The Third Book of the Maccabees is recognized
as Deuterocanonical Scripture by
the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox
Churches. It is considered to be apocrypha
by most other church traditions.

1 Now Philopater, on learning from
those who came back that Antiochus had
made himself master of the places which
belonged to himself, sent orders to all his
infantry and cavalry, took with him his
sister Arsinoe, and marched out as far as
the parts of Raphia, where Antiochus and
his forces encamped.

2 And one Theodotus, intending to carry
out his design, took with him the bravest
of the armed men who had been before
committed to his trust by Ptolemy, and got
through at night to the tent of Ptolemy, to
kill him on his own responsibility, and so
to end the war.

3 But Dositheus, called the son of Drimulus,
by birth a Jew, afterward a renegade
fromthe laws andobservances ofhis country,
conveyed Ptolemy away, and made an
obscure person lie down in his stead in the
tent. It turned out that this man received
the fate which was meant for the other.

4 A fierce battle then took place. The
men of Antiochus were prevailing. Arsinoe
continually went up and down the
ranks, and with dishevelled hair, with
tears and entreaties, begged the soldiers
to fight bravely for themselves, their children,
and wives, and promised that if they
proved conquerors, she would give them
each two minas of gold.

5 It thus fell out that their enemies were
defeated in hand-to-hand encounter, and
that many of them were taken prisoners.

6 Having vanquished this attempt, the
king then decided to proceed to the neighboring
cities, and encourage them.

7 By doing this, and by making donations
to their temples, he inspired his subjects
with confidence.

8 The Jews sent some of their council
and of their elders to him. The greetings,
welcoming gifts, and congratulations of
the past, given by them, filled him with the
greater eagerness to visit their city.

9 Having arrived at Jerusalem, sacrificed,
and offered thank-offerings to the
Greatest God, and done whatever else was
suitable to the sanctity of the place, and
entered the inner court,

10 he was so impressed with the magnificence
of the place, and so wondered at
the orderly arrangements of the temple,
that he considered entering the sanctuary
itself.

11 When they told him that this was
not permissible, none of the nation, not
even the priests in general, but only the
supreme high priest of all, and he only
once in a year, was allowed to go in, he
would by no means give way.

12 Then they read the law to him, but he
persisted in intruding, exclaiming that he
ought to be allowed. He said, “Even if they
were deprived of this honor, I shouldn’t be.

13He asked why, when he entered all the
other temples, did none of the priests who
were present forbid him.