1 Maccabees 14
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.
In the one hundred and seventy-second year, king Demetrius gathered together his army, and he went into Media to obtain auxiliaries to fight against TryphoAnd Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius entered his confines, and so he sent one of his princes to capture him alive and to bring him to himAnd he went out and struck the camp of Demetrius. And captured him and brought him to Arsaces, and he placed him under guardAnd the entire land of Judah was quiet during all the days of Simon, and he sought what was good for his people. And his power and his glory pleased them through all his daysAnd, with all his glory, he accepted Joppa as a port, and he made it an entrance to the islands of the seaAnd he enlarged the boundaries of his nation, and he controlled the countrysideAnd he gathered together many captives, and he was the ruler of Gazara and Bethzur, and the stronghold. And he took uncleanness away from it, and there was no one who could withstand himAnd each one cultivated his land in peace, and the land of Judah produced its fruits, and the trees of the fields their fruitAll the elders sat in the streets, and they discussed what was good for the country, and the youths clothed themselves in glory and in the robes of warAnd he gave tributes of provisions to the cities, and he decreed that they would have equipment for fortification, so that the fame of his glory was renowned, even to the ends of the earthHe caused there to be peace over the land, and Israel was rejoicing with great joyAnd each one sat under his vine and under his fig tree. And there was no one who would terrify themThere was nothing left of those who might fight against them in the land; kings had been crushed in those daysAnd he confirmed all the humble of his people, and he sought the law, and he took away every iniquity and evilHe glorified the sanctuary, and he multiplied the vessels of the holy placesAnd it was heard at Rome, and even in Sparta, that Jonathan had passed away. And they were very sorrowfulBut when they heard that Simon, his brother, had been made high priest in his place, and that he obtained the entire country and the cities in itthey wrote to him on tablets of brass, so as to renew the friendship and alliance, which they had made with Judas and with Jonathan, his brothersAnd they were read in the sight of the assembly at Jerusalem. And this is a copy of the letters that the Spartans sent"The leaders and the cities of the Spartans, to Simon, the great priest, and to the elders, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, their brothers: greetingsThe ambassadors who were sent to our people have reported to us of your glory, and honor, and rejoicing. And we were glad at their arrivalAnd we wrote down what was said by them in the councils of the people, as follows: ‘Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friendship with usAnd it pleased the people to receive the men gloriously, and to place a copy of their words in a section of the public books, so as to be a memorial for the people of the Spartans. Furthermore, we have written a copy of them to Simon, the great priest.’ But after this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome, in possession of a great shield of gold, weighing over a thousand pounds, to confirm the association with themBut when the people of Rome had heard these words, they said: "With what deeds of thanksgiving shall we repay Simon and his sonsFor he has vindicated his brothers, and he has fought off the enemies of Israel from them." And so, they decreed him free, and they registered it on tablets of brass and placed it in an inscription on mount ZionAnd this is a copy of the writing: "On the eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, the third year under Simon, the great priest at Asaramelin a great convocation of the priests, and the people, and the leaders of the nation, and the elders of the country, these things were noted: ‘Now there have often been battles in our countryAnd Simon, the son of Mattathias, of the sons of Jarib, and his brothers, have put themselves in danger, and have withstood the enemies of their nation, so as to establish their holy places and the law. And they have glorified their people with great gloryAnd Jonathan gathered together his nation, and he was made their great priest, and he was laid to rest among his peopleAnd their enemies wanted to trample and lay waste to their country, and to extend their hands against their holy placesThen Simon resisted, and he fought for his nation, and he requested much money, and he armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wagesAnd he fortified the cities of Judea and Bethzur, which are along the borders of Judea, where the weaponry of the enemies was before. And he placed a garrison of Jewish men thereAnd he fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the border of Azotus, where the enemies stayed before, and he placed Jews there. And he positioned with them whatever was fitting for their preparationsAnd the people saw the acts of Simon, and the glory that he intended to bring to his nation, and they made him their commander and first priest, because he had done all these things, and because of the justice and faith that he maintained for his nation, and because he sought to exalt his people by all meansAnd in his days, there was prosperity by his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away from their country, and also those who were in the city of David, in Jerusalem, in the stronghold, from which they went out and contaminated all the places that were around the sanctuary, and from which they brought a great scourging against chastityAnd he placed in it Jewish men, as a means of protection for the region and the city, and he raised the walls of JerusalemAnd king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthoodAccording to these things, he made him his friend, and he glorified him with great gloryFor he heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and associates, and brothers, and that they received the ambassadors of Simon with gloryand that the Jews and their priests had consented that he should be their governor and high priest unceasingly, until there should arise a faithful prophetand that he should be the commander over them, and that he should take care of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint foremen over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholdsand that he should take care of the holy places, and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the records in the country should be recorded in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and goldand that it should not be lawful for any of the people or the priests to make void any of these things, nor to contradict things that are said by him, nor to call together an assembly in the country without him, nor to be clothed in purple, nor to use a clasp of goldAnd whoever will do otherwise, or who will make void any of these things, shall be guiltyAnd it pleased all the people to appoint Simon, and to act according to these wordsAnd Simon accepted it, and he was pleased to perform the office of the high priesthood, and to be the commander and leader of the people of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be foremost over them allAnd they asked that this writing be placed on tablets of brass, and be placed within the precinct of the sanctuary in a celebrated placeand that a copy of these be placed in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons may have it.’
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