The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 15
1 Antiochus son of Demetrius the king
sent a letter from the islands of the sea to
Simonthepriest and† governor ofthe Jews,
and to all the nation.
2 Its contents follow: “King Antiochus to Simon the chief
priest and‡ governor, and to the nation of
the Jews, greetings.
3 Whereas certain troublemakers have
made themselves masters of the kingdom
of our fathers, but my purpose is to claim
the kingdom, that I may restore it as it
was before; and moreover I have raised
a multitude of foreign soldiers, and have
prepared warships;
4 moreover I plan to land in the country,
that I may punish those who have destroyed
our country, and those who have
made many cities in the kingdom desolate;
5 now therefore I confirm to you all the
tax remissions which the kings who were
before me remitted to you, and whatever
gifts besides they remitted to you,
6 and I permit youto coinmoney for your
country with your own stamp,
7 but that Jerusalem and the sanctuary
should be free. All the weapons that you
have prepared, and the strongholds that
you have built, which you have in your
possession, let them remain yours.
8 Every debt owed to the king, and the
things that will be owed to the king from
henceforth and for evermore, let them be
remitted to you.
9 Moreover, when we have established
our kingdom, we will glorify you and your
nation and the temple with great glory, so
that your glory will be made manifestin all
the earth.
10 In the one hundred seventy-fourth
year,§ Antiochus went into the land of his
fathers; and all the forces came together
to him, so that there were few men with
Tryphon.
11 King Antiochus pursued him, and he
came, as he fled, to Dor, which is by the sea;
12 for he knew that troubles had come
upon him all at once, and that his forces
had deserted him.
13 Antiochus encamped against Dor, and
with him one hundred twenty thousand
men of war and eight thousand cavalry.
14 He surrounded the city, and the ships
joined in the attack from the sea. He harassed
the city by land and sea, and permitted
no one to go out or in.
15 Numenius and his company came
from Rome, having letters to the kings and
to the countries, in which were written
these things:
16 “Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King
Ptolemy, greetings.
17 The Jews’ ambassadors came to us as
our friends and allies, to renew the old
friendship and alliance, being sent from
Simon the high priest, and from the people
of the Jews.
18 Moreover theybrought a shieldof gold
weighing one thousand minas.†
19 It pleased us therefore to write to the
kings and to the countries,thatthey should
not seek their harm or fight against them,
their cities, and their country, or be allies
with those who fight against them.
20 Moreover, it seemed good to us to receive
the shield from them.
21 If therefore any troublemakers have
fled from their country to you, deliver
them to Simon the high priest, that he may
take vengeance on them according to their
law.”
22 He wrote the same things to King
Demetrius, to Attalus, to Arathes, to Arsaces,
23 to all the countries, to‡ Sampsames,
to the Spartans, to Delos, to Myndos, to
Sicyon, to Caria, to Samos, to Pamphylia,
to Lycia, to Halicarnassus, to Rhodes,
to Phaselis, to Cos, to Side, to Aradus,
Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene.
24 They also wrote this copy to Simon the
high priest.
25 But King Antiochus encamped against
Dor the second day, bringing his forces up
to it continually, and making engines of
war; and he shut up Tryphon from going
in or out.
26 Simon sent him two thousand chosen
men to fight on his side, with silver, gold,
and instruments of war in abundance.
27 He would not receive them, but nullified
all the covenants which he had made
with him before, and was estranged from him.
28 He sent to him Athenobius, one of his
friends,§ to confer with him, saying, “You
hold possession of Joppa, Gazara, and the
citadel that is in Jerusalem, cities of my
kingdom.
29 You have devastated their territory,
and done great harm in the land, and
control of many places in my kingdom.
30 Now therefore hand over the cities
which you have taken, and the tributes of
the places which you have taken control of
outside of the borders of Judea;
31 or else give me for them five hundred
talents of silver; and for the harm that you
have done, and the tributes of the cities,
another five hundred talents. Otherwise
we will come and subdue you.”
32 Athenobius, the king’s friend,† came
to Jerusalem. When he saw the glory of
Simon, the cupboard of gold and silver
vessels, and his great attendance, he was
amazed. He reported to him the king’s
words.
33 Simon answered, and said to him, “We
have not taken other men’s land nor do
we have possession of that which belongs
to others, but of the inheritance of our
fathers. However, it had been in possession
of our enemies wrongfully for a while.
34 But we, having opportunity, firmly
hold the inheritance of our fathers.
35 As for Joppa and Gazara, which you
demand, they did great harm among the
people throughout our country. We will
give one hundred talents for them.”
Athenobius didn’t answer even one word,
36 but returned in a rage to the king, and
reported to him these words, and the glory
of Simon, and all that he had seen; and the
king was exceedingly angry.
37 Meanwhile, Tryphon embarked on
board a ship, and fled to Orthosia.
38 The king appointed Cendebaeus chief
captain of the sea coast, and gave him
troops of infantry and cavalry.
39 He commanded him to encamp
against Judea, and he commanded him to
build up Kidron, and to fortify the gates,
and that he shouldfight againstthe people;
but the king pursued Tryphon.
40 So Cendebaeus came to Jamnia and
began to provoke the people, and to invade
Judea, and to take the people captive and
kill them.
41 He built Kidron and stationed cavalry
and infantry there, to the end that going
outthey might make raids onthe highways
of Judea, as the king had commanded him.