs as food, lest they be partakers in the defilement.(h)

Footnotes

(a)5:14 Or, ‘and no less were sold.’(Conte)

(b)5:16 The Antichrist will enter into the principle Church, the center of worship of the Catholic faith, in Jerusalem, and he will take the holy vessels into his wicked hands. However, it is not true that he will ever be pope or even want to be pope. The Church will be entirely without a Pope during the nearly seven years of the Antichrist’s reign.(Conte)

(c)5:18 God permits the Antichrist to afflict the Church, partly because of the sins of Christians (and partly that they may suffer innocently, as Christ suffered).(Conte)

(d)5:19 Here is an example where word order in Latin is essential to the meaning of the sentence.(Conte)

(e)5:21 talentsA talent is a unit of weight generally associated with silver and gold. One talent is just over 66 pounds in weight. Eighteen hundred talents is a vast amount of precious metals.(Conte)

(f)5:21 navigate ... oceanIn other words, he thought that he might find a way to circumnavigate the globe by crossing the open ocean. The Romans and Greeks of that time knew that the world was a sphere. The word ‘terram’ in this context refers to ‘the earth,’ not merely to ‘the land.’ The word ‘pelagus’ refers to the open ocean, not merely to the Mediterranean or the coastal waters. There is no reference here to walking or traveling by foot; the text does not say that he wanted to make the sea passable on foot. It does not say that. The usual translation of this verse, that he wanted, in effect, to sail on land and walk on water applies to the eschatological meaning of the text: After conquering the king of the South and entering the great Sanctuary of the Faith, the Antichrist will be so elated that he will think to accomplish things beyond mere human ability, such will be the elation of his mind. On the other hand, in this more literal translation of the text, the historical person Antiochus did not think to sail on land or walk on water. The words ‘foot’ or ‘walk’ are not in the verse. Rather, he thought to circumnavigate the globe. The scholars of that time period did, in fact, know that the earth was a globe, and they could predict the dates of solar and lunar eclipses, and lunar phases.(Conte)

(g)5:24 The phrase ‘omnes perfectæ ætatis’ is here translated similarly to the Jerusalem Bible. This phrase clearly refers to the men only, as the end of the verse indicates, so the use of the word ‘men’ in the translation is justified. Also, the reason for killing all the fit men is that they might become soldiers or join in a rebellion against them. So they killed all the men of military age.(Conte)

(h)5:27 Was the tenth:That is, he had nine others in his company.(Challoner)

Wonderful signs are seen in the air. Jason’s wickedness and end. Antiochus takes Jerusalem, and plunders the temple.

Now about this time Antiochus made his second invasion into Egypt.

It happened that throughout all the city, for almost forty days, cavalry appeared in the midst of the sky in swift motion, wearing robes woven with gold and carrying spears, equipped with troops for battle—

drawing swords, squadrons of cavalry in array, encounters and pursuits of both armies, shaking shields, multitudes of lances, throwing of missiles, flashing of golden trappings, and putting on all sorts of armor.

Therefore everyone prayed that the manifestation might have been given for good.

When a false rumor had arisen that Antiochus was dead, Jason took not less than a thousand men, and suddenly made an assault upon the city. When those who were on the wall were being routed, and the city was at length nearly taken, Menelaus took refuge in the citadel.

But Jason slaughtered his own citizens without mercy, not considering that good success against kinsmen is the greatest misfortune, but supposing himself to be setting up trophies over enemies, and not over fellow-countrymen.

He didn’t win control of the government, but receiving shame as the result of his conspiracy, he fled again as a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites.

At last therefore he met with a miserable end. Having been imprisoned at the court of Aretas the prince of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued by all men, hated as an rebel against the laws, and abhorred as the executioner of his country and his fellow citizens, he was cast ashore in Egypt.

He who had driven many from their own country into exile perished in exile, having crossed the sea to the Lacedaemonians, hoping to find shelter there because they were(a) near of kin.

He who had thrown out a multitude unburied had none to mourn for him. He didn’t have any funeral at all and no place in the tomb of his ancestors.

Now when news came to the king concerning that which was done, he thought that Judea was in revolt. So, setting out from Egypt in a rage, he took the city by force of weapons,

and commanded his soldiers to cut down without mercy those who came in their way, and to kill those who went into their houses.

Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaying of virgins and infants.

In a total of three days, eighty thousand were destroyed, of which forty thousand were slain in close combat, and no fewer were sold into slavery than slain.

Not content with this, he presumed to enter into the most holy temple of all the earth, having Menelaus for his guide (who had proved himself a traitor both to the laws and to his country),

even taking the sacred vessels with his polluted hands, and dragging down with his profane hands the offerings that had been dedicated by other kings to enhance the glory and honor of the place.

Antiochus was lifted up in mind, not seeing that because of the sins of those who lived in the city the Sovereign Lord had been provoked to anger a little while, and therefore his eye was turned away from the place.

But had it not been so that they were already bound by many sins, this man, even as Heliodorus who was sent by King Seleucus to view the treasury, would, as soon as he came forward, have been scourged and turned back from his daring deed.

However the Lord didn’t choose the nation for the place’s sake, but the place for the nation’s sake.

Therefore also the place itself, having shared in the calamities that happened to the nation, did afterward share in its benefits; and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory.

As for Antiochus, when he had carried away out of the temple one thousand eight hundred talents, he hurried away to Antioch, thinking in his arrogance that he could sail on land and walk on the sea, because his heart was lifted up.

Moreover he left governors to afflict the race: at Jerusalem, Philip, by race a Phrygian, and in character more barbarous than him who set him there;

and at Gerizim, Andronicus; and besides these, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest, exalted himself against his fellow-citizens. Having a malicious mind(b) toward the Jews(c) whom he had made his citizens,

he sent that(d) lord of pollutions Apollonius with an army of twenty-two thousand, commanding him to kill all those who were of full age, and to sell the women and the boys as slaves.

He came to Jerusalem, and pretending to be a man of peace, waited till the holy day of the Sabbath, and finding the Jews at rest from work, he commanded his men to parade fully armed.

He put to the sword all those who came out to the spectacle. Running into the city with the armed men, he killed great multitudes.

But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, with about nine others, withdrew himself, and with his company kept himself alive in the mountains like wild animals do. They continued feeding on what grew wild, that they might not be partakers of the defilement.

Footnotes

(a)5:9 See 1 Maccabees 12:7 .

(b)5:23 Some authorities read toward the Jews, he sent.The Greek text of this sentence is uncertain.

(d)5:24 Gr. Μυσάρχην,which also may mean ruler of the Mysians.