1 Maccabees

Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and divided his kingdom among his servants before his death. After Alexander's death, his servants and their sons ruled for many years, and evils multiplied on the earth. Antiochus, the son of King Antiochus, rose to power and conquered Egypt, then turned his attention to Israel, desecrating the temple in Jerusalem and taking its treasures. He imposed his own laws on the people, forcing them to abandon their Jewish traditions and worship idols, and those who refused were put to death.

Mattathias, a priest, and his five sons, including Judas Maccabeus, refused to obey King Antiochus' order to sacrifice to idols and instead chose to follow the law of their fathers. When a Jew attempted to sacrifice to the idols, Mattathias killed him and the king's officer, then destroyed the altar. He and his sons fled to the mountains, where they were joined by others who sought to follow the law. A group of these men, who refused to fight on the Sabbath, were killed by the king's men, leading Mattathias and his friends to decide that they would fight on the Sabbath if necessary to defend themselves. As Mattathias neared death, he exhorted his sons to imitate the law, give their lives for the covenant, and follow the examples of their ancestors who had trusted in God. He appointed Judas Maccabeus as the leader of their militia and Simon as a counselor, before passing away and being buried in Modin.

Judas Maccabeus rose up to lead the battle for Israel, assisted by his brothers and those who had joined them. He fought against the wicked, pursued those who disturbed his people, and burned them with fire, causing his enemies to be repelled by fear. Judas defeated Apollonius and Seron, leaders of the Gentile armies, despite being outnumbered, and his name became renowned throughout the earth. King Antiochus, enraged by Judas' victories, gathered a strong army and sent Lysias to preside over the kingdom and to crush the Israelites. Lysias chose powerful men to lead an army of 40,000 men and 7,000 horsemen to destroy Judah, prompting Judas and his brothers to prepare for battle and pray for mercy and compassion.

Gorgias led 6,000 men to attack the Jews by night, but Judas and his 3,000 men met them in the plain and, despite being outnumbered and outarmed, defeated them through faith and prayer. Judas then warned his men not to desire the spoils yet, as Gorgias' army was still near, but after Gorgias' men fled, Judas' army took the spoils and sang a canticle to God. Lysias, hearing of the defeat, gathered 65,000 men and 5,000 horsemen to defeat the Jews, but Judas prayed for God's help and defeated Lysias' army, killing 5,000 men. Judas and his brothers then cleansed and renewed the holy places in Jerusalem, rebuilding the altar and temple, and rededicating it with sacrifices and joy.

The surrounding nations were angry that the altar and sanctuary had been rebuilt and began to kill and persecute the Israelites. Judas defeated the sons of Esau in Idumea and the sons of Baean, who were a snare to the people. He then crossed over to the sons of Ammon and defeated them, seizing the city of Jazer and its sister cities. The Gentiles in Gilead gathered against the Israelites, who fled to the fortress of Dathema and sent letters to Judas for help. Judas and his brother Jonathan went to rescue them, while Simon went to Galilee to free their brothers. Judas and Jonathan defeated the Gentiles in Gilead, and Simon defeated them in Galilee, freeing many Israelites and bringing them back to Judea. Judas then gathered all the Israelites in Gilead and brought them back to Judea, destroying the city of Ephron and the temple in Carnaim along the way. Meanwhile, Joseph and Azariah, who were left in charge of Judea, were defeated by Gorgias, but Judas and his brothers continued to defeat the Gentiles, including the sons of Esau and the foreigners in Samaria and Azotus.

King Antiochus, upon hearing of the riches in the city of Elymais, attempted to seize it but was unsuccessful and fled. He then received news of his defeat in Judah and the destruction of the abomination he had set up in Jerusalem, which caused him great distress and grief. Antiochus eventually died, and Lysias appointed his son Antiochus Eupator as the new king. Lysias then led a large army to Judah, where he was met by Judas and his forces. The two armies clashed, and although the king's army was strong, they were ultimately forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses, including the death of Eleazar, who had killed a large elephant but was crushed by it. Lysias eventually made peace with the Jews, allowing them to follow their own laws, but the king later broke his oath and destroyed the surrounding wall of Mount Zion before returning to Antioch.

Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, took the throne and killed Antiochus and Lysias. He appointed Alcimus as high priest and Bacchides to punish Judas and his brothers. Alcimus and Bacchides assembled a congregation of scribes to seek peace, but Alcimus broke his oath and killed sixty of the Hasideans. Bacchides then moved his camp and left Alcimus in charge, who caused great suffering in Israel. Judas took vengeance on those who rebelled and Alcimus returned to the king, accusing Judas of crimes. The king sent Nicanor to overthrow the people, but Judas discovered Nicanor's deceit and prepared for battle. Nicanor was defeated and killed, and the people rejoiced, establishing the thirteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of celebration.

Judas heard of the Romans' power and their willingness to form alliances with those who agree with them. The Romans had conquered many lands, including Galatia and Spain, and had defeated powerful kings, such as Antiochus and Philip. Judas chose Eupolemus and Jason to go to Rome to form an alliance with the Romans, hoping to gain their help in freeing the kingdom of Israel from Greek oppression. The Romans agreed to the alliance, promising mutual aid in times of war and establishing a treaty that would be ratified by both parties.

Demetrius sent Bacchides and Alcimus to Judea with a large army, and they set up camp near Jerusalem. Judas, with 3,000 men, saw the multitude of the enemy army and many of his men fled, leaving him with only 800. Despite being discouraged, Judas decided to fight, but his men dissuaded him, and they were eventually defeated, with Judas being killed. Jonathan and Simon, Judas' brothers, carried his body and buried him in the city of Modin. After Judas' death, the wicked began to emerge in Israel, and a great famine occurred. Bacchides chose impious men as rulers and persecuted the friends of Judas. Jonathan was chosen as the new leader and commander, and he fled to the desert of Tekoa with his brother Simon. Bacchides pursued them but was unsuccessful. Jonathan and Simon later avenged the death of their brother John by killing the sons of Jambri. Bacchides again pursued them but was defeated, and Jonathan and his men fortified cities in Judea. Alcimus, who had been destroying the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary, was struck and eventually died. Bacchides returned to the king, and the land was quiet for two years. However, he later returned with a large army to capture Jonathan and his men but was unsuccessful and eventually made peace with Jonathan, restoring captives and swearing not to harm him.

Alexander, the son of Antiochus, occupied Ptolemais and was received as king, prompting Demetrius to gather an army to meet him in battle. Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan with peaceful words, offering him authority to gather an army and fabricate weapons, and later sent another letter to the Jews, releasing them from tributes and granting them gifts. However, Jonathan and the people did not believe Demetrius' words due to his past malice towards them. Alexander defeated Demetrius in battle and sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, to establish a friendship and request his daughter's hand in marriage. Alexander then wrote to Jonathan, asking him to meet him at Ptolemais, where he was received with glory and given gifts. Jonathan was later appointed as governor and participant in Alexander's dominion. Meanwhile, Demetrius' son, Demetrius, returned to the land of his fathers and appointed Apollonius as his general, who gathered an army and sent a message to Jonathan, challenging him to battle. Jonathan accepted the challenge and defeated Apollonius' army, capturing Azotus and its surrounding cities.

King Ptolemy of Egypt gathered a large army and sought to obtain the kingdom of Alexander by deceit. He entered Syria with peaceful words, but placed garrisons of soldiers in each city. Jonathan met with Ptolemy at Joppa and accompanied him to the river Eleutherus before returning to Jerusalem. Ptolemy then turned against Alexander, who was killed by an Arab named Zabdiel. Ptolemy died soon after, and Demetrius reigned in his place. Demetrius confirmed Jonathan as high priest and granted him many honors, including the right to govern Judea and three other districts. Jonathan sent 3,000 men to assist Demetrius in Antioch, where they helped the king defeat a rebellion and were glorified in his sight. However, Demetrius later turned against Jonathan and failed to repay him for his assistance. Meanwhile, Trypho returned with Antiochus, the son of Alexander, and they defeated Demetrius. Antiochus then confirmed Jonathan as high priest and granted him additional powers, including the right to govern four cities. Jonathan went on to defeat the armies of Syria and besiege Gaza, eventually accepting the city's surrender and traveling to Damascus. He later defeated the leaders of Demetrius at Kadesh and returned to Jerusalem.

Jonathan, the high priest, sent letters to the Spartans and Romans to renew the peace agreement and alliance. He also sent Numenius and Antipater to Rome to confirm the treaty. Meanwhile, Jonathan heard that the leaders from Demetrius had returned with a greater army, so he met them in the region of Hamath and prepared for battle. The adversaries were struck with fear and retreated, and Jonathan pursued them but did not overtake them. Jonathan then diverted to the Arabians and took their spoils, and later returned to Jerusalem and decided to build fortresses in Judea. Later, Trypho sought to seize and kill Jonathan, but instead received him with honor and asked him to send away his army. Jonathan believed Trypho and sent away his army, but was then captured and executed in Ptolemais. Trypho sent an army to destroy Jonathan's associates, but they were able to return to the land of Judah with peace. The nations around them sought to crush them, believing they had no leader or helper.

Simon, upon hearing that Trypho was gathering an army to attack Judah, rallied the people and prepared for battle. Trypho demanded a ransom and hostages in exchange for Jonathan, but Simon knew it was a trick and sent the money and his sons anyway. Trypho killed Jonathan and his sons, and Simon later retrieved their bodies and buried them in Modin. Simon then built a grand monument in their honor and fortified the strongholds of Judea. He also sent a delegation to King Demetrius, who responded with a letter granting the Jews a remission and forgiving past debts. Simon then captured Gaza and the stronghold of Jerusalem, cleansing them of idols and establishing a new order. He appointed his son John as commander of the forces and lived in Gazara.

King Demetrius gathered his army to fight against Trypho, but was captured by Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media. Meanwhile, Simon, the high priest, brought peace and prosperity to Judah, expanding its borders and fortifying its cities. The Spartans and Romans formed alliances with Simon, recognizing his power and glory. The people of Judah, in a great convocation, decreed that Simon should be their commander and high priest, with authority over the sanctuary, the country, and its people, and that this decree should be recorded on tablets of brass and placed in the sanctuary.

King Antiochus VII wrote to Simon, the high priest, confirming the privileges and exemptions granted by previous kings and allowing the Jews to mint their own coins and maintain control of Jerusalem. Antiochus then marched against Trypho, who had usurped the throne, and laid siege to Dora. Meanwhile, the Romans wrote to various kings and regions, including Antiochus, instructing them not to harm the Jews and to extradite any Jewish fugitives to Simon for trial. Antiochus, however, broke his agreement with Simon and sent Athenobius to demand that Simon hand over certain cities and pay tribute. Simon refused, offering to pay 100 talents for Joppa and Gazara, and Athenobius returned to Antiochus with the news, prompting the king to send Cendebeus to attack Judea.

John, the son of Simon, led an army against Cendebeus, and after crossing a river, they defeated the enemy, with many of Cendebeus' men falling wounded or fleeing. John's brother Judas was wounded in the battle, but John pursued the enemy and destroyed them. Meanwhile, Ptolemy, the son-in-law of the high priest, plotted against Simon and his sons, and eventually killed Simon and two of his sons at a feast in Jericho. Ptolemy then sent men to kill John, but John was warned and killed the men sent to destroy him.