1 Maccabees 1–2: I and My Sons and My Kindred Will Walk in the Covenant of Our Fathers": Antiochus, the Abomination, and Mattathias

After Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came out of the land of Chittim, and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after he had struck him, that he reigned in his place, in former time, over Greece. He fought many battles, won many strongholds, killed the kings of the earth, went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of a multitude of nations. The earth was quiet before him. He was exalted. His heart was lifted up. He gathered together an exceedingly strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and principalities, and they paid him tribute.

After these things he fell sick, and perceived that he was going to die. He called his honorable servants, which had been brought up with him from his youth, and he divided to them his kingdom while he was still alive. Alexander reigned twelve years, then he died. Then his servants ruled, each one in his place. They all put crowns upon themselves after he was dead, and so did their sons after them many years; and they multiplied evils on the earth.

There came out of them a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the one hundred thirty seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days transgressors of the law came out of Israel and persuaded many, saying, “Let’s go make a covenant with the Gentiles around us; for since we were separated from them many evils have befallen us.” That proposal was good in their eyes. Some of the people eagerly went to the king, and he authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the laws of the Gentiles. They made themselves uncircumcised, forsook the holy covenant, joined themselves to the Gentiles, and sold themselves to do evil.

The kingdom was established in the sight of Antiochus, and he planned to reign over Egypt, that he might reign over both kingdoms. He entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots, with elephants, with cavalry, and with a great navy. He made war against Ptolemy king of Egypt. Ptolemy was put to shame before him, and fled; and many fell wounded to death. They took possession of the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils of Egypt.

Antiochus, after he had defeated Egypt, returned in the one hundred forty third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered presumptuously into the sanctuary, and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. He took the table of the show bread, the cups for the drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the veil, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple. He peeled it all off. He took the silver, the gold, and the precious vessels. He took the hidden treasures which he found. When he had taken all of these, he went away into his own land. He made a great slaughter, and spoke very arrogantly. Great mourning came upon Israel, in every place where they were. The rulers and elders groaned. The virgins and young men were made feeble. The beauty of the women was changed. Every bridegroom took up lamentation. She who sat in the marriage chamber was mourning. The land was moved for its inhabitants, and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.

After two full years, the king sent a chief collector of tribute to the cities of Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a great multitude. He spoke words of peace to them in subtlety, and they believed him. Then he fell upon the city suddenly, struck it very severely, and destroyed many people of Israel. He took the spoils of the city, set it on fire, and pulled down its houses and its walls on every side. They led captive the women and the children, and seized the livestock. Then they fortified the city of David with a large, strong wall and with strong towers, and it became their citadel. They put a sinful nation, transgressors of the law, there, and they strengthened themselves in it. They stored up weapons and food, and gathering together the spoils of Jerusalem, they stored them there, and they became a great menace. It became a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel continually. They shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary. The inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them. She became a habitation of foreigners. She became foreign to those who were born in her, and her children forsook her. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her Sabbaths into reproach, and her honor into contempt. According to her glory, so was her dishonor multiplied, and her exaltation was turned into mourning.

King Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that each should forsake his own laws. All the nations agreed according to the word of the king. Many of Israel consented to his worship, sacrificed to the idols, and profaned the Sabbath. The king sent letters by the hand of messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, that they should follow laws strange to the land, and should forbid whole burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offerings in the sanctuary; and should profane the Sabbaths and feasts, and pollute the sanctuary and those who were holy; that they should build altars, and temples, and shrines for idols, and should sacrifice swine’s flesh and unclean animals; and that they should leave their sons uncircumcised, that they should make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation; so that they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. Whoever doesn’t do according to the word of the king, he shall die. He wrote according to all these words to his whole kingdom. He appointed overseers over all the people, and he commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice, city by city. From the people were gathered together to them many, everyone who had forsaken the law; and they did evil things in the land. They made Israel to hide themselves in every place of refuge which they had.

On the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred forty fifth year, they built an abomination of desolation upon the altar, and in the cities of Judah on every side they built idol altars. At the doors of the houses and in the streets they burned incense. They tore the books of the law which they found in pieces and set them on fire. Anyone who was found with any book of the covenant, and if any consented to the law, the king’s sentence delivered him to death. Thus did they in their might to Israel, to those who were found month by month in the cities. On the twenty-fifth day of the month they sacrificed upon the idol altar that was on top of the altar of burnt offering. They put to death women who had circumcised their children, according to the commandment. They hung their babies around their necks, and their houses, and those who had circumcised them. Many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat unclean things. They chose to die, that they might not be defiled with the food, and that they might not profane the holy covenant; and they died. Exceedingly great wrath came upon Israel.

In those days Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem rose up; and he lived at Modin. And he had five sons: John, who was surnamed Gaddis; Simon, who was called Thassi; Judas, who was called Maccabaeus; Eleazar, who was called Avaran; and Jonathan, who was called Apphus.

He saw the blasphemies that were committed in Judah and in Jerusalem, and he said, “Woe is me! Why was I born to see the destruction of my people and the destruction of the holy city, and to dwell there when it was given into the hand of the enemy, the sanctuary into the hand of foreigners? Her temple has become like a man who was glorious. Her vessels of glory are carried away into captivity. Her infants are slain in her streets. Her young men are slain with the enemy’s sword. What nation has not inherited her palaces and taken possession of her spoils? Her adornment has all been taken away. Instead of a free woman, she has become a slave. Behold, our holy things, our beauty, and our glory are laid waste. The Gentiles have profaned them. Why should we live any longer?”

Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned exceedingly.

And the king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came into the city Modin to sacrifice. Many of Israel came to them, and Mattathias and his sons were gathered together. The king’s officers answered and spoke to Mattathias, saying, “You are a ruler and an honorable and great man in this city, and strengthened with sons and kindred. Now therefore come first and do the commandment of the king, as all the nations have done, including the men of Judah and those who remain in Jerusalem. You and your house will be numbered among the king’s friends, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.”

And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, “If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion listen to him, to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers, and have chosen to follow his commandments, yet I and my sons and my kindred will walk in the covenant of our fathers. Far be it from us that we should forsake the law and the ordinances. We will not listen to the king’s words, to turn aside from our worship, to the right hand, or to the left.”

When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came in the sight of all to sacrifice on the altar which was at Modin, according to the king’s commandment. Mattathias saw it, so his zeal was kindled, and his guts trembled, and he vented his wrath according to judgment, and ran and killed him upon the altar. He killed the king’s officer, who compelled men to sacrifice, at the same time, and pulled down the altar. He was zealous for the law, even as Phinehas did to Zimri the son of Salu.

Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying, “Whoever is zealous for the law and maintains the covenant, let him follow me!” He and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that they had in the city.

Then many who sought justice and judgment went down into the wilderness to live there— they, their children, their wives, and their livestock—because evils were multiplied upon them. It was told to the king’s officers and the forces that were in Jerusalem, the city of David, that certain men who had broken the king’s commandment had gone down into the secret places in the wilderness; and many pursued after them, and having overtaken them, they encamped against them and set the battle in array against them on the Sabbath day. They said to them, “Enough of this! Come out and do according to the word of the king, and you will all live!”

They said, “We won’t come out. We won’t do the word of the king, to profane the Sabbath day.”

Then the enemy hurried to attack them.

They didn’t answer them. They didn’t cast a stone at them, or block their secret places, saying, “Let’s all die in our innocence. Heaven and earth testify for us, that you put us to death unjustly.”

So they attacked them on the Sabbath, and they died—they, their wives, their children, and their livestock—in number a thousand souls of men.

When Mattathias and his friends found out about it, they mourned over them exceedingly. One said to another, “If we all do as our kindred have done, and don’t fight against the Gentiles for our lives and our ordinances, they will quickly destroy us from off the earth.” So they decided that day, saying, “Whoever comes against us to battle on the Sabbath day, let’s fight against him, and we will in no way all die, as our kindred died in the secret places.”

Then a company of the Hasidaeans, mighty men of Israel, everyone who offered himself willingly for the law, were gathered together to them. All those who fled from the evils were added to them, and supported them. They mustered an army, and struck sinners in their anger, and lawless men in their wrath. The rest fled to the Gentiles for safety. And Mattathias and his friends went around and pulled down the altars. They forcibly circumcised the boys who were uncircumcised, as many as they found in the coasts of Israel. They pursued the arrogant, and the work prospered in their hand. They rescued the law out of the hand of the Gentiles and out of the hand of the kings. They never allowed the sinner to triumph.

The days of Mattathias drew near that he should die, and he said to his sons, “Now pride and scorn have gained strength. It is a season of overthrow and indignant wrath. Now, my children, be zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. Call to remembrance the deeds of our fathers which they did in their generations; and receive great glory and an everlasting name. Wasn’t Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness? Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment, and became lord of Egypt. Phinehas our father, because he was exceedingly zealous, obtained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Joshua became a judge in Israel for fulfilling the word. Caleb obtained a heritage in the land for testifying in the congregation. David inherited the throne of a kingdom forever and ever for being merciful. Elijah was taken up into heaven because he was exceedingly zealous for the law. Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael believed, and were saved out of the flame. Daniel was delivered from the mouth of lions for his innocence.

“Thus consider from generation to generation that no one who put their trust in him will lack for strength. Don’t be afraid of the words of a sinful man; for his glory will be dung and worms. Today he will be lifted up, and tomorrow he will in no way be found, because he has returned to dust, and his thought has perished. You, my children, be strong, and show yourselves men on behalf of the law; for in it you will obtain glory. Behold, Simon your brother, whom I know to be a man of counsel. Always listen to him. He shall be a father to you. Judas Maccabaeus has been strong and mighty from his youth. He shall be your captain and shall fight the battle of the people. Rally around all the doers of the law, and avenge the wrong done to your people. Repay the Gentiles, and obey the commandments of the law.”

He blessed them, and was gathered to his ancestors. He died in the one hundred forty sixth year, and his sons buried him in the tombs of his ancestors at Modin. All Israel made great lamentation for him.