The Second Book of Maccabees

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- Kapitel 6 -

Antiochus commands the law to be abolished, sets up an idol in the temple, and persecutes the faithful. The martyrdom of Eleazar.

But not much time later, the king sent a certain elder of Antioch, who compelled the Jews to transfer themselves from the laws of God and of their fathers,

and also to contaminate the temple that was in Jerusalem, and to name it ‘Jupiter of Olympus,’ and in Garizim, ‘Jupiter of Hospitality,’ exactly like those who inhabited the place.(a)

Yet the worst and most grievous thing of all was the onrush of evils.

For the temple was full of the luxuries and carousings of the Gentiles, and of consorting with promiscuous women. And the women hurried themselves unreservedly into the sacred buildings, bringing in things that were not lawful.(b)

And even the altar was filled with illicit things, which were prohibited by the laws.

And also the Sabbaths were not kept, and the solemn days of the fathers were not observed, neither did anyone simply confess himself to be a Jew.

And so, they were led by bitter necessity, on the birthday of the king, to the sacrifices. And, when the holy things of Liber were celebrated, they were forced to go around crowned with the ivy of Liber.(c)

Then a decree went out to the neighboring cities of the Gentiles, suggested by the Ptolemeans, that they too should act in a similar manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice,

and that those who were not willing to conform to the institutions of the Gentiles should be executed. Therefore, there was misery to be seen.

For two women were denounced for having had their boys circumcised. These, with the infants suspended at their breasts, when they had publicly led them around the city, they cast down from the walls.

Truly, others, meeting together in nearby caves and celebrating the Sabbath day secretly, when they had been discovered by Philip, were burned with fire, because they showed reverence to the observances of religion, deciding to help themselves by their own hand.(d)

So then, I beg those who will read this Book, let them not be repelled by these adverse events, but let them consider that these things happened, not for the destruction, but for the correction, of our people.

For it is also an indication of great benefits that sinners are not permitted to continue in their ways for a long time, but are promptly brought to punishment.

For, as it is with other nations, (whom the Lord patiently awaits, so that, when the day of Judgment will arrive, he may punish them according to the plentitude of their sins,)

not so does he also deal with us, as if to put off our sins until the end, so as to punish us for them eventually.

Because of this, he certainly would never take away his mercy from us. Yet truly, chastising his people in adversity, he does not abandon them.

But these few things have been spoken by us as a reminder to the reader. For now we have arrived at the narration.

And so, Eleazar, one of the chief scribes, a man advanced in years and of stately countenance, was compelled to open his mouth wide to consume the flesh of swine.

Yet he, embracing a most glorious death as greater than a detestable life, went forward voluntarily to the torments.

And so, thinking over the manner by which he ought to approach it, enduring patiently, he was determined not to permit, due to a love for life, any unlawful things.(e)

Yet those who stood near, being moved by an iniquitous pity because of long friendship with the man, taking him aside privately, asked that flesh be brought which was lawful for him to eat, so that he could pretend to have eaten, just as the king had commanded, from the flesh of the sacrifice.(f)

So then, by doing this, he might be freed from death. And it was because of their old friendship with the man that they performed this kindness for him.

But he began to consider the eminent dignity of his stage of life and old age, and the natural honor of gray hair, as well as his exemplary words and deeds from childhood. And he responded quickly, according also to the ordinances of the sacred law preserved by God, saying, that he would first be sent to the underworld.(g)

“For it is not worthy for those of our age,” he said, “to deceive, so that many adolescents might think that Eleazar, at ninety years, had converted to the life of the foreigners.

And so, they, because of my pretense and for the sake of a brief time of a corruptible life, would be misled, and, through this stain and desecration, I would defile my last years.

But if, in the present time, I were rescued from the torments of men, I would then not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither in life, nor in death.

For this reason, by departing life with fortitude, I will show myself to be clearly worthy of my long life.

And so, I will bequeath an example of fortitude to youths, if, with a ready soul and constancy, I carry out an honest death, for the sake of the most serious and most holy laws.” And having said this, he was immediately dragged away to execution.

But those who led him, and who were more mild a little before, were turned to anger because of the words spoken by him, which they considered to have been brought forth by way of arrogance.

But when he was ready to perish by the scourges, he groaned, and he said: “O Lord, who holds all holy knowledge, you clearly understand that, although I could be freed from death, I suffer grievous pains in body. Truly, according to the soul, I willingly endure these things, because of your fear.”

And the way in which this man passed from this life, bequeathed, not only to youths, but also to the entire people, the memory of his death as an example of virtue and fortitude.

Fußnoten

(a)6:2 That in Gazarim:Viz., the temple of the Samaritans. And as they were originally strangers, the name of Hospitalis (which signifies of or belonging to strangers) was applicable to the idol set up in their temple.(Challoner)

(b)6:4 The word meretricibus often refers to someone other than a prostitute, such as a kept woman or a promiscuous woman.(Conte)

(c)6:7 Liberi refers to the Italian pagan god, also equated to the Roman god Bacchus. The name ‘Liberi’ means ‘of the free one.’ This celebration was one of licentiousness, self-indulgence, and intoxication: what the unbelievers call freedoms. This whole passage has a spiritual meaning referring to the time of the Antichrist (in the early 25th century), when the people will be compelled to celebrate godless holidays which claim to celebrate freedoms, but are merely a celebration of licentiousness and various other sins.(Conte)

(d)6:11 Philip:The governor of Jerusalem.(Challoner)

(e)6:20 He did not want to be influenced by an inordinate love for his own life, above the will of God.(Conte)

(f)6:21 Wicked pity:Their pity was wicked, inasmuch as it suggested that wicked proposal of saving his life by dissimulation.(Challoner)

(g)6:23 The word ‘infernum’ can mean Hell or it can refer merely to any afterlife, or to death under adverse circumstances.(Conte)

Antiochus commands the law to be abolished, sets up an idol in the temple, and persecutes the faithful. The martyrdom of Eleazar.

Not long after this, the king sent out (a)an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers and not to live by the laws of God,

and also to pollute the sanctuary in Jerusalem and to call it by the name of Olympian Zeus, and to call the sanctuary in Gerizim by the name of Zeus the Protector of foreigners, even as the people who lived in that place did.

The visitation of this evil was harsh and utterly grievous.

For the temple was filled with debauchery and reveling by the heathen, who (b) dallied with prostitutes, and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and moreover brought inside things that were not appropriate.

The altar was filled with those abominable things which had been prohibited by the laws.

A man could neither keep the Sabbath, nor observe the feasts of their ancestors, nor so much as confess himself to be a Jew.

On the day of the king’s birth every month, they were led along with bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices. When the feast of Dionysia came, they were compelled to go in procession in honor of Dionysus, wearing wreaths of ivy.

A decree went out to the neighboring Greek cities, by the suggestion of Ptolemy, that they should observe the same conduct against the Jews, and should make them eat of the sacrifices,

and that they should kill those who didn’t choose to go over to the Greek rites. So the present misery was for all to see.

For example, two women were brought in for having circumcised their children. These, when they had led them publicly around the city with the babes hung from their breasts, they threw down headlong from the wall.

Others who had run together into the caves nearby to keep the seventh day secretly, were betrayed to Philip and were all burned together, because their piety kept them from defending themselves, in view of the honor of that most solemn day.

I urge those who read this book to not be discouraged because of the calamities, but recognize that these punishments were not for the destruction, but for the chastening of our race.

For indeed it is a sign of great kindness that those who act impiously are not let alone for a long time, but immediately meet with retribution.

For in the case of the other nations, the Sovereign Lord waits patiently to punish them until they have attained to the full measure of their sins; but not with us,

that he may not take vengeance on us afterward,(c) when we have come to the(d) height of our sins.

Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us; but though he chastens with calamity, he doesn’t forsake his own people.

However let this that we have spoken suffice to remind you; but after a few words, we must come to the narrative.

Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, a man already well advanced in years, and of a noble countenance, was compelled to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh.

But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with defilement, advanced of his own accord to the instrument of torture, but first spat out the flesh,

as men ought to come who are resolute to repel such things as not even for the natural love of life is it lawful to taste.

But those who had the charge of that forbidden sacrificial feast took the man aside, for the acquaintance which of old times they had with him, and privately implored him to bring flesh of his own providing, such as was proper for him to use, and to make as if he did eat of the flesh from the sacrifice, as had been commanded by the king;

that by so doing he might be delivered from death, and so his ancient friendship with them might be treated kindly.

But he, having formed a high resolve, and one that became his years, the dignity of old age, and the gray hairs(e) which he had reached with honor, and his excellent(f) education from a child, or rather the holy laws(g) of God’s ordaining, declared his mind accordingly, bidding them to quickly send him to Hades.

“For it doesn’t become our years to dissemble,” he said, “that many of the young should suppose that Eleazar, the man of ninety years, had gone over to an alien religion;

and so they, by reason of my deception, and for the sake of this brief and momentary life, would be led astray because of me, and I defile and disgrace myself in my old age.

For even if for the present time I would remove from me the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die, I wouldn’t escape the hands of the Almighty.

Therefore, by bravely parting with my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age,

and (h)leave behind a noble example to the young to die willingly and nobly a glorious death for the revered and holy laws.” When he had said these words, he went immediately to the instrument of torture.

(i) When they changed the good will they bore toward him a little before into ill will because these words of his were, as they thought, sheer madness,

and when he was at the point to die with the(j) blows, he groaned aloud and said, “To the Lord, who has the holy knowledge, it is manifest that, while I might have been delivered from death, I endure severe pains in my body by being scourged; but in soul I gladly suffer these things because of my fear of him.”

So this man also died like this, leaving his death for an example of nobleness and a memorial of virtue, not only to the young but also to the great body of his nation.

Fußnoten

(a)6:1 Or, Geron an Athenian

(b)6:4 Or, idled with their fellows

(d)6:15 Gr. end.

(e)6:23 The Greek text appears to be corrupt.

(f)6:23 Some authorities read manner of life.

(g)6:23 Gr. legislation.

(h)6:28 Gr. one that has left behind.

(i)6:29 The Greek text of this verse is uncertain.

(j)6:30 Or, blows