Chapter One
Antiochus 'Letter to the Jews 18 Antiochus was in despair and could find
no relief from his pain, because God was punishing
him as he deserved, so he wrote the following
letter to the Jews:
19 "King Antiochus to the Jews, my most
distinguished subjects. Warm greetings
and best wishes for your health and prosperity.
20 "I hope that you and your families are
in good health and that all goes well with
you. My hope is in God, 21 and I remember
with a deep sense of joy the respect and
kindness that you have shown me.
"On my way home from Persia I fell
violently ill, and so I thought it best to begin
making plans for the general welfare
of the people. 22 I have not given up hopes
of getting well; in fact I am fully confident
that I will recover. 23 But I recall that
my father used to appoint a successor
whenever he went on a military campaign
east of the Euphrates. 24 He did this so that
if something unexpected happened, or if
some bad news came back, then his subjects
would not be afraid, for they knew
who had been left in command. 25 Also, I
know how the rulers along the frontiers of
my kingdom are constantly on the lookout
for any opportunity that may come
along. That is why I have appointed my
son Antiochus to succeed me as king. I
have frequently entrusted him to your
care and recommended him to you when I
went on my regular visits to the provinces
east of the Euphrates. (He is receiving a
copy of the letter which follows.) 26 Now I
strongly urge each of you to keep in mind
the good things that I have done for you,
both individually and as a nation, and to
continue in your good will toward me and
my son. 27 I am confident that he will treat
you with fairness and kindness, just as I
have always done."
28 And so, this murderer, who had cursed
God, suffered the same terrible agonies he had
brought on others, and then died a miserable
death in the mountains of a foreign land. 29 One
of his close friends, Philip, took his body home;
but, because he was afraid of Antiochus' son,
he went on to King Ptolemy Philometor of
Egypt.
The Rededication of the Temple
(1 Maccabees 4.36-61)
10 Judas Maccabeus and his followers, under
the leadership of the Lord, recaptured
the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.
2 They tore down the altars which foreigners
had set up in the marketplace and destroyed
the other places of worship that had been built.
3 They purified the Temple and built a new altar.
Then, with new fire started by striking
flint, they offered sacrifice for the first time in
two years, burned incense, lighted the lamps,
and set out the sacred loaves. 4 After they had
done all this, they lay face down on the ground
and prayed that the Lord would never again let
such disasters strike them. They begged him to
be merciful when he punished them for future
sins and not hand them over any more to barbaric,
pagan Gentiles. 5 They rededicated the
Temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month
of Kislev, the same day of the same month on
which the Temple had been desecrated by the
Gentiles. 6 The happy celebration lasted eight
days, like the Festival of Shelters, and the people
remembered how only a short time before,
they had spent the Festival of Shelters wandering
like wild animals in the mountains and living
in caves. 7 But now, carrying green palm
branches and sticks decorated with ivy, they
paraded around, singing grateful praises to
him who had brought about the purification of
his own Temple. 8 Everyone agreed that the entire
Jewish nation should celebrate this festival
each year.
9.20 Form Letter?
On his deathbed, Antiochus Epiphanes
determined to mend his ways and sent a
friendly letter to the Jews. But how sincere was
his changed mind? Some commentators think
the letter was a form sent to all his subject
kingdoms, since it asks them to "keep in mind
the good things that I have done for you .
and . continue in your good will toward me"
(verse 26). It would be hard for a Jew to
name any good thing Antiochus had done for
Israel or to find any good will toward him in
Jerusalem.
(Continues.)
